Chapter 73
Hero's Duty and Curious Flower
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaararaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" Soulburner screamed alongside Flame.
They crashed their D-Board into a nearby virtual tree. Even though it was made virtual, it was made up of solid real vision, so the branches still broke and felt painful until they hit the ground.
"Urrrr," Flame moaned as he wiggled out of the duel disk. "My head…"
He looked around, feeling a bit dazed from the crash. He looked around until he noticed his owner and partner, Soulburner, in pain and half unconscious.
"S-Soulburner! Soulburner, are you OK? Soulburner!" Flame shouted as he looked worried about his partner's status.
Then, a shadow cast over them. Flame looked up and noticed the root cause of their predicament. A dark duelist in an all-black suit with purple lines and a black mask that looks like a skull hovered over them.
"You've lost, Soulburner. Now, your Fire Ignis is ours for the taking," Reaper said.
"Tch!" Flame glared at Reaper but felt helpless. His owner was half unconscious, and there was no way he could fight back now.
As he thought this was over for him and Takeru, it was until then…
"Stop right there!" Flame and Reaper turned in the direction of the voice. That was when Cyber Man and Playmaker stopped in between Flame and Reaper.
"Playmaker! And Cy-Cyber Man!" Flame gasped.
"I AM HERE!" Ai shouted as he posed heroically with his chest out.
"We won't let you harm Soulburner or the Fire Ignis, you villain!" Cyber Man stated.
"If you want them, you must get through us first!" Playmaker added.
The two duelists pulled up their duel disks, ready to fight back Reaper.
Reaper didn't look fazed. "Very well. I will accept your challenge. A tag duel it…"
That was when a beeping noise occurred. Reaper reacted to it as the noise was coming inside his mask.
He put his right hand over his right ear. "Yes, Master?"
"It is time for you to leave. You are not strong enough to duel against both Cyber Man and Playmaker. Retreat for now," Darkside ordered.
"Yes, master," Reaper obeyed. As the call ended, Reaper disappeared in a flash of light.
"He logged out!" Ai exclaimed.
"At least for now," Cyber Man said.
Meanwhile, simultaneously, the bounty hunters at SOL Tech watched the two duels. The first duel between Cyber Man and Soulburner was nothing too interesting, but they were disappointed that Cyber Man failed to get the Fire Ignis. However, the second duel was more interesting.
The mysterious Link Killer Reaper showed up and dueled Soulburner and defeated him. They were surprised by the eerie, dark duelist's dueling style and cruelty. They understood how brutal Reaper was.
"Well," Blood Shephard spoke up, breaking the silence. "That was something."
"Shark, shark, shark!" Sharkbite laughed. "What's wrong, Blood Shephard? Is that all you want to say? I couldn't help but notice that I smell a bit of fear in you."
"Hmph. Are you suggesting that I am afraid of the Reaper?" The hunter questioned Sharkbite. "I can take care of him easily."
"Don't underestimate the enemy, Blood Shephard!" He and Sharkbite turned to Go, looking serious. "Have you not seen what he is capable of? It's infuriating to see someone else who is after the Ignis. If we want to defeat this Reaper, we must be prepared if they challenge us."
"You don't need to tell me that. I am very much prepared for any future duels from now on. I won't be defeated again. Not by Playmaker and his allies or this Reaper duelist," Blood Shephard stated.
"Umm, hey guys." The trio of men looked at Fate Kid, who looked indifferent. "Sorry to interrupt, but I don't think you can beat Reaper. If anyone can defeat Reaper, I think Cyber Man can."
The trio looked surprised and glared at Fate Kid. "What do you mean by that, kid?" Go asked offensively.
"Don't get me wrong. You guys are strong, but all three of you have lost to Playmaker, Soulburner, or Codebreaker. This Reaper guy just defeated Soulburner in a Speed Duel, so what is the chance of us winning against him in a duel?" Fate Kid asked.
"Listen, brat. We don't need a reminder of our past loss from a kid," Blood Shephard warned, making Fate Kid step back.
"Hey, leave him alone, Blood Shephard!" Go put his arm in front of Blood Shephard, protecting Fate Kid.
"Back away, Go Onizuka. Unless you want to get in my way," he argued. "Besides, how can the brat's corny hero boss defeat that, Reaper?"
"Hey! Cyber Man is much stronger than you, and he can surely beat Reaper!" Fate Kid argued angrily.
"What did you say, brat?" Blood Shephard was about to fight Fate Kid.
"We agree with Fate Kid." The bounty hunters stopped as they turned to see Akira and Queen enter the virtual room and join the conversation.
"You three have lost to the ones with the Ignis," Queen stated. "I don't think we have enough confidence if you can defeat this Reaper."
Go, Blood Shephard and Sharkbite grit their mouth or teeth (only Go's and Sharkbite's mouths were visible) hearing that, but Queen had a point.
"However, I agree that Cyber Man isn't strong enough to defeat Reaper. However, now that we have seen his little show with Soulburner, we know how he duels. We must prepare if we ever encounter the mysterious enemy," Queen said.
"In the meantime, all of you should focus on the original purpose. Capturing the Ignis is our priority. We will make some preparations to counter against Reaper. For now, please rest up and be careful when you are in Link VRAINS," Akira stated.
"Just don't be too focused on the Reaper. Don't forget why we hire you lots," Queen said. "You are all dismissed for now."
The bounty hunters complied, and they all logged out.
"Maim, I know capturing the Ignis is our priority, but I am concerned about Reaper. As long as he is around, the safety of the users in Link VRAINS is…"
"Forget about that," Queen interrupted. "We cannot worry over one duelist causing a ruckus in Link VRAINS. As long as we go after Playmaker, Soulburner, and Codebreaker and capture their Ignis, we will worry about public safety later. For now, we should focus on finding Codebreaker, who is still missing."
Akira didn't like the Queen's thought about neglecting public safety. Not only is he worried about other people, but he is also worried about his sister. Link VRAINS wasn't as safe as it used to be until Reaper arrived. However, he couldn't argue with Queen here.
For now, he had to obey her. "Yes, maim. I understand."
In the real world, Aoi Zaizen and Emma Bessho also saw the duels. Though they were on friendly terms with Cyber Man, they were glad he lost to Soulburner; otherwise, the Fire Ignins would have been captured and bought by SOL Tech.
On the other hand, they felt awful for Soulburner for losing to Reaper. They also heard of the mysterious duelist who forced other people to duel them and used a card that forced duelists to Link Summon against their will. Now they understood the rumors were all true.
Aoi remembered her time with Shima and noticed how depressed he was. She finally understood why. The way Reaper dueled against Soulburner and forced him to summon his Link Monster must have been the same thing he did to Shima.
With this mysterious, strong, and dangerous duelist around, she wasn't sure about the safety of the people she cared for.
She also felt awful for Cyber Man. He would likely be defeated if he encountered Reaper and dueled the duelist.
Emma noticed Aoi's sad, worried expression. She patted on the young girl's shoulder.
"Hey, Aoi. Don't worry about a thing," Emma encouraged her. "We should be focusing on our mission. However, we should also be more careful from now on."
Aoi changed her mood. "R-Right!"
Emma smiled lightly but was also concerned and oddly suspicious about things. Codebreaker's disappearance and Reaper's appearance in the past weeks seemed to be very odd in timing, and what was even more damming was that Reaper used a card with a similar name to Codebreaker's deck.
'Could it be possible that Reaper and Codebreaker…' Emma thought.
A little later, Playmaker, Soulburner, Ai, and Flame gathered at Kusanagi's hot dog car.
"Damn it!" Takeru clenched his fist and hit the inside wall of the cart. "Even though I defeated Cyber Man, how could I lose to that Reaper!?"
"Calm down, Takeru! This isn't like you!" Flame shouted.
"Also, please do not bang inside my car," Kusanagi stated.
"I'm sorry, Kusanagi-san, but I couldn't help it! I feel so frustrated! If losing was bad enough, I thought I would lose Flame forever!" Takeura cried.
"Takeru…" Flame looked at his partner sympathetically.
"But you know. That Reaper guy is so strong and scary! Not only do we have to deal with SOL Tech, Bowman, and the Beast, we have to deal with that guy, too!" Ai complained. "This is too much stress!"
"I would not argue there, but…" Yusaku said. "After this, I learned three things from this."
Everyone looked at Yusaku and was puzzled.
"Huh? What do you mean, Yusaku?" Ai asked.
"One, the Reaper also wants you, and Flame, the Ignis. Two, from how he interacted with Cyber Man and me when we stopped him from capturing Flame and harming Takeru, Reaper and Cyber Man didn't know each other. Therefore, they are not allies," Yusaku pointed out.
"Hey, that's a good point. So, that means that Reaper is not working for SOL Tech," Ai nodded.
"That I thought too, Yusaku," Flame added.
"And three…." Everyone looked a bit surprised when Yusaku looked a bit hesitant to say the last thing. Yusaku usually says three things, but he hesitates to say the last one this time.
"What's wrong, Yusaku?" Kusanagi asked.
Yusaku sighed. "The last thing is that this mysterious duelist, Reaper, uses a card with a name similar to Codebreaker's deck, which leads to my suspicion that he has something to do with Codebreaker's disappearance."
Takeru stood up quickly. "You think Reaper is behind Yu being missing?"
"It is a possibility. With what we know so far, it is highly probable," Yusaku answered.
"Then, that is more reason to beat him!" Takeru exclaimed. "We got to find this Reaper, beat him, and force him to tell what happened to Codebreaker!"
"Hold it!" Flame shouted as he pointed a finger at Takeru. "You can't do that! We don't even know where the Reaper is or when they will appear next time in Link VRAINS!"
"But!" Takeru argued.
"Takeru-kun, I understand how you feel. You want to get back at Reaper, but instead of seeking revenge, we should think of a strategy on how to counter against Reaper if you or Yusaku face against him again," Kusanagi noted.
Takeru clenched his fist but took a deep breath and sat back down. "Sorry, Kusanagi-san, you are right. We should think of something before we act."
Yusaku looked indifferent but felt concerned for Takeru's mental state.
He didn't know why, but Takeru seemed very upset. Then again, it was understandable. One, he almost lost his precious partner, Flame, to a mysterious enemy that they have little information about their identity. The new enemy, Reaper, was a powerful duelist, possibly the strongest duelist they had ever encountered. With their strategy revolving around forcing their opponent to Link Summon their Link Monsters and using their Xyz Monster to steal the Link Monster and attach it to the Xyz Monster to activate a devasting effect, they were at a considerable disadvantage when their strategy revolved a lot of Link Summoning and Link Monsters. Third, he couldn't tell the whole truth, but he was suspicious that Reaper's true identity could be…
Code of Secrets
Somewhere else in the net, Reaper returned to Darkside.
"Congratulations on your victory, Reaper. You did well," Darkside praised.
"Thank you, Master Darkside," Reaper replied. "However, I couldn't capture the Fire Ignis for our leader."
"No worries. We can capture the Ignis some other times, but…" Darkside's glowing eyes glared. "You should be more careful with yourself. The mask you're wearing has a crack."
"I didn't notice," Reaper replied.
"I will fix it up. For now, you may rest," Darkside said as he removed the mask, revealing Reaper's face.
"Yes, Master. Thank you," Reaper said as he left.
Code of Secrets
Somewhere in LINK VRAINS, Cyber Man was on his usual patrol, but he was quietly standing over a tower, looking over the citizens for any sign of trouble.
Though, he couldn't focus so much on his job. He was thinking about his duel with Soulburner and Reaper.
"I need to get stronger. As much as I don't want to be an enemy with Soulburner, I swore my duty to SOL Tech to capture the Ignis," he said to himself.
"But now…. With this new enemy, Reaper, showing up, I have a bad feeling about all this," Cyber Man said as he clenched his hands. "I must get stronger!"
Meanwhile, at Mr. Same's sushi restaurant, Sakura was hanging out with her classmates and friends, Nami and Robin.
They discussed how Soulburner and Cyber Man dueled, but after that, Soulburner lost to Reaper. It was a big news story in LINK VRAINS and Den City.
"I can't believe Soulburner won to Cyber Man but also lost to that creepy Reaper guy!" Nami exclaimed. "I am scared to go to LINK VRAINS now that that creep is around."
"I heard from other students at our school that their friends encountered Reaper and lost," Robin noted. "It looks like the rumor that Reaper uses a card that forces duelists to use Link Summon was true, after all."
"Say, Sakura, what do you think of it all?" Nami asked, noticing that Sakura wasn't paying attention to their discussion.
She thought about how strong Reaper was and worried about Codebreaker being missing. If Codebreaker was here, maybe he could stop Reaper and defeat him in a duel, but she wasn't too sure if he could even defeat Reaper. That Xyz Monster of theirs was too powerful. It could steal the opponent's Link Monster and attach it to strengthen itself.
"Hey! Earth to Sakura!" Sakura snapped out of her thoughts.
"Oh, what's the matter, Nami?" Sakura asked.
"Didn't you hear what I said?" Nami asked.
"S-Sorry, but no," Skaura apologized.
Robin lightly smiled. "I am guessing you were thinking about Reaper, haven't you, Sakura?"
Sakura gasped a bit. "How did you know?"
Nami sighed. "You are so obvious to read, Sakura. Then again, looking from your position, I wouldn't blame you, but as you are Blossom Star, I think you will be fine!"
"Nami is right. You are strong, Sakura," Robin reassured.
Sakura smiled. "Thank you, Nami and Robin. I will do my best!"
However, she wondered if doing her best was enough.
"Though, unlike Mech Genius, I am not sure about Reaper at all," Robin said.
"What do you mean, Robin?" Nami asked.
"Even though Mech Genius treated other duelists horribly, he showed some decency and integrity. On the other hand, Reaper doesn't show any integrity or decency towards others. They don't care about if the duelist gets hurt in the process. I have seen people who encountered and dueled Reaper who looked not too physically terrible but very mentally and emotionally depressed. As if their pride and confidence as a duelist were completely sapped away," Robin explained.
"That sounds horrible," Nami commented. "But with how strong Reaper is, I can see why."
"Sakura, maybe you should stay away from LINK VRAINS until things calm down," Nami suggested.
Sakura nodded. "Thank you, Nami, but I will be fine. I promised Silver Wing that I would meet him in LINK VRAINS later. He asked for help finding Reaper and to stop him. My parents were concerned about me, but I assured them I wanted to help stop Reaper. I don't want to do nothing but fear a strange, strong duelist."
Nami smiled cheekily like a cat. "Uh, a little date with Silver Wing! You two sure get along well!"
Sakura blushed. "Wh-What?! That's not what it is! He just asked me to help him! That's all!"
Robin giggled as Nami teased Sakura. Meanwhile, the restaurant owner, Mr. Same, whose alter ego is Sharkbite, listened to the conversation.
After a while, Sakura logged in as Blossom Star into Link VRAINS. She met up with Silver Wing, and they began their search for Reaper.
They were in the South Sector, and since the Reaper's incident, it had been pretty quiet, much quieter than usual.
"With how so many people are afraid to log in because of Reaper, there aren't many people around," Silver Wing noted while riding his D-Board.
"No kidding," Blossom Star said, riding next to him. "It's sad, but I understand their feeling. I hope we can return to normalcy soon."
"Say, Blossom Star?" She looked over at Silver Wing. "I was wondering… Do you… like Codebreaker?"
Blossom Star was surprised when Silver Wing asked him that question. She wondered why but decided not to think too hard about it.
"No, I don't. Well, I see him as a friend and ally. He was the one who helped me to convince my parents that I wanted to continue being Blossom Star, an idol duelist. Now, I think he needs my or, rather, our help. If we find Reaper, I want to ask him where Codebreaker is because I feel he must know something about his disappearance, and maybe he is the one who caused it, too."
Silver Wing looked a bit relieved for some reason but quickly grinned. "Then, let's search this bastard and teach him a lesson!"
Blossom Star chuckled as they rode on. "I guess so!"
Code of Secrets
Fate Kid was patrolling somewhere else in the South Sector when he suddenly heard a scream nearby.
"Kyaaaaahhh!" Someone screamed.
"A distress?!" Fate Kid said as he went to the source of the scream.
He quickly found the source.
"Please! No! Go away!" The female duelist screamed.
"You agreed to duel against me, and now you must pay the consequence for losing," Reaper stated.
"No! I… I want to get back to you for destroying my boyfriend! You ruined his life and our relationship since he lost to you!" The female duelist avatar shouted with tears dripping from her eyes.
"I do not care. I would commend you for your bravery, approaching me when I've been found, but it was futile," Reaper said. "Now, your punishment!"
"Nooo!" She screamed.
"Hey!" Reaper looked up.
Fate Kid jumped in front of the fallen female duelist.
"Leave her alone, you fiend!" Fate Kid shouted.
"You are… Cool Kid!" The girl pointed out.
Fate Kid dropped comedically. "No, I am Fate Kid! I am Cyber Man's most trustworthy sidekick! You should log out while you have the chance!"
"Um, OK!" The female avatar did so, logging out quickly and leaving Fate Kid to Reaper.
"You said you are a sidekick to Cyber Man?" Reaper asked.
Fate Kid grinned. "Yes, I am! And I am here to defeat you, Reaper! You have threatened the livelihood and freedom of all the people in LINK VRAINS! I won't let you have your way!"
"Hmph. I have no time to deal with a brat," Reaper said as he turned away and began walking away.
Suddenly, a red anchor caught over his left arm. The anchor came from Fate Kid's duel disk as he grinned cheekily.
"Hehe! You can't get away now! Now you are forced to duel me, and we will do it in a Master Duel format!" Fate Kid declared.
Reaper turned back. "Very well then. I hope you don't regret your choice!"
"DUEL!" They both shouted.
Fate Kid vs. The Reaper
Fate Kid: 4000 LP
The Reaper: 4000 LP
Silver Wing and Blossom Star were flying by not too far away when Silver Wing noticed Fate Kid dueling Reaper.
"Blossom Star, look!" He pointed. "There's Reaper, and he is going to duel someone!"
"Let's get down and take a look, but without becoming seen," she decided as they quickly yet quietly settled down.
Meanwhile, a spy bot was also nearby. It belonged to Ghost Girl, Emma Bessho's VRAINS avatar self.
The spy bot begins showing the duel in the real world when Aoi and Emma notice Fate Kid.
"Hey, that's Fate Kid, and he is dueling… Reaper!" Aoi gasped.
"What is that kid doing? Doesn't he know he is too dangerous?" Emma asked.
"I will allow you to take the first turn," Reaper said. "Make it count."
"You will regret it when you do!" Fate Kid bragged. "I summon Destiny HERO – Diamond Dude!"
A green-capped man with blue diamonds growing all over his arms, legs, and back appeared as he stood beside his master.
Destiny HERO – Diamond Dude 1400 ATK 1600 DEF Level 4
"I activate Doom Lord's effect! Once per turn, I can look at the top card of my Deck, and if it is a Normal Spell card, I send it to the graveyard. Otherwise, I place it on the bottom of my Deck!" Fate Kid took the top card from his deck and looked at it.
He smiled slightly at it. "And what do you know? It is the Spell Card, Pot of Greed! So, I will send it to my Graveyard!" He sent it to the graveyard.
"Then, I play the Spell Card Double Summon! This allows me to summon a monster for a second time. I summon Destiny HERO – Captain Tenacious in defense mode!"
A half-naked muscular man with long, spiky orange hair and two big green shields covering most of his arms appeared as he was kneeling down.
Destiny HERO – Captain Tenacious 800 ATK 800 DEF Level 3
"I set two cards face-down and end my turn!" Fate Kid finished. "What do you think so far, Reaper?"
"…." Reaper stared at him, not saying any words and making Fate Kid sweat-drop in response.
"Not much of a talk, huh? I guess you are just afraid or being cautious," Fate Kid teased.
"My turn. I draw!" Reaper drew his card to begin his turn.
'This brat… He hasn't summoned a Link Monster yet,' Reaper thought as he looked at the cards in his hand. 'Unfortunately, I cannot use my monster's effect to Special Summon themselves since there is no Link Monster on the field, but I will make this due for now!'
"I summon Q# Neutron!" A small being made up of unknown dark purple energy and glowing yellow slitted eyes appeared on the field.
Q# Neutron – Cyberse/Effect 0 ATK 0 DEF Level 1
"Open, the circuit of death!" A Link Portal appeared above him, which surprised Fate Kid, Blossom Star, Silver Wing, Aoi, and Emma. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 4 or lower DARK Cyberse monster. I set my Level 4 Q# Neutron to the Link Marker!"
The energy monster turned into a purple twister, absorbing into the bottom arrow as it made it glow red.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 1! Q# Minus Serpent!" A long purple serpent with glowing yellow lines over its skin and yellow eyes appeared as it slithered on the Extra Monster Zone.
Q# Minus Serpent – Cyberse/Link/Effect 0 ATK LINK 1
"A 0 ATK Link 1 monster?" Fate Kid thought aloud. "That thing doesn't scare me!"
"Oh, you will be scared very soon," Reaper stated. "Q# Minus Serpent's effect! Once per turn, if my opponent controls no Link Monster, then until my next Standby Phase, I can allow you to take control of this card."
"Say what?" Fate Kid gasped as everyone who was watching did, too. Minus Serpent disappeared and then reappeared next to Diamond Dude.
It hissed at Diamond Dude and Captain Tenacious, making the men gasp like their master.
"If Link Monster is summoned, I can Special Summon Q# Light from my hand!" A bright blue light shined on the field, revealing its body to be just a pure light with sharp red eyes.
Q# Light - Cyberse/Effect, 1000 ATK DEF 0 Level 4
"Additionally all Link Monsters on the field lose 500 ATK, but Minus Serpent has zero attack, so this effect doesn't apply it," Reapter noted before he picked out another card from his hand. "Since I control a Q# monster, I can Special Summon Q# Shadow from my hand!"
A shadowy orb with glowing, saddened blue eyes appeared on the field.
Q# Shadow – Cyberse/Effect, 0 ATK 1000 DEF Level 4
"Q# Shadow effect continues! If my opponent controls a Link Monster, I can Special Summon a Q# Token!" A single shadow orb appeared in defense mode as it lurked out of the shadow.
Q# Token – Cyberse/Token, 0 ATK, 0 DEF Level 4
"Three Level 4 monsters…" Blossom Star noticed.
"It is coming!" Silver Wing exclaimed.
"I use my Level 4 Q# Light, Shadow, and Token to build the Overlay Network!" A purple electricity sparked around Reaper's duel disk before it shot away, creating a giant X.
The three monsters entered the red dots on the X, and then it created a galaxy spiral portal.
"Link-Killer Dragon, let your roar echoes the Cyberse realm to show your mighty power and lay destruction upon whoever stands in the way! Xyz Summon! Rise, Rank 4!Q# Quantum Dragon!"
A shadowy dragon roared at the Extra Monster Zone.
Q# Quantum Dragon – Cyberse/Xyz/Effect, 2800 ATK 2000 DEF OU: 3 RANK 4
"Quantum Dragon's effect activates!" Reaper declared. "If it is Xyz Summoned, it can activate effects of Q# monsters attached to it as Xyz Materials as its own. I will use Q# Shadow's effect!" Another token appeared behind Quantum Dragon.
"Then, I detach two overlay units from my dragon to target 1 Link Monster on the field! I target Q# Minus Serpent!" Quantum Dragon's eyes glowed in red before it showed a red light.
The eyes scanned over Serpent, turning it into data particles before it absorbed as overlay units onto Quantum Dragon, orbiting it.
"I attach Minus Serpent to Quantum Dragon as its Xyz Material."
"But, it had zero attack points, so your dragon won't gain any attack!" Cyber Man sneered. "It looks like to me that you made a big miscalculation."
"Wrong," Reaper replied, changing Fate Kid's look. "I did it on purpose for this! I activate Q# Minus Serpent's additional effect! If this card is attached as Xyz Material to a Q# Xyz Monster, that monster's ATK is doubled until the end of this turn!"
Quantum Dragon's body glowed in purple as its ATK increased tremendously.
Q# Quantum Dragon – 2800 5600 ATK.
"5600 ATK?!" Fate Kid gasped.
"Battle! I attack your Destiny HERO – Diamond Dude!" Quantum Dragon charged energy in its mouth before firing at the hero.
"If this hits, Fate Kid will lose!" Aoi exclaimed.
"This is the end," Reaper stated.
"Not so fast!" Reaper stopped and watched as Fate Kid pointed to his set card. "I activate my Trap Card, D-Fusion!"
One of kid's Trap Cards flipped up, revealing two figures, one red and one blue, encircling around each other in front of a big letter "D" in the sky and the city skyscrapers.
"A Fusion Card that is a Trap card?" Aoi looked surprised.
"Normally, a Fusion Card is a Spell Card, but this one is a special card that supports Destiny HERO that allows the duelist to Fusion Summon," Emma noted.
"With this, I Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, using the monsters I control as a Fusion Material! I fuse my Diamond Dude and Captain Tenacious!"
The two heroes jumped up high and turned into red and blue twisters, which merged into one big purple twister.
"Hero of Diamond, join hands with the Tenacious Hero, to bring forth a new hero! Rise, the hero who fights against dystopia! Destiny HERO – Dystopia!"
A purple humanoid figure with a yellow mask and shoulder pads appeared in the other Extra Monster Zone as it was placed face-up in a defense position.
Destiny HERO – Dystopia – Warrior/Fusion/Effect, 2800 ATK, 2400 DEF Level 8
"Even so, your monster will still be destroyed! Go, Quantum Dragon! Use Quantum Blast!" Quantum Dragon roared as it fired at Dystopia.
However, it didn't hurt Dystopia at all.
"What's this?" Reaper looked puzzled.
"Thanks to D-Fusion, the summoned monster cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect!" Fate Kid revealed. "Then, I activate Dystopia's effect! If he is Special Summoned, I can target one Level 4 or lower Destiny HERO monster in my graveyard to inflict damage to you equal to that target's ATK! I choose Diamond Dude!"
An after-image of Diamond Dude briefly appeared before it absorbed into Dystopia, causing his body to glow in yellow light. He gathered the energy in his right hand into an energy ball and fired it at Reaper.
Reaper covered his mask with his arms as he winced from the damage but stood firmly.
Reaper: 4000 LP 2600 LP
"Hmph. Not bad," Reaper commented. "Perhaps you may be much more… fun to play around with. I set a card to end my turn. At this point, Q# Minus Serpent's effect ends, returning my Dragon's ATK to normal."
Blossom Star released the air she was holding in. "That was close."
"Right," Silver Wing agreed. "Fate Kid managed not just survive Q# Quantum Dragon's attack, but able to hit effect damage on Reaper's Life Points. He almost lost half of his life points."
'Phew! Somehow, I managed to survive this turn. I didn't expect him to Link Summon a monster and make it summon to my side of the field,' Fate Kid thought. 'But I got my ace monster out, so now I just have to believe in the heart of my deck and beat this guy for justice!'
"My turn! I draw!" Fate Kid drew his card. "At this point of my turn, I activate Diamond Dude's additional effect! During my second Standby Phase, I can activate that Normal Spell Card I sent to my graveyard from my previous turn. If you don't remember, it was my Pot of Greed! I draw two more cards!"
"I don't think he needed to explain that card effect, though," Silver Wing said, sweat dropping. Everyone, including their grandmas, knows the Pot of Greed's effect.
"Y-Yeah," Blossom Star couldn't disagree with that.
Fate Kid looked over the cards in his hand and smirked. "OK! I Special Summon Destiny HERO – Young Wiccan!"
A man wearing a black and gray suit, a black crown, and red cape with a black "D" on it appeared on the field.
Destiny HERO – Young Wiccan – Warrior/Effect, 800 ATK 900 DEF Level 2
"Young Wiccan can be Special Summoned if he is added to my hand by a card effect," Fate Kid stated. "Then, I play the Equip Spell D – Teamwork!"
The Spell Card showed Destiny HERO Diamond Dude helping out Dogma in a destroyed city street, finding any injured civilians as some civilians have bandages, and cars flipped over.
"I equip it to Dystopia, and he gains 200 ATK for every Destiny HERO monster in my Graveyard!" Dystopia's body glowed in purple energy as he flexed his muscles and roared.
Destiny HERO – Dystopia – 2800 3200 ATK
"His monster is stronger than Reaper's dragon!" Blossom Star pointed out.
"Yeah, but I don't think that's the only thing Fate Kid did," Silver Wing said.
"Now, Dystopia's effect activates! If his current ATK is different from his original ATK, I can target 1 card on the field and destroy it, and if I do, Dystopia's ATK becomes equal to his original attack!"
Reaper raised his eyes. "I target your Q# Quantum Dragon!" Dystopia opened up his palm, creating a small black hole. Quantum Dragon cried in retaliation, but it was swallowed into the black hole.
Destiny HERO – Dystopia – 3200 2800 ATK
"So, you destroyed my monster by making your monster stronger but sacrificed the attack boost," Reaper noticed. 'This brat is much more capable than I thought. However…'
"I switch Dystopia to attack mode" Dystopia stood up, ready to attack at commend. "It's time to battle! Go, Dystopia! Attack his Q# Token!" Dystopia leaped up into the sky and dived down with a punch at Q# Token.
"If this attack hits, Fate Kid will win!" Blossom Star exclaimed.
"When he wins, we can ask him to tell Reaper where Codebreaker is," Silver Wing added.
"Your tyranny ends here!" Fate Kid shouted.
"However, you are a foolish child!" Fate Kid and everyone else watching looked perplexed.
"Trap activates! Q# Restore Metamorphous!" The trap card showed a computer monitor showing Q# Light transforming into what appeared to be a silhouette of Q# Quantum Dragon.
"When my opponent declares an attack on a Q# monster, I can tribute that monster and then Special Summon one Q# monster from my Graveyard! I resurrect Q# Quantum Dragon!" Q# Token was replaced with the dark dragon as it roared at Destiny Hero – Dystopia.
"Then, I cancel my attack!" Fate Kid declared. "I end my turn."
Silver Wing looked displeased. "Oh, man! If that dragon didn't have the same ATK equal to Dystopia, Fate Kid could have destroyed it."
"True, but I wonder why he bought that dragon back," Blossom Star said. "It has no Overlay Units attached, so Reaper cannot use its effect."
"That's true," Silver Wing noticed.
"An Xyz monster without an overlay unit is pretty much a sitting duck," Emma commented.
"I wonder what Reaper will do then," Aoi said.
"My turn. I draw!" Reaper drew his card and looked at what he had drawn. His eyes glared at it.
"Fate Kid, was it?" Fate Kid raised an eyebrow. "I admit that you duel well compared to some of the duelists I had faced before. So far in this duel, I am beginning to think that you are aware that my Dragon can steal your Link Monster so you didn't summon any monsters, but instead, you did Fusion Summon."
"Yeah! That's because I noticed your true weakness, Reaper!" Everyone listened carefully to what Fate Kid was saying. "Your Q# Deck focuses on a card effect that activates if your opponent controls a Link Monster. It heavily relies on that fact. So, to give you a head up; you can't beat me."
"How so?" Reaper asked.
"You can't because I removed all my Link Monsters from my Extra Deck before I duel you! Therefore, you cannot use my Link Monsters against me!" Fate Kid revealed.
"Huh? Smart kid," Emma commented. "As long as you don't have Link Monsters in your Extra Deck, Reaper's deck would be heavily limited in what it can do."
"Cool! It's no wonder why Fate Kid is Cyber Man's sidekick," Aoi praised.
"Justice will always be on my side, for I am Cyber Man's number one sidekick!" Fate Kid exclaimed.
"If you are truly a hero's sidekick, then you fail him," Reaper admitted.
Hearing that made Fate Kid angry. "What did you say?!"
"You have made a grave mistake. If you had attacked my Quantum Dragon in your previous turn with Dystopia and used its card effect to destroy my set trap, you could've destroyed my Token and done more damage. For you to allow me to resurrect, my dragon sealed your fate!"
Fate Kid stood firm for what was to come next as Reaper took one of the cards in his hand and showed it.
"I play the Rank-Up-Magic: Q# Upgrade!" Everyone gasped at the revealed card, which showed the "Q#" symbol in glowing dark purple electrical energy.
"Rank-Up-Magic?!" Fate Kid gasped as everyone else had the same expression.
"Let me explain it to you if you are not educated about it," Reaper said. "Rank-Up-Magic is a special Spell Card that takes one Xyz Monster you control as a material to Special Summon a new Xyz Monster with a Rank higher than the original monster."
"I rebuild the Overlay Network with my Q# Quantum Dragon!" Reaper shouted as electrical energy sparked from his duel disk, making the giant cross appear behind him.
The dragon roared before turning into purple energy, which was absorbed into one red dot. The cross created a spiral galaxy portal that burst out tremendous energy.
"Evolve my Link-Killer Dragon! Let your roar echo the Cyberse realm to make your enemy know your presence! Rank-Up Xyz Evolution! Rise, Rank 5! Q# Quantum AI Dragon!"
The new dragon that appeared looked like the original dragon, but its body color was now white with glowing purple lines and red dots in a line on each side. The crimson whiskers were now golden. It still had four eyes that looked like a camera lens, but there was a bigger red eye in the center of its face. It roared so loudly that it echoed around its surroundings.
Cyber Man, Blossom Star, and Silver Wing covered their face, feeling like they would be blown away.
Q# Quantum AI Dragon – Cyberse/Xyz/Effect 2900 ATK 2500 DEF OU: 2
"When I use Rank-Up-Magic Q# Upgrade's effect, it is attached to the summoned Xyz Monster," Reaper noted. "Q# Quantum AI Dragon's effect! If this monster is Xyz Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 Link Monster from either player's Extra Deck and make my opponent take control of that monster until my next Standby Phase! However, if I used Q# Quantum Dragon as an Xyz Material to summon this card, I can choose one from the Graveyard instead!"
"Say what?!" Fate Kid gasped.
"I resurrect Q# Minus Serpent!" The serpent monster was resurrected on Cyber Man's Main Monster Zone. It hissed at Dystopia as it and Young Wiccan stepped away from it.
"Now, Quantum AI Dragon's additional effect activates! I detach two Overlay Units!" The two purple orbs were absorbed into the dragon. "I return Q# Minus Serpent and attach it to my dragon. Then, I activate Minus Serpent's effect! You remember it, don't you? When it is attached as Xyz Material to my monster, it boosts that monster's ATK to its original ATK!"
The upgraded Quantum Dragon shined a red light from its middle big eye, scanning Minus Serpent and turning it into an overlay unit. It circled the dragon before it was absorbed alongside the other overlay unit.
Q# Quantum AI Dragon – 2900 5800 ATK
"Battle! Q# Quantum AI Dragon attacks your Dystopia! Quantum Mega Blast!" It gathered some energy in its mouth before it fired a dark purple energy beam.
It blasted Dystopia into oblivion before it hit Fit Kid
"Aaaaaaahhh!" Fate Kid screamed.
Fate Kid: 4000 1000 LP
Fate Kid looked tattered as his suit was badly damaged but still standing.
"Fate Kid!" Blossom Star looked very worried.
"That was quite an attack… But… at least I still have 1000 LP," Fate Kid reassured as he pointed to his set card. "Trap activates! Destiny Signal!"
A signal with a big letter "D" shined above them, catching anyone's attention nearby.
Cyber Man was patrolling somewhere not too far away when he saw the Destiny Signal.
"Is that Fate Kid?" He asked as he headed towards the signal.
"Since my monster is destroyed by battle and sent to the graveyard, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Destiny HERO monster from my hand or Deck," Fate Kid explained as he fought over his pain from the last attack. "I Special Summon Destiny HERO – Doomlord!"
The long dark-capped hero appeared on his side in a defensive position.
"Your resistance is futile," Reaper stated. "Quantum AI Dragon can attack multiple times equal to the attached Xyz Material's Link Rating and inflict piercing damage!"
Everyone gasped at that, and Fate Kid's eyes changed from a confident smirk to a terrified expression.
"Attack again, my dragon! Quantum Mega Blast!" The dragon fired another energy ball.
The energy ball engulfed Fate Kid and his monsters until it exploded.
"Faaaaaaaaate Kiiiiiddd!" Blossom Star screamed.
Fate Kid crash-landed on the ground, looking lifeless.
Fate Kid: 1000 0 LP
"N-No way," Aoi covered her month as she and Emma were shocked at Fate Kid.
"Fate Kid!" Blossom Star flew down.
"Hey, wait, Blossom Star!" Silver Wing followed after her.
Blossom Star jumped off her D-Board and ran to check on Fate Kid.
"Fate Kid, are you OK?" Blossom Star asked.
"So, there was an audience," Reaper said. "I had a feeling somebody was watching the duel."
Silver Wing watched Fate Kid's condition and Blossom Star crying over the fainted young duelist.
"You!" Silver Wing turned to Reaper, looking angry. "He was only just a kid!"
"He was the one who challenged upfront. This is his consequence and warning to all who dare to oppose me," Reaper replied.
"Why you!" Silver Wing was about to jump on Reaper and challenged him. Even though he knew that there might not be a chance to beat him, he couldn't help but want to beat Reaper very badly.
"Fate Kid!" Silver Wing snapped out of thought and saw Cyber Man coming.
Cyber Man landed on his D-Board and noticed his sidekick.
"Fate Kid!" He cried as he checked the young boy. "What had happened here?"
"He… He dueled Reaper and… lost," Blossom Star answered, trying to stay calm.
"What?" Cyber Man gasped as he turned to Reaper, looking upset and angry. "How could you do this to him?"
"Like I said, he was the one who challenged me, and this resulted from it. It wasn't brilliant of him, but I admit he was skillful. Maybe given a bit 5 years or so, he would be stronger, but regardless, he lost, and that's what it is," Reaper said.
Cyber Man and Silver Wing couldn't help but feel immense anger towards Reaper. Hurting an innocent minor duelist like this. This wasn't a duel for a fun game but more of torture.
"How can you be so cold and heartless!" Cyber Man growled.
Then, Reaper heard a familiar siren. "It looks like that is my cue to leave. If any of you come across me again, you will all face the same fate."
Reaper quickly logged out, leaving Cyber Man, Blossom Star, and Silver Wing with so much to think about.
New Cards Cheat Sheet
Fate Kid
Destiny HERO Young Wiccan – LVL: 2, DARK, Spellcaster/Effect, ATK 800, DEF: 900. Effect: If this card is added to your hand by a card effect: You can Special Summon it from your hand.
D – Teamwork – Equip Spell. Effect: Equip this card to a Destiny HERO monster only. The equipped monster gains 200 ATK for every Destiny HERO monster in your Graveyard.
Reaper
Q# Shadow – LVL: 4, DARK, Cyberse/Effect, 0 ATK, 1000 DEF. Effect: If you control a Q# monster on the field: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. If your opponent controls a Link Monster, Special Summon 1 Q# Token to your side of the field. You can activate each effect of 1 "Q# Shadow" once per turn.
Q# Quantum AI Dragon – RANK: 5, DARK, Cyberse/Xzy/Effect, 2900 ATK, 2500 DEF. Effect: 3 Level 5 Cyberse Monsters. You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a "Q# Quantum Dragon" as material. (Transfer its materials to this card.). If this card is Xyz Summoned: Special Summon 1 Link Monster from either player's Extra Deck, allow your opponent to take procession of that monster until your next Standby Phase. If this card is summoned using "Q# Quantum Dragon" as its material, you can summon a Link Monster from either player's GY instead. When this card battles, it can inflict piercing damage. You can detach two materials from this card: Target one Link Monster your opponent controls and attach it to this card. Then, this card can attack multiple times equal to the attached Xyz Material's Link Rating. You can only activate this effect of "Q# Quantum AI Dragon" once per turn.
Rank-Up-Magic Q# Upgrade – Normal Spell. Effect: Target 1 face-up Q# Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck one Q# Xyz Monster with one Rank higher than the original monster, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as Xyz Summon.) Then, you can attach this card to the summoned Xyz Monster as its Xyz Material.
Q# Restore Metamorphous – Normal Trap. Effect: If your opponent declares an attack on your monster, Tribute that monster and then Special Summon 1 Q# monster from your Graveyard, with its effect negated.
Q# Minus Serpent – LINK: 1, DARK, Cyberse/Link/Effect, 0 ATK. Link Arrows: Bottom. Effect: 1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster. If your opponent controls no Link Monster on the field; Once per turn: You can allow your opponent to take control of this card until your next Standby Phase. If this card is attached to a Q# Xyz Monster as its Material (Quick Effect), that monster gains ATK equal to its original ATK until the end of this turn.
Q# Neutron – LVL: 1, LIGHT, Cyberse/Effect, 0 ATK, 0 DEF. Effect: If your opponent controls a Link Monster, you can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. If this card is summoned this way, it is banished if it leaves the field.
Hey guys, long time no see!
It's been over four years since I updated this story, and it's been two years since I wrote fanfiction. I am slowly getting back into it. There is another Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic story here called "Fifth Circuit," and I have followed that story for a long time. I am reading it again, and it inspired me to write and continue my own fanfic for Yu-Gi-Oh.
I don't know if I will update my other fanfic stories here, but I will work on this and hopefully complete it.
If you want to know why I was away for a very long time, my interest had changed and I am busy with being a Vtuber and content creator on YouTube. If you want to find me there, you can search up "C+HeroVT"
Thank you for reading and supporting this story!
After the duel with Reaper, Fate Kid became depressed and couldn't duel anymore.
Cyber Man is full of rage for hurting his sidekick and friend, but another duelist takes on the mantle to avenge Fate Kid.
Reaper: So you are my next victim.
Blue Girl: I won't let you get away with this! For Fate Kid, I will defeat you!
Next time in Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS Codes of Secrets, Tricky Turnover!
Blue Girl: Into the VRAINS!