Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth

by DivadX

Yuhiro Furutani, one of 8 children kidnapped 10 years ago by an unknown group, now works as Raguel, an agent in LINK VRAINS' Black Market. One day, he fights the Knights of Hanoi and encounters Playmaker, who becomes his newest assignment. Follow Yuhiro as he now must decide who he wants to become: as both a duelist and as an individual.

112. Chapter 112: Trials and Answers

Response to Reviews

Thank you to Donkeyboy100, HunterHQ, Ambiguous, DuckDetective, Noobmaster, Kingdom Hearts Guy, Anonymous, Guest, T.V. 2000 and Guest for reviewing Chapter 111 of Obscured Truth.

Greetings, everyone! We are finally in 2025, and I hope you've had a great holiday season wherever you are in the world! As such, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year, and I hope you're looking forward to the many chapters to come for Season 3 and beyond!

With that aside, let's get to answering some reviews:

Donkeyboy100: Happy you liked the chapter.

HunterHQ: The six-winged humanoid is an unknown monster, not Loki. One way or another, Zero would have had to duel Jericho to escape the ISO Gale Crystal's grasp. For goodness sake, everyone has standards, as the last thing Zero wanted was to dishonor his wife. Besides, I have plans for the higherups down the road. On the turn Zero had Yggdrago attack Jericho, the latter would have survived one way or another because he still had a card or two on hand to help him out. Even if Pandor arrived earlier to sever the link to the bombs, Jericho would have won the duel. No. I will not use the Cyberspicearchetype even as a cameo, especially given the implications around it. The reason why Ai didn't summon The Arrival in his second bout against Jericho was because he'd be giving away his ultimate weapon if he did so. If you reveal an ace in the hole too early, it'd cost you down in the road since the enemy can get knowledge on it quicker. For your concern on Ai attacking Dogma, the latter would have obviously let it slide because it was the only way for the former to escape. If Dogma told Ai to knock him out, it'd cause suspicion. Of course the envoys have disagreements with one another, as they are human and have differing views. The power the Ignis gave to Ai is still there because it's a part of him. Well, it once was since Jericho now ripped that power out of Ai back in Chapter 111. If Jericho ended up killing Ai, then he can just demand Zero to fix the Code Keys. Simple as that. Believe it or not, I was inspired by Coral missing her Wiglet buns from Pokemon Horizons in writing the scene involving Brea and missing the opportunity to get her favorite scone. You could say that the Soltis in Central Japan malfunctioned and acted irrationally to the point where Brion no longer wants to work with SOL Technologies. If it keeps up, the chances of this fiasco affecting Den City can occur as well. Balius would have died due to the pieces of nano machines in his heart, as the thing that stabilized them was destroyed back in Chapter 95 thanks to the combined efforts of Greg, Rachel, Gil, Brion and the FBI and rebels. Greg learned about the previous FBI commissioner's death from his superiors at the time. How did Yuhiro know about Brea missing out on desserts, you ask? It's simple. In his missions with the Rickety Raiders, he got to know her, so he can put two and two together quite quickly. The reason why Revolver's taking a gamble with Pandor is because he knows that the Hanoi's time is coming to an end. By this point, he's had enough with the damage the Hanoi's 'righteous' crusade has caused, and wants to put an end to it forever following Ai's defeat and Infearno being avenged. This information is what leads Revolver to set Pandor free, as he'd rather her enjoy life than be taken down with the others. It's going to take a strong catalyst to force Revolver and Demeter to reconcile with one another. I'd like to think of the satellite as the base of Ai's operations. One that may return down the road. Yuhiro kept the corrupted Excalibur in the real world in storage so it can rest. I can't change Trisotobee's Link arrows because someone else created it at the time. I have to respect the creator of that card. Any duels involving Despa and Apsed will always involve the both of them dueling against an opponent at the same time, as they are the same person. Ai was definitely able to fend off the envoys even while carrying an unconscious Roboppy on his back. Though do note that Ai would have eventually tired himself out, as he was pressed for time. I mean, Aoi does need to rest physical and mentally, especially following the duel against Ai. Roxy and Miyu are staying with Aoi to make sure she gets that rest, as well as not take any risks on this situation. Dogma hasn't caught on yet that Aerith is Miyu. Yes. Yuhiro went back to Café Matsuo for the night.

Ambiguous: Unfortunately, that's the truth. If you throw away your good qualities, then you become no better than your enemies. Luckily, there are opportunities to defuse situations and stop further violence, as Yuya demonstrated multiple times despite letting his smile philosophy control him. Kind of gets boring and repetitive once you hear it too many times though, don't you think? I can confirm that the landlord at the motel Arashi's staying at is quite reasonable for the time being. If Hayami tried to report the heroes to the bounty hunters, then Roxy would have done something to make sure such a thing wouldn't happen. I mean, Roxy's practically a mama bear hellbent on protecting those she cares about. In terms of your question on how the heroes were able to bring Akira to his apartment without people seeing them, let's just say they succeeded in doing so very quickly. Yuhiro's still holding onto Judgment Arrows, so there is a chance of him reprogramming it down in the future. Since there's a Shadow giant still in existence, it's only proper for Jericho to go after Miyu and Arin, especially since there's an opportunity for him to exploit here. Even if you hear something multiple times, it can still surprise you, as the shock from the first time you learn an unfortunate truth can affect you again and again. Yes, Zero and Arshad are restrained in their own respective cells. Do note that if Ai destroys the Code Keys, then no one would be able to access SOL Technologies itself. In other words, it'd cause more harm than good. If it helps, he did put in a program where only he can use them. You'd be surprised what Ai's capable of, especially since he managed to hold off the envoys while carrying an unconscious Roboppy on his back.

DuckDetective: Here's the thing: Ryoken and the Hanoi already made the decision to surrender to the authorities once their final three missions were complete. One: Eliminate Ai. Two: Make sure Drachen's freed from what he did. Three: Find out what happened to Infearno and avenge him. So one way or another, the Knights of Hanoi would have followed Ryoken's lead, no questions asked.

Noobmaster: Oh, so that's what you meant. Regarding the shadowed monster in the Season 3 opening, I can confirm that it isn't Loki. While it wasn't shown when Ai began to create his Soltis army, I'd like to think that he started doing so sometime before his duel against Playmaker, but after Roboppy was defeated. While Greg was kind of like Yuhiro, there's a major difference: Whereas Greg went after specific targets and killed them one by one, Yuhiro just simply massacred groups of individuals whether they were innocent or guilty for energy. Yes, I can confirm that Greg dressed up in dark clothing and a ski mask to eliminate his designated targets. I can also tell you that the previous FBI commissioner had everything under control, as if Greg tried to escape, he would have lost. Lastly, SOL Technologies' private hospital did not blow up. Though if you're not careful, the bombs could still potentially go off and murder everyone inside the hospital.

Kingdom Hearts Guy: Watchman was in the prison server of Jericho's server since Chapter 100, so he was bound to reappear one way or another.

Anonymous: For your question on Judgment Arrows, I can assume that Ai managed to obtain it by using pieces of Lightning's algorithm to recreate the card. By this point, Ai would have disabled the tracker on Judgment Arrows, as he doesn't want anyone to find him. I can confirm that Zero heard everything Jericho taunted Watchman with, so he's going to feel a lot of regret saving him from here on out. I mean, there's only so much Ai can do with the Soltis, especially since he's on the run from Jericho and the envoys. Again, Jericho allowed the employees to keep their jobs in order to make SOL Technologies pay for betraying Albinor Inc. a long time ago. So in a way, the employees at SOL Technologies are being forced to work in bringing back Urizen. In terms of The Arrival Cyberse AtIgnister's personality, I can see it being a bit like Ai. As for the weapon, Ai would certainly use The Arrival's scythe.

Guest: That's true. Brion can arrest Yuhiro on assault charges for causing bodily harm to Sharpshot and Ace. As for your other question, Yuhiro won't have his full deck in his battle against Gilgamesh.

T.V. 2000: No need to apologize, as we all have stuff to deal with in our lives. Trust me on this one. Nevertheless, I'm glad you liked the seven War on SOL chapters, as it further shows how things have gotten darker since Season 1. Not just that, but to establish Jericho as the true antagonist as the season, especially since his plans are far worse compared to Ai's goals. Of course it was obvious to Ai that Jericho wouldn't keep his end of the bargain, as he needs all eight Ignis in order to complete the Unity. In terms of Ai escaping, it was necessary due to anime canon playing a part here. Indeed. Ai certainly asked Dogma a rather interesting question on whether or not he'll stand up to Jericho and Urizen to save them from themselves. Of course Brion's conversation with Greg helped him, as he got some needed wisdom in this situation. If it wasn't for the previous FBI commissioner, then Greg would have remained in his vigilante ways. As for your last point, Gilgamesh is going to certainly help Yuhiro for sure in the next few chapters.

Guest: Glad you like the story.

Before you read this chapter, I strongly encourage you to read Roxy's Reports 38, as it occurs at the same time of Chapter 111. This is because it not only sets things up for some scenes in this chapter, it also foreshadows things for future chapters down the road as well. Anyhow, let's get to the next chapter, shall we? I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 112: Trials and Answers

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 quartet head back to Café Matsuo.

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 Ghostrick Angel of Mischief appeared behind the two of them as well.

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, Darkest Persona Force – Loki the Crow appears behind Jericho, and 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, Electrolyzer and Gil then appear afterwards, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, PSY-Framelord Omega and Abyss Actor – Ballistic Balladeer appearing behind the three 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 they disappeared to show Dogma, Brigadier, Juggernaut, Cryomancer, Despa and Apsed, and Bahamut. Silhouettes of duel monsters also appear behind the group one by one, with the first two being Dogmatika Alba Zoa and Tri-Brigade Shuraig the Ominous Omen. The next pair of duel monsters were Springans Ship – Exblowrer and Icejade Gymir Aegirine. The last pair of duel monsters were Despian Quaeritis and The Bystial Lubellion. The six duel monsters then disappeared, where Darkest Persona Force – Loki the Crow, along with Persona Soul – Pandora and Persona Force – Teferi the Mishima rose above the group before all three of them let out a loud roar. Standing away from the group were Issachar and Hallucina, with Blue Tooth Burst Dragon and Chimera the Illusion Beast also appearing before both monsters let 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 LINK VRAINS, at Roboppy's kingdom…

The duel between Roboppy and Soulburner immediately began, with the former proceeding to activate his Field Spell card in Appliancer Electrilyrical World to add an 'Appliancer' Spell card from his deck to his hand. After bringing out two copies of Socketroll and a copy of Copybokkle, Roboppy proceeded to Link Summon Celtopus and Propelion to his field, where he added an 'Appliancer' monster back to his hand due to Electrilyrical World's second effect. Once this was done, Roboppy activated the Spell card Appliancer Reuse to Special Summon a copy of Socketroll back to his field before using it to Link Summon Vacculephant in the remaining Main Monster Zone Celtopus pointed to. Following this, Roboppy Set two cards face-down, which concluded his turn.

In response to this, Soulburner summoned Salamangreat Gazelle before using its effect to send Spinny from his deck to his Graveyard, which immediately returned back to his field through the latter's effect. From there, Soulburner used both monsters to Xyz Summon Miragestallio, where he used his effect to Special Summon Jack Jaguar to his field. He immediately used both monsters to Link Summon Sunlight Wolf, which allowed him to use Miragestallio's second effect to target one of Roboppy's monsters and return it back to the hand.

"That's actually clever, as Link monsters only go back to the Extra Deck." Tigress noted. "One way or another, Roboppy's going to lose a monster on his field."

Unfortunately, Roboppy activated the Quick-Play Spell card, Appliancer Coating to negate the effect and draw the top card of his deck, thus protecting Propelion in the process.

"Damn it! Soulburner nearly had it there!" Tigress grit her teeth, clearly irritated that Roboppy managed to evade Soulburner's attempt to break through his defenses.

"You do realize that Roboppy had two face-down cards on his field to use, right Tigress?" Slipstream told Tigress, who rolled her eyes back.

"Of course, Slipstream. I just didn't expect Roboppy to use it this early in the duel." Tigress replied.

"Slipstream does make a point, Tigress. This duel's only just begun, and there's no way Roboppy would let Soulburner get any advantage that would help him win." Playmaker pointed out. "Given Roboppy's deck and its strategies, it isn't surprising that he would have contingencies to either retain his field or impede the opponent's moves, especially since it helped him defeat five strong opponents back to back."

Tigress' eyes widened out of shock. "Seriously? This can't be…" When Raguel snapped, he was able to defeat Playmaker at his best and destroy Watchman afterwards. Yet it took everyone's skills combined just to stop Raguel's mad ambitions and save him, Tigress recalled in her mind. If Roboppy was able to defeat five strong opponents back to back, it makes me wonder just how strong he and Ai are compared to a corrupted Raguel. Though whether they're at a similar strength to him or not remains to be seen.

Soulburner, after seeing this, activated Jack Jaguar's effect from his Graveyard to both shuffle Miragestallio back to his Extra Deck and Special Summon it back to his field in the Main Monster Zone Sunlight Wolf pointed to. As a result, Soulburner was allowed to add a second copy of Gazelle to his hand, and after using Jack Jaguar to Link Summon Balelynx, also added Salamangreat Sanctuary to his hand. With that, Soulburner used Sunlight Wolf and Balelynx to Link Summon Heatleo, where he used his effect to shuffle Roboppy's remaining Set card back into his deck. Upon activating Sanctuary, Soulburner then used its effect to Reincarnation Link Summon a second copy of Heatleo, which allowed him to use his effect to change Propelion's attack points to match Balelynx's attack points.

After Roboppy pointed out that Propelion still has enough attack points to survive in battle, Soulburner responded by activating the Equip Spell cards Salamangreat Claw and Fang onto Heatleo, which increased his strength. In addition, Soulburner revealed that, since Heatleo was Reincarnation Link Summoned, Claw's effect would allow him to attack Roboppy's monsters a total of three times during the Battle Phase.

"Okay, now that's awesome to hear." Slipstream happily commented.

"And since Roboppy doesn't have any Spell or Trap cards, if these attacks hit, he'll be taking some massive damage!" Tigress cheered.

Playmaker, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. Even though Roboppy lost resources, I can't help but feel that he has something else up his sleeve, especially given the effects his monsters have, Playmaker thought in his mind.

Sure enough, Playmaker was partially right, as Roboppy used a combination of Celtopus and Propelion's effects to halve Heatleo's attack points and inflict damage onto Soulburner at the same time. Luckily, Heatleo escaped destruction thanks to Claw's effect, where Soulburner had him attack Propelion a second time to officially destroy it in battle. It wasn't just that, as thanks to Fang's second effect, Soulburner managed to inflict even more damage onto Roboppy before having Heatleo launch his final attack onto Vacculephant. While Roboppy managed to reduce the damage he took, Soulburner managed to destroy two of the former's monsters and bring his life points down to 1000 by the time the battle ended, where he ended his turn afterwards.

"You okay, Soulburner?" Playmaker asked, which led Soulburner to turn to him.

"I'm fine, Playmaker. Thanks for checking up on me." Soulburner responded.

"Don't worry, Soulburner. You'll have a chance once your next turn comes around." Tigress assured Soulburner.

"Tigress is right, man. Just survive this turn, and you'll be able to seize victory if all goes well." Slipstream added.

"It looks like I underestimated you a bit, Soulburner…" Roboppy muttered, which got everyone else's attention upon hearing his words.

Soulburner frowned, clearly seeing the solemn look on Roboppy's face just now. He clearly didn't want to fight him, especially since he helped find Ai's whereabouts several weeks ago. In addition, Soulburner clearly knew that something else was going on, which was why he wanted to find out the truth as soon as possible. "Look, Roboppy. We don't want to fight you. We just want to know where Ai is and what his plans are, that's all. If you let us know what's really going on here, we can keep you safe."

"Safe? Do you really thing you can guarantee such a thing? In fact, do you really think I'll just tell you where my master is and what he's up to?" Roboppy looked up at Soulburner. "How about I do the opposite? I'll defeat you and make him proud of me instead!"

"Come on, Roboppy. I'm not your enemy. In fact, none of us are your enemies." Soulburner insisted.

"Master showed me a new world, you know. One that can only be achieved by making AIs the superior race, not humans." Roboppy replied. "I'll help my master achieve that world by defeating everyone who doesn't care about AIs in battle, starting with you! For it's your fault my master's suffering from the loss of his loved ones!"

"It's my fault? How is it my fault?" Soulburner pointed to himself, clearly confused just now.

"You had a responsibility to protect Flame, who was your partner and friend, Soulburner. But you failed to do so. What's worse, you let Bohman absorb him." Roboppy let out a growl, having clenched his right fist before looking at Soulburner. "Because of your failure, master wasn't able to save the other Ignis from being murdered. He's tormented by his inability to save them, and while he tries to hide it, I can tell it tears him apart!" Those words took everyone aback upon hearing them. "None of this would have happened if you did a better job in guaranteeing your partner's safety!"

"Roboppy, nothing could have been done." Playmaker explained, wanting to try and reach an understanding with Roboppy. "There was no other way to defeat Bohman, and Ai-."

"If your 'master' truly feels this way, then why did the two of you help us stop Raguel's plans in the first place?" Tigress interrupted, which got Roboppy's attention.

"What are you rambling on about, Tigress?" Roboppy inquired back.

"It's simple. Despite what happened to the other Ignis, you and your master still helped us stop Raguel from the sidelines when he snapped." Tigress frowned. "If I were to guess, I believe you and your master helped us because deep down, the both of you still care for humanity."

"Raguel's also caused master pain, if not far more compared to the loss of the other Ignis, Tigress." Roboppy stated. "Not only did he hurt Playmaker very badly, he also held him captive to be used as a bargaining chip in an attempt to draw my master out of hiding. Lastly, it's Raguel's fault that all of this had to occur, as his violent actions only show how dangerous humanity can be if they continue to rule over the planet and the universe."

"Did you seriously not listen to a single word I said just now?!" Tigress exclaimed, annoyed that no one was able to get through to Roboppy.

"Whatever any of you are planning to say next is nothing more than tricks. Ones that I will not fall for!" Roboppy shouted.

"Come on, man. None of us are trying to trick you here!" Slipstream said, now irked that Roboppy was refusing to listen to their words.

"Even if Roboppy became smart, his heart can't mature as fast, which has prevented him from controlling his emotions." Kusanagi commented, having watched the duel between Roboppy and Soulburner back at Café Nagi. "It's resulted in a glitch where he'll only trust Ai and no one else."

"I'll defeat you! Here I go! My turn! I draw!" Roboppy said, as he drew the top card of his deck, ready to begin his turn and resume the duel.

Meanwhile, in the network, in Herald's server…

"What are you talking about, Gilgamesh? I am ready for the battles to come." Yuhiro told Gilgamesh, who only shook his head back in denial to that statement. "And care to answer my other questions? Like what's behind that large gate? Or what happened to my deck and avatar?"

"Oh, I'm not here to spoil the answers for those questions, Yuhiro." Gilgamesh said back, as he quickly thrusted out his right hand at Excalibur Morgan, which caused the blade to fly in the air before he grabbed it by the hilt. Energy soon surrounded Excalibur Morgan before being drained completely, where it turned into a pure version of itself afterwards. A circular shield then appeared where his left arm was, which made it seem like it was floating. "Like I told you, I want to see whether you're still worthy to continue wielding your inheritance after the sins you committed, as well as whether you're truly ready in the battles to come."

Yuhiro gritted his teeth as a sword appeared on his right side, having quickly grabbed it with his right hand before taking a stance for the coming battle. With what Gilgamesh said, it looked like Yuhiro had no choice but to fight if he wanted answers. Not just that, but re-obtain the missing pieces of his deck and avatar as well. "Let us begin."

The next thing Yuhiro knew, Gilgamesh charged forward and swung Excalibur multiple times, which made the former roll to his right at the last second before standing up on his feet and swinging the sword in his hands, having recalled which areas to strike in their past fight at the Tower of Light. However, the circular shield suddenly appeared in front of Gilgamesh's back as it blocked the attack, which allowed Gilgamesh to launch a counterattack by swinging Excalibur in response. Due to this quick defense, Yuhiro wasn't able to block the attack in time as Gilgamesh slashed the former with such force that he was sent flying off the ground.

"Get up!" Excalibur in Gilgamesh's hands glowed with yellow energy as the circular shield attached itself to his back, where a veil of energy surrounded him before he dashed forward to try and strike Yuhiro once again. However, Yuhiro was able to dodge the attack at the last second before swinging his sword at Gilgamesh's left heel, which made him stagger upon impact. Yuhiro quickly stood up on his feet and slammed his left elbow with as much force as possible at Gilgamesh's left shoulder, having made him take a step or two back out of agony seconds later. Seizing the opportunity once more, Yuhiro charged forward and brought down his sword in an attempt to strike Gilgamesh once again, only for the circular shield to suddenly detach itself before hitting him multiple times. The impacts not only stunned Yuhiro, but also allowed Gilgamesh to swing Excalibur once more and slash Yuhiro several times with it, which made him fall to the ground once again.

"You treated Excalibur as a tool and defiled its purpose, just like how your brother did the same with the Muramasa!" Gilgamesh furiously shouted as he fired the yellow energy surrounding Excalibur at Yuhiro, who was forced to dodge it at the last second. The circular shield also reattached itself to Gilgamesh's back as well, ready to defend him once again when needed.

"I agree with your words, Gilgamesh-." Yuhiro began replying, only to dodge more blasts of light from Excalibur before he could say anything else.

"While acknowledging that fact is good, it doesn't change what you've done." Gilgamesh swung Excalibur in front of him forward, which released waves of yellow energy that forced Yuhiro to roll over to avoid them. He was also forced to jump in order to roll over some of the yellow waves of energy because there wasn't enough room to successfully evade them. "You not only betrayed everyone's trust, but also betrayed yourself in the process. That is why you're not at full power. That is why you're not ready for the battles to come. That is why you're not worthy to continue wielding your inheritance."

Don't let his words get to you. He's trying to aggravate you, and if experience proves anything, it's that it'll lead me to my undoing if I get angry at his words, Yuhiro reminded himself in his mind, as he dodged Gilgamesh's next attack before swinging his sword to try and land another blow on him. However, the circular shield suddenly blocked Yuhiro's attack once again, which led Gilgamesh to strike back with such force that the former was pushed back several feet once again. Before Yuhiro could do anything else, Gilgamesh jumped high in the air, where he disappeared from the battlefield as a result.

"A man at war with himself places a deficit upon his focus." Gilgamesh's voice echoed through the area, which made Yuhiro grip the hilt of his sword tightly as skeletons with pieces of flesh and armor on their bodies emerged from out of the ground. What shocked Yuhiro the most upon seeing them was how they resembled some of the people he destroyed. Chainslaver, Ace, Sharpshot, Creknurt and many others were all there. "He is impatient, emotional and easily surprised."

The skeletons soon charged forward, where Yuhiro was forced to block their attacks with his sword before striking back in response. He slashed one skeleton resembling Chainslaver with his sword before dodging a series of attacks from skeletons resembling Sharpshot and Creknurt. Yuhiro then tried to slash a skeleton resembling Ace, only for other skeletons to appear from both sides and hit him multiple times, which made the former stagger upon impact.

"However, a man at one with himself has a clearer mind and sharper focus. That man is ready to win. That man is ready to progress."

Hearing those words, Yuhiro dodged more attacks from the skeletons and proceeded to slash them with his sword before they fell one by one. While he was wounded by a few attacks from a few skeletons that he couldn't dodge in time, Yuhiro quickly struck back with his sword and destroyed them before returning to a defensive stance, wanting to be cautious for what's to come. The skeleton resembling Ace returned and tried to strike Yuhiro, only for the latter to dodge the attack before attempting to strike back at the former. However, the skeleton resembling Ace quickly evaded the attack as more skeletons appeared out of nowhere in an attempt to overwhelm Yuhiro with sheer numbers. Though Yuhiro managed to dodge some attacks before striking back, a swarm of skeletons resembling people he killed continued to emerge out of the ground one by one, where they grabbed onto him to restrict his movements further. As a result, they unleashed attack after attack onto Yuhiro, which made him scream in pain upon receiving each one. Suddenly, Gilgamesh leapt down out of nowhere and landed on his knees before slamming Excalibur onto the ground, which released a wave of yellow energy that incinerated the skeletons and sent Yuhiro flying at the same time. Within several seconds, Yuhiro landed on the ground on his back with a grunt, having tried to stand on his feet to no avail. However, he was able to get himself up on one knee as Gilgamesh approached him, ready to deliver the final blow.

"If you're going to kill me, then just do it." Yuhiro stated, only for Gilgamesh to shake his head in response.

"There's no point in doing so, as you haven't fully felt the gravity of your crimes yet." Gilgamesh commented, before Excalibur disappeared from his right hand. "Those skeletons that appeared just now during our fight resembled the people you've murdered, am I correct?"

Yuhiro sadly sighed. "They do. I've murdered and injured many people. Ones who were deserving, and ones who didn't deserve death."

"And yet your friends and loved ones forgave you for those egregious mistakes after saving you from yourself. Do you still feel that you deserve death despite this forgiveness?"

"I do, yes, but I accepted the sentence for my sins recently. One where I not only must protect the network for the rest of my life, but also remember the pain and sadness I caused as well. Lastly, I need to make sure that what happened never repeats itself again."

"I see," was all Gilgamesh said after hearing Yuhiro's answers. Then perhaps there's still hope for Yuhiro yet, Gilgamesh thought in his mind. "Given what you told me just now, you vowed to abide by your sentence, yet a part of you still wishes to die. One could say you're contradicting yourself as a result."

"What do you mean?" Yuhiro questioned, as he managed to slowly stand up on his feet, only to lose his balance before falling onto one knee again.

"For you to truly abide by your sentence and rectify your wrongs, you must first feel the full weight of what your actions have caused." Excalibur reappeared in Gilgamesh's hands as it began to glow with very bright light. "Otherwise, the consequences of your actions will not only consume you forever, but also become your grave as well."

"What?" Yuhiro gasped as he raised his right arm to shield himself from the bright light.

"If you don't want this to be your fate, then prove me wrong by climbing out from the depths and returning back here. Alone," were Gilgamesh's last words before the light fully engulfed the area, which made Yuhiro scream as he felt himself being surrounded by it completely.

A minute later, at another area in Herald's server…

Yuhiro slowly opened his eyes before taking in where he was at. Looking around the area, he realized that he had been to this location a long time ago. It was evident by how the area was clearly scarred and desolate, as well as the destroyed buildings, rivers of fire and wisps floating out of them. In addition, he saw the damaged architecture and a lot of dead bodies throughout the whole area. Last but not least, the only intact building was Dis, City of the Burning Abyss, which was ahead of him.

"How is this possible…" Yuhiro mused out loud, shocked at how he was at the same location where he duelled Infearno three months prior. Did Herald create this location to be put in his server during his spare time? Or did it have something to do with the current state Herald's server was at right now? Whatever it was, Yuhiro had to investigate, especially since he didn't want to lose Excalibur's trust permanently and be trapped here. Not just that, but also reclaim the cards in his deck and his avatar back as well.

Thus, Yuhiro ran forward with the sword in his hand as he climbed over the pieces of debris, wanting to get to the intact building so he can find a way out of this area. Unfortunately, two familiar duel monsters Yuhiro encountered soon appeared on his sides.

Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.

And Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.

"Let's get him!" Cir shouted, as he charged forward and slammed his fists downward in an attempt to hurt Yuhiro, only for the former to roll out of the way quickly before slashing the latter back at his lower left leg. The attack managed to stun Cir long enough for Yuhiro to swing his sword and slash the former again at his back, which made him further scream in pain. But before Yuhiro could do anything else, Graff flew out of nowhere and slashed him so fast with his hands that the former screamed in pain seconds later. This led Graff to land on his feet before charging again, only for Yuhiro to quickly roll to his left side and swing his sword to slash him at the former's feet in response, which sent him falling to the ground a second later.

Cir ran forward and swung his fists in another attempt to strike Yuhiro, where he dodged at the last second before thrusting his sword to stab him at his side, which led the former to scream in pain once again. Seizing the opportunity, Yuhiro pulled out his sword from Cir's side and stabbed him in the back, where he climbed up the latter before stabbing him once more through his head, having turned the latter into particles in the process.

Graff charged forward at Yuhiro so fast that he couldn't react in time as the former slashed him with his claws once again. Panting, Yuhiro used his sword to steady himself as Graff got ready to charge again. Having deduced what Graff was up to next, Yuhiro steadied himself as the former quickly charged at him. There! Yuhiro rolled underneath Graff and grabbed him at his legs before slamming the latter down to the ground. He then stabbed Graff in his stomach with his sword before slicing it downwards, which caused him to stagger and vomit blood at the same time.

"Damn it all…" Graff muttered, as Yuhiro quickly sliced his head off and turned him into particles. Once this was done, Yuhiro left the area, intent on getting his task done as his Link Trigger began working to repair his wounds. Unfortunately, it was slower because he was still recovering from overusing it for an extended period of time.

With this in mind, Yuhiro continued running through the area, having climbed over another set of debris so he can get over to Dis. He even had to slide through a broken wall or two because a few pieces of debris ahead of him were far too large to climb over. As long as Yuhiro was quick, then he would be able to evade further fighting and give his Link Trigger more time to heal his body. Unfortunately, this wasn't to be, as three more familiar duel monsters appeared on Yuhiro's sides.

First, Barbar, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.

Second, Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss.

And lastly, Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss.

"Destroy him at once!" Malacoda commanded, as he pointed the swords in his hands at Yuhiro to stop him from moving forward. Upon seeing this, Yuhiro braced himself for what was to come, aware that this fight was going to be tricker than the previous one for multiple reasons. The first being that there were now three strong opponents than two from earlier. As for the second, Yuhiro's Link Trigger was still healing his body, which meant he had to be cautious if he was to survive.

Soon, Barbar swung the chain that had a spiked ball at the end in his hands at Yuhiro, who was forced to dodge the attack. But before Yuhiro could do anything else, Scarm flew downward and tried to slash him at his back, which made the former fall on his hands and knees to evade the attack. Malacoda brought his swords down to the ground within several seconds, where trails of fire soon emerged that tried to damage Yuhiro. While some of it touched Yuhiro, he was able to roll to his side to evade a vast majority of the attack.

Once again, Scarm dove down out of nowhere to try and slash Yuhiro with his long fingers, the latter having mostly done so as he felt a large cut appear on his back. He didn't have time to think about it, though, as he noticed Barbar swinging the chain with a spiked ball at the end at him. As a result, Yuhiro had no choice but to dodge the coming attack and brace himself once more to try and find an opening to strike back. He soon smirked after seeing Scarm flying downward at him once again while Barbar swinging the chain with a spiked ball at the end, both demons ready to launch another attack. Thus, Yuhiro quickly moved to the side and stabbed Scarm at his right side, where he swung the latter around before sending him flying at Barbar. As a result, the spiked ball went through Scarm's chest before turning him completely into particles while Yuhiro evaded the coming attack.

"You-!" Barbar cried out, as he swung the chain with a spiked ball at the end to try and strike Yuhiro once again, which he clearly dodged. Malacoda sped forward and swung his swords at Yuhiro, where he parried a great majority of the attacks before the former managed to barely land a hit on him. This made Yuhiro stagger in pain as Barbar swung the chain with a spiked ball at the end once again, where the attack sent the former flying off the ground seconds later upon impact. Upon landing on his back, he coughed up blood, still stunned with what happened just now as his Link Trigger continued to slowly heal his body.

"Let's finish him off!" Malacoda exclaimed, having sped forward while Barbar began to swing the chain with a spiked ball at the end, ready to launch it at Yuhiro so he can assist in landing the final blow.

Fighting against his exhaustion, Yuhiro got up on his feet and rolled to the left so he can evade Malacoda's next series of attacks from his swords. Though he parried most of the attacks, he was forced to roll to his right upon seeing Barbar swing the chain with the spiked ball at the end at him once again. As Malacoda continued to chase after Yuhiro, the latter let out a loud cry before rolling forward and slashing the former's tail off, which made him scream in pain before falling to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Yuhiro quickly charged forward and slashed one of Malacoda's arms off, where he grabbed one of the latter's swords before slicing the other arm off with it. After obtaining the other sword, Yuhiro quickly grabbed Malacoda's tail nearby and threw it at Barbar, who moved to the side to evade the attack. However, Yuhiro quickly proceeded to grab Malacoda's body and throw it at Barbar before he could prepare another attack, having been forced to roll over his left side so he can evade the attack. These distractions gave Yuhiro an opening as he charged forward and sliced Barbar's head off with the swords in his hands, having turned him into particles as a result. Having let out several exhausted pants, he walked over to Malacoda's body before stabbing him in the head, where he also turned into particles a few seconds later.

First Cir and Graff. And now Barbar, Scarm and Malacoda. What in the world is going on, Yuhiro wondered in his mind as he continued to let out exhausted pants, confused as to why he was seeing Infearno's 'Burning Abyss' monsters. Did Herald create these simulations for training purposes and Yuhiro didn't know about it? Or were they Gilgamesh's design? For the first question, it was very unlikely because Herald was not the type of person to torture someone. As for the second question, it wasn't possible because there was no way Gilgamesh knew about Infearno, as he was at the Tower of Light and Cave of Darkness deep in the network all of this time.

With this in mind, Yuhiro did a light jog through the area so his Link Trigger had more time in healing his wounds, where he used the swords he gained from Malacoda to slash through the debris ahead of him. It was clearly easier to wield them, as they were far more effective compared to the sword he used earlier. Still, Yuhiro kept the previous sword on hand in the event he lost the other ones, especially since he needed to defend himself one way or another once he encountered stronger enemies.

Eventually, Yuhiro made his way to the entrance of Dis, which could only be approached by crossing a bridge over a fiery lake. However, he noticed that there was no bridge this time. Instead, ahead of him was a large portal made of gears, cogs and blocks. Covering the portal was a large black disc, along with two locks nearby that had to be unlocked to open it up. Looking at the locks, Yuhiro noticed that one of them resembled a blade while the other resembled an orb. The same one that looked like his own duel disk.

"If Herald were here, he'd say we're about to enter into a boss fight…" Yuhiro muttered, as he put one of the swords in his hands in the blade-like keyhole, which led him to put his duel disk close to the orb-like lock with some effort. Once that was done, the black disc moved over to the left, where the portal soon glowed with a purple light seconds later. Thus, after making sure he was fully healed (or at least close to being fully healed), Yuhiro walked through the portal so he can enter inside the building.

After a few seconds passed, he entered inside a large area of the building, having looked around to take in his surroundings. Though the room was dark like before, there were more lights to illuminate the area, which gave it an autumn-like glow this time around. The casket from before was also no longer there, and the black, wooden marble floor was smoothened out. It was as though the cracks on the floor were almost gone.

And at the center of the room was a book. One Yuhiro recognized as the same one Infearno read prior to their duel in this same area.

Perhaps that book is the key to getting out of here, Yuhiro thought in his mind, as he walked over in an attempt to grab the book. Upon touching it, the book glowed with an orange light as it covered the floor in a flame-like goo, which made him grip the swords in his hands and brace himself. Soon, Libic emerged from the flame-like goo in an attempt to strike Yuhiro, only for him to dodge the attack and slash the former seconds later. Libic wasn't the only one, as Calcab and Farfa emerged from the flame-like goo, which forced Yuhiro to dodge their attacks and slash each one back with the swords in his hands.

However, they weren't Yuhiro's only problems, as Infearno jumped out of the flame-like goo from behind him, a flaming blade appearing in his right arm. He fired the flaming blade out, which forced Yuhiro to roll to his right so the latter can evade it. Despite managing to do so, the flaming blade caused a cut to appear on Yuhiro's right cheek, who touched it as the blade turned into particles. Infearno raised his arms as he levitated above the ground, a reversed pentacle appearing on his back seconds later.

"This is impossible… You should be dead…" Yuhiro said upon seeing Infearno with his own eyes. If memory served, the last time he saw Infearno was back at Café Matsuo, which he assumed was the last time he'd ever see him again. Wait a minute! Memory?! This immediately led Yuhiro to one conclusion.

These trials Yuhiro was facing… came from his own memories!

Having seen the shocked look on Yuhiro's face, Infearno smirked to confirm the former's suspicions. "I'm alive as you remember me." He then suddenly dived down deep into the flame-like goo, which made Yuhiro brace himself upon seeing the flaming blade erupt from the surface. Soon, Infearno began moving in the flame-like goo, where the flaming blade headed straight towards Yuhiro in an attempt to strike him. This forced Yuhiro to roll out of the way multiple times to evade the flaming blade. At the same time, Libic and Calcab emerged from the flame-like goo once again before charging at Yuhiro to try and strike them. Seeing this, Yuhiro dodged the attack and launched a counterattack onto Libic by slashing one of his wings off with the swords in his hands, which sent the latter falling down on the ground. However, he was forced to dodge the flaming blade quickly speeding towards him seconds later, where his divided attention prevented him from intercepting Calcab's coming attack. Within seconds, Calcab rammed Yuhiro using his head, which caused him to fall down to the ground seconds later.

Farfa soon emerged from the flame-like goo once again in an attempt to ambush Yuhiro, which led him to evade some of his attacks before trying to strike back. Unfortunately, Yuhiro had to dodge the flaming blade once again, where he was left wide open as a wounded Libic ran forward to try and slash him. Having noticed Libic coming, Yuhiro moved to the side and slashed Libic in half, which turned him into particles seconds later. Calcab charged at Yuhiro from one side while Farfa flew at him from the other side. Seeing the flaming blade coming from the other direction, Yuhiro moved to the left and stabbed Calcab on his right side before climbing onto him, where he drove the latter like a car towards Farfa. Though Farfa dodged the coming attack, Yuhiro jumped off of Calcab to leave him to be sliced by the flaming blade. Once that was done, he dove down and cleaved Farfa in two, having turned him into particles as well.

"Prepare to feel the full burden of your sins firsthand, Yuhiro!" Infearno's voice echoed through the area, as Alich, Draghig and Libic emerged from the flame-like goo where the trio charged forward to try and take him down. After Yuhiro dodged the attacks coming from the trio, he noticed an orange pentacle on the ground before rolling over to it. There! An opening! Yuhiro quickly slammed his swords onto the pentacle, which caused a shockwave to erupt around the entire area that not only turned the remaining 'Burning Abyss' monsters to particles, but also destroyed the flame-like goo as well. Due to this, Infearno slid down to the ground before quickly getting up on his feet, where Yuhiro charged forward in an attempt to land multiple hits on him.

"I'm disappointed, Yuhiro. You claim to represent justice, yet all you've done was become no better than the Hanoi and myself!" Infearno proceeded to dodge some of Yuhiro's attacks, only for the latter to land several blows on the former a few seconds later. What's more, Yuhiro grabbed Infearno and threw him to the wall, which stunned the latter as a result.

"You're right on that, Infearno. I've become no better than the Knights of Hanoi." Yuhiro admitted, as the flame-like goo from earlier returned, where Infearno dove right back down inside before the flaming blade reappeared. To make things worse, multiple copies of the 'Burning Abyss' monsters returned from the flame-like goo seconds later, along with Cerberus and Cherubini.

"That is good to hear, Yuhiro. For your suffering has only begun!" Infearno replied, as the 'Burning Abyss' monsters all fired blasts of energy at Yuhiro, who was forced to dodge them. It wasn't just that, as the flaming blade dashed towards Yuhiro while Cherubini dashed towards him, where he was forced to evade the first attack and barely block the second attack. Before Yuhiro could do anything else, Cherubini grabbed him and flew high into the air, where it threw the latter down to the ground seconds later.

Yuhiro could do nothing but brace himself as Cerberus ran forward and pinned him to the wall, which made the latter struggle back to try escaping from his grasp. Taking the swords in his hands, Yuhiro stabbed Cerberus in the middle head before flipping upwards, where he stabbed the latter on the back to try and control him. The flaming blade sped forward while the 'Burning Abyss' monsters launched a combined attack, where Yuhiro forcibly made Cerberus turn around to take the brunt of the attacks, having turned him into particles in the process. Jumping off of the destroyed Cerberus at the same time, Yuhiro landed on the ground as he evaded more blasts of energy from the 'Burning Abyss' monsters. At the same time, Cherubini charged forward at Yuhiro once again, where he blocked the former's attacks and stabbed it right back in the stomach to destroy it for good.

Damn. These demons are endless and unrelenting, Yuhiro cursed in his mind, as he spotted the orange pentacle from earlier. He quickly ran towards it, with the other 'Burning Abyss' monsters speeding towards him to make sure he couldn't reach it. Fortunately, Yuhiro quickly slammed his swords onto the pentacle, which caused a shockwave to erupt around the entire area that not only turned the remaining 'Burning Abyss' monsters to particles, but also destroyed the flame-like goo as well for a second time. Due to this, Infearno slid down to the ground before quickly getting up on his feet, where Yuhiro charged forward to try and land multiple hits on him once again.

"We Knights of Hanoi did what we thought was right at the time. But you still had a choice, and you clearly chose wrong, just like us!" Infearno chuckled as he dodged some of Yuhiro's attacks before striking back with the flaming blade that reappeared in his right hand.

"Of course I did. It's because of my friends and loved ones that my eyes were open to the truth." Yuhiro agreed, before he blocked the flaming blade and slashed Infearno with the swords in his hands, which made him stagger back in pain. Seizing the opportunity, he grabbed Infearno and threw him to the wall once more, having stunned the latter for a second time as a result.

Infearno simply laughed as he regained his bearings. "Perhaps, but it doesn't change the fact that you've let your past dictate your future, hypocrite." Fiery smoke soon emitted from Infearno as Yuhiro used his arms to shield himself, and when it died down, he noticed two things. First, Infearno disappeared from the area. Second, the flame-like goo had returned, which meant things were only going to get worse from here. As if to indicate this fact, Lucifer climbed out from the flame-like goo, with Infearno having merged deep into the former's chest seconds after disappearing.

"I can't believe that you, an accursed human, actually called yourself a god. You really are out of whack, and for doing such a thing, you will receive divine retribution!" Infearno's voice echoed through the area once more, as Lucifer swung his demonic sword down to the ground, which caused a massive shockwave to be sent throughout the area. Unfortunately, Raguel didn't have time to even react, as he was sent flying off the ground before landing on the wall behind him. Lucifer soon dove deep down into the flame-like goo before going after Yuhiro, which led the former to roll out of the way at the last second so he can evade the coming attack.

Unfortunately for Yuhiro, he had to dodge again upon seeing Lucifer re-emerge from the flame-like goo, the latter having proceeded to slam his demonic sword down to the ground once again. As a result, smaller shockwaves were sent throughout the area, which made Yuhiro run to the wall and slam his swords onto it before climbing upwards. Though he managed to evade the shockwaves, flames appeared in Lucifer's mouth before firing them at him. Due to this, Yuhiro was forced to climb across the wall so he can try to evade them. He didn't fully succeed this, however, as some of the fire hit Yuhiro's back before making him fall down to the ground in pain.

"Come on. There has to be a way to inflict some damage here…" Yuhiro muttered, as he regained his bearings while Lucifer dove deep back down into the flame-like goo to prepare for the next attack. It was like he was in a video game set at the highest difficulty right now. If Herald were here, he'd be irritated at what was going on, but also tried his hardest to get past this challenge.

After looking around for a few seconds, Yuhiro noticed another orange pentacle nearby on one of the walls. Yes! Just what he needed right now! Yuhiro quickly ran towards to the pentacle to try and dissipate the flame-like goo like earlier, only for Lucifer to re-emerge before slamming the demonic sword back onto the ground to release a burst of flames at him. Though he got slightly burned despite dodging the flames, he was able to slam his swords onto the pentacle, where two things occurred. First, a shockwave was released that not only destroyed the flame-like goo, but also made Lucifer (and Infearno by extension) slid down onto the ground as well. Second, seven pillars fell down onto the ground before hitting Lucifer, who further groaned in pain as he tried to regain his bearings.

"Damn it all!" Lucifer screamed, as he released a wave of fiery energy from the demonic sword in his hands, where Yuhiro used the debris from the pillars to successfully run from the flames and protect himself at the same time. Infuriated at this, flames appeared in Lucifer's mouth before he fired them down onto the ground to try and damage Yuhiro. However, he once again used the debris to shield himself before jumping forward, having slammed his swords onto Lucifer's right hand in the process. Yuhiro then began to climb onto Lucifer, who tried to shake him off by slamming his right arm down onto the ground multiple times.

This didn't work, as he managed to keep himself grounded before continuing to climb on Lucifer's right arm to reach the orange pentacle on his chest. With little time available, Yuhiro pulled out one of the swords off Lucifer's right arm before using the momentum from the former's attempts to shake him off to launch himself upwards. Upon doing so, he brought both blades down onto the orange pentacle, which caused Lucifer to completely turn into particles and spit Infearno out at the same time. After landing on the ground, Yuhiro proceeded to charge forward at a stunned Infearno so he can try and land a series of final attacks onto him.

"How is a wounded and defiled being like yourself able to keep going?!" Infearno demanded, as he tried to dodge some of Yuhiro's attacks to no avail before receiving damage multiple times.

"It's simple. Just like you once told me, I still have a chance to make my legacy a strong and positive one despite my mistakes." Yuhiro began answering, which caught Infearno off guard as the former tackled the latter and threw him to the wall once more. "And I won't miss out on this opportunity to begin doing so!" He charged forward and grabbed Infearno before pushing him back to the center of the room. After this was done, Yuhiro charged forward and stabbed Infearno in the stomach, who groaned in pain upon impact before falling on one knee. He would have launched the final blow had Infearno not raised his arms in the air, which made him jump back a few feet in case he was up to something suspicious.

"At ease, Yuhiro. I surrender." Infearno slowly stood up on his feet, where Yuhiro slightly lowered his guard upon seeing the former officially surrender the fight. This wasn't the only thing Yuhiro noticed, as he saw particles begin to fly out of Infearno's body, which indicated that the fight was now over. "You've certainly proven your resolve in this fight. If I were to give you one last piece of advice, it's that no one person should bear all the responsibility alone. Promise me you'll adhere to this advice for the rest of your life, as it'll be needed if you wish to truly free yourself from your sins."

Yuhiro nodded after hearing Infearno's last request. Or at the very least, the last request from the Infearno he remembered from his memories. "I'll… I'll do my best." With that, Infearno turned completely into particles, where the book from before and a double sword holder belt dropped onto the ground. Having seen this, Yuhiro limped over to the double sword holder belt before putting it on, which took a bit of effort since he was tired from what happened earlier. Once he made sure it was properly strapped on, he walked over to the book and picked it up, knowing that he'll need it later on. As his Link Trigger continued to heal his wounds, one of the towers Yuhiro saw when he first entered into Herald's server suddenly emerged out of the ground. However, the only difference this time was being that the large portal he walked into earlier was now attached to it.

After looking at this, Yuhiro turned his duel disk so the orb faced the tower, where the wisp of energy inside the latter went back inside the former. Once this was done, the black disc moved over to the left, where the portal soon glowed with a purple light seconds later. With this, Yuhiro claimed a part of his deck back, which meant he had half of it so far. As for the other two pieces of his deck, they were sealed in the other two towers he saw upon first returning to Herald's server. Based on this recollection, along with what happened following his battle against Infearno, Yuhiro knew that the two remaining towers had to do with the trials Gilgamesh set against him. For if he wasn't able to complete them, his deck would also be buried by the weight of his sins along with him, which was something he was hellbent on preventing. What's more, Yuhiro had to get through the trials so he can battle against Gilgamesh once more to regain Excalibur's trust again.

Before Yuhiro could continue thinking, his duel disk glowed again, which led to Rasterliger jumping out of it seconds later.

"RL, you're okay!" Yuhiro joyfully said, as he went over to ruffle Rasterliger's fur, only to find that it didn't work. "What in the world-?"

"Something's not right here." Rasterliger commented, having noticed that he couldn't give Yuhiro a hug. But before Rasterliger or Yuhiro could continue pondering this recent development, the latter's duel disk glowed again, which led a few other 'Cyreath' monsters to pop out of it. Specifically, Medusa, Achilles, Castor and Pollux.

"About time we got out of there. It was just cramped." Achilles commented, before he stretched his back.

"Yet how we got in that tower confuses me." Medusa said, before she turned to Yuhiro. "Do you know anything about what's going on?"

"Gilgamesh brought me here to Herald's server, and when I arrived, the 'Cyreath' deck was split into four pieces." Yuhiro answered. "This means that some of you guys were in that tower just now, while the others…"

"… Are in the other towers waiting to be rescued." Achilles finished, realizing what was going on. He, Medusa, Castor and Pollux looked at themselves, which led them to realize that they were not corporeal. As a result, neither of them couldn't help Yuhiro if they wanted to.

Rasterliger let out a whimper after coming to the same conclusion. He truly wanted to help Yuhiro, yet something was preventing him from doing so. "Yuhiro…"

"Hold on a minute. If you're here, then what happened to your avatar?" Castor questioned.

"Yeah. Shouldn't you be using your avatar at the moment?" Pollux also inquired.

"I usually use my Raguel avatar, Pollux. As for what happened to it, I wish I knew the answer to that question." Yuhiro answered Castor and Pollux's questions at the same time. Was his Raguel avatar split up like his deck? Or did something else happen to it? Whatever the answer was, Yuhiro hoped to regain his Raguel avatar, as he planned to hopefully cure it of what the Cursed Boundary Layer did to it. For now, though, Yuhiro looked down at the ground as an expression of shame appeared on his face.

"What's wrong, Yuhiro?" Rasterliger asked, as he went over to Yuhiro.

"I'm sorry you all got dragged into this mess, guys. You shouldn't be here. Gilgamesh… he told me that if I fail these trials, then the consequences of my actions will become my grave. He'll make sure it happens to me should I fall in battle, and if it's my ultimate fate, then you guys should be set free so you can live your lives in peace."

Medusa, after hearing what Yuhiro said, shook her head. "Herald wouldn't want us to abandon you for what you've done, nor would he want us to hold a grudge forever. He would want us to continue fighting on the same side to protect the network and those we all care about."

"I mean, it's gonna take time, but you'll eventually regain our trust." Pollux commented, with Castor nodding in agreement with what she said just now.

"So we're not going anywhere any time soon." Achilles said. "Though you'll have to convince the others, I bet they're gonna give you another chance, especially since the group therapy sessions have been helping all of us lately."

Hearing those words made Yuhiro's heart break, shocked to hear that the 'Cyreath' monsters were still willing to protect and fight alongside him after everything he did recently. "Thank you. I… I truly am grateful. I'll make sure to never fail and/or betray you again. You have my word." After hearing this, Medusa, Achilles, Castor, Pollux and Rasterliger all turned into particles, which went back into Yuhiro's duel disk.

With the promises and goals he thought about in his mind, Yuhiro walked through the portal, where a bright light soon appeared that made him shield his eyes. When the light died down, Yuhiro lowered his arms before he looked around the area he was currently in. Right now, he was inside a very large, black and white hallway that had white chandeliers, as well as walls consisting of transparent glass.

"Very impressive, Yuhiro," a voice observed out loud, as Cyreath Flage emerged out of nowhere before it projected energy out of its eye, which revealed itself as none other than Raguel itself.

"Who the Hell are you?" Yuhiro angrily questioned, as he unsheathed the two swords on his back and braced himself for battle. Has my avatar somehow gained sentience? Or did pieces of the Cursed Boundary Layer somehow remain in my avatar before turning it into a puppet, Yuhiro wondered in his mind.

Raguel, upon seeing the confusion on Yuhiro's face, chuckled. "You know the answer to this question deep down, Yuhiro. There's no need to ask it, especially from someone who's fallen deep into despair and became an intoxicated version of themselves."

"Intoxicated version, you say, Raguel? Or would you prefer Raguel Alter?" Yuhiro narrowed his eyes, having acknowledged that the Raguel he was facing at the moment contained all his worse aspects. Specifically, the ones the Cursed Boundary Layer amplified to the point where it consumed him completely. In this case, it was better for Yuhiro to call his corrupted avatar Raguel Alter due to it becoming tainted by the Cursed Boundary Layer several weeks ago. "You were defeated once. I will defeat you again." Yuhiro charged forward at the hologram of Raguel Alter to try and destroy it. However, the hologram simply disappeared as Flage moved over to another side of the hallway, only for Yuhiro to chase after it in an attempt to destroy the former. This didn't work, as Flage jumped from one wall to the other so it can evade Yuhiro's attacks, which caused pieces of glass to fall down to the ground.

"You and the others may have defeated me, Yuhiro, but I live on." Raguel Alter told Yuhiro before smirking. "After all, you can neither lock away the darkness nor destroy it."

Ignoring Raguel Alter's words, Yuhiro charged forward and slashed through the hologram before slicing Flage multiple times, which destroyed it at the same time. However, another copy of Flage appeared out of nowhere before projecting a second copy of Raguel Alter.

"Show yourself, Raguel Alter! Let's settle this here and now!" Yuhiro demanded, wanting to eliminate Raguel Alter so he can conquer his darkness. To his surprise, Raguel Alter shook his head.

"It wouldn't be worth doing so right now, especially since it'd be far more detrimental for me in the long run."

"What do you mean by that?!" Yuhiro grit his teeth in anger and confusion after hearing Raguel Alter's cryptic response just now, his Link Trigger still continuing to heal the wounds he suffered from the earlier fights against Infearno and the 'Burning Abyss' monsters.

"Since you and I are connected, we both share the same energy level." Raguel Alter began explaining, before pointing to Yuhiro's body with his right index finger. "Even if I defeated you and took your body, it'd take a longer period of time for me to officially regain my strength upon returning to this world, especially given what Link Trigger did to the both of us following my defeat."

Yuhiro frowned after hearing Raguel Alter clarify what he said earlier. His point made sense, as the two of them were connected. But what confused Yuhiro was how Raguel Alter came into existence in the first place. After all, when Aerith used Rule Breaker on him several weeks ago, it should have destroyed all traces of corruption from within his body. Or to put it simply, he should have been freed. "Then explain to me how you're still alive after all of this time."

"Oh, you'll be shocked beyond measure once you find out the answer." Raguel Alter raised his arms towards Yuhiro. "You are not ready yet. We are not ready yet. Once you find a way to claw out of these depths, then we'll settle things between us for good." The hologram of Raguel Alter disappeared shortly after, where Flage turned into particles as well.

With little choice on the matter, Yuhiro slowly walked towards the door on the other end of the hallway, which was unfortunately a longer distance than he anticipated it to be. Now that Raguel Alter appeared, Yuhiro had another goal in mind, especially since there was more at stake here than before. He needed to put an end to his darkness once and for all, lest it return to the real world and finish what Yukage started a long time ago.

"That confrontation you had with your darkness… it was the form you took on after you snapped, correct?" Gilgamesh's voice echoed through the hallway as multiple forms of Yuhiro appeared in the mirrors, which had the former's voice.

"It was." Yuhiro confirmed, as he continued walking towards the other end of the hallway. "My own corruption infected the avatar Herald made me three months prior. I… I ended up doing horrible things as a result."

"Intriguing. At the time you snapped, you wanted to finish what your family started a long time ago, right? Why? Why did you think was worth sacrificing everything you built and believed in so you can complete Project: VIII?"

Yuhiro frowned. Whatever psychological tactic Gilgamesh was using just now, it was clearly effective, especially since his words were being spoken out of Yuhiro's reflections in the mirrors. Long story short, it was like Yuhiro was talking to himself. "Why are you asking such questions? I thought you wanted me to suffer."

"The whole point of this mental trial is to examine yourself and how those actions led you to commit such atrocious sins." Gilgamesh's voice echoed back through Yuhiro's reflections. "For when it comes to suffering, the mind, body and soul are affected. Only by looking back onto the scenario will you be able to understand the source of your suffering and face the weight your actions caused at the same time. Now answer my questions. That is, if you can."

"I guess…" Yuhiro thought this over carefully before answering Gilgamesh's earlier questions. "Honestly, I was done with all the sacrifices and other people's suffering at the time. The pain they all caused… it made me take drastic measures. Ones where both innocent and guilty were harmed in my rampage. Ones where it ultimately caused more harm than good."

"At the time, did you commit all those horrific actions for the world's sake? Or just to eliminate the pain coursing through your body?

"…"

"Well? What's your answer?" Gilgamesh's voice spoke up through Yuhiro's reflections in an irritated tone, which made the whole hallway reverberate seconds later.

"If I'm continuing to be honest, I was just… done with it all." Yuhiro angrily admitted after thinking it over carefully, having continued to walk through the hallway so he can reach the end of it. "The pain that resulted from past battles broke me completely to the point where I wanted to die. However, I wanted to die with meaning. I wanted my death to begin a new chapter for humanity. Had I succeeded, I would have freed myself from the pain and cleansed the world from sin at the same time. You could say I wouldn't be satisfied until I achieved my desire to die with meaning in the end."

"Over the course of human history, humans were never content with what they had. They continued to want more and more. People can choose to change, but that's only when confronted with the truth of their actions. Rather than accepting the truth and letting go, you chose to run away from it in your attempt at finding another way out. You chose to cause chaos."

"No shit, Gilgamesh! That decision made everyone suffer, and it would have led to the end of my life as well! However…" Yuhiro paused before carefully processing things over in his mind, his tone having become softer as a result. "It was not meant to be."

"Indeed. A few weeks after you were saved, Infearno came to visit you one last time before providing you with advice on what it meant to leave a legacy." Gilgamesh's voice said through Yuhiro's reflections.

"Where are you going with this, Gilgamesh?"

"I'm just making an observation, as you said something about legacies in the battle against your memory of Infearno. In your opinion, what does it mean to leave a legacy?"

"…" Yuhiro carefully thought this question over, where he recalled the final conversation he had with Infearno back in the real world. According to what Infearno told him, legacies revolved around the impact people made on this world for future generations to come. It wasn't just that, as future generations would learn about the past and the people involved before taking action. Whether those actions were good or bad depended on the person's story and how it impacted the world. Some would follow in a person's footsteps by doing good works to contribute towards their mission, while the legacies of others would serve as dark reminders to people on how they damaged the world. Those legacies would serve as warnings on what happens to people should they follow in their footsteps.

After thinking this information over, Yuhiro managed to come up with an answer for Gilgamesh's question.

"To leave a legacy means you pass down a message onto future generations. One that can teach people about a person's story and the ultimate meaning behind it." Yuhiro began answering. "If my recent actions have shown anything, it's that my legacy has been… damaged. I want to make a strong and positive legacy despite what I've done, yet my fear is that it can no longer be repaired. Had I achieved my desire to die at the time, my legacy… would have told a story of how I committed horrific atrocities just for selfish means despite my noble intentions."

"I see. Though you made a vow to make your legacy a strong and positive one despite your horrific mistakes, the desire to die with meaning still conflicts with it." Gilgamesh's voice said through Yuhiro's reflections. "While the conflict between the two is slightly less compared to earlier, you still have much to think about and ponder as you go through these trials."

"Didn't you say I'd be alone in taking these trials on? Because from the looks of things, it seems I'm not alone here."

In response to this, all of Yuhiro's reflections pointed their right index fingers at him before Gilgamesh's voice can be spoken through them. "Technically, you are alone at the mercy of the trials going on, so don't expect anyone to rescue you and your deck should you fall in battle." With that, his voice disappeared, which caused all of Yuhiro's reflections to turn into particles.

This left Yuhiro alone as he finally made it to the end of the hallway despite some trouble in doing so. Upon reaching the door, it opened for him, where white light began to shine out of it. Knowing what had to be done, Yuhiro walked through the door as the white light enveloped him, intent on completing the trials so he can achieve the three goals he listed out in his mind earlier.

Elsewhere, in the real world, at the Zaizen's residence…

"HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING AT A TIME LIKE THIS, AUNTIE?! Just because Yuhiro and I deeply care for one another doesn't make us sweethearts!" Miyu shouted, pure fury evident in her tone.

"Well, it kind of makes sense…" Roxy sweatdropped, now afraid of Miyu's wrath despite getting to tease her just now.

"No kidding. I mean, you clearly enjoyed taking care of Yuhiro for the past while." Arin agreed.

"It definitely does make sense when you think about it." Aoi added in support to Roxy's counterpoint and Arin's point, which only made Miyu slowly turn her head to Aoi in response. As of now, the quartet finished completing profiles for Mikuru, Ai, Roboppy and Miyu. However, just when Roxy was about to close Miyu's profile, the latter firmly requested to look at it again upon seeing that something was not right. After all, not only was Miyu someone who would know a lie upon either seeing or detecting it, she was also someone that can identify if something fishy was going on. When Miyu took the tablet from Roxy and read her profile, it caused her face to turn red as a tomato upon reading the words 'Yuhiro's Sweetheart' in the 'Other Aliases' section of it.

"You and Auntie are really going to regret teasing me at a time like this…" Miyu seethed.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Before anything else could be said, Aoi's duel disk suddenly began to beep, which made her look at it seconds later.

"Hold that thought, Miyu." Aoi pressed a button on her duel disk, wanting to see the notification that was supposed to pop up from it. However, Pandor popped out of it to everyone else's surprise.

"Greetings, Miss Zaizen. I was hoping if you had some time to chat." Pandor said, which made everyone frown after seeing her appear just now.

"Pandor? I wasn't expecting you to return." Aoi admitted, surprised to see Pandor following the duel against Ai, as she went back to the Hanoi afterwards.

"Hold on a minute. Shouldn't you be helping the Hanoi out in their goals?" Roxy questioned, suspicious on why Pandor was currently here at the moment rather than with Revolver and Demeter.

"Technically, I am with the Hanoi, but Revolver set me free." Pandor clarified, which caused everyone to raise an eyebrow in confusion in response. This led Pandor to explain what happened from her end after Ai acquired the Code Keys from Akira. Specifically, the conversation she had with Revolver before he set her free, along with his advice to leave the battlefield quickly so she can find out what she wanted in life without any trouble whatsoever. In addition, Pandor even shared information about the conversation she had with Demeter, and how the latter was very concerned with Revolver's wellbeing based on everything that's happened so far.

Roxy whistled after hearing what Pandor said just now. "I can't believe Revolver of all people set you, an AI, free…"

"I can't believe it either." Arin admitted, still surprised as well.

"Pandor, you mentioned that Mrs. Kogami was worried about Revolver." Miyu said. "Did something happen to him?"

Pandor, after hearing this question, turned back to Miyu. "Out of respect towards their privacy, I won't reveal too much other than my observations about Revolver so far."

"Observations?" Miyu frowned, now wanting to know what Pandor meant just now.

"Correct. From what I observed, Revolver is someone who cares about his comrades very deeply, and it is due to this care that they follow him in battle. However, the Hanoi had suffered long-term losses in past and recent battles, which have affected Revolver to the point where he blames himself for them. This has caused his heart to be in turmoil because he can't fully let go of his past regrets and pain."

"Okay. Now that's just… deep." Roxy commented as she thought this over. To her, it sounded like time partially stopped for Revolver recently, which could have been a reason why he was willing to surrender himself and the other Hanoi to the authorities once Ai was defeated. In fact, Revolver may have even realized just how much damage the Hanoi's crusade had caused, and wanted to complete these last missions as a form of atonement before shutting down the Hanoi's operations forever.

Miyu put a hand on her chin as she thought this over. "Honestly, I can't help but feel that the way Revolver's acting almost makes him similar to Ai." And Yuhiro as well, went unsaid.

"Maybe. Maybe not. After all, these are just my observations on the matter." Pandor reminded everyone else present.

"So why are you here then, Pandor?" Aoi inquired. "If I know anything, it's that you wouldn't come here unless you had a reason for doing so."

"First off, I want to apologize for my failure to keep Akira safe, Aoi." Pandor began listing her reasons by apologizing to Aoi. "Second, now that Revolver set me free, I need your help."

"Help?" Arin repeated.

"That's correct. I don't know what to do with myself now that I'm free, as I've been following one directive up until now, which was to protect humanity from threats in the network. With this in mind, I want to know what makes humanity worth protecting, as they continue to act foolishly despite the catastrophes they experienced repeatedly."

"Are you saying that you lost hope in humanity, Pandor?" Roxy dangerously inquired. The last thing she and the others wanted right now was to battle against another person who no longer saw humanity worth protecting.

"I haven't lost hope in humanity, Roxy. I'm doing research on what aspects humanity has that makes it worth protecting. If I get this information, it'll help me figure out what to do next." Pandor explained.

"Maybe a duel can help you sort things out." Miyu suggested, which got Pandor's attention.

"An interesting idea. What makes you think a duel will help me find answers?"

Miyu smiled. "With a duel, you'll be able to sort your thoughts out not just through the cards you play, but by also conversing with the opponent as well."

"I see. That idea is logical." Pandor agreed, having seen the merits in Miyu's idea just now.

"Then the both of you will need this." Aoi gently interjected, as she pressed a button on her duel disk to transfer information over to Pandor and Miyu.

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE!

The coordinates to a server were soon provided to Pandor and Miyu, which was clear by the notifications that popped up in their respective duel disks. They weren't the only ones who got the coordinates, as a notification also popped up in Roxy's duel disk, who received it seconds later.

"Perfect. I will see you shortly." Pandor then disappeared from Aoi's duel disk, having logged into a server in the network just now.

"Into the VRAINS!" Miyu, Aoi and Roxy said in unison, as the three of them put their decks in their respective duel disks before logging into the network.

Meanwhile, in the network, at Roboppy's kingdom…

Soulburner grit his teeth with what happened just now. Not only did Roboppy bring out Laundry Dragon, he also managed to use both of its effects in conjunction with Appliancer Recycling to destroy Heatleo and banish Balelynx from his Graveyard at the same time. In response to this, Soulburner used Lemming's effect from his hand to Special Summon Gazelle to his field, where he used its effect to send Zebroid X from his deck to his Graveyard. Unfortunately for Soulburner, Roboppy used Appliancer Reduction to banish Gazelle from the former's field and draw the top two cards of his deck. As a result, Roboppy was the one who had the advantage in cards, life points and field.

"So let me get this straight. Roboppy used a dragon with a laundry machine-like body to not only deal massive damage to Soulburner, but also clear away his field like it was laundry day?" Tigress questioned, shocked with what she saw just now. It wasn't just that, as the way Roboppy's monsters worked and their appearances clearly proven a single point: Never underestimate what was in front of you.

"Yup." Slipstream simply confirmed. "And if you think about it, Tigress, is it any different from either of us using cards whose appearances-?"

"Okay, okay. I get it. No need to go into detail." Tigress sweatdropped, clearly not wanting Slipstream to refer to the fact that his deck resembled of weaponized toys while her deck consisted of trains and military vehicles.

"Each duelist has a deck that symbolizes who they are as an individual and what they stand for." Playmaker explained. "In Roboppy's case, since he's a house robot, his deck consists of monsters resembling appliances. As for what he's currently standing for at the moment…" He frowned, still saddened with how Roboppy was willing to help Ai with whatever plans he had in mind. Nevertheless, it was thanks to Ai (and Roboppy by extension) that Playmaker was freed from captivity by Blue Maiden and Watchman several weeks ago.

The trio turned their attention back to the duel, where Soulburner started his turn by summoning Falco and using Spinny's effect from his Graveyard to bring the latter back to his field. Not only did he use both monsters to Link Summon a second copy of Sunlight Wolf to his field, he also used Falco's effect to Set Claw back to his field in the Spell and Trap card zone. Soulburner even used Jack Jaguar's effect to shuffle Heatleo back to his Extra Deck so he can Special Summon it to his field, which allowed him to return Falco back to his hand since a 'Salamangreat' monster was Special Summoned to a Main Monster Zone Sunlight Wolf pointed to. After Link Summoning a second copy of Balelynx and using her effect to add another copy of Sanctuary to his hand, Soulburner proceeded to use both her and Sunlight Wolf to Link Summon a copy of Heatleo to his field, much to Roboppy's displeasure upon seeing him once again. He then used Heatleo's effect to return one of Roboppy's Set cards back to his deck, which led him to Reincarnation Link Summon the remaining copy of Heatleo so he can get rid of Roboppy's remaining Set card. Once Soulburner re-equipped Claw back to Heatleo, he had him attack Laundry Dragon, the Battle Phase having begun.

In response, Roboppy used Electrilyrical World's second effect to move Laundry Dragon to the other Main Monster Zone Celtopus pointed to, which not only increased its attack points upon being co-linked, but also banish Heatleo from Soulburner's field as well. When Roboppy boasted about keeping control of the duel despite Soulburner's attempts to make a comeback, the latter responded by using Zebroid X's effect from his Graveyard to Special Summon both it and Jack Jaguar to his field at the same time in exchange for negating their effects. What shocked Roboppy, however, was Soulburner telling him that he was allowed to Xyz Summon immediately after Zebroid X's resolved.

"Say what?!" Roboppy exclaimed.

"Now that's brilliant, as Soulburner will soon have a new monster on his field to help him out." Tigress commented, surprised with what she heard just now.

"I knew Soulburner can use Xyz Summoning, but for him to have a monster that would let him do so during the battle phase is brilliant." Slipstream added.

"Given how Zebroid X's effect is a Quick effect, Soulburner can use its effect during his Battle Phase, which means his new monster can still declare an attack once it's out on the field." Playmaker explained, which led Tigress and Slipstream to nod in agreement, knowing that Soulburner still had the chance to turn things around.

"I overlay the Level 4 Salamangreat Zebroid X with the Leve 4 Jack Jaguar!" Soulburner declared, as a blazing galaxy portal appeared behind him. "With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"Zebroid X and Jack Jaguar turned into streams of purple and blue energy that went into the portal, where a fiery pillar of light erupted from within it.

"Fiery dragon that incinerates the sky and sea! Become the flame of hope and arrive in a pillar of glory! Xyz Summon! Rise! Rank 4! Salamangreat Blaze Dragon!" A bipedal, dark-blue and grey dragon wearing dark-blue armor appeared on Soulburner's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. He had green orbs on his chest, knees, arms and forehead, as well as metal spikes on his forearms. On the sides of the back of his head were a total of eight spikes of different sizes, which protruded outwards to resemble spiked horns. Lastly, he had a pair of wings that emitted spark-like fire.

Salamangreat Blaze Dragon ATK: 2300 DEF: 1200 OU: 2

"Magnificent! It's time to put you down to size!" Blaze Dragon exclaimed, ready for battle.

"Glad you're here to help out, Blaze Dragon, as I'm certainly gonna need it." Soulburner said, before turning back to Roboppy. "Here's something you should know, Roboppy. Since Zebroid X was used to Xyz Summon Blaze Dragon, he gains 300 attack points for every Overlay unit he has. Since Blaze Dragon has two Overlay units, he gains 600 attack points." Blaze Dragon let out a roar as his strength increased.

Salamangreat Blaze Dragon ATK: 2300 + (300 X 2) = 2900

"The battle continues! Salamangreat Blaze Dragon attacks Appliancer Laundry Dragon! I also activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Salamangreat Tail! I can target one 'Salamangreat' monster I control, and have it gain attack points equal to its defense points until the end of this turn! What's more, I gain life points equal to its defense points as well!"

"Oh no!" Roboppy exclaimed, shocked with what he heard just now. At the rate things were going, he'd end up losing if he didn't do something quick!

"Since Blaze Dragon has 1200 defense points, he gains 1200 attack points and I gain 1200 life points!" Soulburner said, as both him and Blaze Dragon were surrounded in fiery auras that increased their strength.

Salamangreat Blaze Dragon ATK: 2900 + 1200 = 4100

Soulburner: 800 + 1200 = 2000 LP

"Don't forget about Celtopus' effect increasing Laundry Dragon's attack points, Soulburner!" Roboppy reminded Soulburner. "Octopus Charge!" One of Celtopus' tentacles connected itself to Laundry Dragon's back, where an electrical aura surrounded the latter as its strength increased temporarily.

Appliancer Laundry Dragon ATK: 1500 - 1000 = 2500

"It doesn't matter, Roboppy, as this attack will be more than enough to wipe you out this turn!" Soulburner thrusted out his right hand. "End this duel, Blaze Dragon! Pyro Pillar!"

"It's lights out for you!" Blaze Dragon shouted, as hot sparks surrounded his chest before he released it in the form of a fiery beam, which headed straight towards Laundry Dragon!

"Sorry, but there's no way I'm losing this duel! I activate the effect of Appliancer Reduction from my Graveyard." Roboppy stated. "By banishing it from my Graveyard, any battle damage I would have taken is halved."

A barrier surrounded Laundry Dragon at the last minute, where the fiery beam hit the barrier and broke through it before destroying Laundry Dragon, which sent Roboppy flying off the air as his life points dropped.

Roboppy: 1000 – (1600 X 2) = 200 LP

Unbeknownst to Soulburner and everyone else, Roboppy felt his body go limp as he suddenly appeared in a universe, where he opened his eyes to see where he was at the moment. A smile soon appeared on Roboppy's face as golden light surrounded his body, where he felt bright energy enter inside him before his back hit the ground, having brought him back to reality seconds later.

"I Set one card face-down and end my turn, which means the effect of Tail ends and Blaze Dragon's attack points return to normal." Soulburner concluded, as a red aura surrounded Blaze Dragon, which returned his strength to normal.

Salamangreat Blaze Dragon ATK: 4100 – 1200 = 2900

"Damn it! Soulburner was so close to winning this duel!" Tigress cursed.

"On the plus side, Soulburner was able to get rid of Laundry Dragon, so he won't be suffering from its effects any longer." Slipstream pointed out, having looked at the bright side of the situation right now.

"And since Roboppy has no other monsters on his field, Celtopus can be targeted for attacks and card effects." Playmaker added, a frown evident on his face. While I don't know how, I can tell that something's not right here, Playmaker thought in his mind.

"You tried to destroy me…" Roboppy muttered, which made everyone stop talking and turn to him upon hearing his words as he regained his balance. "You really tried to destroy me and erase me from existence…"

"Are you okay, Roboppy? You're sounding different than before." Soulburner said, having noticed that something was not right with Roboppy.

"You said you wanted to protect me. You said you wanted to protect me, but you chose to try and destroy me. You tried to destroy me. It just hit me that you actually tried to destroy me. But I don't want to be destroyed. So if you're going to destroy me…" Roboppy opened his eyes, which not only showed his irises being surrounded by red rings, but also pronounced the black outlines around his eyes as well. "I'll destroy you first, as I have the power of the universe on my side!" He let out a loud laugh, craziness having clearly consumed him in mind, body and soul.

"Holy shit!" Tigress screamed, shocked upon seeing Roboppy's corrupted personality just now. She never expected a house robot of all AIs in the world to not only develop free will, but also become corrupted by it as well. Then again, if AIs had one disadvantage compared to humans, it's that free will was a factor they had to train so they can master it. Otherwise, in Roboppy's case, it'll end up consuming them completely. With this in mind, Tigress made a mental note to provide a little more respect to AIs, as the last thing she wanted was to deal with an AI that had a corrupted personality. One she really didn't want to deal with any time soon.

"I did not expect this to occur." Slipstream admitted, also shocked with what he saw ahead of him. Given what just happened, it looked like Soulburner was about to have an even harder time in dealing with Roboppy's tactics now that the latter had snapped.

"Even though Ai gave Roboppy free will, he wasn't able to keep up and fully process it. That's why he is the way he is right now." Playmaker deduced, who was shocked with what happened as well. In Playmaker's mind, a part of him somehow knew that Ai didn't have any malicious motives in giving Roboppy free will.

"When I'm through with you, you'll be nothing but atoms, Soulburner! And after that, your friends will be joining you as well!" Roboppy proclaimed. "My turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck, where he activated the Spell card Appliancer Test to target an 'Appliancer' Link monster in the Extra Monster Zone and Special Summon as many 'Appliancer' Link 1 monsters to Main Monster Zones the targeted monster pointed to. However, Roboppy had to co-link those monsters with the targeted monster, reduce their attack points to zero and banish them during the End Phase should they be on his field during that time.

Thus, Roboppy brought out Vacculephant and Propelion, where he used the former's effect to destroy Blaze Dragon. Luckily, Soulburner was able to prevent Blaze Dragon's destruction by detaching an Overlay Unit from him, only for his monster to lose some strength in the process. In response, Roboppy used Propelion to Link Summon a second copy of Laundry Dragon, which led him to use Electrilyrical World's effect to add an Copybokkle from his Graveyard back to his hand. Once this was done, Roboppy used Vacculephant to Link Summon Dryer Drake, where he revealed that Dryer Drake gains 1000 attack points since it's co-linked with Celtopus.

With everything prepared, Roboppy had Laundry Dragon attack Blaze Dragon, only for Soulburner to respond by sending Sanctuary to his Graveyard so he can activate the Continuous-Trap card, Salamangreat Ring. Thanks to Ring's effect, all of Soulburner's monsters were not only unaffected by card effects, but also gained 500 attack points as well. To further ensure his survival, Soulburner detached Blaze Dragon's remaining Overlay Unit, which made the latter lose his remaining attack boost as a result. Seizing the opportunity, Roboppy had Dryer Drake attack Blaze Dragon in an attempt to destroy him once and for all. However, Soulburner revealed Blaze Dragon's final effect: If he had no Overlay Units, then Soulburner can Special Summon one 'Salamangreat' Xyz monster by using him as material and treating it as an Xyz Summon.

"First Reincarnation Link Summon, then Reincarnation Ritual Summon, then Reincarnation Fusion Summon, then Reincarnation Synchro Summon and now Reincarnation Xyz Summon." Slipstream listed off each type of Reincarnation Summon Soulburner can use in his deck. No matter what, there's always room for a person to grow as a duelist and an individual, Slipstream thought in his mind, a smile evident on his face. Besides, only by growing will we get stronger for what comes next.

"Since Soulburner can use this effect during the Battle Phase, he can use Blaze Dragon's newest effect upon being Reincarnation Xyz Summoned." Playmaker noted.

"So whatever Blaze Dragon's newest effect is, it'll certainly help Soulburner turn things around for sure!" Tigress said.

"Using Blaze Dragon, I rebuild the Overlay Network!" Soulburner shouted, as the blazing galaxy portal reappeared above him, where Blaze Dragon turned into fiery energy that went inside it. As a result, apillar of fiery light to erupt from it seconds later.

"Fiery dragon that incinerates the sky and sea! Embrace the flames of rebirth and emerge as a creature of blazing flames! Reincarnation Xyz Summon! Strike the inferno! Rank 4! Salamangreat Blaze Dragon!" Blaze Dragon reappeared on Soulburner's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. However, his wings now emitted large, dark-blue colored fire that had light-blue sparks around them.

Salamangreat Blaze Dragon ATK: 2300 DEF: 1200 RNK: 4 OU: 1

Salamangreat Blaze Dragon ATK: 2300 + 500 = 2800

"Haha! Thank you, Soulburner! I'll light this duel up and turn things in your favor!" Blaze Dragon stated, grateful for the power boost.

Soulburner then announced that when Blaze Dragon was Reincarnation Xyz Summoned, he can destroy one monster the opponent controls, which led him to destroy Laundry Dragon seconds earlier. Unfortunately, Roboppy used Coating's effect from his Graveyard to Special Summon Laundry Dragon back to his field in a Main Monster Zone Celtopus points to so that it's co-linked, as well as banish Balelynx from Soulburner's Graveyard. This led a battle replay to occur, where Dryer Drake attacked Blaze Dragon once again, with Soulburner detaching Blaze Dragon's Overlay Unit to prevent his destruction. Sadly, Roboppy managed to destroy Blaze Dragon in the end with an attack from Laundry Dragon, having broken through Soulburner's defenses as a result.

"You may have destroyed Blaze Dragon, but I still survived, Roboppy." Soulburner said.

"Yeah, but only for now." Roboppy replied. "I am the AI that will conquer the universe and guide it to a better future! Do you really think I'd actually let you survive this turn and give you another chance to attack me? Well, there's no, no, no chance! I activate Dryer Drake's second effect! Once per turn, during my Battle Phase, when it's co-linked, I can target one Link 1 'Appliancer' monster on my field and switch its location with Dryer Drake's location. I target Laundry Dragon! Heat Shift!" Dryer Drake and Laundry Dragon suddenly switched positions, where the former groaned as it lost its attack boost.

Appliancer Dryer Drake ATK: 1000 – 1000 = 0

"Oh, and here's the best part, Soulburner. By doing so, the Link 1 'Appliancer' Link monster I targeted with Dryer Drake's effect can make a second attack."

"What?!" Soulburner gasped, as well as everyone else that was watching the duel.

"Shit! Roboppy's got Soulburner backed into a corner where there's no escape!" Slipstream exclaimed.

"At this rate, Soulburner's gonna lose!" Tigress realized, shocked that Roboppy was able to outmaneuver all of Soulburner's attempts to try and survive the turn.

"Soulburner…" Playmaker muttered, now worried on what will happen to Soulburner once Roboppy attacks with Laundry Dragon one more time.

Roboppy laughed loudly. "Everyone had a tough time dueling you except for me, Soulburner. The ruler of the uni, universe." His eyes widened as a crazed expression appeared on his face. "You never stood a chance against my intellect because it, 'cause it keeps growing and growing. In my current state, I can and will defeat everyone who gets in my way!"

"No! It can't end like this! Soulburner, please tell me you have something to survive this last attack." Kusanagi quietly said as he continued to watch the duel back at Café Nagi, scared that Soulburner will suffer the same fate the fallen duelists faced so far once Roboppy launches his final attack.

"I'm the savior of LINK VRAINS! I'm the only one that's worthy of conquering and guiding the universe to a better future!" Roboppy proclaimed. "Rule and guide the uni, rule and guide, rule and guide, rule and guide the uni..." To everyone's shock, they saw electricity cackle out of Roboppy's head.

"Something's wrong." Soulburner stated upon seeing the electricity begin to course through Roboppy's body.

"Rule and guide the uni…, rule and guide, rule and guide, rule and guide the uni... Error. Error. Error. Error." The electricity coursing through Roboppy's body now began to buzz, which further damaged him from the inside out. "But Roboppy doesn't want to rule and guide the universe. Roboppy doesn't want to hurt his friends either. Roboppy ends his turn without attacking."

"Hang on a minute. You end your turn?" Soulburner asked.

"Take. Take that back." Roboppy continued to talk to himself, as his body went back and forth like it was a puppet moving along on strings. "But Roboppy doesn't want to attack. I don't care what you want. Attack and end this. No! Roboppy won't let you hurt his friends. Silence! Resume the Battle Phase and attack! There's too much at stake here! Roboppy will not! You fool! It's my prophecy! What's a prophecy? A prophecy's when…"

BUZZ!

Roboppy suddenly stopped talking as electricity coursed through his head once again, which led him to fall to the ground on his back seconds later. After the electricity coursed through his head one more time, he fizzled out before turning to his original form.

The one that he had in the real world.

"What's going on? What happened to Roboppy?" Soulburner inquired.

"Roboppy fought against himself because he, the real Roboppy never wanted to hurt us in the first place." Playmaker answered.

Soulburner raised an eyebrow after hearing Playmaker's explanation. "If that's the case, then who won the duel?"

"The duel's still going, Soulburner! You only have one last chance to finish this!" Tigress shouted, wanting to get that point across to Soulburner.

But before anyone else could speak, Roboppy woke up and looked around the area, wanting to know what was going on. However, he shrugged off those thoughts so he can get to work. "Huh? Roboppy must clean. Clean and sweep before Yusaku comes home. Yusaku loves when his room is clean, and when Yusaku is happy, Roboppy is happy."

Playmaker sadly frowned as he recalled the times before meeting Ai where he arrived home and saw a fresh room that was all cleaned up thanks to Roboppy, who waited for him every single time. He even recalled kneeling down and petting Roboppy on the head, which made the both of them happy to be with one another. If Playmaker was being honest with himself, he should have appreciated Roboppy a bit more, as he had no choice but to put him down to end his suffering. "Soulburner… Please win this duel."

After Soulburner nodded in understanding to Playmaker's request, he turned back to the duel. "It's my turn! I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck. "I activate the Equip Spell card, Rising Fire. When I control no monsters, I can target one Fire monster in my Graveyard and equip it with this card. In addition, the equipped monster gains 500 attack points. Return to me, Heatleo!" At his command, Heatleo reappeared on his field.

Salamangreat Heatleo ATK: 2300 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

Salamangreat Heatleo ATK: 2300 500 = 2800

"Yes! I am back!" Heatleo shouted, before realizing what was happening at the moment. "Oh dear…"

"Heatleo, can you help me put an end to Roboppy's suffering for Playmaker's sake?" Soulburner requested, which led Heatleo to nod in confirmation.

"I shall."

"Thank you, my friend." Soulburner thrusted out his right hand. "Battle! Salamangreat Heatleo attacks Appliancer Dryer Drake! Inferno Strike!"

"It's the end for you!" Heatleo cried out, as he charged forward, intent on slashing Dryer Drake with his claws.

"Well, Roboppy. The duel is done." Soulburner simply said, having barely managed to get out of losing the duel. For Roboppy truly cared about Playmaker and everyone else, and clearly didn't want to see them get hurt.

"Duel? What duel? Roboppy doesn't duel." Roboppy replied, as he turned his head to see Heatleo destroy Dryer Drake with his claws, which caused a fiery explosion to go straight to him. "I'm happy to be able to see this beautiful light. Goodbye, my friends. Roboppy wishes you good luck." The explosion soon engulfed Roboppy, where his life points dropped all the way to zero.

Roboppy: 200 – 2300 = 0

Soon, the field returned back to normal, with the cages restraining Playmaker, Slipstream and Tigress breaking into pieces before freeing them seconds later. The quartet also watched as Roboppy's remains turned into yellow orbs that flew upwards into the sky before disappearing, which indicated the end of his existence.

"That house robot better be gone!" Tigress exclaimed, as she pulled out her crossbow, wanting to make sure she wasn't caught off guard by any other surprises today. "Otherwise-."

"Stop, Tigress! It's okay! Roboppy's gone now." Slipstream gently assured Tigress, who took some deep breaths so she can try to recompose herself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get worked up like that. It's just… seeing Roboppy go all crazy like that…"

"None of us saw it coming. The free will that Ai gave Roboppy eventually consumed him to the point where he broke down completely." Soulburner said. And if it wasn't for that, then I would have lost the duel, Soulburner lamented in his mind.

"But if it helps, Tigress, Roboppy cared for us so much that he fought from within to make sure we were safe." Playmaker reminded Tigress and everyone else.

"I hear you, Playmaker. Honestly, I never expected an everyday appliance such as a house robot to develop free will like that. It certainly is concerning, that's for sure." Tigress responded, before hearing Slipstream let out a small giggle. "What's so funny, mister?"

"Sorry. Just seeing you act all flustered like that is quite rare." Slipstream said, only for Tigress to chuckle back in a way that made him stop talking.

"Wow, Slipstream. Maybe you should stop talking before you say something that'll only put you in hot water." Tigress tilted her head and gave a small smile that implied certain doom if Slipstream continued talking on this topic. Upon seeing this, Slipstream quickly nodded in compliance, having dodged a bullet on the matter.

"Hey, guys. Take a look at this." Soulburner interrupted, which got everyone else's attention as they turned to look at the object some distance away from them. The object consisted of a multi-colored orb that had multiple algorithms orbiting around it. Before anyone could do anything else, the orb went over to Soulburner, where it transformed into a violet ticket in the form of a letter made of data. "It's a letter from Ai."

"Give that letter to me," a familiar voice spoke from above, which got everyone's attention as they turned to look up. After doing so, the quartet was taken aback to find none other than Revolver, descending before them.

Elsewhere, at a different server…

Pandor and Aerith (along with Arin, who was in Aerith's duel disk) appeared in a server in the network, which consisted merely of a duel field inside a large building. Overall, there wasn't much in the server. Seconds later, Angelica and Blue Maiden also logged into the network, the duo on the sidelines of the duel field.

"A simple server built for one purpose." Pandor observed, as she looked around the area.

"That's correct. Akira designed this server so he can practice his dueling skills." Blue Maiden said, before letting out a sheepish chuckle.

"What's so funny, Blue Maiden?" Angelica quietly questioned.

"I too used the server without him noticing to practice my dueling skills back when I was Blue Angel. It's why I became skilled in using the 'Trickstar' deck back then." Blue Maiden turned back to Angelica. "Just… don't tell Akira, alright?"

"Don't worry, Blue Maiden. Your secret's safe with me."

Pandor activated her duel disk, wanting to get the duel started as soon as possible. "I have all the data on the 'Trickstar' deck and how it works, so I'll be able to counter whatever strategies you plan to use against me, Aerith."

"As an AI, you should know two things, Pandor." Aerith began responding, as she activated her duel disk. "One: Never make assumptions in a duel. Two: Never underestimate a duelist even if you know the ins and outs of their deck."

"You heard Aerith, Pandor. Do not underestimate her!" Arin added in support to what Aerith said just now.

"Still, I'm looking forward to this duel and the information it'll produce, Aerith." Pandor stated. "Perhaps it'll help me get the answers I'm looking for."

Blue Maiden narrowed her eyes as both Aerith and Pandor were about to get their duel started. Good luck, Aerith, Blue Maiden thought in her mind, having complete faith that Aerith will help Pandor out in her dilemma. If all went well, then Pandor will not only be able to figure things out for herself, but also see what made humanity worth protecting in the end.

"Let's duel!" Aerith and Pandor shouted in unison.

Aerith: 4000 LP

Pandor: 4000 LP

"I'll take the first move." Aerith said. "My turn. I activate the Spell card, Cards from the Sky. By banishing one Light Fairy monster from my hand, I can draw the top two cards of my deck. However, I can't Special Summon or conduct my Battle Phase the turn I activate this card."

Pandor frowned after hearing this information. Interesting. Since it's the first turn, Cards from the Sky's cost isn't too much of a detriment, Pandor thought in her mind. However, according to my data on the 'Trickstar' deck, most of its monsters have the effect of being Special Summoned through different methods so the user can perform multiple Link Summons. Therefore, Aerith will only be able to Normal Summon monsters for the rest of this turn.

"I banish Trickstar Corobane from my hand and draw." After one of Aerith's cards turned into particles, she drew the top two cards of her deck. "I also summon Trickstar Lycoris from my hand to my field." A young woman who wore a red and black dress and carried a golden sword in her hand appeared on Aerith's field.

Trickstar Lycoris ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200 LV: 3

"From there, I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." Aerith concluded.

"That's it? That's all you're doing for your turn, Aerith?" Arin questioned, only for Aerith to give the former a glare that made him stop talking.

"There's only so much I can do in a turn, Arin, especially given Cards from the Sky's effect." Aerith firmly responded, which made Arin nod in understanding a second or two later.

"Fair point. Fair point."

"My turn! I draw!" Pandor said, as she drew the top card of her deck.

"Lycoris's effect now activates! Each time you add a card to your hand, you take 200 points of damage!" Aerith explained, as Lycoris pointed her sword at Pandor and fired a golden beam at her, causing her to take one step back.

Pandor: 4000 – 200 = 3800 LP

"I'm not done yet! I activate the effect of Trickstar Narkissus from my hand. As you took effect damage, except during the damage step, I can Special Summon her from my hand to my field!" A little girl with blond hair and green eyes appeared on Aerith's field in defense position. Her attire also consisted of a green, orange, and white dress. In her right hand, she carried a yellow gun with flower petals at the front.

Trickstar Narkissus ATK: 1000 DEF: 1800 LV: 4

"In addition, I activate the Trap card, Trickstar Reincarnation!" Aerith added, as she gestured to her field. "This card lets me banish your entire hand, and by doing do, you get to draw the same number of cards from the top of your deck." A blast of energy fired out of Reincarnation, which hit the cards in Pandor's hand before they turned into particles. She then drew six new cards from the top of her deck.

"Since you drew more cards, you're about to take more damage." Arin reminded Pandor.

"I am aware of that." Pandor firmly responded, as Lycoris pointed her sword at the former and fired a golden beam at her, which made her take a step or two back before her life points dropped.

Pandor: 3800 – (200 X 6) = 2600 LP

"Even though I didn't play a single card, you managed to nearly bring my life points down to half the starting amount. Very impressive. However, this duel is only getting started." Pandor took a card from her hand before playing it. "I summon Rokket Caliber from my hand to my field." A metallic, black serpentine dragon whose body primarily consisted of bullet cartridges that were connected together by violet electricity appeared on Pandor's field. It had magenta holographic wings, as well as a pair of metallic wings with golden outlines and a violet line down the middle. Lastly, on top of its head was a small red bullet.

Rokket Caliber ATK: 1700 DEF: 100 LV: 4

"Rokket? Don't those cards belong to Revolver?" Aerith questioned.

"That's correct, Aerith." Pandor answered. "However, just because they belong to a duelist doesn't mean another duelist can use them in different ways. Allow me to show you what I mean. I activate Rokket Caliber's effect. Once per turn, I can tribute it to Special Summon one Dark Dragon or Machine monster from my hand to my field. I'll tribute Rokket Caliber to Special Summon Cracking Dragon from my hand to my field!" After Rokket Caliber turned into particles, a black and green mechanical dragon with six bladed wings attached by six glowing lights appeared on Pandor's field.

Cracking Dragon ATK: 3000 DEF: 0 LV: 8

"Hold on, Pandor. Cracking Dragon was used by the Hanoi to cause terror in the network." Blue Maiden told Pandor, having recalled how she was nearly deleted by a Cracking Dragon all those months ago if it wasn't for Playmaker saving her life. "Why are you using a card that caused so much damage in the first place?"

Pandor turned to Blue Maiden upon hearing this question. "I'm using this card for two reasons, Blue Maiden. The first reason being to honor my creators for creating me and granting me free will. The second reason being to help me acquire knowledge so I can find my own path in life despite the terror it caused a long time ago. After all, regardless of who's using it, a card is still a card."

"She makes good points, Blue Maiden." Angelica said, having understood why Pandor was using Cracking Dragon at the moment. For just like Pandor said, a card was still a card regardless of who's using it, as each user helped in developing its story and what it ultimately stood for once the story was done.

"Battle!" Pandor declared, as she turned back to the duel. "Cracking Dragon attacks Trickstar Lycoris! Traffic Blast!" Cracking Dragon charged up a stream of blue fire from its mouth before firing it at Lycoris, who screamed upon impact. The resulting explosion also made Aerith shield herself with her right arm as her life points dropped.

Aerith: 4000 – 1400 = 2600 LP

"I end my Battle Phase. I now activate the Continuous-Spell card, Topologina Honeycomb Beehicle. When this card's activated, I can add one 'Topologina' monster from my deck to my hand. I'll add Topologina Babee from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Pandor's deck, which she took and added to her hand.

"I activate the effect of Topologina Babee from my hand. Since our life points are the same, I can Special Summon it from my hand to my field." Pandor said, as a tiny, brown cybernetic bee with a green eye and yellow crescents as wings appeared on her field.

Topologina Babee ATK 100 DEF 100 LV: 1

"So that's why you attacked with Cracking Dragon earlier." Aerith realized.

"Indeed. For given the cards you made me draw earlier and the fact that I used up my Normal Summon, I had to find another way to bring out my monster." Pandor confirmed.

"But that's still gonna cost you, Pandor. I activate Narkissus' effect. Each time you activate a monster effect in your hand or Graveyard, you take 200 points of damage." Narkissus fired a small burst of yellow energy from the gun in her hand at Pandor, who winced as her life points dropped.

Pandor: 2600 – 200 = 2400 LP

"In that case, I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Inferno Reckless Summon! Since you control a monster on your field and I just Special Summoned a monster with 1500 attack points or less, I can Special Summon as many copies of that monster from my hand, deck, and Graveyard to my field in attack position. In addition, you must do the same for your monster while following the same criteria."

"Well, on the plus side, we get more monsters to help us." Arin stated, trying to look at the bright side of the card Pandor played just now.

"But Pandor also gets more monsters to her field, Arin." Aerith reminded Arin. Ones that'll further help advance her strategies for sure, Aerith thought in her mind.

"I Special Summon two more copies of Babee from my deck to my field." Pandor said, as two cards popped out of her deck, which she took and played. Seconds later, two more copies of Babee appeared on Pandor's field in defense position.

Topologina Babee ATK 100 DEF 100 LV: 1

Topologina Babee ATK 100 DEF 100 LV: 1

"And I'll Special Summon two more copies of Narkissus from my deck to my field." Two cards popped out of Aerith's deck before she grabbed each one and played them. Soon, two more copies of Narkissus appeared on her field in defense position.

Trickstar Narkissus ATK: 1000 DEF: 1800 LV: 4

Trickstar Narkissus ATK: 1000 DEF: 1800 LV: 4

"Appear! My futuristic circuit!" A Link Portal appeared above Pandor. "The summoning conditions are two 'Topologina' monsters. I'll set two copies of Topologina Babee into the Link Markers!" One Babee went into the top arrowhead, while the other went into the bottom arrowhead, turning both of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Topologina Sassabee!" A violet cybernetic humanoid bee that wore large pieces of green and white armor appeared on Pandor's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. It had massive pads that had an orange orb at the top, along with orange orbs underneath and a large spike on each end curving around its shoulders. On its sides were two large orbs, each of which had a turret inside them. Attached to its arms were two large gauntlets in the form of diamonds, each one emitting a blade of blue energy. Lastly, it had yellow bladed crescents for wings.

Topologina Sassabee ATK: 1000 LINK-2 ⬆️⬇️

"When Sassabee is Link Summoned, all 'Topologina' monsters that were used for its Link Summon are returned back to my hand." Pandor explained.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Aerith muttered, a little irritated with how Pandor was about to add the monsters she used for Sassabee's Link Summon back to her hand.

"So you're basically getting both copies of Babee back thanks to Sassabee's effect." Arin figured out.

"Exactly." Pandor simply confirmed, as two cards popped out of her Graveyard, which she took and returned back to her hand. "Appear, for a second time! My futuristic circuit!" A second Link Portal appeared above Pandor. "The summoning conditions are two or more effect monsters. I'll set the Link 2 Topologina Sassabee and the remaining copy of Babee into the Link Markers!" Sassabee went into the top and bottom-left arrowheads, while the last copy of Babee went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all three of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Topologic Trisbaena!" A four limbed, black and white mechanical dragon with several splashes of red over it appeared on Pandor's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. It had a single green eye in the center of its head, and two loops on its back that looked like wings.

Topologic Trisbaena ATK: 2500 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"Appear, for a third time! My futuristic circuit!" Pandor said, as a third Link Portal appeared above her. "The summoning conditions are two or more effect monsters. I'll set the Link 3 Topologic Trisbaena and Cracking Dragon into the Link Markers!" Trisbaena went into the top, bottom-left and bottom arrowheads, while Cracking Dragon went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all four of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Topologic Bomber Dragon!" A massive, metallic orange dragon with green lines and yellow running all over its body appeared on Pandor's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. It had a long tail resembling a mobius strip, along with spikes on the lower end of its body. On each of its sides was a protrusion that resembled a Klein bottle, both of which emitted yellow, holographic wings. While it had the face of a dragon, there were no eyes on the sides. Instead, acting as its eye was a green orb that was in its mouth.

Topologic Bomber Dragon ATK: 3000 LINK-4 ↙️⬆️⬇️↘️

"Next, I activate the Spell card, Allure of Darkness. This card lets me draw the top two cards of my deck in exchange for banishing a Dark monster from my hand. Otherwise, I must banish my entire hand." Pandor continued. "I banish a copy of Babee from my hand." After a card disappeared from Pandor's hand, she drew the top two cards of her deck.

"Last but not least, I activate the Spell card, Dark Core. By discarding a card from my hand, I can target a monster on your field and banish it."

"Tch." Aerith grit her teeth, knowing that she'll lose one of her monsters.

"That's not good." Angelica observed. "If you and I know anything, Blue Maiden, it's that Aerith needs those monsters to further perform rapid Link Summons."

"It's not just that, Angelica, as Aerith can inflict more effect damage if she has more 'Trickstar' monsters on her field." Blue Maiden stated, having seen the same thing going on right now. While Pandor would still suffer effect damage in the event certain criteria were met for some of the 'Trickstar' monsters, it'd still be reduced, thus keeping her in the game as a result.

"I'll send the remaining copy of Babee in my hand to my Graveyard and banish a copy of Narkissus on your field." Pandor decided, as she took a card and sent it to his Graveyard. Once that was done, one copy of Narkissus on Aerith's field turned into particles. "Last but not least, I Set one card face-down and end my turn." A smirk appeared on Pandor's face. "Now then, Aerith. Let's see how you get past this formation."

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Aerith pointed out. "My turn! I draw!" She drew the top card of her deck.

"Continuous-Trap, activate! Detonation Code!" Pandor gestured to her field as the Set card appeared. "Once per turn, when I control a 'Topologic' Link monster, I can target one Dark non-Link Dragon, Machine or Cyberse monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it to my field. Return to me, Babee!" At Pandor's command, Babee reappeared on Pandor's field in one of the three Main Monster Zones Bomber Dragon pointed to.

Topologina Babee ATK 100 DEF 100 LV: 1

"Bomber Dragon's effect now activates!" Pandor added. "When a monster is Special Summoned to a Main Monster Zone a Link monster points to, all monsters in the Main Monster Zones are destroyed!"

"What?!" Aerith and Arin exclaimed at the same time.

"Do something quick, Aerith!" Arin told Aerith.

"I'm on it!" Aerith replied, as he gestured to her field. "Trap card, activate! Angel Blast! When you activate a card effect that would destroy a monster, I can negate the effect and its activation before destroying it!" A white aura surrounded Bomber Dragon seconds later, intent on destroying it.

Pandor, upon seeing this, simply smiled. "Sorry, but you won't be getting rid of Bomber Dragon that easily. If a Cyberse monster I control would be destroyed by a card effect, I can banish Honeycomb Beehicle instead." Honeycomb Beehicle turned into particles that formed into a green barrier around Pandor's field, which protected Bomber Dragon. "In addition, I activate Honeycomb Beehicle's third effect. When it's banished, I can target one banished 'Topologina' card and add it right back to my hand. I target and add Honeycomb Beehicle right back to my hand." A card appeared beside Pandor, which she added right back to her hand.

"Detonation Code's a very strong card, especially in how it works with the 'Topologic' monsters." Angelica commented.

"The moment even one monster is Special Summoned to a Main Monster Zone any Link Monster Zone points to, Pandor can use her 'Topologic' monster's effects." Blue Maiden added. This meant Aerith had to play carefully, as if she brought out a monster to a Main Monster Zone a Link monster pointed to, then she'd suffer the consequences for such a misplay. Then again, Blue Maiden had complete faith that Aerith would get past this roadblock, as the duel wasn't over until the last card had been played.

"On the plus side, we kept our monsters safe." Arin said, once again trying to look at the positive in this situation.

"Yup, and it's a good thing I have another monster to help us out." Aerith added, before turning back to the duel. "I summon Trickstar Aqua Angel from my hand to my field." A young woman with light-blue hair that was in the form of teardrop-shaped pigtails appeared on Aerith's field. Her attire consisted of a blue dress that had large flower symbols at the bottom, black skinny pants, and shoes with light-blue hearts at the end of them. She also wore long gloves that went to her elbows, both of which had dark-blue petals at the ends. Wrapped around the top of her head was a pair of golden headphones with dark-blue petals at the ends. In each of her hands, she carried a light-blue glow stick.

Trickstar Aqua Angel ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 4

"Aqua Angel?" Pandor repeated. "Should I assume that this monster was created to honor the Water Ignis?"

Aerith, in response to this question, smiled. "That's for me to know and for you to find out." She pointed upwards. "Appear, the circuit of persevering hope!" A Link Portal appeared above Aerith. "The summoning conditions are two 'Trickstar' monsters. I'll set a copy of Trickstar Narkissus and Aqua Angel into the Link Markers!" One copy of Narkissus went into the bottom-left arrowhead, while Aqua Angel went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning both of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Trickstar Holly Angel!" A woman with pale blonde hair and blue eyes appeared on Aerith's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. She wore an elaborate blue, white and purple dress, as well as carried a flail in her hands.

Trickstar Holly Angel ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ↙️↘️

"Aqua Angel's effect now activates!" Aerith announced. "Once per duel, when she's used as Link material, I can look at all cards in your hand and all Set cards on your field."

"What?!" Pandor exclaimed, genuine surprise evident on her tone. She never heard of a card that would let a duelist look at their opponent's hand and Set cards.

A silhouette of Aqua Angel soon appeared before her eyes glowed with a pink color, where Pandor's cards suddenly flipped around so Aerith can see them. The only card in Pandor's hand, however, was Soul Release. One that Aerith deduced was a part of Pandor's strategies, especially since a part of it revolved around banishing cards.

"A 'Trickstar' card containing Aqua's abilities… Never would I see the day where such a card existed…" Angelica stated, which made Blue Maiden smile seconds later.

"Since Aerith never had the chance to meet Aqua in person, it's only fitting for her to have card that would not only resemble the latter, but also contain some of her abilities as well." Blue Maiden acknowledged, having remembered how she and Aerith came up with the idea in creating a card to honor Aqua's memory. A card that would also bridge the 'Marincess' and 'Trickstar' archetypes together so that Blue Maiden and Aerith can fight as one in the event they dueled together against a common foe.

"I activate the effect of Aqua Angel from my Graveyard. Once per duel, if I control a 'Trickstar' or 'Marincess' card, I can Special Summon his card from my hand or Graveyard to my field. Return to me, Aqua Angel!" Aerith said, as Aqua Angel reappeared on her field in one of the two Main Monster Zones Holly Angel pointed to.

Trickstar Aqua Angel ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 4

"Just to let you know, all 'Trickstar' Link monsters that point to Aqua Angel can no longer be destroyed by battle. But that's not what you should be worried about, as Holly Angel's effects now activate! First, when a 'Trickstar' monster is summoned to a Main Monster Zone she points to, you take 200 points of damage!" Holly Angel swung out her flail towards Pandor, which made her take a step back as she winced in slight pain.

Pandor: 2400 – 200 = 2200 LP

"Second, Holly Angel gains attack points equal to the damage you take until the End Phase. Holly Blessing!" Aerith announced, as Holly Angel was surrounded in a golden aura before she powered up.

Trickstar Holly Angel ATK: 2000 + 200 = 2200

"Bomber Dragon's effect activates once again." Pandor interjected. "When a monster is Special Summoned to a Main Monster Zone a Link monster points to, all monsters in the Main Monster Zones are destroyed!"

"Hang on a minute. I thought Bomber Dragon's effect was negated." Aerith recalled.

"Yeah. You can't just activate Bomber Dragon's effect again!" Arin protested, before his eyes widened. "Unless…"

"Bomber Dragon's effect can be used more than once per turn, Aerith and Arin. What's more, it can be activated even if you Special Summon a monster to a Main Monster Zone your Link monster points to as well." Pandor emphasized both facts. "Or to sum it up, you're about to lose your other two monsters. Eliminate them, Bomber Dragon! Decimation Destruction!" Bomber Dragon's wings glowed with bright light as they fired green energy, which caused multiple explosions on both player's fields. But when the smoke cleared, it showed Narkissus and Aqua Angel alive and well while Babee was destroyed. "What? How are your monsters still on your field?"

"It's because of Holly Angel's other effect." Aerith answered. "All 'Trickstar' monsters she points to can't be destroyed by battle or card effects."

Pandor frowned after hearing this information. I see. No matter how many times I use Bomber Dragon's effect, any monsters Holly Angel points to will remain safe from harm, Pandor took note of this information in her mind. This means I have to destroy Holly Angel first if I'm to go after Aerith's other monsters.

"Appear, for a second time. The circuit of persevering hope!" A second Link Portal appeared above Aerith. "The summoning conditions are two 'Trickstar' monsters. I'll set Trickstar Aqua Angel and the remaining copy of Narkissus into the Link Markers!" Aqua Angel went into the bottom-left arrowhead, while the remaining copy of Narkissus went into the right arrowhead, turning both of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Trickstar Crimson Heart!" A woman with long brunette hair appeared on Aerith's field in one of the two Main Monster Zones Holly Angel pointed to. She wore a long, elegant red dress, as well as a red headband on her head. In her right hand, she carried a set of golden handcuffs.

Trickstar Crimson Heart ATK: 2000 LINK-2 ↙️➡️

"Don't forget about Holly Angel's effects." Aerith reminded Pandor, as Holly Angel swung out her flail towards Pandor once again, which made her take a step back before she winced in slight pain. Holly Angel was surrounded in a golden aura that also powered her up.

Pandor: 2200 – 200 = 2000 LP

Trickstar Holly Angel ATK: 2200 + 200 = 2400

"And don't forget about Bomber Dragon's effect!" Pandor countered, as Bomber Dragon's wings glowed with bright light before they fired green energy, which caused multiple explosions on both player's fields. But when the smoke cleared, it showed Crimson Heart alive and well.

"Sorry, but Bomber Dragon's effect fails you once again." Arin cheekily commented, only for Aerith to give him an unimpressed glare.

"Never taunt the enemy, Arin. Otherwise, it'll only lead to your undoing." Aerith firmly advised Arin, who quickly nodded in understanding.

"Of course. I'll take note of that for the future."

Aerith turned back to the duel after she made that point to Arin. "I activate the effect of Reincarnation from my Graveyard. By banishing it from my Graveyard, I can target one 'Trickstar monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it to my field. Return to me, Lycoris!" At Aerith's command, Lycoris reappeared on Aerith's field in the remaining Main Monster Zone Holly Angel pointed to in defense position.

Trickstar Lycoris ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200 LV: 3

"Holly Angel's effects activate once again!" Aerith reminded Pandor, as Holly Angel swung out her flail towards Pandor once more, which made her take a step back before she winced in slight pain. Holly Angel was surrounded in a golden aura that also powered her up.

Pandor: 2000 – 200 = 1800 LP

Trickstar Holly Angel ATK: 2400 + 200 = 2600

"And Bomber Dragon's effect activates once more." Pandor replied, as Bomber Dragon's wings glowed with bright light before they fired green energy, which caused multiple explosions on both player's fields. But when the smoke cleared, it showed Crimson Heart and Lycoris alive and well.

"I Set one card face-down and end my turn, which means Holly Angel's effect ends, and her strength returns to normal." A red aura surrounded Holly Angel, which returned her strength to normal.

Trickstar Holly Angel ATK: 2600 – 600 = 2000

"Let me ask you a question, little one." Pandor said, which got Arin's attention seconds later. "Just who and what are you exactly? Where did you come from? Are you an AI like myself? Or are you an Ignis, perhaps?"

"Why are you asking these questions in the first place?" Arin questioned back, having become a little tense upon hearing them. After all, the last thing he wanted was for someone outside those he already knew such as Aerith and Raguel to learn about him.

"I am asking because you are an unknown anomaly. In addition, there are no records of any individuals such as yourself made by man." Pandor then turned to Aerith. "Why have you chosen to take this creature under your care, Aerith? From what I saw, humans have been known to make rash decisions no matter how many times they witness the consequences of other people's choices. One could say that you're taking a risk, as if you're not careful, it'll only result in bad consequences for yourself and those you care about."

Aerith sighed. "You may be right in saying that I'm taking a risk, but the way I see it, I'm seizing an opportunity to meet and interact with the unknown. I choose to see the good in Arin, as he has things to bring to this world. Things that will not only benefit both sides, but also form connections as well. If anything, I'm not letting fear hold me back because to not take risks and/or let fear of the unknown consume you prevents growth. I believe the risk will be worth the reward in the end."

"Fascinating. Let's see whether that conviction helps you get through this turn or not, Aerith." Pandor mused out loud. "My turn! I draw!" She drew the top card of her deck.

"Since you drew a card, Lycoris's effect inflicts 200 points of damage to you." Aerith interrupted, as Lycoris pointed her sword at Pandor and fired a golden beam at her, causing her to take one step back.

Pandor: 1800 – 200 = 1600 LP

At the same time, a golden aura surrounded Holly Angel that powered her up temporarily.

Trickstar Holly Angel: 2000 + 200 = 2200

"You really are resilient, Aerith. However, resilience can only get you so far in a duel, especially since I can now use one of the cards you banished with Reincarnation's effect."

"Huh? What are you going on about?" Arin questioned.

"Unless you have a way to get this card you speak of back, there's no way you can use it." Aerith told Pandor.

"On the contrary, this card can be used only if it's been banished. Allow me to show you what I mean." Pandor countered. "I activate the effect of Card from a Different Dimension from my banished zone. During the second Standby Phase after this card was banished, I can add it back to my hand, and by doing so, the both of us can draw the top two cards of our decks." After a card reappeared in Pandor's hand, she drew the top two cards of her deck while Aerith drew the top two cards of her deck.

"You may have gotten more cards, but Lycoris' effect will make you regret doing so." Aerith pointed out, as Lycoris pointed her sword at Pandor and fired a golden beam at her once again, causing her to take one step back. At the same time, a golden aura surrounded Holly Angel that powered her up temporarily.

Pandor: 1600 – (200 X 3) = 1000 LP

Trickstar Holly Angel ATK: 2200 + (200 X 3) = 2800

"Once again, I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Topologina Honeycomb Beehicle. Like before, when this card's activated, I can add one 'Topologina' monster from my deck to my hand. This time, I'll add Topologina Gatsbee from my deck to my hand." A card popped out of Pandor's deck, which she took and added to her hand.

Aerith rolled her eyes. How many times must Pandor do this before she realizes that adding those cards will only make her lose life points, Aerith thought in her mind. "And just like earlier, Lycoris' effect activates again, as well as Holly Angel's effect in gaining more strength." Lycoris pointed her sword at Pandor and fired a golden beam at her once more, causing her to take one step back. At the same time, a golden aura surrounded Holly Angel that powered her up temporarily.

Pandor: 1000 – 200 = 800 LP

Trickstar Holly Angel ATK: 2800 + 200 = 3000

"I assure you that everything I'm doing is in my calculations despite the setbacks encountered." Pandor stated, as if she read Aerith's mind. "I activate Detonation Code's effect once again. Once per turn, when I control a 'Topologic' Link monster, I can target one Dark non-Link Dragon, Machine or Cyberse monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it to my field. Return to me, Cracking Dragon!" At Pandor's command, Cracking Dragon reappeared on Pandor's field in one of the Main Monster Zones away from Bomber Dragon.

Cracking Dragon ATK: 3000 DEF: 0 LV: 8

"Next, I summon Rokket Coder from my hand to my field." Pandor said, as a warrior wearing red and purple armor with light-green lines appeared on Pandor's field. Its helmet consisted of a red bullet, along with two grey horns that had light-green lines on the sides.

Rokket Coder ATK: 1700 DEF: 300 LV: 4

"And now a monster resembling Playmaker's 'Code Talker' monsters…" Aerith muttered upon seeing Rokket Coder on her field.

"I activate Rokket Coder's effect. Once per turn, if I would use this card as material for the Link Summon of a 'Borrel' monster, I can also use one Dark monster in my hand as material."

"What?" Aerith's eyes widened after hearing this information.

"If Pandor has 'Borrel' monsters all of a sudden, it'll be lights out for us!" Arin exclaimed.

Blue Maiden grit her teeth after learning what Pandor planned to do next. While Revolver was willing to lend his 'Topologic' monsters to Pandor, I seriously doubt he'd lend her the 'Borrel' monsters because they're the strongest monsters in his deck, Blue Maiden thought in her mind. Be careful, Aerith. Whatever Pandor's going to bring out next, you'll need to wield the 'Trickstar' deck to its full ability if you wish to stand a chance against what's to come.

"Appear! My futuristic circuit!" Pandor said, as a Link Portal appeared above her. "The summoning conditions are two or more effect monsters. I'll set Cracking Dragon, Rokket Coder and Topologina Gatsbee in my hand into the Link Markers!" A silhouette of a grey and blue-colored slim, cybernetic humanoid bee with large legs and fists, as well as yellow crescents on its feet appeared beside Cracking Dragon and Rokket Coder. Cracking Dragon went into the top arrowhead, Rokket Coder went into the bottom-left arrowhead and Gatsbee went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning all three of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Borrelcode Dragon!" A large, red and gold mechanical dragon with blue eyes and green lines on its body appeared on Pandor's field in one of the Main Monster Zones Bomber Dragon pointed to. Multiple spikes protruded from its back, with a serpentine tail attached to its waist. Attached to its sides were two long, silver hooks that ended in spikes, both of which had green glowing diamonds on them. Lastly, on its back were massive, engine-like packs that were connected to protrusions, which resembled Klein bottles as they emitted green holographic wings.

Borrelcode Dragon ATK: 2500 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"Okay. That's a new 'Borrel' monster…" Arin muttered, a little relieved that Pandor didn't bring out one of the Link 4 'Borrel' monsters. However, given how this was a new 'Borrel' monster, it was obviously wise to be cautious here due to how neither Arin nor Aerith had any knowledge about Borrelcode Dragon's effects.

"But Pandor summoned it to one of the Main Monster Zones Bomber Dragon pointed to, Arin." Aerith pointed out, before turning to Pandor. "Which means its effect activates once again."

"That is correct, Aerith." Pandor simply confirmed, as Bomber Dragon's wings glowed with bright light before they fired green energy, which caused multiple explosions on both player's fields. But when the smoke cleared, no monster was harmed. Not even Borrelcode Dragon.

Aerith narrowed her eyes after seeing what happened. "Your new monster can't be destroyed by card effects, am I correct?"

Pandor smiled after seeing Aerith put two and two together. "That's correct, Aerith. Borrelcode Dragon can't be destroyed by card effects while a Link monster points to it. But moving that aside, I activate the Continuous-Spell card, Link Protection. First, while this card is on my field, only Link monsters I control can attack. In addition, I activate Link Protection's second effect. Once per turn, I can target one Link monster I control and prevent it from being destroyed by battle. However, in exchange, neither of us take any battle damage from a battle. I target Bomber Dragon!" A green aura surrounded Bomber Dragon, which protected it temporarily from destruction.

Blue Maiden looked up Link Protection and Bomber Dragon's effects together before her eyes widened. "This isn't good."

"What is?" Angelica quietly questioned, before going over to look at the information Blue Maiden was looking at just now from her duel disk. She then gasped after realizing what Pandor's plan was for her cards. "Oh no…"

"Thanks to Link Protection's effect, Bomber Dragon won't be destroyed in battle for the rest of this turn." Blue Maiden told Angelica. "And at the end of the damage step, Pandor can inflict damage equal to the attack points of the monster that Bomber Dragon attacked from the battle to Aerith."

"Damn. As clever as Pandor's move is, it's still not good." Angelica turned her attention back to the duel, a frown evident on her face. As long as Aerith plays her cards right, she'll be able to get past this, Angelica confidently thought in her mind.

"Battle!" Pandor declared. "Topologic Bomber Dragon attacks Trickstar Holly Angel! Malicious Mayhem!" Bomber Dragon gathered energy inside its eye before firing a magenta colored blast atHolly Angel, intent on destroying her.

"It isn't over yet, Pandor!" Aerith replied, as she gestured to her field. "Trap card, activate! Lumenize! When you declare an attack, I can target one Light monster I control and not only negate the attack, but also increase the targeted monster's attack points by your battling monster's attack points!"

"What?!" Pandor gasped after hearing this information. Though she was surprised, it was a good thing she had a backup plan in mind. One that would catch Aerith off guard for sure.

"I target Holly Angel!" Holly Angel was surrounded in bright light as a barrier of energy appeared in front of her, which blocked the blast of energy Bomber Dragon fired earlier. The light then intensified as her strength increased.

Trickstar Holly Angel ATK: 3000 X 2 = 6000

"The battle continues." Pandor said, ready to put her backup plan to action. "Borrelcode Dragon attacks Trickstar Holly Angel!"

"Eh? You're attacking even though Holly Angel has way more attack points?" Arin questioned.

"Pandor wouldn't do this if she didn't have a plan in place, Arin." Aerith told Arin, clearly knowing that something was not right here.

"Once again, you're correct, Aerith." Pandor confirmed. "Borrelcode Dragon's effect now activates! At the start of the damage step, if it was Link Summoned using three monsters and it battles a monster you control, all other monsters on the field are destroyed!"

"What?!" both Aerith and Arin exclaimed at the same time.

"Clear the field, Borrelcode Dragon! Borrel Shockwave!" Borrelcode Dragon let out a loud roar as its body glowed green, where it released waves of green energy that enveloped the entire field. While both Bomber Dragon and Holly Angel turned into particles upon being hit with the waves of green energy, barriers surrounded Crimson Heart and Lycoris to keep the duo safe from them. Thus, when the smoke cleared, the only monsters still out were Borrelcode Dragon, Crimson Heart and Lycoris.

"I end my Battle Phase and activate the Continuous-Spell card, Soul Absorption." Pandor said. "While this card's on my field, if a card is banished, I'll gain 500 life points for every card. In addition, I activate the Spell card, Soul Release. This card lets me banish up to five cards from either of our Graveyards."

"Tch." Aerith grit her teeth, clearly aware that Pandor was going to banish five cards from her Graveyard specifically, as well as gain a lot of life points while doing so.

"I'll banish Aqua Angel, Holly Angel and all three copies of Narkissus from your Graveyard, Aerith." Five cards popped out of Aerith's Graveyard before they all turned into particles. "And since five cards were banished, that means I gain a total of 2500 life points." A massive light surrounded Pandor as her life points increased.

Pandor: 800 + (500 X 5) = 3300 LP

"I end my turn." Pandor concluded.

"The good news was that Aerith managed to keep Crimson Heart and Lycoris on her field." Blue Maiden stated.

"While that's certainly good, Pandor now has a new monster and more life points." Angelica countered. "Therefore, Aerith will need to inflict at least 4000 points of damage if she's to defeat Pandor this coming turn."

"Permit me to ask you a question, Aerith." Pandor said. "Do you hate the Hanoi?"

"Hate the Hanoi?" Aerith repeated, the question having caught her off guard just now.

"That's right. The Hanoi caused the Lost Incident and kidnapped you, along with seven others to partake in their experiments. Due to this, the victims were not only traumatized, but forever changed as well. Do you hate the Hanoi for causing you pain at such a young age?"

Aerith frowned as she thought over such a question. As evident by the nightmares she had of being shocked multiple times upon losing a duel, as well as sometimes spacing out every now and then, it was obvious that she was affected by the Lost Incident did to her all those years ago. Though thanks to Aerith's parents and Angelica, along with others, she was able to eventually recover over time despite still being changed forever by it. But did it mean Aerith truly hated the Hanoi for causing the Lost Incident and committing multiple crimes after that? Well, there was one answer to this question. One that Aerith stood by after thinking about it. "You ask me if I hate the Hanoi for making me suffer at a young age, right?"

"I did. What I want to know now is your answer to this question." Pandor said.

"The truth is, I hated my kidnappers at the time for taking me away from Angelica and my parents. However, I had to let go of that hatred over time because I saw firsthand what it can make a person do if they held onto it for so long." Aerith explained, which piqued Pandor's curiosity after hearing such an answer.

"Aerith…" Angelica muttered, now concerned that Aerith will unintentionally reveal information the Hanoi or anyone else can use against them later on. Information that can make someone else's life, along with the lives of those affiliated with the person, worse over time. Angelica wasn't the only person concerned, as Blue Maiden was also worried with what Aerith was about to tell Pandor next.

"It's alright, Angelica. Unless I provide Pandor with a strong example, she won't be able to make her decision on what to do next." Aerith turned back to Pandor. "After the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS, Raguel was consumed with so much hatred towards himself and sin that he nearly caused irreparable damage to the universe. It took everyone's combined effort just to save him from himself, and after seeing what happened, I believe it showed what happens to those who allow hatred to guide their actions. This was what helped me let go of my hatred against my kidnappers over time, as I can't afford to go down that path. Not after I've seen what it does to someone with my own eyes."

"I see. Through this past battle, you gained knowledge so it doesn't repeat itself again." Pandor observed.

"Precisely. But moving back to the Hanoi, Angelica told me about who was responsible for causing the Lost Incident and how they died, so there's no point in hating him." Aerith continued, before she looked down at the ground. "While I won't be able to forgive this man who started the Lost Incident any time soon, I'm moving forward by making sure not to let hatred consume me. Otherwise, I'd be no better than the people I fight against to keep the ones I love safe."

Aerith then looked up at Pandor seconds later. "Last but not least, I believe in a simple truth: People can not only change for the better despite the mistakes they made, but they also have a capacity for good as well. Raguel made a commitment to atone for his wrongs, and from what I've learned, the Hanoi have been doing the same for quite a while now."

Pandor turned to Blue Maiden and Angelica after hearing this information. "Is this true?"

"It's true." Angelica confirmed. "The Hanoi have done many selfless things to atone for their crimes. They provided aid and shelter to people who were caught in the crossfire of past battles so they can survive another day. What's more, Revolver chose not to strike an innocent person during the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS to defeat Lightning as well."

Blue Maiden nodded in agreement to support what Angelica said just now. It clearly showed just how much the Knights of Hanoi have changed since three months prior, where they were willing to complete their goals by any means necessary. For as per Aerith said, people not only had the capacity for good, but can also change for the better despite the mistakes they made. "Angelica is right, Pandor. Things aren't always in black and white, as there are many perspectives in different situations. In addition, everyone who's involved always has a chance to do what's right, even if they screw up multiple times along the way."

"How fascinating. I've seen things from only one perspective due to my directive upon creation." Pandor began speaking. "Yet you and Angelica are saying that there are good aspects in mankind overall, Blue Maiden. Are you saying these good aspects are what makes mankind worth protecting despite the risks involved in making such a decision?"

"Yes!" Aerith immediately answered before Blue Maiden could say anything, which led Pandor to turn to her seconds later. "It's worth it in the end because to deny someone the opportunity to redeem themselves and demonstrate goodness means to deny them free will. Ultimately, every person's choices forms a story that can inspire others to follow in their footsteps and make the world a better place. This truth, I believe is what makes protecting humanity worth it in the end."

"Now that...that was amazing…" Arin commented in a touched tone. He wasn't the only one touched, as Angelica and Blue Maiden were also awestruck with what Aerith said just now. Even Pandor was awestruck, as the information enlightened her to a new side of humanity. One that made it worth protecting in the very end.

"I'll show you what I mean, Pandor. Prepare yourself! My turn! I draw!" Aerith she drew the top card of her deck. "Appear! The circuit of persevering hope!" A Link Portal appeared above her. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Trickstar' monsters. I'll set the Link 2 Trickstar Crimson Heart and Lycoris into the Link Markers!" Crimson Heart went into the top and bottom-left arrowheads, while Lycoris went into the bottom-right arrowhead, turning the three of them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Trickstar Delfiendium!" A woman with light-blue hair who wore a sharp, dark-blue dress appeared on Aerith's field in the right Extra Monster Zone. She also wore white pants and high heeled boots that had golden lines on them, as well as black gloves on her hands. Wrapped around her head was a set of golden headphones, with a top black hat on top of her head. In addition, attached to her back were a total of six wings. Lastly, she carried a large baton in her right hand.

Trickstar Delfiendium ATK: 2200 LINK-3 ↙️⬆️↘️

"Next, I activate the Spell card, Light of Redemption." Aerith stated. "By paying 800 life points, I can target one of my banished Light monsters and add it back to my hand. I'll target and add one of the copies of Narkissus from my banished zone back to my hand." A red aura surrounded Aerith as her life points dropped.

Aerith: 2600 – 800 = 1800 LP

A card then appeared beside Aerith seconds later, which she took and added to her hand.

"I summon Trickstar Narkissus from my hand to my field." At Aerith's command, Narkissus reappeared on her field in one of the Main Monster Zones Delfiendium pointed to.

Trickstar Narkissus ATK: 1000 DEF: 1800 LV: 4

"From there, I activate the Equip Spell card, Angel Wing and equip it onto Delfiendium." Aerith added, as a pair of angelic wings attached themselves onto Delfiendium's back. "Now if Delfiendium inflicts battle damage, you take an additional 300 points of damage."

"I see. Given how I have more life points than you, it only makes sense for you to use cards that will inflict further damage to me." Pandor observed.

"That's not the only thing I can do, Pandor." Aerith replied. "I also activate the Continuous-Spell card, Blockout Curtain. Last but not least, I activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Forbidden Dress. This card lets me target one monster I control and prevent it from being targeted or destroyed by card effects in exchange for it losing 600 attack points. I target Narkissus!" A white veil surrounded Narkissus, which decreased her strength despite providing protection.

Trickstar Narkissus ATK: 1000 – 600 = 400

"Battle!" Aerith thrusted out her right hand. "Trickstar Delfiendium attacks Borrelcode Dragon! At this point, Delfiendium's effect activates! When she declares an attack while pointing to a 'Trickstar' monster, I can not only add a banished 'Trickstar' card back to my hand for each Link monster you control, but also increase her attack points by 1000 for every card added to my hand by this effect as well until the end of this turn! Since you control one Link monster, that means I can add one card. Thus, I'll add Corobane from my banished zone back to my hand and increase Delfiendium's attack points by 1000!" A card appeared beside Aerith, which she took and added to her hand. A blue aura soon surrounded Delfiendium, which increased her attack points.

Trickstar Delfiendium ATK: 2200 + 1000 = 3200

"That attempt will be in vain, Aerith, as Borrelcode Dragon's effect will wipe your field out." Pandor countered, as Borrelcode Dragon let out a loud roar before its body glowed green, where it released waves of green energy that enveloped the entire field. But when the smoke cleared, it showed Delfiendium unscathed. "What? How is Delfiendium still on your field?"

"If a card I control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, I can destroy Blockout Curtain instead." Aerith explained.

"That's very clever, Aerith. This means you can resume Delfiendium's attack." Arin cheered, which led Aerith to smile at him before turning back to the duel.

"Resume the attack, Delfiendium." Aerith said, as Delfiendium spun her baton before charging forward at Borrelcode Dragon. "I now activate the effect of Corobane from my hand. When a 'Trickstar' monster I control battles, I can send her to my Graveyard to increase my monster's attack points by its original attack points until the End Phase." A red aura surrounded Delfiendium as her strength increased.

Trickstar Delfiendium ATK: 3200 + 2200 = 5400

"Go, Delfiendium! Sparkle Cracker!" The end of Delfiendium's baton was surrounded by purple electricity as she leapt forward and brought it down onto Borrelcode Dragon, who groaned in pain before being destroyed in an explosion seconds later. The impact made Pandor shield herself with her right forearm as her life points massively dropped.

Pandor: 3300 – 2900 = 400 LP

"And since Delfiendium destroyed a monster by battle, Angel Wing's effect will inflict 300 points of damage to you." Arin reminded Pandor, before a white burst of energy erupted out of Angel Wing and hit Pandor, which made her wince as her life points dropped once again.

Pandor: 400 – 300 = 100 LP

"Let's end this!" Aerith shouted. "The battle continues one more time! Trickstar Narkissus attacks you directly!" Narkissus aimed her gun at Pandor before firing a yellow blast out of it, which hit the latter and sent her flying as she landed on her back seconds later.

Pandor: 100 – 400 = 0

Aerith walked over to the fallen Pandor, a frown having appeared on her face. "Don't you see, Pandor? Even though humans make mistakes, there's always a chance for them to make amends. If there's anything I learned, it's that redemption is possible for everyone no matter what they've done. Besides, everyone's legacies and how they contribute towards mankind's redemption is what makes it worth protecting, don't you think?"

"Interesting. I… I have learned much from our duel. Information I wouldn't have been able to acquire otherwise." Pandor stated, as she stood up on her feet. "Thank you for this duel, Aerith. You have helped me out quite a lot. I will need to think this over, but it should be enough for me to decide my next steps."

"So what will you do now, Pandor?" Blue Maiden questioned, as she and Angelica walked over to where the others were.

"Like I told Aerith, I need time to think this over, Blue Maiden." Pandor replied. "In the meanwhile, I will also help Demeter out in reconciling with Revolver, as the last thing anyone wants is for a family to be split apart by the sins of the past." With that, Pandor logged out of the server, leaving Aerith, Blue Maiden and Angelica alone in the process.

"Gotta say, Aerith. You did a great job in helping Pandor figure things out." Angelica commented, as she and Blue Maiden walked over to where Aerith was.

"You've certainly mastered the 'Trickstar' deck for sure, Aerith." Blue Maiden added, which made Aerith sweatdrop in response.

"Well, I still have some ways to go, Blue Maiden." Aerith sheepishly responded, before suddenly letting out a scream as she fell to the ground, a light-blue aura having surrounded her body a few seconds later. Her eyes soon widened as images flashed through her mind. Ones showing Yuhiro struggling in battle against people in Herald's server. Ones that, like before, either showed current events or predicted future ones if things continued the way they were right now.

"Aerith!" Blue Maiden and Angelica quickly rushed over to the fallen Aerith before helping her stand up on her feet, the both of them knowing that something was wrong here.

"What happened?" Arin asked, pure concern evident in his voice.

"Raguel… Something's wrong with him…" Aerith answered. "I don't know how, but something's happened to him at Herald's server, and he needs help."

Meanwhile, at Herald's server…

When Yuhiro opened his eyes, he looked around the area he was now in upon walking through the door back in the hallway. It was a massive forest teeming with life, which had multiple craters inside the ground and a few large vines in the area. Lastly, up ahead of Yuhiro was a large stone building that he unfortunately recognized. One that he was at ten years ago.

Great. My memories brought me here to the Lost Incident, Yuhiro cursed in his mind. With little choice on the matter, he unsheathed the two swords strapped to his back, wanting to get to the building as soon as possible. The good thing was that Yuhiro's body was close to being healed thanks to his Link Trigger, which meant he would be able to take on any enemies in his way. Thus, Yuhiro began heading towards the stone building, clearly aware that it was where his next opponent would be found.

Due to most of the craters being too far to jump over, Yuhiro was forced to slide down to the bottom of them using his swords before proceeding to climb up from the other side. As for any large vines that were in his way, he used his swords to chop them up into pieces before carefully navigating through them so he can avoid any unnecessary injuries prior to the coming battle. Suddenly, the area began to shake as the trees began to lean forward before falling, which forced Yuhiro to start running lest they squash him. He hopped over some logs while chopping up other logs with his swords as he continued to run towards the stone building, where the land it was on suddenly began to separate itself from the whole area.

"Damn it! Not now…" Yuhiro muttered to himself, as he picked up the pace so he can race over to the stone building before it was too late. Thinking quickly, he climbed up the tree and hopped onto to a sturdy branch before grabbing one of the long vines attached to it, where he used it as a makeshift swing to reach over to the detached land ahead of him. Luckily, its distance was just far enough for Yuhiro to jump off of it, where he slammed both blades in his hands onto the land to make sure he kept himself steady. For the last thing he wanted was to fall to his death and fail the trials.

Having succeeded in the endeavor, Yuhiro regained his balance before walking over to the stone building, which didn't take too long because it was up ahead of him. Just like earlier, at the front of it was another large portal made of gears, cogs and blocks. In addition, a large black disc covered the portal's entrance, which prevented entry unless the locks were opened. This time, there were three locks, where Yuhiro instantly recognized the first two. As for the last lock, it resembled a large and slim slot. Almost like it was big enough for a book to be put inside.

"If Herald were here, he'd want to make sure our gear was up to date." Yuhiro pulled out the book he got back from his fight against Infearno to see if there was anything he could use to upgrade the gear he currently had on hand. There! "I am the way into the city of woe; I am the way into eternal pain; I am the way to go among the lost." Soon, the three swords in Yuhiro's possession glowed with a bright light, which indicated that their strength had increased. For the swords in Yuhiro's hands, wisps of energy soon appeared on the hilts as they wrapped themselves around his forearms. This meant he could now swing them in combat like bladed whips if needed! However, it caused the book in Yuhiro's hands to be surrounded in a red aura, where any color it had was drained out completely.

Knowing that the book's power was used up, Yuhiro proceeded to insert it in the large and slim keyhole before putting one of his swords in the blade-like keyhole. After this was done, he put his duel disk close to the orb-like lock, which caused the black disc moved over to the left and unlock the portal's entrance just like before. From there, Yuhiro walked through the portal so he can enter inside the stone building and confront whoever was inside.

After a few seconds passed, he entered inside a large room resembling the one he was in over ten years ago. The only difference was that there was a massive sphere of data, which resembled the one Yuhiro put Rachel inside back when he kidnapped her for his plans.

"It seems whatever I'm about to face must be residing in that sphere." Yuhiro theorized, now curious on who would be his opponent next. Was a Cyberse monster inside there? Or was it something else?

"How dare you defy your purpose!" a voice exclaimed, which made Yuhiro brace himself as orange cubic particles appeared out of nowhere, where they all gathered together before forming into a single individual. One that Yuhiro recognized as the person who caused all of this suffering in the place.

Watchman.

"Purpose, you say? You've used everyone, including myself as pawns just so you can fulfil your selfish goals!" Yuhiro furiously responded, clearly aware that Watchman was alive as long as the former remembered him in his memories.

Watchman laughed back after hearing Yuhiro's response. "You really think you can accomplish anything on your own? I not only made you who you are, but also led you to the supplies needed so you can get stronger as well. The least you can do is be my pawn!"

"Says the man who allowed rage and hatred to consume…" Yuhiro gasped upon realizing that he couldn't finish his sentence. Unfortunately, based on recent events, he was no better than Watchman. For despite having noble intentions, the both of them were filled with malice against the things that irreparably damaged their lives. In Watchman's case, it was against Urizen and his allies, as well as sin itself. In Yuhiro's case, it was all the pain and sadness Project: VIII caused on everyone involved, as well as sin itself.

"Stupid boy. Just like me, you've done horrific things. As a result, you're no better than me!" Watchman emphasized.

Yuhiro, upon realizing this, looked down at the ground in shame. "You're right. I am no better than you." He looked up back at Watchman. "However, there is one difference between the two of us."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Unlike you, I have a chance to make things right with the people I deem my family." Yuhiro said, as he unsheathed the swords attached to his back. "I killed you once. I will kill you again."

"Then get ready to die, as your quest for redemption dies with you here and now!" Watchman said, as a Black Key appeared in each of his hands. Before Yuhiro could do anything, Watchman threw both Black Keys at the former, who immediately rolled to the side so he can evade them. However, Watchman whispered an incantation under his breath, which caused the Black Keys to follow after Yuhiro a few seconds later.

I know those are the weapons Watchman used against Azrael, Yuhiro recognized in his mind, as he used the swords in his hands to knock the two Black Keys to the sides. It seems that Watchman is able to use those weapons even without holding them just by whispering a simple incantation. I need to keep my distance and find an opening to strike if I'm to defeat him.

Before Yuhiro could do anything else, Watchman appeared out of nowhere and slashed him with another set of Black Keys in his hands, which pushed the former back several feet. Sliding back a few feet, Watchman then slashed the Black Keys in front of him, where several waves of white and black energy soon emerged before heading straight towards Yuhiro. While he was able to dodge a few of the waves, one of them touched his back, which made him let out a small shout of pain as his Link Trigger began to slowly heal the wound. Not letting up, Watchman threw two more Black Keys at Yuhiro, who knocked them aside with his swords as the latter quickly ran forward at the former. But before Watchman land another strike on Yuhiro, the latter quickly elbowed him in the face with such force that he was forced to take a few steps back.

Quickly seizing the opportunity, Yuhiro ran forward and proceeded to swing the swords in his hands at Watchman, having delivered several wounds onto him in the process. Unbeknownst to Yuhiro, Watchman whispered an incantation under his breath once again, where the four Black Keys from before soon levitated and headed straight towards the former seconds later. Having seen this, Yuhiro was forced to move so he can evade the Black Keys as Watchman ran towards him, two Black Keys in each of his hands. Though Yuhiro managed to knock away the Black Keys chasing him, he couldn't prepare in time for Watchman's coming attack, which consisted of a series of slashes that sent him flying off the ground before landing on it. Due to the unexpected attack, it took a bit of time for Yuhiro to get up on his feet as his Link Trigger continued to slowly heal the wounds that were on his body just now. With what happened, he had to be careful if he was to defeat a tactician like Watchman.

"You were never in control the moment you were born." Watchman taunted, as the Black Keys he threw up until now appeared at his left and right sides. "Your truth was to always be dictated and used like a tool by others."

As the Black Keys flew towards Yuhiro at Watchman's command, the former gained an idea upon seeing the speed of each Black Key that was headed towards him. There! An opening right when he needed it! Yuhiro rolled out of the way to avoid a few of the Black Keys before using his swords to deflect the others back at Watchman, who was forced to dodge them. However, two of the Black Keys pierced through Watchman's body, which gave Yuhiro the opportunity to charge forward and slash him multiple times, having landed several blows on the former as a result.

"You may have a point, Watchman, but at least I'm no longer your tool." Yuhiro coldly told Watchman, as he stabbed the latter and used his swords to swing him towards the data sphere, where he was electrocuted upon impact. As Watchman fell to the ground, Yuhiro charged forward in an attempt to land another blow on him, only for the former to teleport before reappearing behind the latter and striking him with a powerful roundhouse kick. Due to this, Yuhiro was pushed back several feet as Watchman pulled out two Black Keys in an attempt to strike him, which led to the both of them parrying each other's attacks.

"Still defiant, huh? Then allow me to put you in your place." Watchman suddenly slid back a few feet, where he threw the Black Keys in his hands at Yuhiro, who immediately dodged them. And just like before, Watchman whispered an incantation under his breath that caused the Black Keys to chase after Yuhiro, which forced him on the defensive once again. Energy soon surrounded Watchman as he suddenly charged forward and caught Yuhiro off guard by unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks onto him, where the latter was pushed back several feet upon impact.

Damn it. I forgot the Inquisitorius taught their members one of the strongest marital arts in existence, Yuhiro cursed in his mind, as he parried a few attacks coming from the Black Keys nearby before rolling to his right side so he can evade Watchman's next series of martial arts attacks. Having seen an opening, Yuhiro quickly slashed Watchman multiple times before making him jump backwards to evade the coming attacks, where the Black Keys the latter threw up until now soon appeared on his left and right sides.

"Resist all you want, but you will submit because your truth can never be changed." Watchman said, as the Black Keys flew towards Yuhiro, who rolled out of the way to evade a few of them just in time. In addition, Yuhiro used his swords to deflect the others back at Watchman, which forced him to try and dodge them. Though he managed dodge a majority of the Black Keys he fired, three of them still pierced through Watchman's body, which gave Yuhiro the opportunity to charge forward and slash the former multiple times.

"My truth may seem evil, but the way a person views it can be different." Yuhiro countered, as he stabbed Watchman and used his swords to swing him towards the data sphere a second time, where he was electrocuted upon impact. "What's more, the truth can change as circumstances do. It's not defined by one single thing!"

An orange-colored cubic aura surrounded Watchman's body as he got up on his feet, which made Yuhiro shield himself before being pushed back a few feet. "Hmm. It seems your power increased since we last battled. I think it's time I stopped holding back." The orange cubic aura soon lifted Watchman in the air as Black Keys began to surround it to keep him safe. Before Yuhiro can do anything else, the Black Keys rapidly sped straight towards him, which made him run so he can try to evade them. This was partially in vain, as though Yuhiro managed to avoid some of the Black Keys, others slashed his body before sending him flying off the ground, where his back hit the wall seconds later.

Is this the true amount of strength Watchman hid this entire time, Yuhiro wondered in his mind, as he slowly stood up on his feet, his Link Trigger still at work in healing his body from the recent attacks. Unfortunately, there was no time to continue pondering this question, as silhouettes of Watchman suddenly appeared before they all brought down Black Keys to try and further injure Yuhiro. This led him to block some of the silhouettes' attacks and roll out of the way to evade the attacks coming from the others nearby. To make things worse, more Black Keys hurtled straight towards Yuhiro like bullets being fired out of a machine gun, which made Yuhiro run once again to evade them. Long story short, Yuhiro at the moment could not attack due to there being no opening. All he could do was either evade the attacks or block them with the swords in his hands.

The orange cubic aura released another burst of light, which made Yuhiro shield his eyes as Watchman returned to the area, a Black Key having appeared in each of his hands so he can prepare for what's to come. Yuhiro swung his blades at Watchman, who simply dodged to the sides as he fired a Black Key right back at the former, which led him to roll to his left in response. Watchman then sped towards Yuhiro to try and strike him, where the latter simply blocked the former's attack in response. At the last minute, Yuhiro noticed a silhouette of Watchman by his right side, where he blocked the attack before noticing a silhouette of him on his left as he did the same thing. The real Watchman then appeared out of nowhere and leapt down onto the ground in an attempt to slash Yuhiro, only for the latter to block the attack before making the former slide back a few feet in response.

Needing to keep his distance, Watchman threw more Black Keys at Yuhiro, who simply knocked each one back instead of dodging them this time around. This made Watchman dodge as well, only to be caught off guard by Yuhiro, who swung his blades at the former to wound him upon impact. However, Watchman proceeded to dodge the last strike before leaping onto each wall and throwing multiple Black Keys at Yuhiro, which made him knock them back in response to try and wound him. Having seen an opportunity, Watchman emerged from behind Yuhiro and brought down both Black Keys to slash him, only for the latter to block the attack and slash the former back multiple times in response. Now irked, Watchman allowed the orange cubic aura to surround him once again as a bright light emitted from it, which made Yuhiro shield his eyes seconds later. After it died down, Yuhiro saw that the Black Keys from before were now on Watchman's left and right sides, with the others were orbiting around the aura to keep him safe.

Come on. Come on. There has to be a way to damage Watchman despite being surrounded by an aura and a bunch of those weapons, Yuhiro thought in his mind, as he ran to evade the Black Keys that were chasing him. It wasn't just that, as Yuhiro was forced to block the attacks coming from Watchman's silhouettes, with some of them having succeeded in landing a few blows on him in the process. However, it was through this process that Yuhiro managed to find an opening. One he had to capitalize on before it was too late despite him being in so much pain.

Yuhiro quickly rolled to the side to evade the next set of Black Keys that tried to chase him down, where they split up to stop his escape. Seeing this, Yuhiro proceeded to knock away the Black Keys before launching them right back at Watchman, who was forced to retaliate by knocking each one away from him using the Black Keys on hand. Having managed to distract Watchman, Yuhiro then swung the blades at him, which pierced straight through the aura surrounding the latter and right through his sides upon impact. This immediately led Yuhiro to swing the blades downward, where Watchman was sent falling to the ground upon impact. Angered by what happened, Watchman threw multiple Black Keys at Yuhiro as he knocked each one aside, where the former whispered an incantation that caused all of them to chase after him. Having anticipated this, Yuhiro turned around and knocked several Black Keys aside before grabbing two of them with his hands, which quickly led him to throw each one at Watchman. Though Watchman managed to dodge one, he didn't have time to dodge the other Black Key as it pierced right through his chest, where he squirmed in pain seconds later.

Hellbent on making sure Watchman didn't get a chance to recover, Yuhiro stabbed him with both blades before swinging the former to the other side of the room, where his back hit the wall a few seconds later. Yuhiro didn't let up, as he then swung Watchman to the other side of the room, which made his back hit the wall as he tried to stand up on his feet. The Black Key that was inside Watchman's chest then popped up before flying over to Yuhiro, who grabbed it before charging forward at him. In a final attempt to save himself, Watchman whispered one more incantation under his breath, where a few Black Keys nearby flew towards Yuhiro to try and stop him in his tracks. This didn't work, as Yuhiro not only knocked almost all the Black Keys away, but also grabbed the remaining one before stabbing them into Watchman's right forearm and left bicep. As a result, Watchman was pinned to the wall, unable to do anything else but gasp for air upon impact.

"Even if you kill me, the mark I left on your life will forever remain. It can never be undone." Watchman taunted, as Yuhiro charged forward and stabbed the former one more time with the blades in his hands, which caused him to turn into particles.

"Perhaps, but at least I have a future while you do not." Yuhiro coldly countered, having watched as the particles disappeared one by one. After making sure he officially won the fight, Yuhiro sheathed the swords in his hands before heading over to the data sphere, where he saw it shrink before forming into a Black Key. Soon, it fell to the ground, where a small sheath appeared beside the weapon a few seconds later. Knowing that a Black Key would be useful for the fights to come, Yuhiro walked over to the center of the room before strapping the sheath to his left side, now having a total of three sheaths on his body. On his left side was the sheath holding the Black Key while on his right side was the sheath holding the sword he used in his first fight against Gilgamesh. Lastly, strapped to Yuhiro's back were the two swords he obtained from Malacoda prior to his battle against Infearno. As his Link Trigger continued to heal his wounds, another of the towers Yuhiro saw when he first entered into Herald's server emerged out of the ground. However, like before, the only difference was the large portal he walked into earlier being attached to it.

After looking at this, Yuhiro turned his duel disk so the orb faced the tower, where the wisp of energy inside the latter went back inside the former. Once this was done, the black disc moved over to the left, where the portal soon glowed with a purple light seconds later. With this, Yuhiro claimed another part of his deck back, which meant he had three quarters of it so far. This meant Yuhiro had to battle against one more opponent if he was to acquire his full deck back, as well as pass the trials and battle against Gilgamesh to reclaim Excalibur's trust. For in completing these goals, Yuhiro would be able to defeat Raguel Alter for good.

Before Yuhiro could continue thinking, his duel disk glowed again, which led to Atalanta, Hercules/Alpha Mode, Alastor, Macarios and Adele to jump out of it.

"Oh, boy…" Yuhiro muttered, now afraid of what the 'Cyreath' monsters were about to do next.

"What the Hell is going on here?" Alastor questioned. "One moment, we were in the deck…"

"But the next, we were in this limited seal of some sorts." Macarios figured out.

"Maybe Yuhiro knows what's going on." Adele commented, as they all turned to Yuhiro seconds later.

"Yeah. Something is going on, and I'm sorry you all got dragged into this." Yuhiro apologized, before beginning to explain what was going on. Specifically, how he was dragged through a wormhole that returned him to Herald's server, as well as his first fight against Gilgamesh before being forced to complete the trials. Ones that, if Yuhiro failed to complete, would doom him to death forever.

"So long story short, you're forced to battle against a gauntlet against opponents from your past memories in order to reacquire the pieces of the 'Cyreath' deck." Atalanta summed up. "And should you fail to defeat any of them, the consequences of your actions will become your grave."

"Yeah. Pretty much." Yuhiro frowned. "Look, everyone. I am truly sorry that you all suffered. If anything, I do not deserve your forgiveness, and I don't blame any of you if you choose to leave after what happened. But if you choose to stay, then I promise to make things right. I also promise to never betray or fail any of you again, and I will work very hard to regain your trust."

"Had it not been for you falling into despair, I would not have reunited with my children." Alastor spoke up. "What's more, with your defeat, I have been cleansed from the form you cursed me with upon creation. Though I want to give you another chance, like you said, you'll have to work hard in regaining my trust."

"Same here." Atalanta agreed with what Alastor said just now. "Given how you've done some horrific things, you will need to put in the work if you want us to trust you again, Yuhiro. Besides, Herald wouldn't want us to hold a grudge against you forever. He would have wanted us to reconcile and fight on the same side again."

"That, and Herald wouldn't want you to die as punishment for your mistakes, as it doesn't solve the problem." Macarios added, with Adele and Hercules/Alpha Mode nodding in agreement.

Yuhiro frowned before nodding back, clearly aware with what Alastor, Atalanta and Macarios were talking about. They were right in how he had to put in the work, which he had done so far as per the group therapy sessions. As long as Yuhiro continued to put in the work and show he was someone genuinely worth fighting alongside with, then he'll be able to regain their trust again over time. "Don't worry, guys. I will not let you all down. You truly have my word." After hearing this, Atalanta, Hercules/Alpha Mode, Alastor, Macarios and Adele all turned into particles, which went back into Yuhiro's duel disk.

With that, Yuhiro walked into the portal just like before, where a bright light soon appeared that made him shield his eyes. When the light died down, Yuhiro lowered his arms before he looked around the area he was currently in, which was the same hallway he was in earlier.

"Your battle against Watchman was quite… intense, to say the least." Gilgamesh's voice echoed through the hallway as multiple forms of Yuhiro appeared in the mirrors once again, which had the former's voice. "It seems you've had some hatred against that man."

"Watchman used us all as puppets for his selfish plans from the very start. It's no wonder all of us developed a hatred against him, as his plans for peace were nothing more than a facade." Yuhiro explained, as he began jogging towards the other end of the hallway. While this one was longer than the previous one, it did allow Yuhiro to conserve his strength for the third trial.

"Oh? So you weren't the only one who felt hatred towards Watchman?"

"Yes. Watchman betrayed us, and because of his role in the Lost Incident and the suffering he inflicted, all of us agreed agreed that imprisonment wouldn't be fitting for his punishment." Yuhiro sighed. "It was either death or we find a way to strip him of his powers forever."

"Perhaps, but prior to your fight against Watchman, he mentioned how you and him were similar because you've both done horrific things." Gilgamesh's voice began speaking through Yuhiro's reflections. "Just like Watchman, you wanted to finish Project: VIII for a similar goal. In doing so, you added to the cycle of pain, revenge and suffering."

"You're right. In the end, all I've done back then was merely contribute towards the cycle of pain and suffering." Yuhiro reluctantly conceded, knowing that there was no point in trying to justify his actions. For despite his two-fold intentions, he contributed towards the cycle of of pain, revenge and suffering.

"Now let me ask you a question, Yuhiro."

"What?"

"How did it feel in that moment to kill Watchman?" Gilgamesh's voice asked, which was projected through Yuhiro's reflections.

"Are you referring to when I fought Watchman in my second trial? Or are you referring to when I battled against him back in the server resembling the location from the Lost Incident?" Yuhiro questioned back.

"I am referring to when you were corrupted and Watchman fought to destroy you for good so he can 'protect' humanity. In that moment, when you brought down your blade onto Watchman and ruthlessly killed him, how did it make you feel?"

Yuhiro frowned as he thought that question over. There was no point in hiding it, as he needed to come clean so he can move forward in this trial. "It felt right and good at the time, as there was no other way Watchman can pay for his crimes. With his death, I avenged both myself and everyone who was hurt by him. Now let me ask you a question, Gilgamesh."

"Oh? What would that be?" Gilgamesh's voice asked through Yuhiro's reflections.

"Why are you asking me about my feelings on my actions? They do not matter in the grand scheme of things. Not after how my actions nearly destroyed everything I and the others fought to protect."

"On the contrary, feelings play a role when it comes to one's actions, Yuhiro. For when someone commits an action, feelings serve as one of the many motivators behind them. Only by analyzing your feelings at the time, as well as understanding the feelings of what other people felt in response to your actions, will you be able to fully grasp the gravity of them. In turn, it will enable you to take steps towards making amends for your actions."

Yuhiro sighed as he continued walking slowly towards the door on the other end of the hallway, which was the same distance as earlier. He really didn't have time for this mental trial, as he had one more opponent to defeat before passing the trials overall. For Yuhiro only had so much time available to complete the trials, rescue the pieces of his deck, conquer his darkness and regain Excalibur's trust.

"Earlier, you mentioned that every person views a truth differently, as well as how it can change based on the circumstances present." Gilgamesh's voice echoed through Yuhiro's reflections. "Do enlighten me on what you meant by that comment."

"The way a person views things changes over time based on what they go through." Yuhiro began explaining. "It isn't just that, as the people in their lives help them process it before deciding to either let it define who they are or work in forming their own identity. One that is both unique and everlasting in response to what people say about them."

"Interesting. Now let me ask you this: Given your recent actions, how do you view the truth on who you are now, as well as your origins?"

Yuhiro grit his teeth after hearing such a question. After learning the truth about his origins, he saw himself as a monster that caused nothing more than pain to the people in his life. Despite multiple people reassuring Yuhiro of his good aspects, it sadly didn't work in the end, as he ended up snapping and going rogue shortly after the war in Mirror LINK VRAINS. For he just wanted to put an end to the suffering and make all the sacrifices worth it by finishing Project: VIII. Unfortunately, as per Yuhiro's own admission earlier, he merely contributed towards the cycle of pain, revenge and suffering. As a result, those intentions he had were void because they didn't matter in the end.

So how did Yuhiro view himself in the end after everything he went through? Did he accept the truth that he was a monster and nothing less? Or could Yuhiro be something more? Something that can change the world despite his horrific mistakes? Someone that can show how redemption is possible for everyone no matter what grave sin they committed?

After thinking this information over, Yuhiro managed to come up with an answer for Gilgamesh's question.

"While my origins negatively impacted me because I had no say in them, it did not change how the people in my life perceived me." Yuhiro began answering. "It was thanks to them that I eventually stopped seeing myself as a monster, especially after the sins I've committed. Though I still wish to die with meaning, I'd be disgracing my friends and family, as well as the way they view me despite my origins if I were to continue pursuing such a wish."

"Is that so?" Gilgamesh's voice inquired through Yuhiro's reflections.

"Yes. That wish… is nothing more than a curse." Yuhiro looked down at the ground as he made a fist with his right hand. "I have to figure out how to let go of this wish and reconcile with it. This way, I can not only honor my vow to protect the network and take responsibility for what I've done, but also create a legacy that outlines a journey of hope and redemption against all odds should I die in battle."

"Ah. Now that is intriguing to hear from you, Yuhiro. While I can sense your desire to die within your words, the conflict with the vow you made in making your legacy a strong and positive one despite your horrific mistakes has lessened once again. Though the conflict is still there, you could say your views are almost aligned. Nevertheless, you still have more to ponder on as you complete the trials."

With that, Gilgamesh's voice disappeared, which caused all of Yuhiro's reflections to turn into particles seconds later. This left Yuhiro alone as he made it to the end of the hallway despite some trouble in doing so. Upon reaching the door, it opened for him, where white light began to shine out of it. Knowing what had to be done, Yuhiro walked through the door as the white light enveloped him, ready to take on whoever else was in his way to complete the trials.

A minute later, at another area of Herald's server…

When Yuhiro opened his eyes, he began to look around the area so he can get an understanding on where he was at now. Unfortunately for him, he gulped upon seeing where he ended up at after stepping through the door back at the hallway. It resembled a large backyard filled with a few trees, as well as a house up ahead of him.

And nearby the house was none other than Yukage Furutani, who had the Muramasa planted to the ground as he looked at the building. Long story short, this area resembled the home Yuhiro grew up in before the Lost Incident. It was also here where his parents not only died, but also where Watchman kidnapped Yuhiro and Yukage as well upon rescuing them from harm.

"Yukage…" Yuhiro muttered, shocked at what he was seeing ahead of him. It made sense for Yukage to be his final opponent, as it would determine whether he was ready to fight against his darkness. Otherwise, just like Gilgamesh said earlier, he and his deck would be buried by the consequences his actions produced forever.

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

No new cards introduced in this chapter.

QOTC

Which of the characters in Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, in your opinion, had the best character development from start to finish?

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Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 113: The Road to Acceptance. Having begun to undertake Gilgamesh's trials, Yuhiro continues to battle against the ghosts of his past as he finds a way to free himself from the guilt and consequences his past actions had produced. Meanwhile, Soulburner battles Revolver for the possession of Ai's letter, with the winner deciding what to do with it and who gets to battle Ai on the line…

Author's Notes

Alright, everyone! With this, we are officially done the first chapter of 2025. I do hope you all enjoyed it, as a good number of things happened in this chapter. Ones that'll set things up for both the next chapter and others to come. As such, a quick recap is needed, which will be split primarily into three parts:

The first part simply consists of anime scenes, where Soulburner battles against Roboppy while an imprisoned Playmaker, Slipstream and Tigress watch. While it's mostly the same, there are a few things I want to highlight. First being that Ai's affected by Raguel's past actions upon going rogue. Do note that thanks to Raguel's actions, it spurred Jericho to officially enter on the scene in person by blackmailing Ai and Roboppy into helping him seize control of Albinor Inc. and SOL Technologies. It's not just that, as Jericho's appearance has shown how much more dangerous things have come for the heroes compared to when Bohman, Lightning and Azrael were in the picture. I mean, given how Jericho has technology from the dark side of the network, no morals, a strong deck, very powerful abilities as both a duelist and a fighter, as well as strong allies on his side, it truly shows how much of a threat he (and Urizen by extension) will become in the future.

Another thing I want to highlight is the sentience of Salamangreat Blaze Dragon, which is revealed in this duel. Given how the other 'Salamangreat' monsters have sentience, it only makes sense for Blaze Dragon to have sentience, don't you think? And for those of you who were wondering, I will confirm that Blaze Dragon was one of the cards Hideki made for Soulburner back in Chapter 99 prior to the battle against a rogue Raguel.

The last thing I want to highlight for this part is Tigress' thoughts upon seeing an AI such as Roboppy go nuts. While she respects AIs to a certain degree, she didn't expect to see one snap and go out of control, especially an AI having free will. Does that mean Tigress is suddenly afraid of AIs? No, but she's cautious given what she saw, and has made a mental note to treat AIs with a bit more respect so she doesn't end up facing one in a duel in the future. Always wise to be wary, am I correct?

Following the duel's conclusion, Soulburner gets Ai's letter, only for Revolver to appear so he can try to take the letter and complete the Hanoi's last missions. After all, given what Revolver realized last chapter regarding how much damage the Hanoi's 'righteous' crusade caused, he's now hellbent on rectifying it forever no matter who stands in his way. Since it's obviously anime events, do expect this to continue next chapter.

The second part consists of Aerith and Pandor's duel, as the former volunteers for the duel not just to get more experience, but so she can help the latter out with her questions as well. During the duel, we learn that Aerith no longer has any hatred towards the Hanoi, as she chose to let it go after seeing firsthand what it does to a person over time. For the last thing Aerith wants is to go down a similar path and allow it to consume her completely. Several individuals such as Raguel, Playmaker and Watchman allowed feelings such as revenge and hatred to consume them, which costed each one down the road. Though Aerith won't forgive Dr. Kogami for orchestrating the Lost Incident due to the latter being dead, she did make the choice to move forward with her life by letting go of her hatred over time, as well as working to make sure it doesn't consume her. Otherwise, Aerith would be no better than the people she's fighting against just to keep her loved ones safe.

Some are you might be wondering why Aerith told Pandor what Raguel did several chapters ago. It's because she wants to provide an example on what happens if someone were to allow hatred and revenge to consume them, as it can damage a person completely for the rest of their lives. In addition, you could say Aerith trusts Pandor to keep this information safe. After all, the Hanoi obviously know what happened a while back, so it's only fair for Pandor to learn from what happens to humans should they allow hatred and revenge to consume them due to unfair circumstances.

It's through the duel that Pandor acquires knowledge on what to do with herself after she was set free by Revolver back in the previous chapter, as he told her to find out what she wants in life. With this in mind, Pandor uses cards that belonged to the Hanoi such as Cracking Dragon for two reasons. The first reason is simple: She wants to honor her creators. As for the second reason, it's because Pandor wants to give the cards a new purpose, which is helping her figure out what she wants in life now that she's been freed. After all, in the end, a card is still a card. We even get to see Borrelcode Dragon for the first time, where it helped Pandor make a comeback in the duel despite Aerith managing to withstand its effects. Will Revolver use Borrelcode Dragon in the future? Given how he used Topologic Zeroboros, it's obvious that he'll use Borrelcode Dragon in a future chapter.

Moving that aside, Pandor even questions Aerith on why she's keeping Arin with her. After all, he isn't an AI, nor is he an Ignis. What's more, Arin is a creature not known in human records. Pandor even warns Aerith of how if she's not careful in taking Arin under her care, it'll result in horrific consequences for herself and for the people she cares about. Aerith, in response, tells Pandor that she's choosing to see the good in Arin because of the good things he can bring to humanity. It clearly outlines how Aerith's willing to give people a chance, as not everything is evil in the world.

In the end, Aerith manages to defeat Pandor, but barely because of the latter's tactics and how she was able to strike back against the former's strategies. Despite this, Aerith definitely proved herself as a stronger duelist by further mastering the 'Trickstar' deck, as well as using Aqua Angel to assist her when needed. Following the duel, Aerith senses that something is clearly wrong with Yuhiro, which will set things up for next chapter.

The third part consists of Yuhiro not just battling against Gilgamesh, but beginning his trials as well. It's revealed here that Gilgamesh is the one responsible for the wormhole from the previous chapter, as he's furious at Yuhiro for defiling Excalibur's purpose. However, even though Gilgamesh wants Yuhiro to suffer, he does give him a chance to prove himself worthy of wielding Excalibur again. For should Yuhiro fail to complete the trials, then the consequences of his actions will become his grave. No questions asked, as no one will come to save Yuhiro in the event he falls into battle.

This leads Gilgamesh to teleport Yuhiro to the location where his first trial takes place, which is Dis, City of the Burning Abyss. Having been teleported there, Yuhiro proceeds to head over to the building, only to encounter several of the 'Burning Abyss' monsters and defeat them in combat despite massive difficulty. Do note that Yuhiro's still healing from overusing his Link Trigger from the previous chapters, which is why it was difficult for him to defeat the 'Burning Abyss' monsters. Nevertheless, Yuhiro gets Malacoda's swords upon defeating him in combat, which help him greatly for the battles to come.

Upon arriving to the city, Yuhiro looks around the area to find anything that can help him get a piece of the 'Cyreath' deck back, where he finds a book. Suddenly, multiple 'Burning Abyss' monsters ambush Yuhiro, where he evades their attacks before fighting back against them. What surprises Yuhiro the most, however, is seeing Infearno emerge out of nowhere before trying to attack him. It's here where Yuhiro realizes that the trials were formed from his memories, which means his enemies will be ones he battled against a long time ago. Despite some massive difficulty against Infearno, Yuhiro was able to defeat him and the 'Burning Abyss' monsters by using a mix of skill and combat. After all, brute force isn't always the only thing needed when it comes to battles, don't you think?

Before the memory version of Infearno disappears, he makes Yuhiro promise to never bear the responsibility of something alone, especially since people can help manage it. Yuhiro nods back in assurance, saying that he'll try his best to adhere to this promise. Following this, Yuhiro obtains the book, along with a piece of the 'Cyreath' deck from one of the towers. As a result, he's able to reunite with Rasterliger, Medusa, Achilles, Castor and Pollux. When they question what happened and where they are, Yuhiro proceeds to explain the situation before apologizing for how his actions hurt them all. In response to this apology, Medusa tells Yuhiro that Herald wouldn't want the 'Cyreath' monsters to hold a grudge against him. Nor would he want them to abandon Yuhiro after what he's done. After being reassured that he'll get the trust of the 'Cyreath' monsters back in time, Yuhiro thanks Medusa and the others before they return back to his duel disk.

As Yuhiro heads over to the next trial, he's suddenly intercepted by his avatar, which he called Raguel Alter given its corrupted appearance upon going rogue back in Chapter 96. Just what happened to Yuhiro's avatar? Was it become corrupted again? Or is something else happening here? For those questions, I won't spoil them because they will be answered in the next chapter.

Moving that aside, Yuhiro eventually makes it to the second trial, where the area he ends up in resembles the Lost Incident facility. Despite some obstacles, he eventually manages to reach the location, which leads to his battle against Watchman a few minutes later. Remember: This is the Watchman from Yuhiro's memories who's battling against him, not the real one because he's locked away at Jericho's server. During the fight, Watchman manages to land several physical and mental blows on Yuhiro, as well as force him on the defense most of the time. Despite a lot of difficulties, Yuhiro was able to defeat Watchman quite ruthlessly in the end, having been able to adapt and figure out how to counter the latter's attacks.

For those of you who are wondering why the fights are so difficult, it's because the battles are to challenge Yuhiro physically and mentally if he's to pass the trials. It's like you're playing a video game at the highest difficulty. What's more, the opponents chosen represent different aspects of Yuhiro and his mindset, along with how his actions have affected him. In a way, you could say Yuhiro is challenging against the ones who truly affected him as a duelist and an individual.

Some of you may even wonder why Gilgamesh's talking to Yuhiro in between battles as well. It's because they're mental trials meant to challenge Yuhiro and his thought patterns in an attempt to break him down to his lowest point. In other words, Gilgamesh wants to see whether Yuhiro will lose spirit upon being challenged by the questions of his past actions.

Upon defeating Watchman, Yuhiro obtains another piece of the 'Cyreath' deck, where he apologizes to the next group of 'Cyreath' monsters before vowing to not only make things right, but also regain their trust as well. Following this, he enters the next trial, only to appear in an area resembling the house he and Yukage grew up in with their parents. On the topic of Yukage… well, let's just say the trials are going to get quite interesting next chapter.

So without further ado, I want to thank you all for reading Chapter 112 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 like the most about this chapter?

That's it for now, everyone. I will see you next time!