Response to Reviews
Thank you to Guest, Kingdom Hearts Guy, HunterHQ, Guest, rgriffin8999, Kcufad, T.V. 2000 and Guest for reviewing Chapter 103 of Obscured Truth.
Hi, everyone! As always, I hope you're all doing well, and are safe and sound wherever you are in the world. This chapter starts the next arc of Season 3, which, while it contains anime events, will also have other things going on as well. In other words, expect a divergence in anime events at some point in the next arc of Season 3.
But enough talk, as we have some reviews to answer:
Guest: Continue reading the story to get the answer to that question, as I can't just spoil it for you.
Kingdom Hearts Guy: Yup, it's gnarly right now.
HunterHQ: Season 3 already started as of Chapter 94. The second arc begins as of this chapter. Yup, Constantina was Jericho's true love, and he really did have a heart in the end. Do note that Constantina was her full name, while she was known as Tina. I wouldn't say Dr. Colmer is a bad person. He's one that has a duty to fulfill, and he sometimes doesn't like what he has to do. I can say that the envoys haven't rejected their humanity. Though each of their experiences have warped them on what it means to be human. As for what I mean by that comment, you'll have to see later on in the story. Note that Arashi didn't have the chance to meet Souta yet. The Unholy Sanctification was what led the Black Market to exist in the network in the first place. Yup. Akira worked up the corporate ladder, and all of his hard efforts earned him the job position of Executive Vice President. I mean, the higherups are technically afraid of Brion, which was why they sent him some of the Soltis to assist with reparation efforts in Central Japan. Hopefully, by appeasing Brion, the higherups can avoid retaliation. That's certainly true. If Ondina is to save Emon's company, then she'll have to rename it, especially given its association with the Hanoi. If the higherups decide to play hot potato with the other half of the code key, then all Jericho, Ai and Roboppy would have to do is wipe all of them out, and they'd have it within seconds. Indeed. Yuhiro's finally recovering because he acknowledged he needed help back in Chapter 101, and is making strides too. If Yuhiro truly realized that his destiny was to be a tool, it'd drive him very deep into depression. For the Tron monsters, I can say that Zero rescued each one and took them under his wing. In gratitude for his help, the Cyberse monsters promised to help him and Kairi stop Urizen. Simple as that. Speaking of Zero, he's a very powerful duelist. Though you'd have to see more of his duels to get an answer on where he stands with Jericho and Urizen regarding dueling and physical prowess. Regarding a slice of life moment where the heroes go to a convention, it's something to consider down the road. For your idea on life points and the time limit, it's something to think about for sure. Yes, everyone better be prepared to deal with a new type of enemy. One that can not only attack them in the real world and/or the network with no qualms, but also has no honor as a duelist as well. Jericho even sees dueling as a tool, so in a way, he's a wielder of duel monsters. Almost like with Volo being a Pokemon Wielder than a Pokemon Trainer. Given how Electrolyzer went behind Jericho's back, it's only fair for him to be so wary of having another person who's an apprentice under his ally's wing. Rest assured, Souta's not like Techbane from Hidden Memories at all. I already have his backstory planned out, so no need to make that assumption. There are three reasons why Ai didn't go after the simulations sooner. One: The plot obviously. Two: Ai was busy using the data material and Bohman's program to make The Arrival Cyberse AtIgnister. Three: Ai still wanted to lay low in the event something unexpected happened following the Cursed Boundary Layer's destruction. Sadly, being in the network, especially the dark side of the network, for too long has messed up Jericho's mind. Or at the very least, parts of it, anyway. In a way, it was thanks to Dr. Kogami's program that allowed Emon to evade Constantine for all of those years. As per Chapter 102, Pawn obviously has a family of his own to take care of, which you'll see more of this chapter. Do note that Jericho has a weapon made of pure data material, so if Ai utilized the data storm, then all the former had to do was use the weapon to absorb it. Simple as that. If Gekiryushi wanted, then she can return to Den City. Whether or not she returns to help Akira will be decided in the coming chapters. I can confirm that Go's still in touch with Makoto following the removal of the AI chip in his mind. Gil overreacted after he lost his powers because with them gone, it feels like a part of himself has been killed. And Arin was there during the meeting with Emon. He was just hiding behind Miyu's shoulder. As for the name of Arin's species being called Teocliste, it was just a random name that I made up. For why the heroes threw the USB into the fire, it was to ensure that no one can repair it. If you threw something into the trash, then there's a chance it can be found again. Lastly, I can confirm that some of the envoys come from different parts of the world.
Guest: Well, Jericho's exerting effort right now because the Cursed Boundary Layer was destroyed. The fact that humans of all species did such a thing is insulting to him, so he's taking this seriously and wants payback. It's true. Jericho can reject his humanity all he wants, but he can't deny his origins. Nor can he deny his attachments and emotions. It wouldn't matter if Infearno had complete control of his deck, as Constantine would have killed him one way or another. Jericho and Urizen were aware that Constantine is a Grand Inquisitor a long time ago. There are obvious differences between Yuhiro and Jericho, that's for sure. As for your other questions, I can't answer them because they fall in spoiler category.
Rgriffin8999: Due to other things in my life, I didn't get a chance to play Master Duel unfortunately.
Kcufad: First off, I want to congratulate you for graduating from High School. Well done! To start, I'm glad you liked the duel between Watchman and Zero, especially given their decks. As for Zero's appearance, it was also based off of AZ from Pokemon XY as well. I'll just clear something here: All of Azrael's other actions were just as heinous as him defeating Lord Kazuma. If anything, his other sins outweigh him defeating a Knight of Hanoi in a duel. Glad to hear that you also liked the duels from Chapter 71 as well. Lastly, I'm happy that you enjoyed the chapter between Raguel and Haru back in Chapter 72. I wouldn't say that Cyreath Lernaean Hydra is OP, as its effects in attacking multiple times and gaining more attack points are quite balanced, in my opinion. And it's Mapo Tofu, not just regular tofu. Regarding your question on why Yuhiro threw up after seeing the Mapo Tofu, let's just say he had a very bad experience with that type of cuisine a long time ago. As for your other question regarding Bohman, you'll only see off-screen duels that were canon to the anime. At least for now, anyway…
T.V. 2000: Apologies for not clarifying. I'm planning to put another Rush Duel archetype in the story, which led me to modernize it by creating new cards so it can compete against other existing archetypes. Jericho certainly has a human side, as he was more than happy to see Constantine after so long. Regarding Souta's deck, I can confirm that it is not Cyber Dragon, nor is it Qliphort. He'll be using a different deck that will be shown later on in the story. Akira, Greg and Barbara obviously have a bad feeling about the Soltis because of how potentially dangerous they can be, especially when you took SOL Technologies' past actions. Glad you liked Arin's origin story, along with the judgment Yuhiro accepted for his recent crimes. Yes, I can confirm that Constantine is an Inquisitor. Not just an Inquisitor, but a Grand Inquisitor. Yup. Ai and Roboppy are certainly in a pickle, as they have no choice but to help Jericho, or else their friends pay the ultimate price.
Guest: Yup. Blue Maiden finally proved and demonstrated her true strength as a duelist and a character. No longer shall she be called cannon fodder.
Before we move on to the chapter, I have three other things to say. First, I strongly encourage you to read Roxy's Reports 36, as it happens after Chapter 102, but before Chapter 103. It also sets things up not just for the chapters down the road, but also explains things that are going on as well. Second, for one of the new OCs that will be appearing in Season 3, I haven't decided on an archetype regarding their deck. As such, I'm looking for some ideas from you guys on deck this character should use. If you have any suggestions on what their deck should be, don't hesitate to let me know either through a PM or in your review. Third, it has to do with slice of life moments. Back in Chapter 79, you all provided some great ideas on slice of life moments, and I've made some decisions after taking them all into account. For starters, I can confirm that there will be a Thanksgiving chapter in Season 4 of Obscured Truth! As for your other ideas, they're all definitely possibilities, so I encourage you to continue reading on to see if they appear in the story!
With everything out of the way, it's time to begin the next arc of Season 3, which will have a new opening as of this chapter! I do hope you enjoy not only this chapter, but what's to come as well!
Chapter 103: Mastermind in Motion
(This is the second opening of Season 3. If you have suggestions, don't hesitate to send me a PM or input it in your review)
The screen is pitch black as the duel disks belonging to Yuhiro, Yusaku, Takeru, and Arashi slowly fall from the top, scattered around the screen, and leaving small trails of stardust behind them. All four duel disks hit an invisible ground in unison, causing them to explode into cards that were used by every character in the story so far. The cards continue to rain across the screen before the Cursed Boundary Layer blackens the screen completely, replacing it with a new scene.
The camera moves from left to right, showing a grassy field with Den City and the following characters: Yuhiro, Miyu, Aoi, Yusaku, Takeru, Arashi, Brea, Go, Roxy, Kusanagi, Greg, Quinton, Miles, Ryoken, Youta, Takeya, Akairo, Emma, Kengo, Akira, Brion, Rachel, Gil, Tsubaki, and Gekiryushi. The wind blows, causing each person's hair and clothes to be blown up a bit. The scene suddenly changes, revealing Playmaker, Raguel, Blue Maiden, Numera, Slipstream, Tigress and Aerith on one side. On the other side was Revolver, Specter, Lord Kazuma, Gil, and Soulburner, a destroyed LINK VRAINS behind them.
The screen then changes to show Yusaku and Ai in the streets of a raining Den City. Yusaku was looking down, and Ai was looking upwards, the rain drenching their clothes. Yusaku slowly looks up with a vexed expression, while Ai runs a hand through his hair and turns his gaze onward. In another area of Den City, Yuhiro is shown running as his strength was drained, having cried in despair as a silhouette of Yukage is shown with a smile before fading away in the rainy mist. Miyu and Roxy follow after Yuhiro, with Arin turning into a blanket to keep him warm as the trio took him home so he can recover from his pain.
The Knights of Hanoi are shown next, with Revolver, Specter, Lord Kazuma, Baira, Faust, Dr. Genome, Dancho and Infearno appearing one by one. However, the images of Dancho and Infearno then disappear before being replaced by Demeter and Ondina. Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty and a mischievous, fallen pixie-like angel with long pink hair whose attire consisted of a black dress with stockings, as well as a pair of wings on her back appeared behind the two of them.
The screen then changes to show Akira walking on a sidewalk in the real world, having looked upwards at the sky. His image is shown on a large screen that Jericho was looking at back in his laboratory, as if having determined his next target. A sadistic grin appears on his face as seven colored orbs, one white, one black, one yellow, one red, one brown, one green and one blue orbit around him. Soon, a zebra-skinned demon with horns and long, black braids appears behind Jericho, having carried a large, burning blade in his hands. Also appearing behind Jericho was a male teenager who wore a black and dark blue striped outfit that consisted of several black studded belts strapped around his legs and arms, a short black cape and clawed gauntlets, and a dark enclosed knight helmet with a black mask tinted red, resembling that of a beak. Nearby was an imprisoned Watchman, who groaned in pain as he tried to recover from the torturous pain he received to no avail.
Aoi and Yusaku are shown sitting on a bench together, with Yuhiro and Miyu sitting on a similar bench nearby, the quartet gathering their thoughts together before speaking. The screen then shifts to Kusanagi and Katsuya driving the Café Nagi truck, with Roxy following after the duo by driving her car, as if the trio were on an important mission.
Ai and Roboppy are shown next, the camera zooming in on his right eye and revealing the reflection of Playmaker and Raguel. The reflection turns real, and the camera zooms in on Playmaker and Raguel's left eyes, showing Ai's reflection as his grin turns into a wider one.
Back in LINK VRAINS, Roboppy appears riding on his duel board, Appliancers Vacculephant and Laundry Dragon appearing behind him before he thrusted out his right hand, which caused both monsters to fly downward. Next, Ghost Girl and Blood Shepherd appear riding on their duel boards, Altergeist Memorygant and Battledrone General appearing behind the duo. Go Onizuka appears next, Gouki the Giant Ogre and Gouki the Great Ogre appearing behind him before being replaced by SengokuQueen, The Six Samurai – Tajima and Secret Six Samurai – Rihan appearing behind her. Stregone appears next, Quintet Magician and Nirvana High Paladin appearing behind him. Revolver appears seconds later, Borreload eXcharge Dragon and Borreload Dragon, along with The Fang of Critias appearing behind him. Drachen appears after Revolver as Red-Eyes Black Dragon, The Claw of Hermos and Archfiend Black Dragon Skull rise up behind him before being replaced by Lord Kazuma, with Dragon Magia Master, Dark Magician the Dragon Knight and Dark Magician – Showtime emerging behind him. Numera appears with Geomathmech Final Sigma behind her, along with Tigress as Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max appears behind the latter. Slipstream is shown next, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon and Crystal Wing Synchro Dragon rising up behind him before being replaced by Soulburner, Salamangreats Heatleo and Pyro Phoenix also appearing behind him in the process. Percival and Gil then appear afterwards, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon and Abyss Actor – Ballistic Balladeer appearing behind the two of them. Last but not least is Zero, Yggdrago the Sky Emperor appearing behind him as energy surrounded his body.
Unbeknownst to all of the duelists, Jericho is shown looking down at them on a very tall building, three individual and darkened silhouettes on each of his sides appearing beside him as one of the silhouettes disappears before revealing Dogma himself. Silhouettes of duel monsters also appear behind the group one by one, with the first two consisting of a masked man wearing exquisite white robes with golden outlines and a humanoid bird who had a mechanical wing and carried a gatling gun in his right hand. The next pair of duel monsters consisted of a massive battleship with sails and a woman whose body was made out of light-green and blue crystals, as well as a crown on her head. The last pair of duel monsters consisted of a black, armored humanoid with devil-like wings that had red orbs and eyes, and a silver, bipedal dragon that wore metallic armor over his body. The six duel monsters then disappeared, where Persona Force – Arsene the Joker rose above the group before letting out a loud roar.
Blue Maiden and Akira are shown back-to-back, their hands raised as Marincess Great Bubble Reef and Tindangle Acute Cerberus fire beams of energy at their common foe, determined expressions evident on their faces.
Ai is shown again, his lips curving into a grin as he points his right hand forward. The camera then zooms back to reveal he was in space and riding a duel board, Dark Templar AtIgnister, Wind Pegasus AtIgnister, and Light Dragon AtIgnister behind him. The three monsters charge forward at Raguel, Playmaker and Aerith. Raguel uses Cyreath Medusa to stop Wind Pegasus AtIgnister, Aerith uses Trickstar Bella Madonna to stop Light Dragon AtIgnister, and Playmaker uses Decode Talker to clash against Dark Templar AtIgnister.
A battle-wounded Raguel is shown facing off against Jericho in a desolate, network-like battlefield. Turboblaze Desolation Dragon appears behind Raguel, while a massive, six-winged humanoid appears behind Jericho.
At the Asagao Gardens, a picnic is being held. Roxy and Kusanagi are shown cooking hot dogs and hamburgers, while Greg and Katsuya are serving them to the group. On one side of the large picnic table was Yusaku, Aoi, Takeru, and Jin. Across from them was Yuhiro, Miyu, Arashi, Brea, and Rachel. Arashi makes a joke, which caused Brea to humorously punch him in the shoulder, a smirk on her face while a similar one appears on Rachel's face. Takeru laughs after seeing Arashi in pain, while Aoi and Yusaku let out a small chuckle as well. Jin, on the other hand, lets out a small gasp of concern for Arashi. Miyu is shown happily resting her head on Yuhiro's shoulder, the two of them smiling at one another in gratitude and happiness. Arin also raised his arms in joy upon seeing the happy expressions on Yuhiro and Miyu's faces, having sat on her shoulder to watch them. Afterwards, everyone present look up at the sky as a rainbow appears above the sun, smiles all evident on their faces.
In the real world, during the evening, on Queen's yacht…
Moving along on the soft waters of the ocean was a massive cruise ship. One of many that were used by families and individuals so they can either take vacations or head over to a location that couldn't be reached by car. Majority of the time, it was obviously for vacations because of how several people wanted to spend time with loved ones and get away from work, even if it was only for a little while.
But this cruise ship wasn't just for taking people to different destinations around the area. This specific cruise ship was also used to advertise SOL Technologies' newest product to other areas of the world, which was known as the Soltis. A cruise ship that Queen and Pawn themselves were on so they can get the mission done on behalf of SOL Technologies itself. For Queen, this was her opportunity to redeem herself before the Kings. If she succeeded, then the Kings will not only forgive her transgressions, but also restore her back to her job position as CEO of SOL Technologies as well.
However, to make sure that Queen followed the Kings' orders to the letter, one of the higherups volunteered in going with her for the three-month business trip overseas. The higherup who volunteered to go with Queen was none other than Pawn, the last person she wanted to go on a trip with, especially when you considered his laid-back attitude. What irked Queen was how Pawn also used the opportunity to take his family out on a paid vacation, which the Kings approved of since he saved up all of his vacation hours. Basically, Pawn got a paid vacation and another opportunity to get under Queen's skin wrapped up in one package.
Still, Pawn knew when to get things done, as evident by how he defeated Brion and had him arrested for trying to take the information on the AI chip all those weeks ago. In fact, it was thanks to Pawn that SOL Technologies was able to make sales with numerous clients lately, as he knew how to talk with individuals and convince them of the many benefits Soltis can provide when it came to numerous situations. As a result of this, SOL Technologies even gained some new business partners, which would be crucial in rebuilding its reputation around the world.
Overall, as Queen looked down at the deck of the cruise ship to see the many Soltis helping the passengers with the captain and Pawn, she couldn't help but smile at how much success was brought about by this business trip so far. If things kept up like this, then SOL Technologies would make even more sales and acquire additional business partners, as well as ultimately rebuild its reputation. Still, Queen would make sure she got proper credit for her role in generating sales and obtaining business partners, as there was no way she'd let Pawn hog all the glory for himself.
"Madam Queen. Monsieur Pawn. When I bought your company's Soltis to work on my ship, I didn't know what to expect. But what I certainly didn't expect was that it would exceed my expectations," the captain told Queen and Pawn.
"I'm glad to hear it, Captain." Queen replied. "But I must say that I never had any doubts regarding the Soltis. These androids are at the cutting edge of AI technology, and their intelligence is rapidly improving."
"True, Ohi, but we must be careful regarding the Soltis. The last thing we want is for them to take people's jobs away." Pawn urged caution to Queen. "After all, the Soltis are designed to assist people worldwide, not take their jobs away. For through human labor and effort comes the greatest things."
The captain let out a chuckle after hearing Pawn's warning. "That's definitely true, Monsieur Pawn. Humans definitely made great strides by working with one another towards common goals. For if we let these Soltis units do the work for us, we'll end up becoming lazy over time." The three of them let out a small laugh after hearing the captain's comment.
"There you are, Hyodo," a woman said, as she walked over to where Queen and Pawn was. The woman had short, crimson hair that reached to the back of her neck, along with hazel-colored eyes. Her attire consisted of a white blouse that had a small ribbon attached to the front, along with a skirt that had several flower-like designs on it.
Walking behind her was a male teenager who had red hair tied in a ponytail with a yellow stripe. Like his mother, he had hazel eyes that glowed with a dim light before settling down. For his attire, it consisted of a red t-shirt with black flames on it, along with black, baggy shorts and shoes that had red outlines at the top.
"Bethany, it's great to see you." Pawn responded, as he walked over to where Bethany was, where the latter gave the former a quick peck on the lips. "I trust you're enjoying the vacation?"
"Very much, dear." Bethany walked over to where Queen was and shook her hand. "Hyodo's not causing you too much trouble, right, Ohi? He can sometimes get under your skin."
"Not too much trouble, Bethany." Queen assured Bethany. Unfortunately, there were times where Pawn can get under one's skin, but he made up for it by taking initiative and ensuring that things were in order. In other words, when words didn't work, Pawn would rely on other reasonable tactics to ensure SOL Technologies' safety and prosperity.
Pawn walked over to where the boy was, wanting to see how his son was doing. "Chuck, are you enjoying this cruise ship, my son?"
"It's alright, I suppose." Chuck simply replied. "When you said that we're going on a vacation, I didn't expect a part of it to be a business trip."
"I know, son. But don't worry. Ohi and I are dividing the boring stuff amongst each other so we can get it done quickly." Pawn assured Chuck. "Once it's done, we'll go sightseeing and enjoy the highlights of the many locations on this trip together."
Chuck nodded in response. "I guess that's fair, dad. I mean, I get to do more intriguing stuff on this cruise ship while you do the boring stuff after all. Why won't you let me use the casinos here?"
"Because it's dangerous to gamble, Chuck. It can lead to a gambling addiction as well if you're not careful."
"Then at least give me some more money so I can enjoy the arcade here."
Pawn chuckled before pulling out some money from his pocket. "Alright, Chuck. Here's some more money for the arcade. Remember: Play the game to win in the long-term, not in the short term. Do win something for your old man in the meanwhile, okay?"
"Yes! Thanks, dad! I won't let you down!" Chuck said, before running down to the hall and heading down the stairs, looking forward to what's to come.
"Chuck's become quite intuitive since I last saw him, Hyodo." Queen told Bethany. "If anything, he's become just like you."
"It's definitely true, Ohi. Hyodo's teachings have allowed Chuck to excel in his classes, as well as ensure his time's allocated towards hanging out with his friends and pursuing his dreams." Bethany stated. "Several years from now, Chuck's going to make a great impact on this world."
"He definitely will, Bethany. He definitely will." Pawn acknowledged, a smile evident on his face.
"Pardon me for interrupting, Madam Queen and Monsieur Pawn, but it's getting late really soon," the captain interjected. "It'd be wise to get some rest soon so you're refreshed for the next day."
"Duly noted, Captain. Duly noted." Pawn replied, knowing how important it was to get a good night's sleep. After all, a good night's sleep would help in preparing Pawn and Queen to greet their next clients, as well as enjoy themselves while on the trip.
Several hours later, during the night…
The cruise ship continued to move on the soft waters towards its next destination as the people there went to bed, looking forward to another fun-filled day that was to come in a few hours. Unbeknownst to those on the ship, something was going to happen on this ship. Specifically, a plan was going to be launched by three individuals in order to accomplish their common goal. As for the people who were on the ship, they'd have to deal with the fallout of what happens during these next few hours.
In the cruise ship's line hold, it contained several Soltis units that were either charging or not activated yet. Ones that would help in advertising SOL Technologies' newest product, and how it would benefit people's lives. But in this scenario, it would be used by three individuals to appear in the real world and carry out their plan.
Electricity crackled around three of the Soltis, two of which were large while the third one was a little one. Within seconds, Ai and Roboppy's faces appeared on the Soltis before they gently hopped onto the ground. Jericho's face began to appear on the Soltis, only for additional bursts of electricity to cackle through it, which forced him to return back to the network. Besides, the last thing the trio wanted was for the people on the boat to notice that something was amiss.
"What the Hell? How come it didn't work for me?!" Jericho demanded, having spoken to Ai and Roboppy through the communication pieces embedded within each Soltis' head.
"Maybe you went into a faulty one." Roboppy hypothesized, much to Ai's humor.
"Or perhaps something's wrong on your end, Jericho. I mean, who knows what happened to you in your time in the network." Ai cheekily commented, which made Roboppy chuckle in amusement as well.
"In this case, it looks like I'll have to use a different method in order to buy the time needed so you can get the Code Key from Queen and Pawn." Jericho responded. "That being said, have the security protocols been dealt with?"
"Yup. I disabled any tech that can trace us, so there's no way anyone can know we're onboard." Roboppy told both Ai and Jericho.
"Well done, Roboppy." Ai praised Roboppy. Originally, Jericho was supposed to join the both of them in the real world, but it seemed that something prevented him from hacking into one of the Soltis. Nevertheless, the trio had a mission to complete, which was acquiring the Code Key from Queen and Pawn. In other words, each of them had a role to play so they can accomplish their common mission.
Thus, Ai and Roboppy left the cruise ship's line hold before heading outside on the deck, where they began heading to their first target: Pawn. A few hours earlier, Ai asked Jericho why they had to go after Pawn first, with Jericho explaining that Pawn had access to company assets both for SOL Technologies and its competitors. Ones that can be used for the next part of the plan, which was going after Albinor Inc. and obtaining the Code Key there. Not just that part of the plan, but for also achieving their end goal as well.
"I can't believe I'm on a boat, and a cruise ship too! The last boat I saw was floating in the bathtub!" Roboppy exclaimed, as he looked around the area.
"When my backup was rebuilt, it affected you, Roboppy. This, in turn, enabled you to obtain free will." Ai told Roboppy, having ignored his comments of wonder and awe. Which was something I never expected to occur, Ai admitted in his mind.
"It was foggy at first, but it became clearer as I obtained more knowledge. I mean, there's nothing wrong with knowledge, is there?"
"It depends on the knowledge that's obtained, Roboppy." Jericho warned Roboppy through the communication piece. "For with great knowledge comes great power, and with great power comes great opportunity."
"Whatever. Just when are you going to play your part in this mission, Jericho?" Ai questioned.
"Oh, don't worry. I plan on playing my part really soon, Ai. After all, my own task is aligned with it." Suddenly, electricity coursed through Ai and Roboppy's bodies as they gasped in pure pain, which forced the both of them on their knees.
"Oh, crap…" Roboppy muttered, before letting out several more gasps of pain.
"You have got to be kidding me…" Ai quietly seethed in pain, as he let out another cough.
"Remember this feeling of helplessness, gentlemen. For I hold your lives in the palm of my hand." Jericho told Ai and Roboppy through the communication piece. "As long as you hold your end of the deal, then I will hold my own end. Oh, and don't make me remind you both of what will happen should either of you do anything suspicious."
Ai grit his teeth as the electricity died down, which enabled him to slowly get up on his feet. Unfortunately, during Ai's fight against Jericho hours earlier, the latter was able to input a program in the former's body that would cause him excruciating pain. It wasn't just Ai, as Jericho's duel monster, Loki, also put that same program in Roboppy's body. In other words, this was insurance to ensure that Ai and Roboppy adhered to the established deal back in the network. To make things worse, Ai and Roboppy didn't have a choice in the end, as neither of them wanted their loved ones in the real world to get hurt.
"If there's one bad thing that came with these Soltis, it's that we can now feel pain in the real world." Roboppy stated the obvious, as he looked at his right hand. Ai offered Roboppy a hand, who took it so he can stand up on his feet.
"True, but at least SOL Technologies finally made something useful for a change." Ai countered, as the duo resumed walking down the deck before turning right, where they entered inside what appeared to be a casino. Here, Ai explained to Roboppy what casinos were, where he showed him how the machines worked. This caused one of the machines to disgorge hundreds of silver coins, much to Roboppy's amusement. Seeing his awe-struck expression, Ai proceeded to make all the casino machines disgorge silver coins, which got everyone else's attention as they headed over to collect them. Electricity cackled through the Soltis there as they ran over to forcefully deescalate the situation, thus allowing Ai and Roboppy to slip away in the shadows.
Ai and Roboppy quickly walked down the theatre after leaving the casino, paying no attention to the woman pole dancing. Such a thing was… revolting to say the least, as neither Ai nor Roboppy could understand why humans wanted to see someone else pole dance. But such things didn't concern them, as they had a mission to complete. As if on cue, the lights in the theatre began going on and off, which further allowed the duo to blend in the shadows so they can head over to Pawn's room. Based on what happened, it appeared that Jericho was playing his part by slowly breaking apart the stable environment on the cruise ship by disabling different things. In the casino room, it was the Soltis going into a frenzy. In the theatre, it was simply turning the lights on and off. Ai felt his heart break for the humans, as he didn't want any innocent bystanders getting hurt. Still, he had a mission to complete, and he would see it through the very end.
Eventually, Ai and Roboppy made a left turn, having walked down the hallway before approaching a large door. Ai pointed his right index finger at the electronic lock, having managed to open it. After opening it slowly, Ai and Roboppy noticed Pawn and Bethany sleeping on the queen sized bed while Chuck slept on another bed that was nearby.
"Come on, Chuck. You're almost… at the high… score…" Chuck talked to himself in his sleep, as Ai quickly dashed forward and put his finger on the former's forehead, making him unconscious in the process.
"Chuck, is everything-?" Bethany began asking as she slowly opened her eyes, having heard Chuck talk in his sleep once again. Much to Bethany's relief, this wasn't the case, as she assumed that she was dreaming. Just before Bethany was about to fall asleep, Ai put a finger on her forehead as she gasped quietly, having also fallen unconscious.
That was too easy, Ai thought in his mind, as he and Roboppy headed over to where Pawn was before putting a finger on his forehead, which led all three of them to log into the network within the span of several seconds afterwards.
One minute later, in the network…
Pawn's eyes opened as he realized that he was forcefully logged into the network. Looking around, he noticed that he was in what appeared to be a large area in the casino. The only difference was that there were no slot machines or tables whatsoever. How the Hell did this occur, Pawn wondered in his mind, still confused by how he was forcefully logged into the network.
"Greetings, Pawn." Ai said, which got Pawn's attention.
"Who exactly are you?" Pawn inquired.
"My name is Ai."
Pawn, in response, raised an eyebrow. "Ai? Seriously? That's your name?"
"Apologies for not clarifying. I am Ai, the Dark Ignis." Ai properly introduced himself to Pawn.
"The Dark Ignis?" Pawn repeated. "I heard that you vanished a long time ago."
"I have, but now I'm here of my own accord. Specifically, to complete a mission of significant importance."
"And what mission would that be, Dark Ignis? Revenge against SOL Technologies?"
Ai chuckled. "I won't lie in saying that revenge against you guys is an additional side reward for my mission. Let's just say that SOL Technologies has something I need that will help me in the long run."
"I don't know what your true intentions are, Dark Ignis, but there's no way in Hell that I'll let you succeed in achieving them!" Pawn told Ai.
"That's the spirit, Pawn! You'll need it for what's to come." Ai replied, before snapping his fingers, where three digital screens appeared beside him. The first one showed an unconscious Bethany and Chuck, while the second one showed security and several Soltis restraining clients from hurting one another in the casino room. Finally, the third one showed people being forcefully escorted out of the theatre room by several Soltis as they got to work on repairing the lights, wanting to make sure no one suffered any injuries.
"What have you done?!" Pawn grit his teeth in anger upon seeing Bethany and Chuck unconscious on one of the screens. It wasn't just that, as he was angry with what was going on in the casino room and the theatre as well.
"Let's just say a little bit of trouble has occurred on the cruise ship after I appeared on the scene." Ai chuckled once again. Well, what an ally of mine did to this place to help Roboppy and I complete our role in this mission, went unsaid. "The good news is that there's a way to undo the damage, as well as save your wife and son."
"A duel." Pawn immediately figured out.
"That's correct. If you win the duel, then all the damage that has occurred on the cruise ship will be undone. The systems will be back up and running, and any footage showing how your newest product has treated people harshly on the cruise ship will be destroyed completely." Ai said genuinely. After all, he was an Ignis of his word. "But if you lose, then I'll obtain your access card. Simple as that."
"In that case, let's get started." Pawn activated his duel disk, ready to begin the duel. However, to his confusion, Ai didn't activate his duel disk.
"I didn't say I was dueling. Rather, I want you to duel my associate." Ai stated, as Roboppy emerged out of the shadows.
"Really? You want me to duel against a house robot?" Pawn inquired. If this was the case, then this would be easier than Pawn originally thought it would be. For compared to Electrolyzer, this was a piece of cake.
"That's right! You need to defeat me if you want to duel against my master!" Roboppy confirmed.
"There's no need to worry, Pawn. The deal still stands. Defeat my associate, and I'll uphold my end of the deal. But lose, and… well, I don't need to remind you of what will happen next, do I?" Ai informed Pawn.
Pawn narrowed his eyes, having fully understood the situation. If he won, then SOL Technologies' secrets would be kept safe, along with the destruction of all evidence regarding the damage on the cruise ship. What's more, Pawn even had a chance to capture the final Ignis and present it before the Kings, thus earning him their favor if he succeeded. While it was unlikely that the Kings would restart the High Performance Ignis plan, obtaining something as precious as an Ignis can greatly help SOL Technologies for future initiatives. But more than anything else, Pawn wanted to keep his family safe. Simple as that. After all, Bethany and Chuck brought Pawn pure joy in his life, and he wanted to continue treasuring every single moment he spent with them. "Alright then, Ignis. I accept your little proposition. Don't expect me to take it easy on your ally just because he's a house robot."
"I wouldn't expect you to take it easy on any duelist who dueled you." Ai calmly retorted, having crossed his arms in the process.
"Let's stop talking and get dueling!" Roboppy interjected, as he activated his duel disk.
"It's time to duel!" Roboppy and Pawn shouted in unison.
Pawn: 4000 LP
Roboppy: 4000 LP
"Since you challenged me, I will be the one to go first." Pawn said, with Roboppy nodding in compliance in response. "My turn! I summon Vigilante Zeni from my hand to my field." A little man with black hair and an eyepatch covering his left eye appeared on Pawn's field. His attire consisted of brown and purple robes, as well as sandals. In his right hand, he carried a jutte.
Vigilante Zeni ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200 LV: 4
"I activate Vigilante Zeni's effect. Once per turn, I can reduce his attack points to zero to Special Summon one 'Vigilante' monster from my hand to my field. Come to me, Vigilante Gata!" A small, green and yellow-colored machine whose face resembled that of a dog appeared on Pawn's field. Attached to the sides of its head were red police sirens, which acted as its ears.
Vigilante Gata ATK: 800 DEF: 800 LV: 3
Vigilante Zeni ATK: 1600 – 1600 = 0
"Next, I activate Fire Flint Lady's effect from my hand." Pawn continued. "Since I control a Warrior monster, I can Special Summon her from my hand to my field." A small lady whose attire consisted of dark-blue robes, sandals, and a white cap with red lines that covered the upper half of her face appeared on Pawn's field. In each of her hands, she carried a flint.
Fire Flint Lady ATK: 100 DEF: 100 LV: 1
"Appear, my royal circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Pawn. "The summoning conditions are two or more monsters with the same type. I set Vigilante Zeni, Vigilante Gata and Fire Flint Lady into the Link Markers!" Zeni went into the top-left arrowhead, Gata went into the bottom-left arrowhead and Fire Flint Lady went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all four of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Ra'Ten the Heavenly General!" A pale-green skinned ogre with long, black hair that had several orange braids attached to it appeared on Pawn's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He wore a blue and black chest plate on his upper chest that not only had golden lines, but a red jewel at the end as well. As for the other half of his chest, it didn't have armor, as it only showed his six pack. He also wore blue pants, with large, golden pads attached to his knees. In each of his hands, he carried a club.
Ra'Ten the Heavenly General ATK: 2200 LINK-3 ↖️↙️↘️
"I also activate the Spell card, Pot of Greed, which lets me draw the top two cards of my deck." Pawn said, as he drew the top two cards of his deck. "In addition, I activate the Spell card, Monster Reborn. This card lets me target a monster in either of our Graveyards and Special Summon it to my field. I target Gata in my Graveyard, and Special Summon it back to my field." At Pawn's command, Gata reappeared on Pawn's field in defense position in one of the Main Monster Zones Ra'Ten pointed to.
Vigilante Gata ATK: 800 DEF: 800 LV: 3
"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Pawn grinned, satisfied with his setup. Whatever this house robot has in store, I'll be able to counter it with the cards on my field, Pawn thought in his mind. Ra'Ten's effect lets me target a card the opponent controls and destroys it during either player's Battle Phase. A nice way to pick things off with no worry whatsoever. But in the event this house robot manages to break through my defenses, I can use my face-down card to Synchro Summon one of my Synchro monsters during his turn, which will deter him from attacking. Overall, I'll be safe this turn.
"My turn! I draw!" Roboppy said, as he drew the top card of his deck.
"I activate Ra'Ten's first effect!" Pawn suddenly interrupted. "Once per turn, during the Standby Phase, I can target a monster he points to, and Special Summon one Level 4 or lower monster with the same type from my hand to a Main Monster Zone he points to. I target Vigilante Gata, which is a Warrior monster. Thus, I Special Summon Samurai Sword Baron from my hand to my field!" A male warrior who had bushy black hair, along with red lines on his face appeared on Pawn's field in one of the Main Monster Zones Ra'Ten pointed to. His attire consisted of a grey shirt and white pants, along with a long, green coat that had light-blue cloths buttoned onto the arm portion for each side. In each of his hands, he carried a katana.
Samurai Sword Baron ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200 LV: 4
"So Pawn managed to bring out a monster on Roboppy's turn…" Ai muttered, before turning over to the field. "Alright, Roboppy. Show this guy who's boss! You got this!"
"Leave it to me, master! I won't let you down!" Roboppy promised. "I summon Appliancer Socketroll from my hand to my field!" A small, pink machine with prongs for legs, a socket for a face and cords for arms appeared on Roboppy's field.
Appliancer Socketroll ATK: 100 DEF: 100 LV: 1
"I then activate the Spell card, Machine Duplication. This card lets me target one Machine monster I control with 500 or less attack points and Special Summon up to two monsters with the same name from my deck to my field. I target Socketroll!" Two cards popped out of Roboppy's deck, which he played as two more copies of Socketroll appeared on his field.
Appliancer Socketroll ATK: 100 DEF: 100 LV: 1
Appliancer Socketroll ATK: 100 DEF: 100 LV: 1
Pawn laughed upon seeing the monsters on Roboppy's field. "Seriously? Those are your monsters? Being an AI, I expected you to have more menacing monsters, but you're going to lose if that's all you have."
"Just be patient a little longer, as I'm bringing out the big guns sooner than you think." Roboppy told Pawn. "Starting with this! I activate the effect of Appliancer Copybokkle from my hand. Once per turn, I can target an 'Appliancer' monster on my field and Special Summon this card from my hand to my field with its name, type and attribute changed to the targeted monster's name, type and attribute. I target Socketroll, and Special Summon Copybokkle from my hand to my field!" A purple, white and yellow-colored humanoid with a photocopy machine for a body appeared on Roboppy's field.
Appliancer Copybokkle ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1
"Appear, the circuit that guides me!" A Link Portal appeared above Roboppy. "The summoning conditions are two Level 1 'Appliancer' monsters. I set two copies of Appliancer Socketroll into the Link Markers!" One copy of Socketroll went into the bottom-left arrowhead, while the second copy went into the bottom arrowhead, turning both of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Appliancer Celtopus!" A violet and black-colored mechanical octopus that had extension cords for tentacles, as well as a battery charger for a body, appeared on Roboppy's field in the right Extra Monster Zone.
Appliancer Celtopus ATK: 0 LINK-2 ↙️⬇️
"Appear for a second time! The circuit that guides me!" Roboppy shouted, as a second Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one Level 1 'Appliancer' monster. I set Appliancer Copybokkle into the Link Markers!" Copybokkle went into the top-right arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Appliancer Vacculephant!" A yellow and light-blue robotic elephant with a vacuum nozzle for a nose appeared on Roboppy's field in one of the two Main Monster Zones Celtopus pointed to, resulting in both monsters being co-linked with one another. It had an orange visor attached to its face, along with two tusks, with the one on the right being broken. It also had four additional nozzles attached to its side for arms.
Appliancer Vacculephant ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ↗️
"Appear, for a third time! The circuit that guides me!" Roboppy declared, as a third Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one Level 1 'Appliancer' monster. I set the third and final copy of Appliancer Socketroll into the Link Markers!" Socketroll went into the top arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Appliancer Propelion!" A yellow and orange-colored mechanical lion with fan blades attached to its neck in place of a mane appeared on Roboppy's field in the remaining Main Monster Zone Celtopus pointed to, resulting in both monsters being co-linked with one another.
Appliancer Propelion ATK: 1200 LINK-1 ⬆️
"My, oh my. I had hoped you'd use those weak monsters to bring out stronger ones, yet none of them have enough strength to defeat neither of my monsters in combat." Pawn stated the obvious.
"Hey, there's a saying, Pawn. Big things come in small packages." Roboppy countered, which made Pawn narrow his eyes after hearing that statement. "It's time to battle!"
"Foolish house robot, since you entered the Battle Phase, I can activate Ra'Ten's effect. Once per turn, during either player's Battle Phase, I can target a card on your field and destroy it!" Pawn pointed towards the card he wanted to destroy for Ra'Ten's effect. "I target and destroy Propelion!" Ra'Ten slammed the ground with his clubs, which caused a shockwave of energy to erupt and head straight towards Propelion!
"Sorry, but that's not going to happen. Quick-Play Spell card, activate! Appliancer Coating!" Roboppy took the declared card in his hand and immediately played it. "When you activate a monster effect that targets an 'Appliancer' monster I control, I can negate the activation and draw a card." Propelion was coated in silver energy, which enabled it to survive the shockwave unscathed. Once that was done, Roboppy drew the top card of his deck.
"Being stubborn, are you? Fine! I'll shut that joyful attitude of yours up for good!" Pawn snapped, as he gestured to his field. "Trap card, activate! Urgent Tuning! When this card is activated, I can Synchro Summon one Synchro monster from my Extra Deck by using monsters on my field!"
"You're Synchro Summoning on my turn?" Roboppy questioned, surprise evident on his tone.
"It looks like it, Roboppy." Ai confirmed, curious on what Pawn would bring out to his field next.
"I tune the Level 3 Vigilante Gata with the Level 4 Samurai Sword Baron!" Pawn declared, as a bolt of lightning struck him and the world greyed out before his two monsters disintegrated into particles. Two rings, one yellow and one green, appeared before turning blue and merging. Seven rings, stacked in a tower, appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 4" in front of them. The screen changed to "7" as light surged through the rings.
"Great warrior that enforces the area! Tear through the mist of darkness that raises doubt and illuminate the truth for this situation! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 7! Marksman Heiji Type 0!" An android that wore an orange robe with a jutte in its left hand and a blaster attached to its right hand appeared in one of the Main Monster Zones Ra'Ten pointed to.
Marksman Heiji Type 0 ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000 LV: 7
In the event Heiji Type 0 leaves the field, I can use its final effect to bring back the monsters used for its Synchro Summon to my field. So one way or another, I'll be safe this turn, Pawn assured himself in his mind. "You can resume the Battle Phase if you want, house robot, but just know that it'll only lead to your ruin should you choose to go through with it."
"Don't let Pawn's arrogant statements get to you, Roboppy. Pull the rug under this guy and show him the fruits of your training!" Ai cheered.
"Leave this to me, master. I won't fail this turn, especially with the card I've drawn just now." Roboppy said, which surprised Pawn as the former looked at one of the cards in his hand. "Quick-Play Spell card, activate! Limiter Removal! This card doubles the attack points of all Machine monsters on my field until the End Phase!" Both Propelion and Vacculephant were surrounded in light-blue auras that doubled their strength.
Appliancer Vacculephant ATK: 1000 X 2 = 2000
Appliancer Propelion ATK: 1200 X 2 = 2400
"Appliancer Vacculephant attacks Ra'Ten the Heavenly General!" Roboppy thrusted out his right hand as Vacculephant prepared to attack. "I also activate Celtopus' effect! When a Link monster co-linked to Celtopus battles while all monsters I control are 'Appliancer' monsters, that co-linked Link monster gains 1000 attack points for every monster co-linked to it during damage calculation only."
"So your monster's getting stronger?!" Pawn exclaimed out of shock.
"Exactly!" Roboppy confirmed, as one of Celtopus' tentacles connected itself to Vacculephant's back. "Octopus Charge!" As if on cue, an electrical aura surrounded Vacculephant, which doubled its strength temporarily.
Appliancer Vacculephant ATK: 2000 + (1000 X 2) = 4000
"Get him, Vacculephant! Vacuum Cyclone!" Vacculephant fired a cyclone of energy from its vacuum nozzle at Ra'Ten, which tore through his body and made him scream in pain as he turned into particles. The resulting explosion forced Pawn to shield his face with his right arm while his life points dropped.
Pawn: 4000 – 1800 = 2200 LP
Appliancer Vacculephant ATK: 4000 – (1000 X 2) = 2000
"The battle continues! Appliancer Propelion attacks Marksman Heiji Type 0!" Roboppy declared. "And just like before, Celtopus' effect activates! When a Link monster co-linked to Celtopus battles while all monsters I control are 'Appliancer' monsters, that co-linked Link monster gains 1000 attack points for every monster co-linked to it during damage calculation only."
"Great. Not this again…" Pawn cursed under his breath.
"Octopus Charge!" One of Celtopus' tentacles connected itself to Propelion's back, where an electrical aura surrounded the latter as its strength increased temporarily.
Appliancer Propelion ATK: 2400 + (1000 X 2) = 4400
"Go get that monster, Propelion! Propeller Whirlwind!" Roboppy shouted, as the fan blades attached to Propelion's neck began spinning, where it released a whirlwind of energy that hit Heiji Type 0 before turning it into particles. This led to an explosion that forced Pawn to shield himself as he was pushed back several feet while his life points dropped for a second time.
Pawn: 2200 – 2000 = 200 LP
Appliancer Propelion ATK: 4400 – (1000 X 2) = 2400
"If you think you're ahead just because you destroyed my monsters, think again!" Pawn said, as he gestured to his field. "I activate Marksman Heiji Type 0's second effect! When it leaves the field and all the monsters used for its Synchro Summon are in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon them back to my field. Return to me, Vigilante Gata and Samurai Sword Baron!" At Pawn's command, Gata and Samurai Sword Baron reappeared on his field in defense position.
Vigilante Gata ATK: 800 DEF: 800 LV: 3
Samurai Sword Baron ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200 LV: 4
"I will admit, I didn't expect you to deal massive damage to me this turn. However, you have no more monsters to attack me with. So you might as well end your turn, as all you can do is prepare for the inevitable."
"It looks like you're in a bit of a jam, Roboppy." Ai observed. "I trust you know what Limiter Removal's other effect is, right?"
"Of course I do, master." Roboppy answered. "During the End Phase, all Machine monsters that had their attack points doubled by its effect are destroyed. But my turn isn't over just yet, nor is my Battle Phase."
Pawn laughed after hearing that comment. "Are you actually that delusional right now? Even an AI such as yourself must know that there's nothing else you can do this turn. Besides, the only other monster on your field that can attack is Celtopus, which has zero attack points. And once you end your turn, Vacculephant and Propelion will be destroyed, thus paving the way for my victory!"
"That may be true at the moment, Pawn, but I have a card to change things up." Roboppy took a card and played it. "Quick-Play Spell, activate! Appliancer Conversion! This card lets me banish as many Link 1 'Appliancer' Link monsters that are in my Main Monster Zones as possible. By doing so, I can Special Summon as many Link 1 'Appliancer' Link monsters to my field from my banished zone up to the number of monsters banished by this effect."
"Oh?" Pawn raised an eyebrow, surprised by what he heard just now.
"I banish Vacculephant and Propelion on my field, and Special Summon them back from my banished zone to my field." Vacculephant and Propelion turned into particles, where they quickly reappeared on Roboppy's field in the Main Monster Zones Celtopus pointed to. However, there was a difference, as they were no longer co-linked with one another.
Appliancer Vacculephant ATK: 1000 LINK-1 ↗️
Appliancer Propelion ATK: 1200 LINK-1 ⬆️
Clever little house robot. He used that card to prevent his monsters from being destroyed by Limiter Removal's effect, Pawn acknowledged in his mind. "This changes nothing, as victory's still mine once my next turn comes around."
"Sorry, but you're not getting a next turn, Pawn." Roboppy simply said. "It's still my Battle Phase. Appliancer Propelion attacks you directly!"
"Directly?" Pawn gasped out of surprise after hearing this information.
"That's right! Propelion can attack you directly while it's not linked." Roboppy chuckled upon seeing the shocked look on Pawn's face.
"Which means it's pretty much over for you, Pawn." Ai finished, as Pawn's eyes widened in horror at what was to come.
"I beg you both. Please spare my life. I have a family to support." Pawn pleaded.
Ai sadly frowned after hearing Pawn's plea. "Sorry, Pawn, but I lost my family because of SOL Technologies' actions. It's time that you guys experience a fraction of what I suffered." He turned to Roboppy. "Finish this duel, Roboppy."
"On it, master!" Roboppy stated, as he thrusted out his right hand. "Attack Pawn directly, Propelion! Propeller Whirlwind!" The fan blades attached to Propelion's neck began spinning, where it released a whirlwind of energy that hit Pawn before sending him flying off the ground with a loud scream. Upon landing on his back and on the ground, his life points dropped all the way to zero.
Pawn: 200 – 1200 = 0
"Damn it…" Pawn muttered, as he slowly tried to get up on his feet, which worked to no avail.
"If it helps ease your suffering, you have my word that we won't go after your family." Ai promised, as he and Roboppy walked over to where Pawn was. "Unlike someone else I once knew, I'm above endangering innocents just to accomplish my goals."
Pawn sighed. "At least my family will be safe from you monsters." He then fell unconscious, having lost his remaining energy to try and stand up on his feet. Seconds later, a digital card with a key attached to one of the ends orbited above his duel disk, which floated over to Ai before it orbited above his right hand.
"Looks like Part 1 is done, master. With that card key, we'll be able to access SOL Technologies' resources!" Roboppy cheered.
"Which will definitely help down the road." Ai agreed with Roboppy's statement. "Anyhow, let's move onto Part 2!" With that, the two of them logged out of the network, intent on pursuing their next target: Queen.
A few minutes later, in the real world…
Ai and Roboppy quietly walked down the hallway as they headed over to another large door that was ahead of them. After defeating Pawn, Ai kept his word by ensuring that Bethany and Chuck regained their consciousness the next morning before leaving the bedroom. Once again, even though Ai's heart broke for the humans, he had a mission to see to the end. If everything went well, then Ai's friends in the real world would be able to see what was truly going on, and hopefully stop the true threat before it was too late.
I do wonder what Jericho's other mission is, Ai thought in his mind, having remembered that Jericho had to complete another task on his end. One that would align with the mission at hand. Perhaps Jericho was looking into why he couldn't enter into a Soltis when Ai and Roboppy were able to do so. Or maybe he was gathering intel that the trio can use in eliminating the other higherups, along with anyone else that stood in their way. Whatever Jericho's other mission was, Ai had to be careful, lest the former acquire another advantage on his end.
Moving these thoughts temporarily to the side, Ai pointed his right index finger at the electronic lock, having managed to open the large door. "This is going to be fun." After opening it slowly, Ai and Roboppy entered inside before going into Queen's private chambers, where the duo found her sound asleep on her bed. Little did she know, she was about to get a rude awakening. One that would lead her to her worst nightmare yet. "Wakey, wakey."
Queen gasped upon opening her eyes, which led her to practically wake up in an instant. "Who are you?!" A look of shock soon registered on her face, as it was impossible for someone to simply enter into her private chambers like that, especially since the door was electronically locked. Needless to say, she was confused.
"Greetings, Queen." Ai simply said.
"Hi, your Highness." Roboppy added.
"Who are you?!" Queen demanded.
"Oh, you know, a couple of programs that decided to take two of your Soltis for a spin." Ai replied. "But if you need more clarification, you can call me Ai, the Dark Ignis."
"Dark Ignis?" Queen narrowed her eyes as she thought that over. Based on her knowledge, SOL Technologies practically gave up on the High Performance Ignis plan after the AI chip project was shut down. It wasn't just for that reason, as seven out of the eight Ignis were destroyed, which left only one remaining. One that went into hiding. One that was in her room right now. "I heard that you vanished a long time ago, yet it seems you came back. Whatever your reasons are for returning, you're making a huge mistake confronting me."
Ai, in response, narrowed his eyes. "No, Queen. It's you who made the mistake, as it was through your orders that you murdered one of my friends."
"Is that so? I didn't expect you to get so sentimental over a program being destroyed. One could say you're acting like a human."
"Perhaps I am, Queen. After all, I threw away my past self." Ai narrowed his eyes as he said those words. He made up his mind a long time ago, and was not willing to stray from his chosen path. Though it was more like he ran out of choices a long time ago. "And on the topic of Earth, who was one of my friends you murdered, I want to get revenge on his behalf."
Queen gasped after hearing those words, now feeling uneasy by the minute. It had appeared that karma finally came to bite her in the back, which was something she never considered. But despite having Queen at her mercy, Ai didn't want to make things too easy. If he wanted his revenge to be sweet and satisfying, there was only one way to get it.
"Vengeance isn't the only reason I'm here, Queen. I'm here to acquire your Code Key so I can use SOL Technologies as I please." Ai continued, before placing his right index finger on her forehead as his eyes glowed yellow. "Nonetheless, I'm willing to give you a chance to defend yourself. So let's be sportsmanlike and settle this in a duel!" Within seconds, Ai forcefully logged Queen into the network, just like he did with Pawn. Once that was done, he and Roboppy also logged into the network, wanting to make sure Queen suffered the same defeat Pawn suffered several minutes earlier.
A few minutes later, back in the network…
Queen gasped as she looked around the area, having realized that she was on the same dancing stage in the cruise ship. The only difference was that there was no one else there aside from herself, Ai and Roboppy. While Queen recognized the area, she was still uneasy, as it could be a trap.
"Where exactly am I?" Queen inquired, wanting to know where she was, even though the area looked familiar.
"You're in the network right now, Queen. A little private space so no one else can bother us." Ai answered, which confirmed Queen's suspicions. "And since I came all this way just for our duel, I created a replica of this stage to commemorate it."
"That's very thoughtful of you, master!" Roboppy cheered for excitement, looking forward to the duel.
"It is indeed, Roboppy. I mean, I did the same thing for Pawn."
"Pawn? What are you talking about?" Queen inquired, which made Ai chuckle.
"Before Roboppy and I arrived at your quarters, we defeated Pawn in a duel. Simple as that." Ai pressed a button on his duel disk, which showed the footage of Pawn getting destroyed by Roboppy in their duel. "After that, we acquired the card needed to access your company's secrets, as well as the ones on your competitors."
These two imbeciles defeated Pawn?! One of the higherups at SOL Technologies, Queen angrily thought in her mind. Based on her knowledge, Pawn was a powerful duelist, as evident by how he eventually defeated Electrolyzer and had him arrested for trying to blow the whistle on SOL Technologies. If Pawn were awake, then Queen would practically scold him for losing the duel and tarnishing SOL Technologies' pride as a company. "I didn't expect the two of you to defeat Pawn in a duel like that. But know that I am not him when it comes to dueling. If anything, you'll find me a more trickier opponent."
"Hey, I was the one who defeated Pawn in a duel, your highness." Roboppy clarified. "Master here cheered me on!"
"And now you'll be dueling me, Queen. For your sake, as well as for your company's sake, I hope that you fare better than he did in his duel." Ai gently interrupted, which made Queen grit her teeth in anger after hearing those words.
"Enough! I've had it with your little games! It's time I put the both of you in your proper place!" Queen shouted, fed up with Ai and Roboppy's antics. Tonight, she would demonstrate just how strong SOL Technologies was as a company in response to adversity. In other words, Queen wasn't about to stand for this mockery any second longer, having activated her duel disk to show that she was ready for what was to come.
"Well, it seems that you'd ready to begin." Ai amusedly chuckled. "But before that, I'd like to raise the stakes for this duel."
"Stakes?" Queen raised an eyebrow, curious on what Ai meant by that. In response, Ai snapped his fingers, where three digital screens appeared beside him. The first one showed an unconscious Bethany, Chuck and Pawn, while the second one showed security and several Soltis restraining clients from hurting one another in the casino room. Finally, the third one showed people being forcefully escorted out of the theatre room by several Soltis as they got to work on repairing the lights, wanting to make sure no one suffered any injuries. "What the Hell did you do?!"
"Like I told Pawn, a little bit of chaos occurred since Roboppy and I arrived on the cruise ship." Ai answered. Again, what an ally of mine did to this place so Roboppy and I can complete our role in this mission, went unsaid. "Luckily for you, there's a way to undo the damage and retain SOL Technologies' reputation at the same time."
"I see. So if I win the duel, then the damage you and your associate caused will be stopped." Queen deduced.
"Not just stopped, but undone as well." Ai clarified, which got Queen's attention. "I can tell you're confused, so allow me to put it in terms you'll understand. Anything that's been damaged will be instantly repaired like it never happened, and any footage showing how your newest product has treated people harshly on the cruise ship will be deleted permanently. To sum it up, SOL Technologies won't suffer any repercussions whatsoever."
"You can actually make that happen?" Queen raised an eyebrow, skeptical that Ai had the power to do such a thing.
"Of course. With the right powers, tools and allies at hand, anything is possible." Ai activated his duel disk. "But enough talk. Let's begin the festivities, shall we?"
"Hooray! The duel's finally about to begin!" Roboppy cheered, looking forward for what was to come.
"Time to duel!" Ai and Queen said at the same time.
Ai: 4000 LP
Queen: 4000 LP
"Since we're on my ship, I'll be going first!" Queen immediately decided.
"Go right ahead, 'your highness'." Ai mockingly complied, which further irritated Queen after hearing those words.
"I activate the Field Spell card, Allure Palace. While it's on the field, all Spellcaster monsters I control gain 500 attack and defense points. I also activate the Continuous-Spell card, Allure Dance." Queen chuckled, looking forward to seeing her strategy come to fruition. "Then I summon Allure Queen LV3 from my hand to my field." A young woman that was clad in a black and burgundy dress appeared on Queen's field. In her hands, she carried a staff that had a red jewel in the center, along with a golden circle surrounding it.
Allure Queen LV3 ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 3
Allure Queen LV3 ATK: 500 + 500 = 1000 DEF: 500 + 500 = 1000
"Allure Queen? Isn't that one of the LV decks?" Ai questioned.
"That is correct, Ignis." Queen confirmed. "However, you of all people should know that it is never wise to underestimate a deck, and allow me to show you what I mean! I activate Allure Palace's first effect! When an 'Allure Queen' monster is Normal or Special Summoned to my field, I can Special Summon one monster from my deck with the same name to your field."
"My field?" Ai raised an eyebrow, knowing what Queen's end goal was, especially when you considered the effects of the 'LV' monsters.
Queen took a card from her deck. "Now I Special Summon Allure Queen LV3 to your field." Seconds later, a copy of Allure Queen LV3 appeared on Ai's field.
Allure Queen LV3 ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 3
"I activate Allure Queen LV3's effect." Queen continued. "Once per turn, I can target one Level 3 or lower monster on your field and equip it to her. I target the Allure Queen LV3 on your field. Imperial Subjugation!" The copy of Allure Queen LV3 on Ai's field turned into particles that went into the Allure Queen LV3's staff that was on Queen's field.
"From there, I activate Allure Palace's second effect, which bestows all "Allure Queen" monsters I control with an additional effect." Queen gestured to her field. "As such, I'll use Allure Queen LV3's newest effect courtesy of Allure Palace! By sending her from my field to my Graveyard while she's equipped with a card through her effect, I can Special Summon one Spellcaster monster with 1500 attack points or less from my hand or deck to my field."
"Really now?" Ai responded, now intrigued by what will happen next.
"I send Allure Queen LV3 from my field to my Graveyard to Special Summon Allure Queen LV5 from my deck to my field!" Queen announced, as a red glow surrounded Allure Queen LV3 while the former took a card out from her deck and played it. Once the glow died down, an older woman whose attire consisted of a black and burgundy dress, as well as two burgundy ribbons attached to her upper back, appeared on Queen's field. In her hands, she carried a staff that had a red jewel in the center, along with two golden prongs surrounding it.
Allure Queen LV5 ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 5
Allure Queen LV5 ATK: 1000 + 500 = 1500 DEF: 1000 + 500 = 1500
"I activate Allure Palace's first effect once again! When an 'Allure Queen' monster is Normal or Special Summoned to my field, I can Special Summon one monster from my deck with the same name to your field." A card popped out of Queen's deck, which she took seconds later. "I Special Summon Allure Queen LV5 to your field." Seconds later, a copy of Allure Queen LV5 appeared on Ai's field.
Allure Queen LV5 ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 5
"I activate Allure Queen LV5's effect." Queen added. "Once per turn, I can target one Level 5 or lower monster on your field and equip it to her. I target the Allure Queen LV5 on your field. Imperial Subjugation!" The copy of Allure Queen LV5 on Ai's field turned into particles that went into the Allure Queen LV5's staff that was on Queen's field.
I see where this is going. Allure Palace's effect can be used more than once per turn, which will enable Queen to evolve her monsters without waiting for a turn to pass by Special Summoning copies of them to my field, Ai figured out in his mind.
"Once again, I activate Allure Queen LV5's second effect, which was passed down to her by Allure Palace! By sending her from my field to my Graveyard while she's equipped with a card through her effect, I can Special Summon one Spellcaster monster with 1500 attack points or less from my hand or deck to my field. I send Allure Queen LV5 from my field to my Graveyard to Special Summon Allure Queen LV7 from my deck to my field!" A card popped out of Queen's deck as Allure Queen LV5 was surrounded in a red glow, where the former played the card added to her hand. Once the glow died down, a bewitching older woman whose attire consisted of a black and burgundy dress that had silver and golden chains attached to it, two burgundy ribbons attached to her biceps and two long gloves appeared on Queen's field. In her hands, she carried a staff that was adorned with emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
Allure Queen LV7 ATK: 1500 DEF: 1500 LV: 7
Allure Queen LV7 ATK: 1500 + 500 = 2000 DEF: 1500 + 500 = 2000
"And let me guess. You'll use Allure Palace's effect another time to bring out a second copy of your monster and equip it to yours?" Ai guessed, obviously knowing what will happen next.
"You pretty much caught on by this point, so there's no need to prove it." Queen replied. "I activate Allure Palace's first effect for a third time! When an 'Allure Queen' monster is Normal or Special Summoned to my field, I can Special Summon one monster from my deck with the same name to your field." A card popped out of Queen's deck, which she took seconds later. "I Special Summon Allure Queen LV7 to your field." Seconds later, a copy of Allure Queen LV7 appeared on Ai's field.
Allure Queen LV7 ATK: 1500 DEF: 1500 LV: 7
"From there, I activate Allure Queen LV7's effect. Once per turn, when she was Special Summoned by the effect of Allure Queen LV5, I can target a monster you control and equip it to her. I target the Allure Queen LV5 on your field. Imperial Subjugation!" The copy of Allure Queen LV5 on Ai's field turned into particles that went into the Allure Queen LV5's staff that was on Queen's field. "Prepare yourself for this, Ignis! I activate Allure Dance's second effect! Once per turn, I can send one Equip card I control that was equipped by the effect of an 'Allure Queen' monster to Special Summon as many 'Allure Queen' monsters from my Graveyard as possible. I send the equipped Allure Queen LV7 to my Graveyard, and Special Summon Allure Queen LV3, Allure Queen LV5 and a second copy of Allure Queen LV7 from my Graveyard back to my field." At Queen's command, Allure Queen LV3, Allure Queen LV5 and a second copy of Allure Queen LV7 reappeared on her field at the same time.
Allure Queen LV3 ATK: 500 DEF: 500 LV: 3
Allure Queen LV5 ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000 LV: 5
Allure Queen LV7 ATK: 1500 DEF: 1500 LV: 7
Allure Queen LV3 ATK: 500 + 500 = 1000 DEF: 500 + 500 = 1000
Allure Queen LV5 ATK: 1000 + 500 = 1500 DEF: 1000 + 500 = 1500
Allure Queen LV7 ATK: 1500 + 500 = 2000 DEF: 1500 + 500 = 2000
"Well, well, well. You managed to bring out a lot of monsters in an instant." Ai commented. Based on what he saw, it seemed that Queen wasn't all talk, as she had the strength to prove the fact that she earned her spot among SOL Technologies' higherups.
"If you think that's impressive, Ignis, then you should brace yourself for what's to come." Queen stated, as she gestured upwards towards the ceiling. "Appear, my royal circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Queen. "The summoning conditions are three Spellcaster monsters. I set Allure Queen LV3, Allure Queen LV5 and Allure Queen LV7 into the Link Markers!" Allure Queen LV3 went into the left arrowhead, Allure Queen LV5 went into the right arrowhead and Allure Queen LV7 went into the bottom arrowhead, turning all three of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Golden Allure Queen!" An older, bewitching woman with very long, blond hair who wore a golden-colored dress with a breastplate appeared on Queen's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. Embedded into the front of her dress was a pink banner that had white, prism-like patterns, along with two green gems at the bottom sides. A belt with silver gems was also strapped around Golden Allure Queen's waist, as well as a simple black belt. On top of her head was a golden cap that had three rubies attached to the front, along with two, ribbon-like spikes on the sides. Finally, attached to the back of her shoulder pads were two, very long pink ribbons that flowed downwards. In her hands, she carried an elegant, golden staff with two curved prongs surrounding a yellow gem being held by two other curved prongs. Embedded on the staff were a total of three emeralds on each side, as well as a ruby at the center.
Golden Allure Queen ATK: 2500 LINK-3 ⬅️⬇️➡️
Golden Allure Queen ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000
"And now, for the cherries on top." Queen said. "First, Golden Allure Queen gains attack points equal to the combined attack points of all 'Allure Queen' monsters she points to. Since she's currently pointing to Allure Queen LV7, that means she gains 2000 attack points! Shining Elegance!" A golden aura surrounded Golden Allure Queen as her strength increased.
Golden Allure Queen ATK: 3000 + 2000 = 5000
"5000 attack points…" Ai remarked, slightly impressed. Emphasis on the word, slightly.
"Second, you should know that when an 'Allure Queen' monster is targeted for an attack, or you activate a card or effect that targets an 'Allure Queen' monster on my field, Golden Allure Queen's second effect will keep my monster safe from destruction. It will also allow me to destroy a monster on your field afterwards."
"I see." Ai abruptly pointed out. "And with Allure Dance, if I summon a monster, then it must attack. What's more, you'll be able to choose the attack targets for my attacks. That's the final cherry on top, am I correct?"
"Like I said before, there's no need to prove your intelligence. Even someone like yourself must know the situation you're in right now." Queen told Ai. In her mind, she was a little irritated with Ai for finishing up her cards, as she wanted to truly bring the hammer down on the latter by making him despair at her formation.
"Nice job for figuring it out, bro." Roboppy praised Ai.
"Yeah, but it's bad news for me." Ai obviously lied.
"Well, you still got this, master."
"I'm not so certain about that. Queen's definitely put me in a pickle, Roboppy."
"Again, you got this." Roboppy repeated.
"With that, I end my turn." Queen confidently concluded, feeling secure with her setup. "Let's see what you can do now, Ignis. Just know that whatever you try will never be enough."
"I cannot wait to prove you wrong, 'your highness'." Ai replied.
Queen irritatedly chuckled after hearing Ai's response. "You really think you can break through this formation? I dare you to try."
"Challenge accepted. My turn! I draw!" Ai drew the top card of his deck. "I activate the Field Spell card, Ignister A. ! When I control no monsters in the Main Monster Zones, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'AtIgnister' monster from my hand to my field. As such, I Special Summon Pikari AtIgnister from my hand to my field!" A yellow blob with arms that had white fingers appeared on Ai's field. On top of its head was a white hat.
Pikari AtIgnister ATK: 1200 DEF: 600 LV: 4
"When Pikari AtIgnister is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add a copy of Ignister A. from my deck to my hand." Ai said, as a card popped out of his deck, which he took and added to his hand. "Appear, the circuit that guides the dark!" A Link Portal appeared above Ai. "The summoning conditions are one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster. I set Pikari AtIgnister into the Link Markers!" Pikari went into the bottom-left arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link Sumon! Appear! Link 1! Linguriboh!" A small, black machine monster with narrowed eyes appeared on Ai's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He had a tail with a Link Arrow that pointed downwards to the bottom-left attached to the end.
Linguriboh ATK: 300 LINK-1 ↙️
"Guri Guri Gu…" Linguriboh said.
"And because I have no monsters in the Main Monster Zones, that means I can use Ignister A. 's effect once again!" Ai announced.
"Your Field Spell's effect is more than once per turn?" Queen questioned.
"Exactly." Ai confirmed. "With Ignister A. 's effect, I Special Summon Bururu AtIgnister from my hand to my field." A green blob with arms that had white fingers appeared on Ai's field. On it sides were pointy, rabbit-like ears that had white tips at the ends.
Bururu AtIgnister ATK: 600 DEF: 1000 LV: 3
"I summon Doyon AtIgnister from my hand to my field." A purple, plump blob with two arms and a tail appeared on Ai's field.
Doyon AtIgnister ATK: 400 DEF: 1600 LV: 4
"When Doyon's Normal or Special Summoned, I can add one 'AtIgnister' monster from my Graveyard to my hand." Ai continued. "I add Pikari AtIgnister from my Graveyard to my hand." A card popped out of Ai's Graveyard, which he took and added to his hand.
"Appear, the circuit that guides the dark!" A second Link Portal appeared above Ai. "The summoning conditions are three Cyberse monsters, one of which must be a Dark attribute Cyberse monster. I set Linguriboh, Bururu AtIgnister and Doyon AtIgnister into the Link Markers!" Linguriboh went into the bottom-left arrowhead, Bururu went into the bottom arrowhead and Doyon went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all three of them red seconds later.
"The dark night that scatters throughout the world!" Ai began chanting. "Unleash a monster forged from the darkest depths of the shadows! Come forth and become the power of rising vigor! A power that strikes fear into all! Rise from the abyss-!"
"Sometime today would be great." Roboppy interrupted Ai, who just stayed awkwardly silent for a couple of seconds upon hearing the former shout at him. "I mean, the audience can only pay so much attention before they get bored, so let's skip the boring stuff and get to the awesome action, okay?"
Ai grit his teeth in slight anger and irritation, his epic moment having officially been ruined. Good lord, how you frustrate me, Roboppy, Ai screamed in his mind. Then again, as Roboppy said, there was only so much time that was available for the duo to complete their mission. "Alright, fine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Dark Templar AtIgnister!" A purple-colored humanoid with wings on his back and spikes on his shoulders appeared on Ai's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. A total of four blue orbs were on his body, with two being on his shoulder pads and the other two being on his knees. In his right hand, he carried a greatsword with a violet blade.
Dark Templar AtIgnister ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ↙️⬇️↘️
"By my blade, you will fall at my feet!" Dark Templar shouted, ready for battle.
"Impossible! Your Cyberse monsters talk?!" Queen exclaimed out of shock.
"We can obviously talk, 'your highness'." Dark Templar answered, which made Queen gasp seconds later.
"You tell her, Dark Templar! You rule!" Roboppy cheered, happy to see Ai's ace monster on his field.
"Moving that aside, there's no monsters in my Main Monster Zones. Does anyone know what that means?" Ai asked the others present.
"That means you can use Ignister A. 's effect once again, master!" Roboppy replied.
"Affirmative." Ai turned back to face Queen. "I Special Summon Pikari AtIgnister from my hand to my field once again." Soon, Pikari reappeared on Ai's field in one of the three Main Monster Zones Dark Templar pointed to.
Pikari AtIgnister ATK: 1200 DEF: 600 LV: 4
"I now activate Dark Templar's first effect." Ai added. "Once per turn, when a monster is Special Summoned to a Main Monster Zone he points to, I can Special Summon as many Level 4 or lower 'AtIgnister' monsters from my Graveyard to the other remaining Main Monster Zones he's pointing to as well. However, their effects are negated in exchange. Return to me, Doyon AtIgnister and Bururu AtIgnister!" At Ai's command, Doyon AtIgnister and Bururu AtIgnister reappeared on his field in the Main Monster Zones Dark Templar pointed to.
Doyon AtIgnister ATK: 400 DEF: 1600 LV: 4
Bururu AtIgnister ATK: 600 DEF: 1000 LV: 3
"I now tune the Level 3 Bururu AtIgnister with the Level 4 Doyon AtIgnister!" A bolt of lightning struck Ai as the world greyed out around him and his two monsters disintegrated into particles. Two rings, one green and one purple, appeared before turning blue and merging. Seven rings, stacked in a tower, appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 4" in front of them. The screen changed to "7" as light surged through the rings.
"Gale that soars across the blue sky! Mix with the cosmic eon, and gallop on the path that leads to the heavens with your majestic wings!" Ai chanted. "Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 7! Wind Pegasus AtIgnister!" A light-green skinned pegasus that wore silver armor on his body appeared on Ai's field in one of the three Main Monster Zones Dark Templar pointed to. At the front of his armor were two pink orbs, both of which were attached to the lower end of his long neck. He had light-green wings that were composed of pure energy, as well as a flowing, light-green mane attached to the back of his long neck. Light-green energy was also attached to each of his hooves, which flowed with energy.
Wind Pegasus AtIgnister ATK: 2300 DEF: 1500 LV: 7
"Better start panicking, as your chances of winning will be swept away really soon!" Wind Pegasus said.
"So this one talks as well…" Queen muttered in annoyance.
"Hey, hey, hey. I can also talk you know, and there are many others who can talk as well." Wind Pegasus told Queen, which made her grit her teeth in response.
"Yes! Another of master's friends has joined the fight!" Roboppy cheered.
"As much as I appreciate the enthusiasm, Roboppy, try to keep it down a notch. I did the same for you when you dueled Pawn." Ai kindly requested, before he redirected his attention back to the duel. "I activate Bururu AtIgnister's effect from my Graveyard! When it's sent to the Graveyard as Synchro material for the Synchro Summon of a Cyberse Synchro monster, I can target one other monster that was also used for the Synchro Summon and Special Summon it back to my field. Return to me once more, Doyon AtIgnister!" At Ai's command, Doyon reappeared on Ai's field.
Doyon AtIgnister ATK: 400 DEF: 1600 LV: 4
"I overlay the Level 4 Pikari AtIgnister with the Level 4 Doyon AtIgnister!" A galaxy portal appeared behind Ai as Pikari AtIgnister and Doyon AtIgnister turned into streams of yellow and purple energy before entering inside it. Seconds later, a pillar of light erupted from the center, as if to show what was to come.
"Supernatural light that shatters the earth! Manifest from eternal lamentation, and awaken with a roar of glory!" Ai chanted. "Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 4! Light Dragon AtIgnister!" A gold and yellow dragon with an elongated body and four split wings that cackled with electricity appeared on Ai's field in one of the three Main Monster Zones Dark Templar pointed to. On his entire body were orange spikes, along with a white mane on his head resembling that of horns.
Light Dragon AtIgnister ATK: 2300 DEF: 1500 RNK: 4 OU: 2
"Greetings, my friend. Your torment begins now!" Light Dragon firmly said.
Queen ignored Light Dragon's remark as she narrowed her eyes and looked at the three monsters Ai brought out on his field. While they were of different summoning methods, she was still confident of the formation that was on her field. "All of your monsters have 2300 attack points, Ignis. That's not going to be enough to defeat me. After all, Golden Allure Queen is the monster with the highest attack points on the field."
"Then let's change that, shall we?" Ai responded. "I activate Wind Pegasus's effect! Once per turn, I can target Spell and Trap cards you control up to the number of AtIgnister monsters on my field and destroy them!"
"Sweet! Since you have three AtIgnister monsters on your field, master, that means you can get rid of Queen's annoying cards!" Roboppy cheered.
"That Allure Palace and Allure Dance are both troublesome, Ai. Allow me to do the honor of destroying them." Wind Pegasus requested.
"Why, of course. After all, you do have the effect that lets you do such a thing." Ai told Wind Pegasus. "I destroy Allure Palace and Allure Dance! Pegasi Gale!" Wind Pegasus beat up a whirlwind with his wings, which destroyed Allure Palace and Allure Dance seconds later. As a result, Golden Allure Queen and Allure Queen LV7 groaned in pain as their strength decreased.
Golden Allure Queen ATK: 5000 – 2000 - 500 = 2500
Allure Queen LV7: 2000 – 500 = 1500
"Next up, I activate Light Dragon's effect!" Ai continued. "Once per turn, I can detach an Overlay unit to target monsters you control up to the number of AtIgnister monsters on my field and destroy them."
"That means all of your Allure Queens are losing their crowns!" Roboppy cheered once more.
"What?!" Queen exclaimed, as one of the Overlay Units went into Light Dragon's mouth, who was surrounded in yellow energy seconds later.
Light Dragon AtIgnister OU: 2 – 1 = 1
"Let's put you in your proper place, my friend." Light Dragon stated, a grin evident on his face.
"I destroy Golden Allure Queen and Allure Queen LV7!" Ai decided. "Electrica Missionem!" Light Dragon opened his mouth and let out a roar that sent an electrified shockwave at Allure Queen LV7 and Golden Allure Queen, which turned both of them into particles.
Queen widened her eyes out of shock upon seeing her empty field. "No, this can't be happening! I had every advantage!"
"That was the past, and we're now at the present." Ai thrusted out his right hand. "Battle! Wind Pegasus AtIgnister attacks you directly! Pegasi Divebomb!"
"Get a load of this!" Wind Pegasus shouted, as he charged forward at Queen, wind surrounding his entire body. He swooped downwards and hit Queen before flying upwards, which pushed the latter back a few feet as her life points dropped.
Queen: 4000 – 2300 = 1700 LP
"With one last attack, you're finished!" Ai declared, as Wind Pegasus returned back to his side of the field.
Queen forced herself to stand up on her feet with a growl. "Actually, the only thing I'm finished with is losing to a badly written piece of malware that got away with a few lucky draws! But I'm rewriting the script with this! I activate my Skill: Honey Trap!" Her wristband glowed with a yellow light seconds later.
"Oh my. A Skill during a Master duel?" Ai commented, surprised that Queen could do such a thing. Then again, Queen wasn't the first, as Bohman was the first duelist to use a Skill during a Master duel.
"Since I make the rules, nothing is impossible!" Queen yelled back defiantly, uncaring about his opinion.
"But you're still cheating!" Roboppy protested.
"You have a problem with that?"
Roboppy shook his head after hearing Queen's question before saluting her. "No, ma'am."
Queen smirked, confident that she can turn things in her favor now. "First, when I take battle damage from a direct attack, Honey Trap lets me regain life points equal to the battle damage I took." A yellow aura surrounded Queen as her life points went back to their original amount.
Queen: 1700 + 2300 = 4000 LP
"Then, I can not only Set a Trap card that's not in my deck to my field, I can also activate it this turn as well!" Queen announced, holding out her hand as she made her choice. "I Set Drowning Mirror Force!" The declared trap then Set itself on her field.
"A Trap card, huh? That would be a problem if I didn't have a problem solver." Ai replied, unimpressed and unworried with what Queen did just now. For compared to Bohman, this was nothing. "I activate Linguriboh's effect from my graveyard. Once per turn, I can tribute an 'AtIgnister' monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck to bring him back to my field. I tribute Wind Pegasus, and Special Summon Linguriboh back to my field." After Wind Pegasus turned into particles, Linguriboh reappeared on Ai's field.
Linguriboh ATK: 300 LINK-1 ↙️
"I'm continuing the Battle Phase. Light Dragon AtIgnister attacks you directly!" Ai thrusted out his right hand, having given the order.
"You fool! Trap card, activate! Drowning Mirror Force!" Queen countered. "When you declare a direct attack, I can-"
"Not do anything." Ai interjected. "I activate Linguriboh's effect. When you activate a Trap card, I can tribute Linguriboh to not only negate the activation, but banish it as well." Linguriboh charged forward and rammed into Drowning Mirror Force, which turned both of them into particles.
"What?" Queen couldn't help but blink at what happened just now.
"The way is all clear, Light Dragon AtIgnister! Electrica Judicium!"
"Taste my overwhelming power!" Light Dragon shouted, as electricity surrounded his body before blasting it at Queen, who screamed while her life points dropped once again.
Queen: 4000 – 2300 = 1700 LP
"It's time to bring this duel to a close!" Ai shouted. "Dark Templar AtIgnister attacks you directly! Vengeful Punishment!"
"Begone!" Dark Templar shouted, as he charged forward and brought the greatsword right down onto Queen, which caused an explosion to occur.
"No way!" Queen exclaimed, as she was sent flying off of her feet and across the field. She landed on her back as her body hit the floor, having fallen unconscious by the time her life points dropped to zero.
Queen: 1700 – 2300 = 0
"With that, the Queen has now lost her castle." Ai concluded poetically, as he and Roboppy walked across the stage before hopping off of it, where they walked over to where Queen was. As if on cue, a light-blue key made of data material floated out of Queen's duel disk, which floated to where Ai was before orbiting above his right palm.
"Is that it, master? Do we now have access to all of SOL Technologies itself?" Roboppy asked, as Ai thoroughly looked at the light-blue key in this hand for several seconds before pressing a button on his duel disk, where the access card obtained from Pawn appeared seconds later. He looked at both items and analyzed them very carefully, having noticed that something was amiss.
"No, Roboppy. This is only half of the Code Key." Ai knelt down to Queen's level and touched her forehead with his right index finger, where digital screens popped out of the latter's mind seconds later. This enabled Ai and Roboppy to look at Queen's memories so they can see who had the other half, and after much searching, they eventually found what they were looking for. Specifically, footage of who had the other half of the Code Key.
"Akira Zaizen. As Executive Vice President, one of your major responsibilities is to protect this Code Key with your life. Whoever has the Code Key will have access to all of SOL Technologies itself, which is why it's essential that it be protected at all costs." Jeromy instructed, as a light-blue key made of data material appeared orbiting above his right palm.
"In addition, to ensure everything is secure during these challenging times, we will be splitting it into two pieces. You will have one half, Zaizen, while Ohi will be given the other half." Perseo added, as a sword appeared in his hands, which he used to slice the Code Key in half. Once that was done, one half of the Code Key floated over to where Akira was before going inside his duel disk, while the other half floated to where Queen was before entering into her own duel disk.
"With all due respect, sirs, why do you entrust Zaizen with one half of the Code Key? Surely, one of the other higherups are worthy of it." Queen said. While she no longer had any animosity towards Akira because the Kings ordered it to be put to an end, she still didn't want to take any risks in giving one half of the Code Key to someone who wasn't fully a higherup.
"Because Zaizen has risked his life numerous times to ensure the safety of both the people and the network." Lycaon simply answered Queen's question.
"And even though Zaizen's not a higherup, he's still in a job position that requires him to collaborate with us." Perseo pointed out.
"Our decision is final, Ohi. Given the situation you're in right now, I advise that you don't challenge it, lest you face even more consequences for your transgressions." Jeromy warned Queen, which made her grit her teeth in anger upon realizing the helplessness in this situation.
Ai narrowed his eyes as the footage fizzled before stopping, a solemn expression evident on his face. I see. So Akira Zaizen has the other half of the Code Key, Ai realized in his mind. This was the last thing he wanted to find out today, as it meant that Playmaker and the others would be his enemies. As much as Ai didn't want to fight against the people he truly called his friends, he reminded himself that SOL Technologies was responsible for murdering Earth. Not just that, but for sending bounty hunters against him and the others as well.
"Are you okay, master?" Roboppy inquired, now concerned for his friend's wellbeing.
"I'm fine, Roboppy." Ai assured Roboppy, as he stood up on his feet before letting out a sad sigh. He didn't know whether Jericho finished his personal mission or not, which meant he had to act fast. For Ai didn't want any of his simulations to come true, and if it meant giving his life to protect the people he cared about, then so be it. "We should let Playmaker and his friends know what happened. I mean, they'd find out the truth eventually, don't you think?"
Roboppy nodded in agreement. "Yup! We should totally give them a heads up!"
"Then let's get started!" A digital screen appeared in front of Ai as he and Roboppy began to record their message. Hopefully, when Yusaku and the others see this, they'll figure out what's really going on behind the scenes, Ai thought in his mind. If everything goes right, then Jericho's plans will be stopped. And Yusaku will finally be able to move forward with his life.
Elsewhere in the network…
SHINK!
Jericho slashed through several more of the security AIs that stood in his way, having destroyed another of them just now. After pinpointing where SOL Technologies kept their information on the Soltis, Jericho quickly logged into the server so he can steal it for himself. In his mind, he couldn't believe that SOL Technologies would allow Queen and Pawn to carry a piece of it for advertising purposes. This gave Jericho the perfect opportunity to acquire information that he can use later on, as opposed to waiting until after he, Ai and Roboppy seized control of the company.
But it was easier said than done, as the moment Jericho logged into the server, alarms blared inside it that caused numerous security AIs to charge forward so they can try to eliminate him. This wasn't an issue at all, as Jericho was able to evade their attacks and slash through each one. None of these AIs were able to comprehend just how strong an ISO was, which led to each and everyone of their deaths at a very fast rate. Still, battling these AIs consumed time Jericho needed to reach the database, as he wanted to obtain the information there so he can get answers on a few questions that were in his mind.
One: How was Watchman able to enter into a Soltis in the first place?
Two: Why couldn't Jericho enter into a Soltis earlier?
Hopefully, by getting the information, Jericho would be able to get answers. This way, he can further plan things out on preparing for Urizen to return to Earth after synchronizing the Unity. And with the Root of All Knowledge on hand, the Great Epoch would finally begin really soon!
Before Jericho arrived at this server, he also 'helped' Ai and Roboppy in their part of the mission by causing chaos on the cruise ship. This way, everyone else would be focused on what was going on in the real world while Jericho slipped into the server so he can complete his own task. In other words, Queen and Pawn would be so focused on dealing with Ai and Roboppy, as well as the chaos on the cruise ship that they wouldn't have a clue on what else was going on. Overall, things were going well.
After destroying the final security AI, Jericho walked over to the doors and pushed them open, where he entered inside a circular room. This one had a cylindrical shape, which had a central console in the middle. A smirk appeared on Jericho's face as he walked over to the central console, only for him to jump back upon seeing it suddenly be covered up by data. Suddenly, a digital cage emitted from the ceiling that entrapped the room, which prevented anyone from leaving. He immediately pointed the sword made of data material in his hand to the central console, wanting to destroy the barrier surrounding it.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a voice said, as a portal appeared in front of the central console, where a humanoid android with black spandex covering its body stepped out of the portal. It had blue eyes, and its head resembled that of a modern-day gas mask with two respirators on the sides. It also had a belt with SOL Technologies' insignia at the center, and black and white gloves on their hands.
"Well, Well, Well. What do we have here?" Jericho mused, having narrowed his eyes at who he was seeing.
"I am a Soltis duelist sent on behalf of SOL Technologies itself to protect this database and purge any intruders intent on stealing from it."
"Really now?" Jericho raised an eyebrow at what he heard, now even more curious than before. "I have heard rumors of some of SOL Technologies' Soltis being duelists. I assume you're going to get in my way and try to stop me?"
"Yes." The Soltis Duelist simply answered, which led Jericho to laugh back in response.
"That's nice and all, but give me a good reason why I should duel you. After all, I can merely break free from this trap and obtain what I'm looking for here." Jericho taunted the Soltis Duelist. This was obviously true, as Jericho had the abilities and tools needed to break through whatever programs were in his way. However, he wanted to see how the Soltis Duelist would respond, along with its next choice of action.
Upon hearing this response, the Soltis Duelist's eyes glowed red. "If you pursue any method in trying to obtain the data rather than duel me, then all information on the Soltis will be instantly removed from this databank. What's more, unless you defeat me in a duel in time, the data will be destroyed." To back this point up, the barrier surrounding the central console also glowed red, where it immediately began draining the data inside it.
"Interesting. I didn't expect SOL Technologies to be bold in threatening to delete its own data like that." Jericho acknowledged. Given what SOL Technologies went through, it's surprising that they'd take risks. Though I highly doubt that's the case, as they would have a backup on the data in the event something happened here, Jericho thought in his mind. In other words, he believed that SOL Technologies was all bark and no bite. "But if I do defeat you in a duel, then whatever you're doing right now regarding the data stops, right? I'll be able to access it as I please?"
"Affirmative." The Soltis Duelist simply confirmed, as it activated its duel disk.
"I see. Very well then, Mr. Soltis Duelist. I accept your challenge." The sword made of data material disappeared from Jericho's hand before he activated his duel disk. "You better prove your worth to me, machine. Otherwise, just like your comrades, you'll become scrap metal." Unbeknownst to the Soltis Duelist, Jericho pressed a button on his duel disk, which caused the barrier surrounding the central console to turn purple. If SOL Technologies thought that they were the ones in control, then they were even bigger fools than Jericho thought they were. After all, the company has never fought against an ISO before, and their lack of knowledge on this topic will prove to be their undoing.
"Duel!" Jericho and the Soltis Duelist said at the same time.
Jericho: 4000 LP
Soltis Duelist: 4000 LP
"I will take the first move. My turn." The Soltis Duelist said. "I activate the Spell card, Graceful Charity, which lets me draw three cards in exchange for discarding two cards from my hand." It drew three cards before sending two cards from its hand to its Graveyard. "I summon Mementotlan Dark Blade from my hand to my field." A dark, undead warrior who wore bone armor all over his body that had several orange jewels attached to it appeared on the Soltis Duelist's field. Strapped to his back was a tattered, dark-orange cape that flowed upwards before dropping down. In each of his hands, he carried a curved, orange sword that was decorated with a bone on one side.
Mementotlan Dark Blade ATK: 1800 DEF: 1500 LV: 4
"I activate Dark Blade's effect. Once per turn, I can destroy one 'Memento' monster I control to Special Summon one Level 3 or lower 'Memento' monster from my deck to my field. I destroy Dark Blade itself, and Special Summon Mementotlan Angwitch from my deck to my field." After Dark Blade turned into particles, a gray-skinned woman with blond hair and wings attached to her back in the form of bones appeared on the Soltis Duelist's field. Her attire consisted of a tattered, red dress that had grey spikes on the lower sides. She also rode on a broomstick that was made of bones, which had yellow and green jewels embedded inside it.
Mementotlan Angwitch ATK: 800 DEF: 1000 LV: 3
"When Angwitch is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add one 'Memento' monster from my deck to my hand with a different name." The Soltis Duelist continued. "I add Mementotlan Tatsunootoshigo from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of the Soltis Duelist's deck, which it took and added to its hand.
"I activate the effect of Mementotlan Tatsunootoshigo from my hand. When I control no monsters other than 'Memento' monsters, I can Special Summon it from my hand to my field." A dark-grey and purple hippocampus that wore bone armor all over its body appeared on the Soltis Duelist's field. Violet spiked jewels were attached to its back, along with ones on its head that formed into a long mane. Lastly, a single violet jewel was attached at the bottom of its neck.
Mementotlan Tatsunootoshigo ATK: 1350 DEF: 1600 LV: 5
"I activate Tatsunootoshigo's effect. By destroying a 'Memento' monster, I can send 'Memento' monsters from my deck to my Graveyard whose total levels are less than or equal to the destroyed monster's original level." The Soltis Duelist said. "I destroy Tatsunootoshigo itself, and send Mementotlan Ghattic, Mace and Goblin from my deck to my Graveyard." Soon, Tatsunootoshigo turned into particles, which led the Soltis Duelist to take three cards from its deck and send them to its Graveyard.
"From there, I activate the effect of Mementotlan Ghattic from my Graveyard. Since it was sent to the graveyard by the effect of a 'Memento' monster, I can Special Summon it from my Graveyard to my field." A dark-brown, fluffy hairball with hands and feet composed of bones that had emeralds at the end, along with emerald-colored eyes appeared on the Soltis Duelist's field. Curved bones were also attached to its sides, along with several pieces on its head that ended in emerald-colored spikes. On its chest was a green emerald encased in bone.
Mementotlan Ghattic ATK: 550 DEF: 400 LV: 2
"Ghattic's other effect now activates." The Soltis Duelist said. "When it's Normal or Special Summoned, I can add one 'Memento' monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Mementotlan Goblin from my Graveyard to my hand." A card popped out of the Soltis Duelist's deck, which it took and added to its hand.
"I activate Angwitch's second effect. By destroying a 'Memento' monster I control, I can target one Level 2 or lower 'Memento' monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it to my field. I target Mementotlan Mace in my Graveyard, and destroy Ghattic." After Ghattic turned into particles, a fairy who wore dark-blue clothing that was decorated with numerous pieces of bones appeared on the Soltis Duelist's field. Each piece of bone on the fairy's dark-blue clothing had a spiked, magenta jewel on the ends, which glowed dimly with light. He also wore armor on his legs that had magenta-colored lines on them. Strapped around his neck was a necklace made of bones and fabric, which had magenta-colored jewels on the sides. On top of his head was a bone mask with magenta jewels that resembled a billy goat. In his hands, he carried a large key made of bones.
Mementotlan Mace ATK: 400 DEF: 300 LV: 1
"Next, I activate Mace's effect. Once per turn, I can destroy one 'Memento' monster on my field to add one 'Memento' card from my deck to my hand with a different name. I destroy Mace itself, and add Mementotlan Fusion from my deck to my hand." The Soltis Duelist decided, as Mace turned into particles. A card then popped out of the Soltis Duelist's deck, which it took and added to its hand.
Interesting. By destroying the cards on its field, the Soltis Duelist is able to accumulate resources and send monsters to his Graveyard at the same time, Jericho thought in his mind. In a way, it's filling its Graveyard for something big to come. What's more, it can Fusion Summon as well. I do look forward to seeing what this Soltis duelist can do next. "While what you've done so far has piqued my interest, you'll have to do a lot better than that if you want any hope of defeating me."
"Do not underestimate SOL Technologies' might, intruder. It may very well be your undoing." The Soltis Duelist warned Jericho, which led the latter to merely shrug it off in response. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Mementotlan Fusion. This card lets me Fusion Summon one Fusion monster from my Extra Deck, by using monsters from my hand or field as Fusion material, including a 'Memento' monster. However, if a monster I control was destroyed by a card effect, I can also shuffle 'Memento' monsters from my Graveyard back into my deck as Fusion material."
"Shuffling monsters from your Graveyard back into your deck to use them as Fusion material? How fascinating." Jericho commented.
"I send Mementotlan Angwitch from my field to my Graveyard, and shuffle Dark Blade and Tatsunootoshigo from my Graveyard back into my deck to use them as Fusion materials!" Soon, silhouettes of Dark Blade and Tatsunootoshigo appeared beside Angwitch on the Soltis Duelist's field before all three of them broke apart into red, blue and green particles. All three colored particles went upwards and swirled into a vortex, where three tornadoes of energy shot upwards before they merged to form a white and yellow whirlwind.
"Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 9! Mementomictlan Tecuhtlica – Combined Conqueror!" A massive, humanoid bone demon whose entire body was adorned with several colored jewels appeared on the Soltis Duelist's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. It had a total of four wings, two of which consisted of bones while the other two wings consisted of both bone and flesh. Strapped to the sides of its head were a total of four horns that curved outwards, which were colored red and light green. Attached to the back of its head was bushy black hair that spiked upwards. In its right hand, it carried a large scepter.
Mementomictlan Tecuhtlica – Combined Conqueror ATK: 3000 DEF: 2000 LV: 9
"I activate Combined Conqueror's effect." The Soltis Duelist stated. "When it's Fusion Summoned, I can send three 'Memento' cards from my deck and/or Extra Deck to my Graveyard. I send a second copy of Combined Conqueror from my Extra Deck, along with Mementotlan Cranium Burst and Dark Blade from my deck to my Graveyard." Two cards popped out of the Soltis Duelist's deck, which it took and sent to its Graveyard. A card from the Soltis Duelist's Extra Deck also popped out, which it took and sent to its Graveyard as well.
"I activate the effect of the Combined Conqueror that's in my Graveyard. By banishing it, I can add a copy of Mementomictlan from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of the Soltis Duelist's deck, which it took and added to its hand. "I activate the Field Spell card, Mementomictlan. Next, the summoning conditions have been met for this monster. To Special Summon it, I must shuffle five other 'Memento' monsters from my Graveyard back into my deck with different names from my hand and/or Graveyard."
"Ah, so that's why you filled up your Graveyard with monsters." Jericho commented. It looks like things are about to get good really soon, Jericho thought in his mind.
"Affirmative." The Soltis Duelist replied. "I shuffle Mementotlan Mythical Sheep, Horned Dragon, Dark Blade, Tatsunootoshigo and Angwitch back into my deck, and Special Summon Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation from my hand to my field!" Five cards popped out of the Soltis Duelist's Graveyard, which went back into its deck. Soon, a bipedal dragon made completely out of bones that had jewels of all colors of the rainbow adorned on its body appeared on the Soltis Duelist's field. Its stomach resembled that of a mouth, as evident by the spikes on its waist and upper chest, as well as the rib cage that curved inwards. At the center of its chest was also a red crystal, which glowed with energy. For its arms, instead of hands, they consisted of two dragon skulls that radiated with energy. Its shoulder pads were also in the form of dragon skulls, which was evident by the fangs sprouting from inside them. It had four black wings, each of which were outlined by numerous pieces of bones decorated with jewels of different colors. Finally, it had a total of three long horns, with one of them protruding outwards like a rhinoceros' horn. As for the other two, they curved inwards, resembling that of a ram's horns.
Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation ATK: 5000 DEF: 5000 LV: 11
Jericho gasped out of wonder and awe upon seeing the Soltis Duelist's newest monster. "Wow! A monster with 5000 attack and defense points on the first turn! Looks like SOL Technologies wasn't kidding regarding your strength as duelists when they made you guys."
"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." The Soltis Duelist gestured to this field. "At this point, Mementomictlan's effect now activates. During the End Phase, I can target one 'Memento' Spell or Trap card in my Graveyard and Set it to my field. I Set Mementotlan Cranium Burst from my Graveyard to my field." The declared card was Set on the Soltis Duelist's field. "Make your move, but know this: Your odds are breaking through this formation are slim to none."
"Which is something I intend on disproving very soon!" Jericho replied. "My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck. While the Soltis duelist had a strong formation on its field, Jericho was definitely looking forward to breaking through its formation for sure.
"I activate the effect of Mementotlan Goblin from my hand." The Soltis Duelist interjected. "When I control a copy of Combined Creation, I can send it from my hand to my Graveyard to prevent you from targeting all 'Memento' monsters I control with card effects for the rest of this turn."
"So you prepared in advance, huh?" Jericho narrowed his eyes. It makes sense, given how AI duelists these days want to make sure everything is within their calculations and strategies before trying to win the duel, Jericho thought in his mind. Again, he was looking forward to breaking through the Soltis Duelist's formation for sure. "I activate the Field Spell card, Persona Tactics – Metaverse Palace. When this card's activated, I can add one 'Persona Civilian', 'Persona Tactics', or 'Persona Arms' card from my deck to my hand. I add Persona Tactics – Calling Card." A card popped out of Jericho's deck, which he took and added to his hand. "And just a heads up, while Metaverse Palace is on the field, the attributes of all monsters you control are changed to the Dark attribute." As if on cue, dark auras surrounded Combined Creation and Combined Conqueror, which turned their attributes to the Dark attribute.
Mementomictlan Tecuhtlica – Combined Conqueror Attribute: Earth ➡️ Dark
Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation Attribute: Earth ➡️ Dark
"Next, I activate the Spell card, Persona Tactics – Calling Card." Jericho continued. "When this card is activated, I can Special Summon one 'Persona Civilian' monster from my deck or Graveyard to my field. I Special Summon Persona Civilian – Ann Takamaki from my deck to my field." A card popped out of Jericho's deck, which he took and played. Soon, a tall, young woman with bright blue eyes, wavy platinum blonde hair styled in bushy pigtails with parted side bangs on the right side of her face appeared on Jericho's field in defense position. Her hair accessories included a single yellow hair clip above her left ear, and a small circular earring on both ears. Her attire consisted of a black blazer over a white varsity-like hooded sweatshirt, which had red stripe between two blue stripes at the bottom, an S symbol near the front bottom on one side, and a green four-leaf-clover symbol on the back of the hood.
Persona Civilian – Ann Takamaki ATK: 1200 DEF: 1000 LV: 4
"When Ann's Normal or Special Summoned, I can send one 'Persona Civilian' monster from my deck to my Graveyard, and any damage I would take or pay is reduced by that monster's attack points while it's in the Graveyard. Thus, I send Persona Civilian – Sumire Yoshizawa from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Jericho's deck, which he took and sent to his Graveyard.
"Appear, the circuit of hidden truths and deceit!" Jericho shouted, as a Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one Cyberse monster. I set Persona Civilian – Ann Takamaki into the Link Markers!" Ann went into the bottom-left arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Persona Soul – Carmen!" A very tall woman with fuchsia colored skin appeared on Jericho's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. She wore a long flowing red ballgown that had black and gold trims, black gloves, and black-red boots. The black corset on her dress had red heart designs, with several roses growing out of the base of the corset. Covering her eyes was a black panther mask with floral designs, with her shoulder pads being the same.
Persona Soul – Carmen ATK: 500 LINK-1 ↙️
"When Carmen's Link Summoned, I can target one 'Persona Civilian' monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it back to my field." Jericho stated. "Return to me, Ann!" At Jericho's command, Ann reappeared on his field.
Persona Civilian – Ann Takamaki ATK: 1200 DEF: 1000 LV: 4
"Enemy plans on Link Summoning with monsters. Must not let that happen." The Soltis Duelist declared, as it gestured to its field. "Trap card, activate! Mementotlan Fracture Dance! When I control a 'Memento' monster, I can target a card on your field and destroy it. However, if I control a copy of 'Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation', I can destroy one more card on the field. I target and destroy Carmen and Ann Takamaki."
"Oh, that is not good…" Jericho muttered, as curved, red blades fired out of Fracture Dance before slicing through Carmen and Ann, turning both of them into particles. A grin suddenly appeared on Jericho's face within seconds. "…is what I would say if I didn't have this! I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Persona Tactics – Persona Awakening!" The card showed Persona Civilian – Yusuke Kitagawa morphing into his Metaverse form Fox, with Goemon rising behind him. "This card lets me target one 'Persona Civilian' and one 'Persona' Link monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon them back to my field. Return to me, Ann and Carmen!" At Jericho's command, Ann and Carmen reappeared on his field.
Persona Civilian – Ann Takamaki ATK: 1200 DEF: 1000 LV: 4
Persona Soul – Carmen ATK: 500 LINK-1 ↙️
"Then, immediately after this effect resolves, I can Link Summon one 'Persona' Link monster using 'Persona' monsters I control."
"Unexpected variable detected. Danger Level: Mild." was all the Soltis Duelist could say in response to what Jericho announced just now.
"Appear, for a second time! The circuit of hidden truths and deceit!" Jericho said, as a second Link Portal appeared on Jericho's field. "The summoning conditions are normally two or more Cyberse effect monsters. However, I can also Link Summon this monster by using a copy of Ann and Carmen on my field instead. As such, I set Persona Civilian – Ann Takamaki and Persona Soul – Carmen into the Link Markers!" Ann went into the top arrowhead, while Carmen went into the bottom and bottom-left arrowheads, turning all three of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Persona Force – Carmen the Panther!" A tall, young woman with platinum blonde hair in the style of bushy pigtails appeared on Jericho's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. Her attire consisted of a skin-tight red latex catsuit with a cleavage cutout and zippers, a matching red panther mask, pink gloves, dark red thigh-high boots, and a clip-on tail on the back of her catsuit. Seconds later, Carmen rose behind her with a chuckle.
Persona Force – Carmen the Panther ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ⬆️⬇️↘️
"I activate Carmen's effect. Since she was used to Link Summon a 'Persona Force' Link monster, when a Cyberse Link monster battles a monster you control with higher attack points once per turn during the Battle Phase this turn, any battle damage I would take is inflicted to you instead." Jericho stated, a smirk evident on his face. "In addition, I summon Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima from my hand to my field!" A young woman who had reddish-brown eyes and brown hair that was in the form of a bob cut appeared on Jericho's field. Her attire consisted of a black halter vest over a long-sleeve white shirt with a turtleneck, along with a black and red pleated plaid skirt, black pantyhose and black-brown ankle boots.
Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima ATK: 900 DEF: 1200 LV: 3
"When Makoto is Normal or Special Summoned, all Cyberse Link monsters I control gain 100 attack points for each Cyberse Link monster in my Graveyard. Since there's only one in my Graveyard at the moment, that means all Cyberse Link monsters I control gain 100 attack points." A green aura surrounded Carmen the Panther, which increased their strength.
Persona Force – Carmen the Panther ATK: 2300 + 100 = 2400
"Appear, for a third time! The circuit of hidden truths and deceit!" Jericho shouted, as a third Link Portal appeared above him. "The summoning conditions are one Cyberse monster. I set Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima into the Link Markers!" Makoto went into the bottom-left arrowhead, turning it red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Persona Soul – Johanna!" A silver motorcycle that had two sidecars attached to the sides with guns embedded within each one appeared on Jericho's field in the Main Monster Zone Carmen the Panther pointed to. At the front of the motorcycle was a blue visor, which covered a woman's face that was attached to the front.
Persona Soul – Johanna ATK: 500 LINK-1 ↙️
"When Johanna's Link Summoned, I can-." Jericho began explaining.
"Opponent's strategy detected. Must prevent it at all costs." The Soltis Duelist suddenly interrupted, as it gestured to its field. "Continuous-Trap, activate! Mementotlan Cranium Burst! Once per chain, when you activate a monster effect, I can negate that effect by targeting a copy of Combined Creation on my field and lowering its attack and defense points by 1000. I negate Johanna's effect!" A series of different colored rays fired out of Cranium Burst, which headed straight towards Johanna before piercing her body, draining her effects in the process. As if on cue, Combined Creation groaned in pain, its strength having decreased seconds later.
Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation ATK: 5000 –1000 = 4000 DEF: 5000 – 1000 = 4000
"Also, note that while I control a 'Memento' monster, any monster you control that can attack must attack the 'Memento' monster with the highest attack points I control."
Jericho put a hand on his chin as he pondered over what he heard. "I'll admit, it's a clever move. Still, that's not going to stop me. I activate the Spell card, Persona Tactics – Ally Return!" The card showed Carmen the Panther using Whip of Seduction to rescue Captain the Skull from falling to his death, the former having a relieved look on her face. "This card lets me target one 'Persona' monster in my Graveyard, and Special Summon it to my field in exchange for negating its effects until the End Phase. I target Makoto in my Graveyard, and Special Summon her back to my field." At Jericho's command, Makoto reappeared on his field.
Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima ATK: 900 DEF: 1200 LV: 3
"Ally Return has an additional effect if I control a Link 3 or higher 'Persona' Link monster." Jericho stated. "It lets me draw two cards from the top of my deck in exchange for shuffling one card back into my deck. I shuffle Persona Tactics – Emblem Shield back into my deck." After Jericho took a card from his hand and shuffled it back into his deck, he then drew the top two cards of his deck before looking them over, a smile forming on his face upon doing so.
"Appear, for a fourth time! The circuit of hidden truths and deceit!" A fourth Link Portal appeared above Jericho. "The summoning conditions are normally two or more Cyberse effect monsters. However, I can also Link Summon this monster by using a copy of Makoto and Johanna on my field instead. As such, I set Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima and Persona Soul – Johanna into the Link Markers!" Makoto went into the top arrowhead, while Johanna went into the left and bottom arrowheads, turning all three of them red.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Persona Force – Johanna the Queen!" A young woman who had reddish-brown eyes and brown hair that was in the form of a haircut appeared on Jericho's field in the Main Monster Zone Carmen the Panther pointed to, resulting in both monsters being co-linked with one another. Her attire consisted of a dark-blue and black, two-toned skintight suit that had a long black scarf and a dark gray corset-style leather breastplate. She also had shoulder and knee pads with spikes mixed in her boots that sported metal heels and toes, white gloves and an iron mask. Seconds later, Johanna reappeared behind her.
Persona Force – Johanna the Queen ATK: 2300 LINK-3⬅️⬆️⬇️
"I activate Johanna's effect. Since she was used to Link Summon a 'Persona Force' Link monster, the Link monster that used her as Link material gains 200 attack points for every face-up Spell and Trap card on the field." Jericho added. "You have a face-up Spell and Trap card on your field while I have one. That means Johanna the Queen gains 600 attack points." A silver aura surrounded Johanna the Queen as her strength increased.
Persona Force – Johanna the Queen ATK: 2300 + (200 X 3) = 2900
"I activate the second effect of Metaverse Palace. Once per turn, when you control a monster, I can Special Summon one 'Persona' token to my field." Soon, a purple-flamed wisp that had the symbol of the Phantom Thieves appeared on Jericho's field in attack position.
Persona Token ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: ?
"Upon summon, I can treat the Persona token's level as the Level, Rank, or Link rating of a monster you control with the lowest attack points. Since the monster with the lowest attack points you control is Combined Conqueror, that means the Persona Token's level becomes Level 11." Jericho informed the Soltis Duelist, the Persona token turned into a hazy version of Combined Conqueror, as if it obtained its form.
Persona Token LV: ? ➡️ 11
"And it's now time for the fun part! Battle!" Jericho thrusted out his right hand. "The Persona token attacks Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation!"
"Mementomictlan's effect activates! When a 'Memento' monster I control battles, you can't activate Spell or Trap cards until the end of the damage step." The Soltis Duelist told Jericho, only for him to laugh.
"I don't need Spell or Trap cards to defeat you. Cause you'll turn into rust very soon!" Jericho responded. "I activate Carmen the Panther's effect. When a monster she points to battles a monster you control with higher attack points, my monster can't be destroyed by battle, and I take no battle damage." The Persona token then stood down at Carmen the Panther's request. "And here's the best part! Since Carmen the Panther was Link Summoned using Carmen and Ann, for the rest of the duel, either she or one other monster she points to gains attack points equal to your monster's attack points until the End Phase! I choose Johanna the Queen! Thief Teamwork!" A bright red aura surrounded Johanna the Queen as her strength increased.
Persona Force – Johanna the Queen ATK: 2900 + 4000 = 6900
"What's more, Carmen the Panther gains 400 attack points and can attack a total of two times this turn!" A second bright red aura surrounded Carmen the Panther, which increased her strength.
Persona Force – Carmen the Panther ATK: 2300 + 400 = 2700
"The battle continues! Persona Force – Johanna the Queen attacks Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation!" Jericho declared.
"Danger Level: High. Initiating defense protocols." The Soltis Duelist said. "I activate the effect of Fracture Dance in my Graveyard. By banishing it, all monsters you control lose 1000 attack points until the End Phase." Three curved, red blades appeared out of nowhere before hitting Carmen the Panther and Johanna the Queen, which made the both of them groan in pain as their strength decreased. As for the third one, it simply passed through the Persona token because it had no attack points to begin with.
Persona Force – Carmen the Panther ATK: 2700 – 1000 = 1700
Persona Force – Johanna the Queen: 6900 – 1000 = 5900
"Tear through that robot's defenses, Johanna the Queen! Resolution Arrow Shot!" Queen got on Johanna before reeving her up and driving towards Combined Creation, having fired rounds of bullets at it. Energy surrounded both Johanna and Queen as the duo pierced straight through Combined Creation, having turned it into particles in a massive explosion, which made the Soltis Duelist shield itself as its life points dropped.
Soltis Duelist: 4000 – 1900 = 2100 LP
"Oh, and I forgot to mention something. Each time Johanna the Queen destroys a monster by battle, she gains 400 attack points." Jericho told the Soltis Duelist. "Gale Boost." Johanna the Queen was surrounded by a second silver aura that increased her strength.
Persona Force – Johanna the Queen ATK: 5900 + 400 = 6300
"Danger Level: Severe. Emergency protocols activated." The Soltis Duelist stated, as it gestured to its field. "Quick-Play Spell card, activate! Mementotlan Bone Pack! If a 'Memento' monster leaves the field by an opponent's card, I can Special Summon a copy of Combined Creation from my hand or deck, ignoring its summoning conditions. I Special Summon a second copy of Combined Creation from my deck." A card popped out of the Soltis Duelist's deck, which it took and played. Soon, a second copy of Combined Creation appeared on the Soltis Duelist's field.
Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation ATK: 5000 DEF: 5000 LV: 11
"Do note that Cranium Burst requires you to attack the 'Memento' monster with the highest attack points on your field. Your only choice is to attack with Carmen the Panther."
Jericho laughed after hearing that comment. "Actually, that isn't my only choice, AI. After all, I have Johanna the Queen's other effect! Since she was Link Summoned using Johanna and Makoto, her number of attacks are normally equal to the number of Cyberse Link monsters she points to plus one. However, if she's pointing to a 'Persona Force' Link monster, Johanna the Queen gains additional attacks equal to the Link rating of one of the 'Persona Force' Link monsters she's pointing to. So since Johanna the Queen's pointing to Carmen the Panther, that means she can attack approximately three more times!"
"Danger Level: Incalculable. Defeat resolute…" The Soltis Duelist muttered.
"The battle continues once again!" Jericho declared. "Persona Force – Johanna the Queen attacks Mementoal Tecuhtlica – Combined Creation! Gale of Resolution!" Queen reeved up Johanna once again as she charged forward towards the second copy of Combined Creation, having fired rounds of energized bullets at it. Energy surrounded both Johanna and Queen once again as the duo pierced straight through Combined Creation, having turned it into particles in a massive explosion, which pushed the Soltis Duelist back several feet as its life points dropped.
Soltis Duelist: 2100 – 1300 = 800 LP
"And just like before, Johanna the Queen's effect will increase her attack points once again by 400. Gale Boost!" Johanna the Queen was surrounded by a third silver aura that increased her strength.
Persona Force – Johanna the Queen ATK: 6300 + 400 = 6700
"Let's end this farce, shall we?" Jericho stated, as he pointed his right finger at Combined Conqueror. "Persona Force – Johanna the Queen attacks Mementomictlan Tecuhtlica – Combined Conqueror! Gale of Resolution!" Queen reeved up Johanna one more time as she charged forward towards Combined Conqueror, having fired rounds of energized bullets at it. Energy surrounded both Johanna and Queen once again as the duo smashed straight through Combined Conqueror before destroying it in a massive explosion, which sent the Soltis Duelist flying off the ground moments later. The Soltis Duelist then landed on the ground by rolling onto it several times, its life points having dropped to zero by the time it stopped moving.
Soltis Duelist: 800 – 3700 = 0
Jericho walked over to where the Soltis Duelist was before putting his foot on its head. "Though SOL Technologies made you guys crafty, it obviously wasn't enough to defeat me. Oh, and you guys weren't in control in the end as well, as I acquired the data during our duel." He then stomped on the Soltis Duelist's head before crushing it completely, a disappointed look evident on his face. If this was how strong SOL Technologies' Soltis duelists were, then it ultimately showed how weak the company was when fighting against enemies.
After double checking to make sure any unexpected programs were destroyed in the area, Jericho pressed a button on his duel disk, where a purple sphere of data appeared before he touched it at the top. There, a digital screen appeared in front of him as he scrolled through each section to find what he was looking for. After much searching, Jericho eventually found a file called 'Soltis Initiative', which led him to grin upon looking at it. Jackpot, Jericho thought in his mind, as he took the file and its contents before putting it in his duel disk. A sword made of data material appeared in Jericho's right hand before he used it to slash the rest of the data into pieces, as the last thing he wanted was for SOL Technologies to salvage anything that can potentially be of a hindrance to him later on.
Satisfied with his success, Jericho pressed a button on his duel disk, hoping to contact Ai to see how things were going on his end. As if on cue, a digital screen popped up, where it showed Ai and Roboppy.
"Hello, Jericho. We were just going to contact you." Ai said.
"Right back at you, Ai. I trust you disposed of Queen and Pawn?" Jericho asked.
"We did. Queen's Code Key and Pawn's access card have been obtained. However…" Ai narrowed his eyes as he thought over what happened after he defeated Queen. "We ran into an unexpected obstacle."
"An unexpected obstacle?" Jericho raised an eyebrow, wondering what Ai meant by that last remark.
"It turns out that Queen only had half of the Code Key, Mr. Jericho." Roboppy told Jericho, before Ai could speak up.
"And were you able to figure out who has the other half?" Jericho inquired.
"No, not yet. Although I do believe it belongs to one of the other higherups." Ai theorized, having put a hand to his chin.
Great. That means we'll have to eliminate the other higherups if we're to find the other half of the Code Key, Jericho sarcastically deduced in his mind. Then again, Jericho, Ai and Roboppy would have had to deal with the other higherups at some point, so it was better to defeat them all now than much later. "That's fair. Let's meet up at the rendezvous point and discuss our findings."
"Understood." With that, Ai signed off, which left Jericho alone in the server.
Jericho put a hand to his chin, as he pondered over what he heard. With Queen and Pawn disposed of for the time being, it was only a matter of time for the other higherups to get involved and wage war against the trio. This was something Jericho can use to his advantage, as he had allies of his own to fight back against the other higherups while he, Ai and Roboppy go after Albinor Inc. to seize it. It was also a perfect opportunity to see just how strong Dogma's chosen associate to run the company was, as should that person ultimately fail, Jericho would personally put them in their place. Knowing what he needed to do, he pressed a button on his duel disk, intent on contacting Dogma.
"Yes?" Dogma said, as a digital screen popped up that showed his image above Jericho's duel disk.
"Have Jiao, Pierre and Gunther arrived at Japan yet?" Jericho asked, which led Dogma to nod in confirmation.
"They have as of yesterday morning, sir. The three of them have also got over their jet lag as well."
"Excellent! Have the other envoys come to my server tomorrow afternoon. One o'clock sharp." After issuing this order, Jericho hung up on his end before he prepared to log out of the server. Overall, things were going smoothly, and with the envoys at his command once again, Jericho would be the ultimate victor in this conflict.
All in due time.
The next day, in the real world, at the Zaizen residence…
"What? How could that happen?" Akira demanded, who was on a phone call with someone else on the other end. "I see. I'm on my way. Thank you. I'll be there shortly." He then hung up his phone, where Aoi turned to see what was going on.
"Is everything okay, Akira?" Aoi asked, which led Akira to turn to face her.
"No, Aoi. Nothing is okay." Akira stood up from the couch, a determined expression evident on his face.
"Wha-What happened?"
Akira frowned after hearing Aoi's question. "Someone attacked Queen and Pawn last night." He walked over to the entrance, intent on heading to the cruise ship as soon as possible. "I have to go check it out. Be back soon." With that, Akira exited from the apartment before closing the door, leaving Aoi alone in the living room.
Aoi narrowed her eyes as she looked down at the ground. Just who would go ahead and attack Queen and Pawn like that? In Aoi's mind, the obvious answer would be Jericho, as it was highly likely he sought payback for stopping his plans. But why go after Queen and Pawn? Did they have something that Jericho needed? Or was there something else going on? Something that neither Aoi nor the others knew about as of now.
But before Aoi could continue thinking things over, Marincess Blue Slug and Sea Angel jumped out of her duel disk, concerns evident on their faces.
"It'll be okay, Aoi. It'll be okay." Blue Slug assured Aoi, which got her attention as she turned to look at the former and Sea Angel. Seeing this, Aoi gently patted Blue Slug on the head before doing the same for Sea Angel, grateful that they're here right now.
As for this current situation, Aoi couldn't help but worry that this was a signal for something worse to come down the road.
A few minutes later, at the cruise ship…
A helicopter flew in the air as it headed straight to the cruise ship, with Akira and Hayami as the passengers. Immediately after learning what happened, Akira called for a helicopter transport with Hayami, wanting to investigate the situation on the cruise ship. For by inspecting it thoroughly, Akira can get a full understanding on what happened so he can provide a full report of the incident to the Kings. After all, an attack on a higherup was an egregious matter that had to be dealt with at once, or else it'd cause SOL Technologies to experience serious setbacks in how it operated as a business. Ones that the company can't afford to face right now.
As such, the helicopter landed on the landing pad, where the door opened before Akira and Hayami hopped out of the vehicle. Upon doing so, Akira noticed several first responders evacuating the passengers out of the cruise ship by gesturing them to head down to the emergency boats, where they would be transported to shore in a bit. He also noticed a few technicians taking a look at a few of the Soltis, wanting to make sure there was no damage and/or potential leaks in each one.
"I'm so grateful you came, Mr. Zaizen," the captain said, having seen Akira arrive on the platform.
"The people's safety is always my concern, captain. It's a part of my responsibilities, after all." Akira responded. "Tell me what exactly happened on this cruise ship ship."
The captain put a hand on his chin. "As per our phone call, I told you that Queen and Pawn were attacked last night. However, it wasn't the only thing that occurred during that time."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Akira raised an eyebrow after hearing the captain's explanation. In response to this, the captain gestured Akira and Hayami to follow after him, which they did.
"After thorough investigation, we found that several of our systems have either been hijacked or damaged. That's why you saw the technicians inspecting the Soltis back there, as apparently, they've handled several of our customers quite roughly last night."
"Who would hijack the Soltis like that?" Hayami asked.
"Someone very bad, Hayami. Someone very bad." Akira answered Hayami's question. He had a feeling on who did this, but he wanted to gather all the information possible before coming to conclusions. "What about Queen and Pawn? How are they?"
"They've fallen unconscious, Mr. Zaizen. We called the authorities immediately after we found them in that state." the captain sadly answered.
"And how many people know, captain? Has the press learned about this?"
"No, Mr. Zaizen. A gag order has been put in place to prevent the news from being leaked to the world. It hasn't been easy, but we were able to keep things under wraps."
Akira nodded, having understood what the captain said just now. "Thank you, captain. Let's try and keep it that way until more information has been uncovered." Soon, he, Hayami and the captain headed over to another area of the cruise ship, where they saw an emergency helicopter airlift Queen up into the air so it can transport her to the Den City Hospital. Another emergency helicopter did the same for Pawn as Bethany and Chuck watched from nearby, tears evident in their eyes.
"Mrs. Bethany. Mr. Chuck. This is Akira Zaizen, who I called to help assess the situation." the captain introduced Akira to Bethany and Chuck.
"We know who Akira is, captain." Bethany replied, before turning to Akira. "Hyodo told us so much about you, Mr. Zaizen, and how you kept so many people safe during recent events."
Pawn told his wife and son about me? I didn't expect that, Akira surprisingly thought in his mind. He never thought that Pawn, one of the higherups, would tell Bethany and Chuck about his contributions to SOL Technologies. In a way, it showed just how much faith Pawn had in Akira, unlike Queen.
"You'll find the person who hurt dad, right, Mr. Zaizen?" Chuck immediately asked, tears still evident in his eyes.
"Whoever did this, Mr. Zaizen, I want them brought to justice." Bethany angrily said, who also still had tears in her eyes. "They can't get away with what they've done."
"I will ensure that whoever did this is indeed brought to justice. You have my word." Akira promised, as a few first responders gently escorted Bethany and Chuck to an emergency boat. He then turned to the captain, wanting to see if the latter had any additional information to share regarding who was responsible. "Do you have any leads on who the culprit is?"
"The good news is that we were able to figure out who was responsible, Mr. Zaizen," the captain answered. "After all, he didn't bother to cover his tracks."
"Show me at once." With that, the captain gestured Akira and Hayami to follow after him, which they did as they eventually headed over to the pool deck.
"Before the culprit left, he left a video message addressed to you. Or to be specific, he only wanted you to see it. No one else." Pulling out a remote from his jacket, the captain pressed it, which caused the surroundings to be removed as a holographic projector was activated.
"A message for me?" Akira repeated out of curiosity.
"I'll leave the both of you alone to look at it. After all, you're the experts when it comes to security matters," the captain simply stated, before going over to an area nearby so he can give Akira and Hayami privacy in looking at the message. Within seconds, it began playing, which led the two of them pay close attention on what they would hear next. However, what Akira saw next would change everything.
"No! It can't be!" Akira exclaimed out of shock, now knowing who was responsible not just for attacking Queen and Pawn, but for also causing mayhem on the cruise ship ship as well. With what he learned just now, Akira was unfortunately in a difficult situation. Akira didn't want to call him for help after recent events, but given the identity of the attacker, it looked like he had no choice.
Meanwhile, in the network, in Zero's server…
Zero narrowed his eyes as he looked over all the events that had occurred since his disappearance through digital screens around him. Specifically, the Another Virus event, the Tower of Hanoi, the Turf War and the attacks on the real world and in the network. Despite SOL Technologies' best efforts, the company needed help from powerful duelists to put an end to each of these events, which demonstrated how it ultimately couldn't handle a majority of its problems on its own. In a way, SOL Technologies had fallen from grace a long time ago not just due to its failures, but due to how it supported unethical business operations as well.
"If your goal was to see Project: VIII being repeated, then congratulations, you got your wish. I hope it was worth it in the end, as your departure had led to a ton of other shit happening later on, especially with SOL Technologies being the root of Den City's pain."
"While you were gone, SOL Technologies became rotten and corrupt not only due to the Black Market's establishment, but also how it supported unethical business operations. One example being Balius' trafficking operation in Central Japan, which led to the civil war and his death. Oh, and the company's attempt to build a high performance Ignis almost led to the death of a well-known Charisma duelist named Go Onizuka."
"You are a coward in the end, old man! That time you spent hiding all of those years should have been used to take back control of SOL Technologies from your enemies. After all, you were the Dragon King, the first ruler of the company. Hell, you could have even helped us during catastrophic situations in the network. Where were you when the Tower of Hanoi activated? Where were you when the Turf War was initiated between the branches? Where were you when Azrael launched a joint attack on both LINK VRAINS and the real world? Where were you during the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS? All of the lives lost, or at the very least a majority of them, could have been avoided if you were there to help us!"
As much as it pained Zero to admit it after thinking about what Yuhiro told him, the latter was ultimately right. Zero's disappearance all of those years ago had led SOL Technologies to become corrupted by the three current Kings, who were his sons. The company that Zero founded a long time ago no longer existed. It had become a shadow of its former self.
But it wasn't always this way. When Zero founded SOL Technologies, his intent was to create a company that served the people using a combination of science and technology. People who shared similar values like Zero also contributed towards building SOL Technologies and advancing it to become the company it was today. Sadly, those people died a long time ago, which left Zero as the last person who founded the company. But despite their deaths, Zero strove to keep going so that their contributions didn't amount to nothing. He collaborated with Myojin and Ukyos at the time to create the beta version of LINK VRAINS itself, where it eventually evolved and became the LINK VRAINS it was today. The invention not only became an overall success, but also advanced the world of duel monsters itself by offering a new type of duel format in Speed duels.
From there, Zero would collaborate with Myojin, Ukyos and Arshad in setting up and funding Project: VIII, along with splitting it into two sub-projects. One to create the Ignis, and one to create the Construct. Unfortunately, a fallout occurred between Myojin, Arshad and Ukyos upon learning that Ukyos wanted to exploit the network so he can find the Root and reset the world, thus eradicating sin in the process. After that, Ukyos desired to rule it to ensure that it would never become infected by sin again. So Myojin and Arshad worked together in banishing Ukyos to the network, and also battled to make sure he stayed there.
This incident gave King's sons the opportunity to exile Zero and throw him out of his own company, the trio having worked with the other higherups to successfully pull off this endeavour. As a result, Zero was forced on the run from the authorities, who were intent on bringing him to justice for his role during the incident. This drove Zero to use one of the methods tested a long time ago for people to log into the network, which was forbidden due to ethical reasons. He used a device to fully integrate himself in the network, which led the authorities to conclude that he had died. This had allowed Zero to fully escape from their grasp, where he would eventually meet Kairi in the network and work with both her and the Autos to fight again Ukyos, who had by that point gone by the name Urizen.
But during that time, Zero was plagued by visions that showed him despair and destruction at someone's hands. Despite Kairi's numerous attempts at telling Zero that visions rarely come true, this led him to keep an eye on the two areas Myojin put Excalibur and Muramasa following Ukyos' defeat. That way, Zero can make sure they were safely guarded by Gilgamesh, who was created by him and Myojin to protect the ancient weapons.
Those places were the Tower of Light and the Cave of Darkness.
Upon seeing that the Muramasa was already taken in the Cave of Darkness, it only stoked Zero's concerns about the visions he had been experiencing. While Kairi forgave him for his reckless actions, she warned him not to do something like that again. As such, Zero helped complete missions for the leader, hoping it can get his fears out of his mind.
But when he noticed Excalibur's data signal increasing its range from his duel disk, Zero raced over to The Tower of Light, hoping to stop Raguel from making a fatal mistake. The worst part was that he had to duel his old friend, Arshad, just to try to accomplish his goal. And by the time it ended in a draw, Raguel ended up getting Excalibur. By that point, Zero logged out of the server, but not before telling Arshad that everyone would pay a terrible price should he be wrong about Raguel. Unfortunately, some time after the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS, Raguel snapped and carved a path of bloody destruction upon being infected by the Cursed Boundary Layer.
This eventually led Zero to officially assist Playmaker and the others in destroying the Cursed Boundary Layer, as well as save Raguel in the process. During that time, Zero saw how humans were able to work together as one when they were faced against someone or something that would do all of them harm. Not just that, but how they'd fight tooth and nail to save someone they loved. As such, Zero swore to be a better ally to Playmaker and the others than Watchman was for lying to them every single step of the way.
Speaking of Watchman, Zero captured Watchman and brought him to his server so he can eventually bring the latter to Kairi, as per her wishes. This was because Kairi wanted answers from Watchman upon learning that he was a traitor, which was evident by his selfish reasons in using the Root of All Knowledge to eradicate sin, save humanity and get revenge on Urizen.
However, while Zero was assisting Playmaker and his allies in destroying the Cursed Boundary Layer and saving Raguel's life, Jericho was able somehow break into his server, which enabled him to Watchman for himself. The good news was that Jericho didn't take any of his data, as his only objective at the time was to capture Watchman. But if Jericho did take any of Zero's data, then the latter would obviously know of it.
Moving the situation regarding Watchman aside for now, the Cursed Boundary Layer was destroyed, which meant Earth was saved. The only other matter that Zero had to deal with as per Kairi's request was to find Ai somewhere in the network and provide him sanctuary. This way, he would be kept safe and out of Urizen's hands. For Ai most certainly had the powers of the other seven Ignis, which put a target on his back as a result. One that Jericho would certainly go after if he were to finish his mission and achieve the Unity. If that happened, then Earth would… NO! Zero couldn't finish that thought! He wouldn't let such a really happen! Not on his watch!
The first step towards that goal would be seizing SOL Technologies from his sons and the other higherups that collaborate with them. Given what he learned just now, he could throw them out of the company with the evidence and take it over before purifying it of its corruption. Unfortunately, there were two issues with this step. The first was figuring out a way how to throw his sons and the other higherups out of SOL Technologies without causing unintentional damage to the company. After all, not everyone at SOL Technologies was evil, as they were people who worked hard to provide for themselves and their families. The second issue was identifying who had the honor replacing the higherups, as the people selected must be ones who not only cared for the people, but demonstrated true integrity as well.
So Zero conducted a search on people at SOL Technologies that fit his criteria, which took some time. Unfortunately, the people Zero found either didn't fully meet his criteria, or were only focused on themselves. That meant there were few options available to him at the company, which meant he'd have to look elsewhere if he wanted to solve this dilemma. However, after some more searching, Zero came across footage of Akira Zaizen coordinating efforts with the FBI not just in stopping the Turf War, but the attacks in the network and in the real world as well. What's more, Zero also found footage of Akira bravely risking his life to contribute towards stopping the corrupted Bohman by using his remaining strength to launch a virus bomb before falling unconscious, which enabled the people to log out of the network.
If Zero was being honest, he felt moved by Akira's selflessness, and how he fought tooth and nail to make sure the public was safe from harm. For the first time in a long time, he found someone who was not only worthy in running SOL Technologies, but someone who can drive it towards a better future as well. In other words, Akira was a person Zero could trust in helping rebuild SOL Technologies and ultimately cleanse it of corruption.
While this was good news, the only way that someone can truly change SOL Technologies would be to acquire the Code Key itself, which was in the possession of the higherups. In Zero's mind, he strongly believed that the Kings had the Code Key on their hands, where they'd pass it on from one another over the span of days to ensure additional security. Thus, eliminating the higherups was a priority if Zero was to liberate SOL Technologies from their control.
He scrolled through the footage and newsfeeds to see if anything new popped up following the Cursed Boundary Layer's disappearance. Some examples included a mass funeral for everyone who died at the Cursed Boundary Layer's hands, news reports stating that those who were infected by it had recovered, and things slowly going back to normal. There was also a news report stating that Akira was promoted to Executive Vice President for his bravery and initiative during recent events. With this information in mind, one of Zero's eyes glowed a golden color as he scrolled through SOL Technologies' mainframe, hoping to see if he can find anything that can be of use to him down the road. To Zero's surprise, he found footage that showed the Kings splitting the Code Key into two pieces to provide an additional layer of security following recent events. The Kings then proceeded to give Akira one piece of the Code Key before handing the other piece over to Queen for protection.
"How fascinating…" Zero muttered, as he looked at the footage. Based on what he saw, the Kings were very desperate to make sure everything was secure after all the setbacks SOL Technologies experienced, which led them to split the Code Key in two pieces before giving one to Akira and the other to Queen. While this was an advantage, it was also a disadvantage because that meant Akira could be targeted by those who sought to use SOL Technologies for their own evil purposes. One example of such a person would be Jericho, as should be obtain control of SOL Technologies, he'd gain a powerful resource in trying to find and capture Ai.
Thus, Zero would touch base with Akira and collaborate not just in keeping him safe, but also protect the Code Key as well. Even if Jericho or someone else got Queen's half of the Code Key, they wouldn't be able to access SOL Technologies unless they got the other half. So by protecting Akira, Zero can make sure the assailant never got their hand on SOL Technologies. This also gave Zero the opportunity to show how trustworthy of an ally he can be compared to Watchman. If he demonstrated just how much he cared for the people, it would enable him to earn the trust of Playmaker and the others. Besides, he emerged out of hiding to help save Raguel and destroy the Cursed Boundary Layer, so this was another genuine step needed to show that he was different from Watchman.
A program appeared in Zero as he crafted the message, which he sent to Akira seconds later. If Zero succeeded in this, he can earn an alliance with Playmaker and the others, which would be crucial to stopping Jericho and Urizen's plans forever. For the war between the Autos and ISOS was heading to Earth soon, so it was better to inform Playmaker and the others sooner about the coming threat than wait any longer.
After all, even one ally can make a difference towards long-term victory. One that would lead to a bright, free, genuine and prosperous future for everyone. One where every life mattered.
In the sunset over Den City, Yuhiro, Miyu, and Arashi are depicted with Yusaku, Aoi, and Takeru looking out over the area.
Silhouettes of Earth, Windy, Aqua, Flame, Lightning, Herald, and Wraith are shown as Ai clenches his heart in despair before morphing into his human form. The screen shifts to the real world, which shows Roboppy looking out a window as a silhouette of his human form is shown with him.
Jin, Kusanagi, and Katsuya look at the starry skies, grateful smiles on their faces as they do so, glad to be reunited with one another. Silhouettes of Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon and Codebreaker Virus Berserker appear in the area to ensure the peaceful moment wasn't disrupted.
Emma and Kengo Dojun are shown at the Den City hospital visiting his mother as she wakes up, happy to see her son again. A light-blue glow briefly surrounds her body before dimming, as though it were blessing her. In another area of the hospital, Roxy is shown lovingly embracing Miyu with joy, Aoi also smiling after seeing her wake up. Nearby is Yuhiro, who smiles as he watches the group. However, he lowers his head in sadness as he recalls everything that had to be sacrificed for this moment to occur.
Akira is shown rushing over to a helicopter, intent on completing an urgent business assignment. Hayami follows after him in a hurry, having also been called to assist him in completing the assignment.
A split screen then pops up, showing Tsubaki spending time with Hideki on one side, while Gekiryushi is training at the Shinpi-Tekina dojo, people happy to see the dojo being rejuvenated on the other side. Portrait of Zandaka, Kataru, and Arakan are also in the background. A second split screen appears next, showing Greg and Rachel spending time with one another, while Gil is looking at documents with the Bit and Boot under his command. A third split screen appears next, showing Go Onizuka having fun with the kids at the Den City Orphanage with Kenmochi and Yoroizaka, while Brion issues directions as he collaborates with the people in Central Japan so they can work together in rebuilding their home.
The screen then shows Youta, Ryoken, and Takeya looking over a high platform, with Yua, Kyoko, Aso, Eizaburo, and Mikuru in the background watching them. It then shifts to show Emon looking over Beatrice's grave at the cemetery before fading away.
A portrait of everyone riding their duel boards in LINK VRAINS appears on a table as Yusaku and Yuhiro put down their duel disks, having accepted everything that's happened as they strive to move forward towards a brighter future.
Card Gallery
Jericho:
Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima (LV: 3/Cyberse/Wind/ATK: 900/DEF: 1200)
Effect: This card is also treated as a Warrior monster while on your field or in your GY. When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can have all Cyberse Link monsters you control gain 100 ATK for each Cyberse Link monster in your GY until the End Phase. You can only use this effect of 'Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima' once per turn. You can only control 1 'Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima'.
Persona Tactics – Ally Return (Normal Spell card)
Effect: Target 1 'Persona' monster in your GY; Special Summon it from your GY to your field, but negate its effects until the End Phase. If you activated this card the turn you have a Link 3 or higher 'Persona' Link monster on your field: You can draw two cards, then shuffle 1 card from your hand back into your deck. You can only use this effect of 'Persona Tactics – Ally Return' once per turn.
Persona Tactics – Persona Awakening (Quick-Play Spell card)
Effect: Target 1 'Persona Civilian' and 1 'Persona' Link monster in your GY; Special Summon them to your field, then, immediately after this effect resolves, Link Summon 1 'Persona' Link monster from your Extra Deck by using 'Persona' monsters you control. You can only activate 1 'Persona Tactics – Persona Awakening' per turn.
Persona Soul – Johanna (LR: 1/Cyberse/Wind/ATK: 500/↙️)
Effect: 1 Cyberse monster. This card is also treated as a Spellcaster monster while on your field or in your GY. When this card is Link Summoned: You can target 1 'Persona Civilian' monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your field. If you Link Summon 'Persona Force – Johanna the Queen' by using this card and 'Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima', you can treat this card as a Link-2 monster. If you use this card to Link Summon a 'Persona Force' Link monster: You can have the Link monster that was Link Summoned using this card as Link material gain 200 ATK for each face-up Spell and Trap card on the field.
Persona Force – Johanna the Queen (LR: 3/Cyberse/Wind/ATK: 2300/⬅️⬆️⬇️)
Effect: 2 or more Cyberse effect monsters. You can also Link Summon this card by using a copy of 'Persona Soul – Johanna' and 'Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima' on your field as Link material instead. This card is also treated as a Warrior and Spellcaster monster while on your field or in your GY. At the end of each Battle Phase, you can draw cards equal to the number of monsters this card destroyed by battle this turn. If this card is Link Summoned by using a copy of 'Persona Soul – Johanna' and 'Persona Civilian – Makoto Niijima', for the rest of the duel, it gains the following effect:
If this card battles, it can make attacks on your opponent's monsters up to the number of monsters this card currently points to +1, or, if this card is co-linked to a "Persona Force" Link monster, it gain additional attacks equal to the Link Rating of one "Persona Force" Link Monster this card points to. Each time this card destroys a monster by battle, it gains 400 ATK.
QOTC
Do you think Yusaku should get a copy of the AtIgnister deck and merge it with his own Cyberse deck later on in the story?
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 104: War on SOL: Part One. Having received Ai's threat, Akira calls together a group of duelists to ask for their help in protecting him from the former in three days. As Akira continues to prepare for what's to come, Yusaku finds himself deeply troubled on what to do next. Meanwhile, seeing SOL Technologies in disarray, Jericho sends the envoys after the higherups, intent on not only obtaining the Code Key, but also eliminate any potential nuisances as well…
Author's Notes
And with that, the first chapter of the second arc for Season 3 is officially complete! While most of it is anime events, I do hope you enjoyed the other parts of the chapter as well! But enough talk, as we have a chapter to recap:
While this chapter primarily consists of anime events, there are a few differences. First being in the real world, where both Queen and Pawn interact with the captain. We also see Pawn's family in his wife Bethany and his son Chuck. The anime didn't specify whether the higherups had families or not, so I thought it'd be a good idea to show what they did and had outside of work. In Pawn's case, he has a wife and son, who he's taking on vacation as per Chapter 102.
We then move onto Ai and Roboppy entering the real world using the Soltis on the cruise ship. However, Jericho's unable to enter in one of them. Why is this the case? Well, the answer's in spoiler territory, but do expect to get an answer later on in Season 3. In the meanwhile, Jericho had no choice but to assist Ai and Roboppy in the network by causing a small amount of chaos on the cruise ship. He did this despite Roboppy disabling the security protocols. Why did Jericho do this? It's for two reasons. The first was because he had to assist Ai and Roboppy in the network as a result of being unable to enter into a Soltis. The second was so Jericho can distract SOL Technologies in order to complete his personal mission. That will be touched later on in the author's notes.
Then we get onto the duels, with the first one being Roboppy vs Pawn. In the anime, Roboppy dueled only twice, where he got a win and a loss. That's it. So to rectify this, as well as show how strong Roboppy was as a duelist due to his training, I had him duel against one of the higherups in Pawn. Thanks to his training, Roboppy was easily able to defeat Pawn and mop him up. Some of you might be wondering why Ai and Roboppy even went after Pawn first instead of Queen. It's because Pawn had an access card to access SOL Technologies' assets, as well as the ones belonging to competitors. Jericho saw value in this, which was why he had Ai and Roboppy go after Pawn first.
I also want to highlight something about Ai: He has honor. Unlike Lightning, where he would hold hostages in order to get what he wanted, Ai made the choice not to go after Pawn's family. It's another way of how Ai's different compared to Lightning, as he won't endanger innocents just to complete his mission. After receiving reassurance that his family won't be hurt, Pawn falls unconscious, where Ai and Roboppy get Pawn's access card later on.
The second duel is basically an anime recap of Ai vs Queen, with a slight difference. This is where the personalities of the AtIgnister monsters are revealed. Here, I want to highlight that the personalities of each AtIgnister monster is partially based on the personalities of the other Ignis. For example, Dark Templar is vengeful and wise like Ai, Wind Pegasus is talkative and cautious like Windy, and Light Dragon is intelligent and prideful like Lightning. But moving that aside, just like in the anime, Ai easily wipes the floor with Queen and takes her half of the code key. I do hope you enjoyed Roboppy breaking the fourth wall as well.
The third and final duel of the chapter was Jericho vs one of the Soltis duelists. It's here where we learn about what Jericho's personal mission is, which was to infiltrate the server on the cruise ship and acquire the blueprints on the Soltis. We also learn why Jericho's doing this in the first place. It's because he needed answers on two questions. One: How was Watchman able to enter into a Soltis in the first place? Two: Why couldn't Jericho enter into a Soltis earlier? By obtaining the blueprints, Jericho can get answers to both of his questions and figure out a way how to enter into the real world once again after so long.
But moving that aside, Jericho encounters the Soltis duelist standing in his way, where it reveals that unless the former defeated the latter in a duel, then all information on the Soltis would be instantly removed from this databank. What's more, Jericho had a limited amount of time to defeat the Soltis duelist, as the data would be destroyed should he fail to win the duel in time. Having seen an opportunity to make sure his dueling skills are up to date, as well as wanting to see just how strong the Soltis duelist is, Jericho immediately accepts the challenge.
Some of you might be wondering why the Soltis duelist used the 'Memento' deck during the duel. It's for a simple reason: I wanted Jericho's duel to be parallel to Ai and Roboppy's duels in how the both of them battled against old, yet updated archetypes. Since Queen used the 'Allure Queen' archetype and Pawn used the 'Goyo' archetype, which received updates, it was only fitting for Jericho to duel against an archetype where the duel monsters received updates. Or in case of the 'Memento' monsters, retrained versions of themselves. Despite the Soltis duelist's best efforts in trying to stay in the duel, Jericho easily breaks through its defenses and wins the duel. We even learn that Jericho activated a program to obtain the data while the duel was in process, which showed just how crafty he was. That, and to reveal SOL Technologies' inability to retain control, especially against someone it never fought against.
Following the duel, Jericho deletes the other data in the server to ensure that SOL Technologies couldn't salvage anything for them to use later on. After receiving updates from Ai and Roboppy, he then contacts Dogma to assemble the envoys for the next day. I will say this: You will see the other envoys next chapter. I do hope you look forward to it.
From there, it's more anime events, where Akira immediately learns about what happened to Queen and Pawn before flying over to the cruise ship shortly afterwards. We also see him receive the message from Ai and Roboppy, just like in the anime. Simple as that.
Lastly is the scene with Zero, where he recaps everything he learned about SOL Technologies, as well as how he founded it. Yup! Zero founded SOL Technologies, everyone! After gathering all the information together, Zero sends a message to Akira, intent on showing everyone that he can be a better ally than Watchman ever was. One that they can trust when the situation came down to it.
So without further ado, I want to thank you for reading Chapter 103 of Obscured Truth. As always, please let me know your thoughts about the chapters below in your reviews. Also, constructive criticism is appreciated, as your tips and advice helps make the story better. In addition, don't forget to favorite and follow the story. That way, you will get a notification once the next chapter is released.
What did you enjoy the most about this chapter? The three duels? The chaos that Jericho unleashed on the cruise ship? The sentience from Ai's AtIgnister monsters and how they closely resemble the personalities of the Ignis? The fact that Jericho has more information to use for his plans? Zero's plan to help Akira and prove how trustworthy of an ally he can be? Or was it something else?
That's all for now, folks. I just want to give you all a heads up that I will be doing another update to Roxy's Reports before Chapter 104, which occurs right after Chapter 103. While it'll focus primarily on cleanup, it'll also provide more information for what's to come. That, and I want to put in one of the off-screen duels that wasn't shown in the story. Once that's done, we'll move forward to the next set of chapters, where there won't be any updates to Roxy's Reports for a while until they're done. See you next time!
