2,470Announcements
Hey everyone, I just want to announce a small change in the format: after the Next Chapter Preview, I'll be adding in a Question of the Chapter, or QOTC. I saw OPFan37 doing these for his stories ARC-VOC and Cross-VRAINS, and I really liked them, so I decided to add these to Fifth Circuit.
With that out of the way, please enjoy Chapter 2!
Chapter 2: Crossing Worlds
In a distant corner of LINK VRAINS, two people teleported into a room. Both wore black armor, helmets with red visors, and black cloaks, but one of them wore extended shoulder pads and a golden buckle.
"The operation was a failure, I'm afraid," the one in plain robes said. "SOL's Security Team 13 intervened."
"Yes, I watched the news," the other said, waving his hand in front of him. Several screens popped up, showing the duels that had just occurred. The man's eyes roamed over pictures of Go Onizuka, Nature Queen, and Kingmaker. "Many of SOL's teams are troublesome, but Team 13 is exceptional in that regard. Particularly their leader: Kingmaker."
"Should we go after them?"
The man shook his head. "Our battle is in LINK VRAINS, not the real world. I will not change that stance. For now, keep an eye out for them and inform me when they reappear. If this goes on, I'll have to intervene myself."
The other man bowed. "Understood, Master Bohman."
Yuji yawned as he walked out of his room and headed for the kitchen. Last night hadn't been as long as he had thought it would be, so he had actually managed to get a full night's rest. That and the fact he was now on summer vacation meant he could sleep in a little.
But not too much, or he would miss breakfast. Passing through the living room, Yuji looked out the windows at the ocean. The view was spectacular in the day and even more so at night. Hanako hadn't been as impressed by the view as he usually was when she and her brother came over a few weeks ago, even asking Yuji's father if he had ever seen Iron Man 3.
Entering the kitchen, Yuji was relieved to see the plate of bagels. So no one had tried cooking. Good. His father had always been too busy with work to learn how, and his older brother hadn't bothered either. Yuji himself was competent enough not to burn anything, but he wouldn't be making any five-star meals anytime soon.
"Good, you're up." Yuji looked from the plates to see Ryoken, already dressed for work, reading his tablet and eating a bagel. "Father had to leave early for his project. I'll be joining him myself at ten or so."
Yuji nodded as he took a bagel and grabbed the cream cheese. "Understood."
He sat down at the table with Ryoken and took a bite from the bagel. There were blueberries inside it. Interesting.
"There's going to a be a new mission," Ryoken said, still looking at the tablet. "You, Hanako, and Go are expected at 1400 hours. Bring your Duel Disk and laptop."
Yuji raised an eyebrow. "The Collective?"
"No, this is something else. I can't say any more; top secret and all that." Ryoken sighed. "I'm sure Akira will be telling Hanako this too, and he'll also send an email to Go. Just remember to come by headquarters in the afternoon and don't be late."
"Understood."
"Good. So what are your plans until then?"
Yuji frowned as took another bite and then swallowed. "Hanako and I were going to see a movie to celebrate the start of summer break."
"Oh?" Ryoken said, looking up from the tablet and smirking. "A date? Well, you might be a little young for that, but good for you, Yuji."
Yuji scowled. "It isn't a date, Ryoken; it's two friends going to see a movie together."
"And those friends are a boy and girl who in the last six months have developed a close working relationship. You should update your definition of 'date.'"
"That isn't mine and Hanako's relationship. We're just going together because neither of us has any other friends in school." And it's not like I could respond to any feelings of hers, Yuji thought as he continued eating the bagel. Not the way I am now.
Ryoken's smirk widened. "Says the man who always wears the necklace she gave him."
Yuji clasped the pendant around his neck. It was a small silver cap with a translucent sapphire stone – the same color as the stone in Hanako's bracelet – attached to it. Hanako had given it to him about three months ago to celebrate taking down a major Collective operation. Evidently it had belonged to her mother. At least Yuji thought it had.
"That was just a gift. A gesture between friends. I don't know where you get these ideas."
Ryoken sighed. "Fine. Live in denial if you want. Just be sure to finish your not-date by 1400 hours. Oh and, before I forget, we have practice this morning."
Yuji, who had finished his bagel, banged his head on the kitchen counter and groaned.
"Last night's duels really were spectacular. Go Onizuka's signature Entertainment Dueling really wowed the crowds in Den City."
"Go is old-fashioned. My favorite was Nature Queen. She was in control the entire match, and she never let her opponent get ahead of her. That is the mark of a truly strong Duelist."
"If we're talking strength, then what about Kingmaker? As the leader of Security Team 13, he is partly responsible for his team's continued success. Every victory they have is one he shares in."
"Ohh, Kingmaker! I have to say, I like him a lot. The mysterious, professional kind. And that controlling dragon of his… I'd like to let him dominate me some time…"
Hanako felt her eye twitch as she glared and scowled at the television. Right now, she and Akira were eating breakfast and watching the news, which was currently talking about last night's duels. That last comment had been by a Charisma Duelist who had been brought in to talk about Go, but apparently, she was a Kingmaker fan.
Seeing Hanako's expression, Akira picked up the remote and turned the television off.
"You didn't need to do that," Hanako said, turning back to her food.
"I could tell she made you uncomfortable," Akira said. He paused, then said, "Hanako, as your brother, I have to ask. Have you and Yuji…?"
Hanako's cheeks turned red as her head jerked up. "B-Brother!" Akira only raised an eyebrow. "N-No. We haven't done anything. We're just friends. Really good friends."
"Really good friends who are going to see a movie together. With just each other. No one else."
"Brother!" Hanako protested. Akira smiled at her expression, but that smile faded as he turned to business.
"Well I hope you have fun, but there's a meeting at SOL at 1400 hours. And Security Team 13 has to be there."
"Huh?" Hanako said, her blush disappearing in confusion. "What for?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't say right now. Don't worry, you'll find out at the meeting. Until then, have fun at your date."
"Brother!"
Go sighed as he sat down on a bench. "Honestly," he said. "I don't mind answering all their questions, but they could at least ask about more than my teammates."
"Your teammates are mysterious people." Go looked up at his manager – a man with a light brown pompadour and mustache in a red suit – as he said that. "Unlike you, they haven't revealed their identities to the public. That makes them very good topics for gossip."
Go smirked. "Yeah, I know. I'd just like those reporters to ask someone other than me about that stuff."
He and his manager were in Go's warehouse in the shipping district of Den City. Most of the space was taken up by a wrestling arena and various weightlifting equipment. Go's bedroom was on the second level, and there was a Speed Duel simulator in another room.
Go had just finished a press conference of sorts with reporters from various news outlets, all wanting the scoop on the victors of last night's Duels. Go didn't mind the attention – in fact he liked it – but he did wish the reporters wouldn't ask so many questions about Kingmaker and Nature Queen.
"Those two are still children," Go said, picking up a bottle of water and taking a swig. "They have a right to privacy if they want it, and I know they do. Besides, how am I supposed to answer questions about their relationship when even I don't know what's going on there?"
His manager shrugged. "Personally, I wouldn't pay too much attention to that. People get far too invested in celebrity relationships, and those two are extremely popular. And tabloids love to speculate." The man smiled. "The topic of whether your teammates are dating or not aside, I received a message from SOL Technologies earlier. They requested Team 13 attend a meeting at 1400 hours today."
"A meeting?" Go said, raising an eyebrow. "They didn't say what it was about?"
"No, but they usually never do. These corporate types take great pleasure in holding secrets and being mysterious in general."
Go laughed. "Isn't that the truth." He stood up and headed for the door. "I'm going to take a run and get some breakfast. We'll talk again after the meeting."
"Yes, Go."
Walking down the street, Yuji winced as he rotated his shoulders. For the last few years, Ryoken had insisted that Yuji keep exercising and had even started teaching him Krav Maga. Yuji wasn't sure when he would ever need martial arts, but you could never be too prepared. He just wished Ryoken wasn't so zealous in teaching him; he was feeling sore in muscles he didn't even know he had.
Walking past a window in a nearby café, Yuji caught a reflection of himself. Since school was on summer break, he was wearing a dark blue zipped-up hoodie with black shoulders and arms over a red shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes. His hands were covered by red and black fingerless gloves, a present from Ryoken for his last birthday. He wore a black backpack carrying his laptop, tablet, and Duel Disk in it on his back.
Spiky hair and street clothes, he thought. Someone somewhere may mistake me for a delinquent.
As he reached the movie theater, he noticed that Hanako had already arrived. She was dressed in a dark blue blouse underneath a black vest with a dark blue skirt, white stockings, and black shoes. Her ears were pierced with small green gemstones and aside from her bracelet, she wore a dark blue necklace that Yuji recognized as a gift from Akira and an equally dark blue purse hung off her shoulder. She was also being accosted by a few boys who looked a couple years older than her.
Hanako, looking very scared and nervous, suddenly noticed Yuji. "Yuji!" she cried, running away from the boys and wrapping herself around Yuji's left arm. Yuji only raised an eyebrow at her behavior as the guys left in extreme disappointment.
Hanako breathed a sigh of relief, and with a red face said, "Sorry, Yuji. I didn't know how to deal with them, and I…"
"It's fine. I don't mind helping you with that. But could you please let go of my arm? I'd like to use it."
"Oh! Sorry!" Hanako let go, her face turning redder. She cleared her throat, then said, "A-Anyway, what movie do you want to see?"
"I'm not sure. I haven't seen what's available yet." The two walked through the entrance to the theater and looked at what was playing. "Hmm. I don't really see anything interesting. What about you?"
"Well… there's that one." Hanako pointed to one of the movies, which Yuji raised an eyebrow at.
"Really? An American film?"
"It's dubbed in Japanese, and I saw some good reviews for it online."
"…Alright." Yuji walked up to the ticket booth, then said, "Two tickets for Insidious, please."
Little over an hour and a half later, Yuji and Hanako left the movie theater alongside their fellow moviegoers, but there was something different about the two of them.
"Well that was boring," Yuji said in a low tone. He didn't want to offend or shock the people around him, all of whom were talking excitedly or shaking from fright. "When they said it was a horror movie, I was expecting to be scared, but honestly…"
"I know," Hanako said, also feeling disappointed. "I guess fighting the Collective has jaded us a bit. Or maybe its scarier in English?"
"Maybe. Not every word can be translated exactly. Or it could be it just hasn't aged well." Yuji sighed and looked around the streets. "Well, we have a meeting in a couple hours. What do you want to do till then?"
"Eh?" Hanako said, surprised. "I-I thought you would want to go back home to grab your things for the meeting."
"I already have everything," Yuji said, gesturing to his backpack. "My brother and father are already at SOL, so the house is empty. I'd rather spend the next few hours with company than alone. Is there anything you need to get?"
Hanako, whose face had gone a little red from Yuji saying he wanted to spend time with her, shook her head. "N-No, I have everything. I don't have a laptop, but my tablet and Duel Disk are in my purse. So… what do you want to do until 1400 hours?"
Before Yuji could answer, the teenagers heard a rumbling sound. Hanako blinked while Yuji looked ashamed. Realizing what the sound was, Hanako couldn't help but giggle.
"S-Seriously? Even after the large popcorn we had in the theater?"
"Give me a break," Yuji said, sighing and rubbing the back of his head. "Ryoken and I had practice this morning." Hanako winced, having been told about Yuji's Krav Maga training and how enthusiastic his brother was while teaching.
Looking to the side, Yuji's eyes widened. "Oh! Perfect!"
"Huh?" Hanako turned to where Yuji was looking and saw a food truck. "Wait, isn't that-?"
"Yep." The two teenagers walked over to the truck, which was manned by a man with purple hair and gray eyes wearing a purple hoodie and brown trench coat. He didn't notice Hanako or Yuji approaching, probably because he was grilling several hotdogs. "Hello, Mr. Kusanagi," Yuji said once they were standing in front. The man looked up, and on seeing who it was, smiled.
"Yuji. Hanako. Good to see you two," Shoichi Kusanagi said. His smile turned devilish as he asked Yuji, "So is this where you take a girl on your first date? I'm flattered, but you could do better than this, Yuji."
"W-We're not on a date!" Hanako protested, her cheeks turning red again. Yuji just looked at the menu.
"We're on summer break now, so we celebrated by seeing a movie," he explained. "I'll have a cheese dog and coffee."
"Alright. And you, Hanako?"
"H-Hot dog. And coffee."
After getting their food, Hanako and Yuji sat down at a nearby picnic table. Taking a bite of his cheese dog, Yuji made a small smile.
Hot dogs are among the best food in the world, he thought. Not the healthiest certainly, but still very delicious.
He still remembered when he first met Kusanagi. About six months ago, just after his stint as Kingmaker began, he and Ryoken went to the public viewing plaza to observe the crowd's reactions to SOL's Security Project. While there, they stopped at a food truck, which Ryoken claimed sold the best hot dogs in Den City. Yuji had seen no evidence to contradict that statement.
The two teenagers ate in silence for a while before someone joined them. "Hey, you two."
Looking to Hanako's left, the two teens saw that the speaker was Go Onizuka, wearing a dark gray hoodie and jeans. "Hey, Go," Yuji said, nodding to his comrade. "Out for a jog?"
"Yeah. That and clearing my head. I had an interview this morning with several reporters."
Yuji and Hanako winced. Noticing their reactions, Go chuckled as he slid in next to Yuji. "That about sums it up. And very few of them were actually about the duels. Most of them wanted to know if you two were dating. One even asked if you were married."
"Eh!?" Hanako said, her face turning the reddest it could possibly get. Yuji, on the other hand, just frowned as his thoughts drifted away from the conversation.
Yuji was aware that the media and its portrayal of the security teams was a major concern for SOL, which was why they were glad to have Go and several former Charisma Duelists in the teams to help reassure the public. Unfortunately, this often left said Charisma Duelists as spoke persons for their respective teams, as many members of the teams kept their identities secret from the public at large, Yuji and Hanako included. As a result, whenever it came to interviews, answering questions, or just dealing with annoying reporters in general, Go was left holding the bag. Yuji admitted he felt a little guilty about that but Go had assured him he didn't mind it. Except for the questions about Kingmaker's and Nature Queen's relationship. That he did mind answering.
Yuji stood up, interrupting Go's and Hanako's conversation. "I'm going to throw our garbage away," he said, taking his and Hanako's empty bags. "Do you want anything, Go?"
"From Mr. Kusanagi? Sure. A chilidog and coffee would be nice." Yuji nodded and headed over to the food truck, which had a trash can next to it.
"So, while Yuji's not here…" Go turned to look at Hanako, a serious expression on his face. "I have to admit I'm curious about this myself. Just what is yours and Yuji's relationship?"
Hanako's face turned red. "W-We're just good friends! That's all! Nothing more, nothing less!"
"But you do like him as more," Go said. Hanako blushed some more, but she didn't deny it. "…I may be a bit insensitive asking this, but why? He's a strong duelist and hacker, but his personality is very… empty. He doesn't express himself or communicate well with other people, and his eyes… what exactly do you see in him?"
"…Myself," Hanako answered softly. "When I look at him, I see myself." Go was silent, prompting Hanako to continue. "When I was five, my mother remarried, and that's how Akira and I became siblings. But when I was six, both our parents died in a car crash, and our inheritance was stolen by greedy relatives. We lived on the streets, and I was completely dependent on Akira."
"You were six," Go pointed out softly. "There's not much you could have done."
"I know that. And I don't feel bad about that. But… having to rely on my brother the whole time made me feel like that was my only identity, that the only part of me that mattered was being Akira Zaizen's little sister. Discovering who I was outside of that role was one of the reasons why I joined the Security Project. And I can tell Yuji has similar thoughts. You remember what Yuji told us right? About how he doesn't remember anything from before the fire?"
Go nodded, so Hanako pressed on. "Because of that fire, he lost his identity. And yes, he gained a new one, but I can tell he doesn't feel completely comfortable with that. I know that one of the reasons he created his Kingmaker avatar was because he wanted to reclaim the identity he lost, or maybe forge a completely new one. He feels like he's in a place he doesn't belong, that he doesn't deserve. And… I feel the same way sometimes. And I think he knows that."
"That would explain why he's nicer to you than everyone else," Go commented, looking over at Yuji who was getting Go's food as well as a refill. "But… there's more to that, isn't there? Not just this feeling that you both don't belong."
"…There is," Hanako admitted, starring down at her coffee. "But it's tied into that. When my parents died, I closed my heart to everyone except Akira. I didn't have any friends or even acquaintances in school. But when I joined the Security Project and met Yuji, I saw the same look in his eyes as I saw in mine. I saw someone who had closed himself off to the world, who didn't feel like he belonged, and who was desperately looking for someplace to belong to. Essentially, I saw a reflection of myself in him."
Hanako softly smiled. "I was attracted to him then, but that attraction didn't grow until I saw the kind of person he really is. You say he doesn't express himself or communicate well, but I can see that he tries but doesn't know how. I know he cares deeply about the people around him but doesn't know how to express it. And I know that deep down he is terrified of failure, of not being good enough to save the people he cares about." She looked up at Go. "That's the Yuji I fell for. That's why I like him so much."
"…I see," Go said, closing his eyes. Before he could respond, Yuji came back with his chilidog and coffee.
"Here's your food, Go," Yuji said, placing the bag and cup in front of his teammate.
"Thanks, Yuji. How much do I owe you?"
"You can pay for my next hotdog," Yuji said simply, taking a sip from his own coffee then frowning. "I take it you know about the meeting later?"
Go nodded, then took a bite of his chilidog. After swallowing, he said, "My manager told me about it. Any idea what it's about?"
Yuji and Hanako shook their heads. "Ryoken didn't say." "Neither did Akira."
"Great. So we're all going in blind. Well, it can't be too bad, can it?"
Yuji and Hanako both winced. "What?" Go asked defensively.
"Don't you know how the universe works?" Yuji asked Go through half-lidded eyes. "Now that you've said that, I know something bad will happen."
"You're being paranoid."
"He's right," Hanako said, nodding. "That is how the universe works." She then frowned to herself. "Go's tempting fate aside, I'm pretty sure we're being called in for a mission of some kind; that's usually the reason all of us get called in for."
"Agreed," Yuji said, looking thoughtful. "Though if it is a mission, I hope it won't take too long. Father was talking about taking a speedboat out on Stardust Road over break."
"Eh? Really?" Hanako said, blinking. "If you do end up going, can Akira and I come?"
Yuji blinked in surprise. "Are you sure? I didn't think boating was your thing."
"I don't have too much experience, but Akira took me boating during his last vacation and taught me how to operate a speedboat. I wouldn't say I'm an expert and he's definitely much better, but he didn't have any complaints."
"Well, I'll ask my father next time we talk. I'm not sure if we'll even go, but if we do, I'm sure he won't mind."
Go smiled to himself. These two… just kiss already.
After a couple of hours and five minutes before 1400 hours, the three members of Security Team 13 entered the lobby of SOL Technologies' headquarters. Go had changed out of his hoodie and jeans into his regular outfit, while Hanako and Yuji wore their casual clothes. Walking up to the receptionist, Yuji said, "Excuse me. Security Team 13 is here to report."
Looking at her computer, the receptionist nodded. "You're expected at the conference room on Floor 20. But before you go, you're required to stop at the security desk here on Floor 1. I'm sorry," she added on seeing their confused faces, "but I don't know why. They just ordered it."
After a pause, Yuji nodded, followed by Go and Hanako. The three walked past the receptionist towards the center part of the building, where the main elevators and security desk on this floor were.
After taking a few turns, they arrived at the desk, where the security guard took Yuji's Duel Disk (Hanako and Go got to keep theirs), laptops, and tablets. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "But there are a few modifications that R&D needs to make to your equipment for the mission."
"Do you know what the mission is?" Yuji asked.
The guard shook his head. "I only know what I just told you, though I heard a rumor you guys might be traveling." After saying that, the guard departed, taking their equipment on one of the elevators.
"Traveling?" Go asked. "Are we going outside Den City for this mission?"
"Maybe," Hanako shrugged. "If we're traveling by boat, maybe I could pilot it for a bit."
"No point in speculation," Yuji said, heading towards a different elevator. "Let's head up to Floor 20." Go and Hanako, after glancing at each other, followed him.
The trio finally arrived at the conference room on Floor 20. It was occupied by a large rectangular table with six chairs around it – three on each side. A screen was on one of the walls while a whiteboard was on another.
Go, Hanako, and Yuji all sat down on one side of the table, with Yuji between the other two and Hanako being closest to the screen. Once he sat down, Yuji leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. A person who didn't know him would think he was trying to sleep but Go and Hanako knew he was just waiting.
Five minutes later, the door opened, as did Yuji's eyes. Ryoken Kogami walked in, accompanied by Akira Zaizen. Hanako and Yuji didn't react to their sibling's presence, mostly because they figured they would be here. It was the third person walking in that caught them by surprise.
The man was as tall as Akira and Go, with slightly tanned skin, black and grey hair that receded from his forehead, and a mustache that went around his mouth. He wore a white lab coat with red outlines, a black shirt underneath, black pants, and brown shoes. His yellow eyes surveyed the room before resting on Yuji.
The man smiled. "I'm sorry I missed breakfast, Yuji," he said. "But I had to finish preparations for this mission."
"I understand, father," Yuji nodding with a neutral expression. "Work comes first. I've known that for a long time."
"I'm not sure if your acceptance of that is good or bad," Dr. Kiyoshi Kogami mused. "But either way, now that everyone is here, we should start the meeting." He then sat down in the seat opposite Yuji while Ryoken sat opposite Go and Akira sat opposite Hanako.
Dr. Kiyoshi Kogami, Hanako thought, glancing at the man. The man behind the creation of LINK VRAINS and the development of AI research. The man who created the Cyberse cards. And Yuji's adoptive father. He's probably the smartest person in Den City, if not the world.
"Security Team 13 was called in today because you have been selected for a high-profile mission," Dr. Kogami said, though the teenagers across from him had already guessed that.
"The guard downstairs mentioned a rumor about that," Go said. "He said we might be traveling. Is this mission outside Den City?"
"…It is," Dr. Kogami said hesitantly. "Though… it is a little hard to explain."
"I'll say it, father," Ryoken interrupted. "Security Team 13 has been assigned the mission of traveling to another dimension."
"…"
"…I think I misheard you, brother," Yuji said, speaking for his team. "Did you just say we are traveling to another dimension?"
"Yes, I did."
"…WHAT!?" all three teenagers shouted, making Dr. Kogami wince.
"Could you please speak more softly?" the doctor said, rubbing his ears. "I'm getting old, and my hearing is getting somewhat sensitive."
"B-But that's impossible…" Hanako said, her voice much quieter. "Another dimension? How could that exist? And how could we travel to it?"
"Is this some kind of joke?" Go asked, his voice not any quieter. "What's our real mission?"
"I feel like we are missing some very important context here, brother," Yuji said, his voice at normal volume. "Providing it would be very helpful."
"I told you we should explain things first," Akira said, glancing at Ryoken, who only shrugged.
"We could have, but then they would be questioning what the mission was the whole time. This way, we deal with fewer interruptions."
"How we should have started the briefing aside, Yuji's request is reasonable," Dr. Kogami said, shutting everyone up. "And no, Go Onizuka, we are not joking, and this is your real mission." Go narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Dr. Kogami stood up from his chair and headed over to the screen. "This may take some time, so please pay attention." Dr. Kogami pressed a button, turning the screen on. Team 13 gasped as images of four different cities came up. One was a large city with multiple arenas near the ocean, another was a city with a large central tower topped with a heart, the third seemed to have islands of towers rising into the sky, and the last was made of islands separated by canals.
"Several years ago, SOL Technologies became aware that our planet was not alone in the universe," Dr. Kogami explained. "Or rather, in the multiverse. We discovered something we called the Dimensional Void on the edges of our reality and sent a probe there. That probe picked up signals from four other worlds. These worlds. In order to observe them and learn more, SOL attached cameras to that probe, which allowed us to observe the worlds."
"By SOL, he means himself," Akira said. "Dr. Kogami was the one who built that probe and the cameras that could maintain a connection out in the void."
"I thought your doctorate was in network development, father," Yuji said curiously.
"It is. One of them at least." Dr. Kogami cleared his throat. "The cameras are programmed to take one-minute videos every month; that was the most we could manage. Even with that, it was enough for us to learn that the worlds seemed to be separated by the summoning methods of the Duel Monsters card game."
"Eh!?" Team 13 said, surprised. "Why?" Go asked.
"I do not know, and none of my colleagues do either," Dr. Kogami said, shaking his head. "However, by observing them, we have learned what these methods are." He pressed another button, and the four cities were replaced by four Duel Monster cards – one purple, one white, one black, and one blue. "Three of these four other worlds only have access to one method of summoning monsters from the Extra Deck, much like we do, though all of them have Ritual Summoning. Those summoning methods are Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz." As he spoke, he pointed to the purple card, then the white, and finally the black. "As such, the higher-ups have designated them the Fusion Dimension, Synchro Dimension, and the Xyz Summon, while we are the Link Dimension. The last dimension, which the higher-ups have called Standard, has access to all three summoning methods, but their summoning energy is much weaker than that of the other dimensions."
"Wait," Yuji said, narrowing his eyes. "The Standard Dimension has access to the summoning methods of three dimensions, but not ours? Why do they not have Link Summoning?"
"We believe it to be because they haven't advanced that far yet," Ryoken said, answering the question. "All the videos from the probe indicate that their technology is sub-par compared to ours, at least regarding networking technology. There's also the fact that Link Summoning would be disadvantageous to them."
"They follow a different set of Master Rules than us," Akira explained, noticing Team 13's confused expressions. "They have no Extra Monster Zones, so they can summon as many monsters from the Extra Deck as possible without worrying about Link Markers."
"Seriously?" Hanako said, looking back at the cards. "None of those cards have anything resembling Link Markers. I'm guessing that's also unique to us?" Dr. Kogami nodded. "So, how do these summoning methods work?"
"Very differently from Link Summoning," Dr. Kogami started with, pointing to the purple card. "Fusion Summoning is based around a Spell Card called Polymerization. By using it, you send two or more monsters on the field or in the hand to Special Summon a Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck. There are other ways to Fusion Summon, but that's the most basic." He then pointed to the white card. "In order to Synchro Summon, you need a monster known as a Tuner monster. You then send that Tuner monster and other monsters on the field to the Graveyard to summon a Synchro Monster from the Extra Deck, so long as their combined Levels exactly equal the Synchro Monster's Level."
"It sounds very similar to Ritual Summoning, only without the Ritual Spell Card," Yuji noted, with Go and Hanako nodding in agreement.
"It is, but most Ritual Spells can allow you to exceed the Ritual Monster's Level. Synchro Summoning requires that they equal the monster's Level exactly." Dr. Kogami then pointed to the black card. "Xyz Summoning is the most like Link Summoning. By using two monsters with the same Level, the duelist 'overlays' them to summon an Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck."
"Overlay?"
"When monsters are used to Xyz Summon, they don't immediately go to the Graveyard," Dr. Kogami explained to a confused Go. "Instead, they are attached to the Xyz Monster as something called 'Overlay Units.' Those Overlay Units can then be 'detached' from the Xyz Monster and sent to the Graveyard in order to activate that monster's effects. In addition, Xyz Monsters, like Link Monsters, don't have Levels; they have Ranks and therefore aren't affected by cards that depend on Levels, like Gravity Bind."
"If SOL Technologies is aware of these different summoning methods, how come we have not created our own?" Hanako asked. That was a question Yuji had been wondering too.
"I'm afraid we cannot," Akira explained. "We have observed these summoning methods in action and gotten energy readings from them, but we lack the data necessary to make our own. If the company were to make Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monsters, we would have to travel to one of these dimensions ourselves and negotiate with the inhabitants."
"Is that what our mission is?" Yuji asked, turning to Ryoken. "You said that we were going to travel to another dimension. Are we going to the Standard Dimension to learn about these summoning methods? Father did say they had access to all of them."
Ryoken smiled. "No, I'm afraid that's not the mission. Father, please continue."
"As I said, the probe takes about one minute of video each month. And a week ago, we received these images from the Xyz Dimension." Dr. Kogami pressed a button and everyone gasped. The screen now showed the city with the heart-shaped tower, but it was in ruins. Flames were everywhere, buildings were falling apart, and what looked like a giant trench had been dug in at the base of the tower.
"W-What is this?" Hanako whispered, her eyes wide with shock.
"We aren't sure," Ryoken said, frowning. "For unknown reasons, the Xyz Dimension has become a war zone. And we detected Fusion energy signals there."
"Fusion?" Go repeated, surprised. "Did the Fusion Dimension attack the Xyz Dimension?"
"As Ryoken said, we do not know," Akira said, looking troubled. "That's what we want Team 13 to confirm."
"Our mission is this," Ryoken said solemnly. "Travel to the Xyz Dimension and investigate the situation. Once we have obtained answers, and possibly some Xyz cards to study, we will return to the Link Dimension."
Yuji blinked. "Wait, we?"
"Oh right, I forgot that part," Ryoken said, smirking. "I'm actually the one leading the mission, and you three are my support."
"…What!?" the trio said again in surprise.
Ryoken chuckled. "The higher-ups deemed this an urgent mission, so they wanted me to handle it personally. They also selected the three of you as my backup."
"Why us?" Go asked. "Why not Team 1? You're their leader, after all."
"And yet our combined win-loss ratio is lower than yours," Ryoken countered. "I may be the best duelist in the Security Project, but your team is the best overall. The higher-ups don't want to take any chances, so they want the best duelists to handle it."
"There's more to it though, isn't there?" Hanako guessed, narrowing her eyes. "There are reasons each of us individually were chosen for this mission."
Akira closed his eyes. "You are correct, Hanako. Your dueling skills are a reason you were chosen, but it wasn't the only one." He opened his eyes and glanced at Go. "Mr. Onizuka is a former Charisma Duelist and entertainer. Since you will likely be speaking to the natives of the Xyz Dimension, who are likely shell-shocked or in trauma because of what's happened, you need someone who can either calm them down or bolster their spirits. The fact he is also the physically strongest duelist among the security teams is a bonus."
"So I'm your emotional support slash muscle?" Go asked, narrowing his eyes. "Thanks for sugarcoating it."
Akira ignored Go's comment and turned to his sister. "Hanako, while not at Yuji's or Ryoken's level, you are a highly skilled hacker who can help them break into any necessary systems and retrieve data. And like GO, your natural empathy will allow you to connect with and help any traumatized Xyz residents." Hanako didn't respond to her brother's praise.
"As for you, Yuji," Ryoken said, smirking at his little brother. "Your hacking abilities are second only to mine among the security teams, and I have been training you in espionage and information gathering for quite some time. While Go and Hanako will be the face of our group for anyone we interact with, you and I will focus on information retrieval."
"…Thanks for being honest with us," Yuji said. He also noted that his father seemed to be whispering to someone on an earpiece. "So when do we depart for the mission?"
"In three days," Dr. Kogami said, walking back to the table but not sitting down yet. "The dimensional transporter we've been building isn't finished yet; we'll be running our first test of it today. In the meantime, the four of you will be testing out some new systems." He pressed a button on the table, which caused the middle section to split open and a tray to pop up. On it were four Duel Disks. Yuji recognized one as his, but not the other three. One had a black body with a gold circle around the screen and a dark red side, one had a purple body with a pink circle and a dark blue side, and the last had a white body with a gold circle and red side.
"The SOL cloud doesn't work outside of the Link Dimension," Dr. Kogami continued. "Because of that, you'll all have to use the old-fashioned models. We have also included real-life cards for Ryoken, Go, and Hanako to use." Yuji took his Duel Disk, Go took the black one, Hanako took the purple one, while Ryoken took the white one. "Each Duel Disk also has an AI assistant installed in it, either to help with dueling or to help run hacking programs."
"Is there a mute button?" Yuji asked as he strapped his Duel Disk to his wrist. He didn't like working with AI because they tended to talk too much. He knew Ryoken didn't use one either because he didn't trust them.
"Yes, there is. On the underside. We've also taken the liberty of adding Real Solid Vision to the systems."
"Eh?" Hanako said, raising her head from her new Duel Disk. "Real Solid Vision? What's that?"
"Before LINK VRAINS was created, all dueling was done in the real world via holograms," Akira explained. "Real Solid Vision gives mass to those holograms and allows them to interact fully with the world."
The trio widened their eyes again. "You have something like that? Why haven't you released it?" Go asked.
"Because shortly after we created Real Solid Vision, we discovered the applications for it beyond dueling," Dr. Kogami explained, a dark look on his face. "As such, SOL Technologies kept it a secret and re-invested in advanced networking. That led to the creation of LINK VRAINS. However, from what we can tell, all the other worlds have Real Solid Vision, so you'll need it as well to compete. We have also included a Master Rule Override program in them."
"Master Rule Override?" Yuji repeated. "You mean if we engage someone in a duel, the Master Rules will change to ours?"
"That's right," Ryoken said, smirking. "Our opponents will be limited to only one monster from the Extra Deck while we can use the full power of our Link Monsters. Some may call it a cheat, but I would prefer to hold as many advantages as possible." Yuji nodded in understanding. Go and Hanako looked a little worried about the idea of the Master Rule Override being a cheat, but they didn't say anything.
Dr. Kogami pressed another button, causing the tray in the table to go down and a new one to replace it. This one held their tablets and laptops. "We also added additional software to your other devices to aid your work. In case you need to download anything too large for your Duel Disk to carry, you can transfer it to your laptop or tablet." Looking at the clock, Dr. Kogami said, "Now, there's one last thing to do before we test the dimensional transporter. Ryoken, if you would?"
"Right," Ryoken said, standing up. "Everyone, follow me." The others all stood up as well and followed him out the door, but Dr. Kogami held Yuji back.
"I thought you should know; those two special programs you were working on? R&D finished them."
Yuji's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes, your Duel Disk should be able to do that now, but we didn't have time to apply it to the others. That said…" Dr. Kogami reached into his pocket and held out another Duel Disk, exactly like Yuji's but with the colors of the circle and side piece reversed. "This is a spare Duel Disk just in case. It has fewer programs than yours but does come with Real Solid Vision and the Master Ruel Override."
Yuji took the extra Duel Disk and put it in his bag. "I guess we won't be going boating over break then, right?"
Dr. Kogami looked disappointed. "I'm afraid not, son. We estimate break to be over by the time you get back." He glanced out the door. "You should hurry and catch up with Ryoken and the others."
"You aren't coming?"
"No, I need to finish some things before we test the transporter. I'll see you then, Yuji."
"Yes, father." The two parted outside the conference room, with Yuji running to catch to Ryoken and the others. When he found them, Hanako and Go cast him questioning looks, but looked away when he shook his head.
After about ten minutes of walking, Ryoken took them to a large empty room. "This will do," he said, nodding. He motioned the others to wait by the door while he headed to the other side of the room. Turning to face them, he said, "Alright, Yuji. Duel me!"
"…Huh?" Yuji said, blinking. Ryoken smirked.
"Even if we've had Real Solid Vision for some time, we need to make sure there are no bugs," he explained. "That's why you, me, Go, and Hanako are here: to test the internal systems and make sure there are no problems."
"Wait, you're going to duel in real-life?" Hanako said, her eyes widening. "But, if the monsters are real, then…"
Akira could see her train of thought. "There are limits and safety measurements placed on the system," he reassured her. "None of the attacks will be lethal or cause serious damage. In fact, they'll hurt about as much they would inside LINK VRAINS." Hanako looked a little reassured by that, but still worried.
Yuji, on the other hand, simply walked until he was directly opposite Ryoken. "It's been a month since we last dueled," he said, activating his Duel Disk. "I've gotten stronger. I'll definitely win this time!"
Ryoken smirked as he activated his Duel Disk, causing the orb to light up red and a gold blade to appear. "We'll see about that. You've never managed to defeat me before. And you will not today!"
"Duel!" they shouted.
Kingmaker: 4000 LP
Revolver: 4000 LP
"Eh?" Hanako said, blinking. "W-Why are they identified by their VRAINS handles?"
"That's another program we installed in the Disks," Akira explained. "In order to keep your identities secret, we programmed the Duel Disks to identity you by the names of your VRAINS avatars. It is possible to change it in the settings in case you want to."
"I'll take the first turn!" Yuji declared. "I summon Stack Reviver!" The white monster with data disks appeared on his field.
Stack Reviver ATK 100 DEF 600 LVL: 2
"And since I Normal Summoned a Cyberse monster, I can Special Summon Boot Staggered!" A humanoid monster with multiple points on its body connected by light blue lines appeared in Attack Position.
Boot Staggered ATK 2300 DEF 500 LVL: 5
"And as I control a Cyberse monster, I can Special Summon Backup Secretary!" The woman in silver armor and purple robes appeared, also in Attack Position.
Backup Secretary ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 3
"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" As Yuji gestured upwards, his hand glowed blue, causing the Link portal to appear above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect Monsters. I set Backup Secretary, Boot Staggered, and Stack Reviver in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Decode Talker!" The warrior in dark blue and purple armor armed with a sword emerged from the Link portal and roared from the right Extra Monster Zone.
Decode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3 ↙↑↘
"Stack Reviver's effect activates! If it used to Link Summon, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster that was also used to Link Summon in Defense Position. Resurrect, Backup Secretary!" The woman reappeared, summoned to Decode Talker's bottom-right Link Marker.
Backup Secretary ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 3
"Decode Talker's effect activates! For each monster it points to, it gains 500 attack points! Power Integration!"
Decode Talker ATK 2300→2800
"I Set one card," Yuji concluded. "I end my turn."
"A strong start," Go said, nodding in approval.
"It is," Hanako agreed. "But against Ryoken…"
Ryoken smirked. "Very impressive, Yuji. For you to bring out Decode Talker out this early… You really aren't taking me lightly." He closed his eyes. "A pity it won't matter." He opened his eyes and placed his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!"
Ryoken looked at his card, then chose a different one. "Since you control a Link Monster, I can Special Summon Gateway Dragon!" A bronze six-sided gate appeared on Ryoken's field. The gate then opened as a three-armed bronze dragon emerged in Attack Position.
Gateway Dragon ATK 1600 DEF 1400 LVL: 4
"Gateway Dragon's effect activates! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Dragon monster from my hand. Come, Sniffer Dragon!" The gate opened again and this time a red dragon with black attachments on its legs, arms, and chest emerged in Attack Position.
Sniffer Dragon ATK 800 DEF 400 LVL: 2
"Sniffer Dragon's effect activates! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add another Sniffer Dragon from my Deck to my hand." Taking his card, Ryoken added it to his hand and chose a different one. "I activate the Spell Card: Trade-In! By discarding a Level 8 monster, I can draw two cards. I discard Darkstorm Dragon!" Ryoken drew, then gestured to the sky. "Appear, the future circuit that lights up my path!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 4 or lower non-Token Dragon monsters. I set Gateway Dragon and Sniffer Dragon in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom and right arrows, turning them red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Twin Triangle Dragon!" A black, gold, and red humanoid dragon emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.
Twin Triangle Dragon ATK 1200 LINK-2 ↓→
"When Twin Triangle Dragon is Link Summoned, its effect activates!" Ryoken continued. "I pay 500 Life Points, then I can Special Summon a Level 5 or higher monster from my Graveyard to its Link Marker. Resurrect, Darkstorm Dragon!" A black dragon with gray spots on its wings appeared, summoned to Twin Triangle Dragon's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position.
Revolver: 4000→3500 LP
Darkstorm Dragon ATK 2700 DEF 2500 LVL: 8
"The monster Special Summoned by Twin Triangle Dragon's effect has its effects negated and it cannot attack this turn," Ryoken said before taking another card from his hand. "I summon Triggering Wurm!" A red mechanical dragon with orange spines on its back appeared.
Triggering Wurm ATK 600 DEF 600 LVL: 2
Ryoken narrowed his eyes. "Yuji, you remember what I said the first time you and I dueled?"
"'I won't hold back because you are family,'" Yuji repeated from memory. "'To do so would be a dishonor to you as a duelist.'"
"That is still true now." Ryoken gestured to the sky. "Manifest! The future circuit that lights up my path!" The Link portal appeared above Ryoken as his hand glowed blue. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect Monsters. I set Darkstorm Dragon, Triggering Wurm, and the Link-2 Twin Triangle Dragon in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Twin Triangle Dragon splitting into two, and entered the top, bottom, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.
Yuji braced himself. "Here it comes!" Hanako said, concerned for her friend.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-4! Topologic Bomber Dragon!" A massive metal orange dragon with green lines running over its body emerged from the portal and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.
Topologic Bomber Dragon ATK 3000 LINK-4 ↙↑↓↘
Yuji, Go, Hanako, and Akira all braced themselves as Topologic Bomber Dragon released waves of wind at its summoning. "There it is!" Go said, covering his face with his arms. "One of Revolver's ace monsters!" Yuji grit his teeth. This was bad.
"Triggering Wurm's effect activates!" Ryoken declared. "If it is sent to the Graveyard for the Link Summon of a Dark Link Monster, I can Special Summon it to that monster's Link Marker!" Triggering Wurm reappeared at Topologic Bomber Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.
Triggering Wurm ATK 600 DEF 600 LVL: 2
"Oh no!" Hanako said, her eyes widening. They all knew what was going to happen next.
"Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect activates! If a monster is Special Summoned to a Link Monster's Link Marker, all monsters in the Main Monster Zones are destroyed! Full Overlap!" Topologic Bomber Dragon grew large green holographic wings that gathered and then released a powerful surge of energy. Yuji and the others braced themselves again as Backup Secretary and Triggering Wurm exploded.
When the energy subsided, Yuji said, "Since Decode Talker no longer points to a monster, its attack points return to normal."
Decode Talker ATK 2800→2300
"When Triggering Wurm is destroyed by a Link Monster's effect, I can draw one card." Ryoken drew, then gestured to his field. "Battle! Topologic Bomber Dragon, attack Decode Talker! Ultimate Malicious Code!" Topologic Bomber gathered red energy in its mouth, which it then released at Decode Talker. Yuji braced himself again as Decode Talker exploded.
Kingmaker: 4000→3300 LP
"Topologic Bomber Dragon's additional effect activates! After it attacks your monster, you take damage equal to that monster's attack points! Aiming Blast!" Topologic Bomber Dragon released red lightning, but Yuji gestured to his field.
"Counter Trap activate! Link Restart!" he declared. "Since an effect was activated that would inflict damage to me, that effect is negated!" A barrier appeared around him, blocking the lightning. "After that, I can Special Summon a Link Monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Decode Talker!" His Link Monster reappeared from a portal.
Decode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3 ↙↑↘
Ryoken smiled at this turn of events. "Impressive, Yuji. However, this much is expected of you. I end my turn. So, come at me, Yuji! Show me how much stronger you've become!"
"Right!" Yuji said, placing his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!" Looking at his card, Yuji turned his gaze to the field. Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect activates whenever a monster is Special Summoned to any monster's Link Marker, he thought. That means I have limited options on how to defeat it.
"As impressive as always," Akira commented as he, Hanako, and Go watched the duel. "Even if Yuji avoided most of the damage, he still lost Life Points. And Ryoken still has five cards in his hand."
"His reputation as the #1 duelist in the Security Project is well-earned," Go admitted, narrowing his eyes. While he did like proving his own strength, even he couldn't deny that Ryoken was vastly stronger than him.
Hanako didn't say anything as she was thinking to herself. Topologic Bomber Dragon has 3000 attack points. The only Link Monster Yuji has that comes close is Viral Dawn Link Dragon with 2500 attack points. But Viral Dawn's effects only work on Level 5 or higher monsters, so summoning it won't work. How are you going to get out of this, Yuji?
"I summon Lady Debug!" Yuji said, bringing out a humanoid mechanical ladybug.
Lady Debug ATK 1700 DEF 1400 LVL: 4
"Lady Debug's effect activates! When she is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add a Level 3 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand," Yuji said, taking a card from his Deck. "I add Micro Coder from my Deck to my hand." He then gestured to the sky as his hand glowed blue. "Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three monsters."
"What?" Ryoken said, his eyes widening in surprise. "You only control one monster!"
"That's true," Yuji said. "But if I were to Link Summon a 'Code Talker' monster, I can use the Code Generator and Micro Coder in my hand as the Link Material!" Everyone else in the room gasped as a small blue warrior with a sword and a slightly larger orange warrior with two pistols appeared on Yuji's field.
"I set Lady Debug, Code Generator, and Micro Coder in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left, right, and bottom-left arrows, turning them red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Powercode Talker!" A large warrior in red armor with massive pauldrons emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.
Powercode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3 ←↙→
Ryoken smiled, impressed. "I don't remember you having those two monsters before. A present from father?"
"Yes," Yuji said before gesturing to his field. "The effects of Code Generator and Micro Coder activate! If Code Generator is sent from the hand to the Graveyard as Link Material, I can send a Cyberse monster with 1200 or less attack points from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Latency to the Graveyard." He took the card from his Deck and placed it in the Graveyard, then said, "And since Micro Coder was sent to the Graveyard as Link Material, I can add one "Cynet" Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand. I add the Field Spell Card Cynet Storm to my hand, which I'll now activate! With Cynet Storm active, all Linked monsters on the field gain 500 attack and defense points, and the Link Summoning of Link Monsters cannot be negated."
"Powercode Talker is linked to Decode Talker," Hanako noted. "That means Powercode becomes stronger."
Powercode Talker ATK 2300→2800
"I activate Powercode Talker's effect! Once per turn, one monster's effects are negated until the end of the turn. I negate Topologic Bomber Dragon's effects! Wire Restruction!" Powercode Talker release a blue grapnel from its right hand and fired it at Topologic Bomber Dragon. The grapnel latched onto it, draining its power.
"Battle!" Yuji declared. "Powercode Talker attacks Topologic Bomber Dragon!" Boosters fired from Powercode Talker's back as it charged Topologic Bomber Dragon. "Powercode Talker's additional effect! By Tributing a monster next to its Link Marker, Powercode Talker's attack points become double its original attack points until the end of the Damage Step!" Decode Talker disintegrated as Powercode Talker became stronger.
Powercode Talker ATK 2800→4600
"Break through! Power Termination Smash!" Wind gathered around Powercode Talker's right fist as it struck Topologic Bomber Dragon. Releasing its grapnel, Powercode Talker brought it back to its hand as Topologic Bomber Dragon exploded. Ryoken braced himself as he took damage.
Revolver: 3500→1900 LP
Powercode Talker ATK 4600→2300
"I end my turn," Yuji said as Powercode Talker returned to his field.
Ryoken smiled. "Very good, Yuji. You managed to defeat Topologic Bomber Dragon. But…" His eyes narrowed. "The real duel begins now. My turn! Draw!" Ryoken smirked on seeing what he drew, but he played a different card instead. "I activate the Spell Card: A Feather of the Phoenix! By sending a card in my hand to the Graveyard, I can return a card to the top of my Deck. I send Background Dragon to the Graveyard and place Gateway Dragon on the top of my Deck."
Yuji narrowed his eyes as Ryoken did so, then gestured to his field. "I activate Background Dragon's effect from the Graveyard! Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Background Dragon and one Level 4 or lower Dragon monster from my hand in Defense Position. Come, Background Dragon and Sniffer Dragon!" Another copy of Sniffer Dragon appeared alongside a large dragon in orange and yellow armor.
Background Dragon ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 5
Sniffer Dragon ATK 800 DEF 400 LVL: 2
"Sniffer Dragon's effect activates! I add my third Sniffer Dragon from my Deck to my hand. Next, I activate the effect of Defrag Dragon in my hand! By discarding Linkbelt Wall Dragon, I can Special Summon Defrag Dragon!" A black and red dragon with green holographic wings appeared in Attack Position.
Defrag Dragon ATK 1000 DEF 600 LVL: 3
"I summon another Sniffer Dragon!" A third copy of Sniffer Dragon joined its twin on the field.
Sniffer Dragon ATK 800 DEF 400 LVL: 2
"Four monsters…" Go said, narrowing his eyes. "And he already lost Topologic Bomber Dragon."
"That means…" Hanako said, her eyes widening in realization. Yuji braced himself, already knowing what was coming.
"Manifest! The future circuit that lights up my path!" Ryoken's hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more Effect Monsters. I set Background Dragon, Defrag Dragon, and two Sniffer Dragons in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left, right, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.
"Circuit combine! My new wind that pierces through the closed world! Link Summon! Appear! Link-4! Borreload Dragon!" A massive red mechanical dragon emerged from the portal. It had red and silver spines that projected green holographic wings, green lines across its body, and a gun cylinder in its chest. It roared from the Extra Monster Zone.
Borreload Dragon ATK 3000 LINK-4 ←↙↘→
"Revolver's true ace monster," Akira said, narrowing his eyes. "And Yuji has no means of defense. This isn't good."
"I Set one card," Ryoken said before gesturing to the field. "Battle! Borreload Dragon, attack Powercode Talker!" Borreload Dragon opened its mouth and fired a giant blue bullet at Powercode Talker. "Borreload Dragon's effect activates! When it attacks your monster, your monster is placed next to Borreload Dragon's Link Marker and I gain control of it! Strange Trigger!" The bullet turned orange, and when it struck Powercode Talker, it created an orange ooze that covered the monster. Powercode Talker glitched out, then reappeared on Ryoken's field at Borreload Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker. And since Borreload Dragon was now linked, it became stronger due to Cynet Storm's effect.
Borreload Dragon ATK 3000→3500
Yuji grit his teeth as Ryoken smirked. "The Battle Phase isn't over! Powercode Talker, attack Yuji directly! Power Termination Smash!" Powercode Talker charged Yuji, its fist wrapped in wind. It punched Yuji, the wind serving as a buffer as he was sent flying backwards before landing on the ground.
Kingmaker: 3300→1000 LP
"Yuji!" Hanako cried.
"Ryoken, isn't that a bit much?" Akira asked, narrowing his eyes at Ryoken.
"All of the dimensions we are going to have Real Solid Vision just as strong as this," Ryoken said as Yuji struggled to his feet. "They won't hold back against us. If Yuji can withstand my assault, then he can withstand anything thrown at him."
Yuji finally got back on his feet and grit his teeth. Damn it, that had hurt. But more importantly… "Cynet Storm's effect activates!" he declared. "If I take 2000 or more points of damage, I can shuffle my Extra Deck and excavate a card. If that card is a Cyberse Link Monster, I can Special Summon it!" His Extra Deck shuffled, then ejected a card. Taking it out, Yuji summoned it. "I summon Link Spider!" A dark blue and black mechanical spider with blue lines running over its body appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.
Link Spider ATK 1000 LINK-1 ↓
Ryoken smiled on seeing Yuji standing, then said, "I end my turn. Yuji, I don't I need to tell you that this will be your last turn, do I?" Yuji narrowed his eyes. Ryoken was right; with no cards in his hand and only Link Spider on his field, everything depended on what he drew next.
"My turn! Draw!" Looking at his card, Yuji smiled. This will work! he thought. "I summon ROM Cloudia!" A ram with dark brown fur and pink horns appeared and bleated.
ROM Cloudia ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4
"ROM Cloudia's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I can add a Cyberse monster in my Graveyard to my hand. I add Latency to my hand. And because it was added to my hand from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Latency!" A pink mechanical girl carrying an hourglass appeared in Attack Position.
Latency ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1
"That's the card he sent to the Graveyard by Code Generator's effect," Go noted.
"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Yuji declared as his hand glowed blue. The Link portal appeared above him in response. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect Monsters. I set Latency, ROM Cloudia, and Link Spider in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the top, bottom, and right arrows, turning them red.
"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Transcode Talker!" An orange-armored warrior emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.
Transcode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3 ↑↓→
"Transcode Talker!" Hanako cheered. "With that, Yuji can turn this around!"
"Since Latency was used to Link Summon, I draw a card!" Yuji drew, and on seeing what it was, smiled again. I've won, he thought. Then he gestured to his field. "Transcode Talker's effect activates! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Link-3 or lower Cyberse Link Monster from my Graveyard to its Link Marker. Resurrect, Decode Talker!" The purple-armored warrior emerged from a portal, summoned to Transcode Talker's bottom Link Marker.
Decode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3 ↙↑↘
"Since my two monsters are linked, they each gain 500 attack points from Cynet Storm's effect!"
Decode Talker ATK 2300→2800
Transcode Talker ATK 2300→2800
"Transcode Talker's additional effect activates! When this monster is co-linked, itself and monsters it is co-linked with gain 500 attack points and cannot be targeted by your card effects!"
Decode Talker ATK 2800→3300
Transcode Talker ATK 2800→3300
"Finally, Decode Talker gains 500 attack points for each monster it points to. Power Integration!"
Decode Talker ATK 3300→3800
"Yes!" Go cheered. "Decode Talker and Transcode Talker are now much stronger than Borreload Dragon and Powercode Talker!"
"If Yuji destroys Powercode Talker with Transcode Talker, Ryoken will lose 1000 Life Points and Borreload Dragon will lose the attack boost from Cynet Storm," Hanako said excitedly. "That means if Decode Talker attacks it, it won't even matter if Ryoken uses its effect to lower Decode Talker's attack points; it will still be destroyed!"
"And Yuji will drop Ryoken to 100 Life Points," Akira noted.
"No!" Yuji said. "I'm ending this now! I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Battle Buffer! This card lets me negate the effects of monsters you control up to the number of co-linked Cyberse Link Monsters I control. I control two, so I negate Borreload Dragon's and Powercode Talker's effects!" Said monsters were wrapped in energy at Yuji's words. "Furthermore, if my Cyberse Link Monster battles, I can place a Battle Buffer Counter on Battle Buffer, and my Cyberse Link Monsters gain 700 attack points for each one!"
Go gasped. "That means…"
"After Transcode Talker destroys Powercode Talker…" Akira muttered.
"Decode Talker will gain 700 attack points," Hanako finished. "And Yuji will win!"
"Battle!" Yuji declared, gesturing to his field. "Transcode Talker, attack Powercode Talker! Transcode Finish!" A rifle popped out of Transcode Talker's shoulder, which it caught with its right hand. It charged a blast of energy, which it then fired at Powercode Talker.
Ryoken couldn't help but smirk. "You really have gotten stronger, Yuji," he said as the blast drew nearer. "But… you still have a ways to go!" Yuji gasped as Ryoken gestured to his field. "Trap activate!" Ryoken's Trap Card created a burst of light, blinding everyone else.
When he could finally see again, Yuji looked at Ryoken's Trap Card and gasped. "That's-!"
"Mirror Force," Ryoken said. "Since you declared an attack, this card destroys all your Attack Position monsters!" After Ryoken said that, Decode Talker and Transcode Talker exploded while Transcode Talker's attack fizzled out. When the smoke and light faded, Yuji's field was empty.
"N-No way," Hanako whispered, her eyes wide.
"Just like that?" Go whispered, equally shocked. Akira just watched.
Lowering his head, Yuji flatly said, "I end my turn."
"And during the End Phase, Battle Buffer's effect destroys itself," Ryoken reminded him, watching as the card shattered. "In addition, Borreload Dragon's effect sends Powercode Talker to the Graveyard." The monster in red armor disintegrated as Borreload Dragon lost Cynet Storm's boost.
Borreload Dragon ATK 3500→3000
"My turn. Draw." Ryoken drew, then gestured to his field. "Borreload Dragon, attack Yuji directly!" The cylinder in Borreload Dragon's chest started spinning as purple electricity sparked across it. "Charging energy! Borrel mode change!" Borreload Dragon opened its mouth and produced a massive gun barrel. "Target, locked on! Final safety removed!" The spines of Borreload Dragon's wings folded down, causing them to disappear. "This is the end! Thunder Varrel Cannon!" Borreload Dragon fired a massive orange bullet at Yuji. It impacted, causing a massive explosion and making everyone but Ryoken cry out.
When the smoke cleared, and everyone could see properly, they saw that Yuji was lying on the ground with pieces missing from the ground around him.
Kingmaker: 1000→0 LP
"Yuji!" Hanako cried out and raced to her friend's side. Go likewise ran to him while Akira walked.
By the time Hanako reached him, Yuji had managed to sit up and was rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you alright?" Hanako asked him, clearly worried.
Yuji didn't respond right away. Instead, he patted himself down. "Nothing's broken or permanently damaged," he said. He stood up but wobbled and found himself leaning on Hanako. "Father wasn't kidding about the monsters feeling real."
"And every other dimension has this technology," Ryoken said, walking up to his brother. "We need to be careful and not underestimate our foes." He then smiled. "That said, you did much better than last time. You actually managed to destroy Topologic Bomber Dragon and if not for my Mirror Force, you would have won."
Yuji sighed. "I should have seen that card coming though. It fits your strategy completely, brother." Whenever Ryoken dueled, he often let his opponents think they were going to win, or they were in the lead, then he yanked the carpet out from under them with cards like Mirror Force. If he didn't do that, he'd force them into a position where any move they made would end up hurting them. There was a reason Ryoken was #1 at SOL Technologies.
"Right, now that that's done…" Ryoken turned to Hanako. "It's your turn."
"Eh!?" Hanako said, her eyes widening again. "M-My turn?"
"Weren't you listening earlier? We have to make sure none of the Duel Disks have bugs." Ryoken smirked. "That means I'll be dueling all of you." Go's and Hanako's eyes widened with terror.
"Ryoken," Akira said, narrowing his eyes. "Wouldn't it be more expedient for Go and Hanako to duel each other?"
"Y-Yes!" Hanako said, clearly panicking at the prospect of dueling Ryoken. "We have a demonstration to get to, don't we? We don't want to waste too much time dueling."
"We have enough time. We also need to acclimatize both of you to the possible dangers of Real Solid Vision and using a card-insert Duel Disk," Ryoken reminded them. "While dueling each other would help with the latter, you'll get a better lesson with the former from me." He smirked again. "Don't worry, Hanako. I'll go easy on you. I don't want my brother to get mad at me for hurting his girlfriend."
"G-Girlfriend?" Hanako repeated, her face turning red. "W-We aren't dating!" As she was facing Ryoken, she didn't notice Go and Akira roll their eyes or Yuji give Ryoken a flat stare.
"AAAAHHHHH!"
Go screamed as he was sent flying backwards and landed on his back. Ryoken's monsters disappeared as the Real Solid Vision shut down.
"Well, it appears all of our Duel Disks work perfectly," Ryoken said. He then started humming to himself.
Yuji sweatdropped. Ryoken's taking too much pleasure in this.
Out loud, he said, "You alright, Go?"
Go sighed as he stood up. "Yeah, I'm fine. I kind of hope duelists from other dimensions aren't as brutal as Revolver."
"…I hope that too," Yuji nodded. Hanako meanwhile was being watched over by a fussing Akira. Glancing over to her, Yuji watched as her face turned red from embarrassment. Again.
Ryoken looked at his watch, then said, "It looks like it's about time." After everyone looked at him, he said, "The test of the dimensional transporter is taking place soon. Since we'll be the ones using it, father wants us there to watch." He led the way out of the room, with Yuji following him, then Go, and finally Akira and Hanako.
"You three did much better this time," Ryoken said. All of them had dueled him in the past. They had always lost. "You still didn't win, but you lasted much longer."
Go growled. "One day I will defeat you, Revolver!"
Ryoken smirked. "Go ahead and try. I look forward to the challenge."
Not long after that, they arrived at the main laboratory. The five of them took up residence in an observation room overlooking the room, while Dr. Kogami and his assistants worked in the lab itself.
Yuji looked down and saw the transporter. It was a very large machine that took up about half the room, with a large circle in the center. He imagined some kind of portal or something would appear there that they would then walk through. That was how it worked in movies.
Sensing someone walking up to him, Yuji looked to the right and saw Hanako looking down next to him. "It's crazy," she said softly. Akira and Ryoken were talking with the technicians in the observation booth while Go was silently watching some distance from them. "To think that there's other worlds out there. And we're going to one."
"…When you put it like that, I suppose it does sound crazy," Yuji said just as softly. "But if you look at it as just another mission, then it becomes easier to handle."
"I suppose so." Hanako frowned. "Yuji, do you think we could be separated?"
"Hmm?"
"I mean, from those pictures, it looks like we'll be going into a war zone. What if we get caught up in it? What if one of us gets captured or falls behind?" Hanako closed her eyes and exhaled. "I don't like the idea, but it is something we have to consider."
"…Don't worry," Yuji said. "If I fall behind, I know you'll come save me. And if you get captured, I'll go through as many people as I must to save you." He then glanced at his brother. "And while I know Ryoken will put the mission first, he'll do his absolute best to make sure we get out safely."
"…I hope you're right," Hanako said hesitantly. Impulsively, she said, "Hey, let's make a promise, Yuji."
Yuji raised an eyebrow. "A promise?"
"Yes. If we get separated, or one of us gets captured, the other will rescue them. If you get captured, I'll save you, and vice versa. Deal?"
Yuji stared at her for a long time, then gave a small smile. "Deal." Hanako smiled wide at that. She really does have a good smile, Yuji thought absentmindedly.
"We are ready to begin." Everyone in the observation room looked down at Dr. Kogami's words. His assistants had come up to the observation room, leaving only himself with the machine. "Today is the first test of the Dimensional Transporter. As the risks involved are unknown, I shall be operating the machinery by myself. If this test is successful, Revolver and Security Team 13 will travel through this transporter to the Xyz Dimension in three days' time."
"And if not?" Akira asked him.
Dr. Kogami shrugged. "Then we fix the problem within three days, and if it works, then Security Team 13 will travel through it then." He turned to look at his assistants. "Kyoko, make sure everything is being recorded."
"Yes, Dr. Kogami."
Dr. Kogami went to the side of the machine, some distance from the circle, and started hitting switches, powering the transporter up. Yuji glanced to the side and saw the displays of the operators light up.
"Everything is active." "All power readings are stable." "Ready to begin primary activation."
"Alright," Dr. Kogami said, putting his hand on one last switch. "Commencing Dimensional Transporter Activation Test in 3… 2… 1." He flipped the switch. Like Yuji had thought would happen, a portal of blue energy formed within the circle. "Status report?"
Dr. Kogami's assistants analyzed the data. "Power readings look normal…all connections are active… wait, there's something-."
Suddenly, something in the machine sparked. The portal started moving faster, and judging by the papers flying off a nearby table, had started sucking things in.
"There's a miscalculation in the machine!" Kyoko shouted to no one's surprise. "The portal's become a gravity well!"
"Father!" Ryoken shouted as Dr. Kogami was nearly yanked off his feet. Fortunately, the scientist managed to grab on to the nearby levers to keep from being pulled in.
"Shut it down!" Akira shouted at the operators.
"We can't! The system won't respond!"
"Then shut down the building's power grid!"
"We need authorization for that!"
"You have mine! Do it!"
"Father!" Ryoken shouted again as the force from the portal became stronger. He then ran out of the observation room.
"Ryoken!" Yuji shouted, following his brother.
"Yuji!" Go and Hanako shouted, chasing after their leader.
"Hanako!" Akira shouted. He tried to follow his sister, but on her way out, she hit a button to close and lock the door, keeping him in the observation room. "Hanako!"
Ryoken had managed to reach his father and, while holding onto the edge of the machine for support, wrapped his belt around Dr. Kogami's arm and tied him to the machine to prevent him being sucked in. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to secure himself before the pressure from the portal increased and he was pulled off his feet.
Before he could be sucked in, Yuji grabbed Ryoken's hand, with Hanako and Go holding his other hand while both held on to the transporter's edge.
"Hanako!" Akira shouted. "What's taking so long!?"
"Authorization has been cleared!" Kyoko shouted. "But shutting down the entire building takes time. Ten seconds… nine… eight…"
But her count was too slow. A sudden pulse from portal was released, increasing the pressure. Go and Hanako found themselves letting go from the machine as they, Yuji, and Ryoken were sucked into the portal.
"Yuji!" Hanako shouted, trying to reach him but failing.
"Hanako!" Yuji shouted back as he reached out to her, but all four of them disappeared into the portal before he could.
"HANAKO!" Akira shouted.
"RYOKEN! YUJI!" Dr. Kogami shouted as the belt around his hand started to loosen.
"Zero! The grid is shutting down!" All the lights in the room shut down, including the portal. Dr. Kogami dropped to the floor, exhausted. Akira turned to the door and inputted a code, opening it. He ran out and helped Dr. Kogami to his feet.
"Dr. Kogami, what happened?" Akira asked.
"I don't know," the doctor said, shaking his head. "We must have made a mistake in the calculations. Or someone planted a virus."
"Where are they?" Akira asked, turning to the circle that had held the portal. "Where did that thing send them?"
"…I don't know," Dr. Kogami admitted. "If they were lucky, they'll have landed in the other dimensions."
"…And if they weren't?"
"…I'd rather not think about that."
"Uhhh."
Yuji groaned as he regained consciousness. He slowly became aware that he was lying face-down on something hard. Judging by the feeling in his nose, it was concrete. Opening his eyes, he slowly pushed himself up, wincing until he was in a sitting position.
He groaned again as he shook his head, trying to clear it. What had happened? He remembered going to SOL Technologies, being told about other dimensions, then facing his brother in a duel with Real Solid Vision, then…
He gasped. That was right! He, Go, Hanako, and Ryoken had gone to see his father's dimensional transporter. But during the test, it had malfunctioned. Ryoken had gone down to save their father, Yuji had followed after Ryoken, while Go and Hanako had followed him. He remembered Ryoken tying Dr. Kogami down, then the four of them had been sucked into the portal. And he had tried to reach out to Hanako but couldn't in time.
Yuji quickly leapt to his feet and looked around, trying to see if his comrades were with him. But he didn't see them, and he soon got caught up in the scenery.
He appeared to be on a waterfront, between two warehouses, specifically. But that wasn't what drew his attention. It was the massive city that was laid out before him. It appeared to be even larger than Den City. Most of it was comprised of skyscrapers, but there were also multiple arenas across it, and above all the other skyscrapers, there was a tower with the letters "LDS" on it.
A thousand thoughts raced through Yuji's brain, but in the end, he only vocalized one.
"Where the fuck am I!?"
Kingmaker vs. Revolver
This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.
Turn 1: Kingmaker
Kingmaker Normal Summons Stack Reviver (100/600/2). As he Normal Summoned a Cyberse monster, Kingmaker Special Summons Boot Staggered (2300/500/5) in Attack Position. Since he controls a Cyberse monster, Kingmaker Special Summons Backup Secretary (1200/800/3) in Attack Position. Kingmaker uses Backup Secretary, Boot Staggered, and Stack Reviver to Link Summon Decode Talker (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Stack Reviver was used to Link Summon Decode Talker, Kingmaker can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster that was also used to Link Summon Decode Talker in Defense Position. Kingmaker Special Summons Backup Secretary (1200/800/3) to Decode Talker's bottom-right Link Marker. Decode Talker gains 500 ATK for each monster it points to (Decode Talker: 2300→2800). Kingmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.
Turn 2: Revolver
Revolver draws. As Kingmaker controls a Link Monster, Revolver Special Summons Gateway Dragon (1600/1400/4) in Attack Position. Revolver activates Gateway Dragon's effect to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Dragon monster from his hand. He Special Summons Sniffer Dragon (800/400/2) in Attack Position. As Sniffer Dragon was Special Summoned, Revolver can add another Sniffer Dragon from his Deck to his hand. Revolver then activates the Spell Card Trade-In, which lets him discard 1 Level 8 monster to draw 2 cards. He discards Darkstorm Dragon. Revolver uses Gateway Dragon and Sniffer Dragon to Link Summon Twin Triangle Dragon (1200/2/↓→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because Twin Triangle Dragon was Link Summoned, Revolver activates its effect, paying 500 LP to Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher monster from his GY to Twin Triangle Dragon's Link Marker, but it cannot attack and its effects are negated (Revolver: 4000→3500 LP). Revolver Special Summons Darkstorm Dragon (2700/2500/8) to Twin Triangle Dragon's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position. Revolver Normal Summons Triggering Wurm (600/600/2). Revolver uses Darkstorm Dragon, Triggering Wurm, and Link-2 Twin Triangle Dragon to Link Summon Topologic Bomber Dragon (3000/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Triggering Wurm was sent to the GY for the Link Summon of a Dark Link Monster, its effect lets Revolver Special Summon it a zone that Link Monster points to in Attack Position. Revolver Special Summons Triggering Wurm (600/600/2) To Topologic Bomber Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker. Because a monster was Special Summoned to a zone a Link Monster points to, Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect activates, destroying all monsters in the Main Monster Zones. Backup Secretary and Triggering Wurm are destroyed (Decode Talker: 2800→2300). Because Triggering Wurm was destroyed by a Link Monster's effect, Revolver draws 1 card.
Topologic Bomber Dragon attacks and destroys Decode Talker (Kingmaker: 4000→3300 LP). As Topologic Bomber Dragon attacked Kingmaker's monster, Revolver activates its effect to inflict damage to Kingmaker equal to Decode Talker's ATK. As he would take effect damage, Kingmaker activates his Set Counter Trap Card Link Restart, which negates Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect, then lets Kingmaker Special Summon a Link Monster from his GY. He Special Summons Decode Talker (2300/3/↙↑↘). Revolver ends his turn.
Turn 3: Kingmaker
Kingmaker draws. He Normal Summons Lady Debug (1700/1400/4). As Lady Debug was Summoned, its effect activates, letting Kingmaker add 1 Level 3 or lower Cyberse monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Micro Coder from his Deck to his hand. Kingmaker uses Lady Debug and the Code Generator and Micro Coder in his hand using their effects to Link Summon Powercode Talker (2300/3/←↙→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because Code Generator was used to Link Summon a "Code Talker" monster, its effect activates, letting Kingmaker send 1 Cyberse monster with 1200 or less ATK from his Deck to his GY. He sends Latency to the GY. Since Micro Coder was used to Link Summon a "Code Talker" monster, its effect activates, letting Kingmaker add 1 "Cynet" Spell/Trap Card from his Deck to his hand. He adds the Field Spell Card Cynet Storm, which he then activates. Cynet Storm increase the ATK/DEF of linked monsters by 500 (Powercode Talker: 2300→2800). Kingmaker activates Powercode Talker's effect, targeting Topologic Bomber Dragon and negating its effects until the end of the turn.
Powercode Talker attacks Topologic Bomber Dragon. As it is battling an opponent's monster, Kingmaker activates Powercode Talker's effect, Tributing the Decode Talker it points to (Powercode: 2800→2300) to make its ATK become double its original ATK (Powercode Talker: 2300→4600). Topologic Bomber Dragon is destroyed (Revolver: 3500→1900 LP) (Powercode Talker: 4600→2300). Kingmaker ends his turn.
Turn 4: Revolver
Revolver draws. He activates the Spell Card A Feather of the Phoenix, discarding 1 card to return 1 card to the top of his Deck. He discards Background Dragon and returns Gateway Dragon to the top of his Deck. As Revolver controls no monsters, he activates the effect of Background Dragon in his GY, Special Summoning it and 1 Level 4 or lower Dragon monster from his hand in Defense Position, but Background Dragon will be banished when it leaves the field. He Special Summons Background Dragon (1600/1800/5) and Sniffer Dragon (800/400/2). Since Sniffer Dragon was Special Summoned, its effect activates, and Revolver adds a 3rd Sniffer Dragon from his Deck to his hand. Revolver activates the effect of the Defrag Dragon in his hand, sending Linkbelt Wall Dragon from his hand to the GY to Special Summon it (1000/600/3) in Attack Position. Revolver Normal Summons Sniffer Dragon (800/400/2). Revolver uses Background Dragon, Defrag Dragon, and 2 Sniffer Dragons to Link Summon Borreload Dragon (3000/4/←↙↘→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because it left the field, Background Dragon is banished. Revolver Sets 1 card.
Borreload Dragon attacks Powercode Talker. At the beginning of the Damage Step, Revolver activates Borreload Dragon's effect, placing Powercode Talker at Borreload Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker and taking control of it (Borreload Dragon: 3000→3500), but it will be sent to the GY at the end of the next turn. Powercode Talker attacks Kingmaker directly (Kingmaker: 3300→1000 LP). Since he took more than 2000 damage, Kingmaker activates Cynet Storm's effect, letting him shuffle his Extra Deck, excavate the top card, and if it is a Cyberse Link Monster, he can Special Summon it. He excavates and Special Summons Link Spider (1000/1/↓). Revolver ends his turn.
Turn 5: Kingmaker
Kingmaker draws. He Normal Summons ROM Cloudia (1800/0/4). As ROM Cloudia was Normal Summoned, Kingmaker can add 1 Cyberse monster in his GY to his hand. He adds Latency to his hand. Since Latency was added to his hand from the GY, its effect Special Summons itself (0/0/1). Kingmaker uses Latency, ROM Cloudia, and Link Spider to Link Summon Transcode Talker (2300/3/↑↓→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since the Special Summoned Latency was used to Link Summon, Kingmaker draws 1 card. Kingmaker activates Transcode Talker's effect to Special Summon 1 Link-3 or lower Cyberse Link Monster from his GY to its Link Marker. He Special Summons Decode Talker (2300/3/↙↑↘) to Transcode Talker's bottom Link Marker (Decode Talker: 2300→2800) (Transcode Talker: 2300→2800). While Transcode is co-linked, itself and monsters it is co-linked with gain 500 ATK and cannot be targeted by Revolver's card effects (Decode Talker: 2800→3300) (Transcode Talker: 2800→3300). Decode Talker gains 500 ATK for each monster it points to (Decode Talker: 3300→3800). Kingmaker activates the Continuous Spell Card Battle Buffer, negating the effects of a number of monsters Revolver controls up to the number of monsters co-linked with each other Kingmaker controls. After a Cyberse Link Monster battles, Kingmaker can place a Battle Buffer Counter on Battle Buffer, increasing the ATK of all Cyberse Link Monsters he controls by 700 for each. He chooses to negate the effects of Borreload Dragon and Powercode Talker.
Transcode Talker attacks Powercode Talker, but Revolver activates his Set Trap Card Mirror Force, destroying all Attack Position monsters Kingmaker controls. Decode Talker and Transcode Talker are destroyed. Yuji ends his turn, and the effect of Battle Buffer destroys itself. During the End Phase, Borreload Dragon's effect sends Powercode Talker to the GY (Borreload Dragon: 3500→3000).
Turn 6: Revolver
Revolver draws. Borreload Dragon attacks Kingmaker directly (Kingmaker: 1000→0 LP). Revolver wins.
Chapter Preview
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V: The Fifth Circuit. Chapter 3 – A Standard Greeting
Question of the Chapter
Should Yuji learn Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Summoning, and if he does, should he use the ARC-V animation or VRAINS animation?
Author's Notes & Responses to Reviews
Thank you to ZarcEternal, Nirvash Neo, mitchn, Ashera090, HunterHQ, sanedimentio, Above the Winter Moonlight, Crossing, DARK REQUIEM XYZ, Ethan Kironus, Haoh Ryu Z-ARC, Lindia Fullmoon, Tiny Pink Kitten, ThePLOThand, Darwin-18, Vrains Fan, Average JoJoe, bladeWriter3, Guest, Guest, and Yuji for reviewing Chapter 1. I wasn't expecting so many reviews for the first chapter, but it's good to see.
ZarcEternal: No, the Ignis aren't in this story. It would be hard to integrate them in considering there's no Hanoi Project in the Link Dimension.
Nirvash Neo: For duels involving Go, Hanako, Yuji, and Ryoken, they'll be using their Master Rules, thanks to their Override. This may change later, but not for a while. And considering the ending of this chapter, I don't think they have to worry about Leo attacking the Link Dimension.
mitchn: There may be one or two Ritual-focused duelists, but no Ritual Dimension.
DARK REQUIEM XYZ: No, the Link Dimension does not have the other summoning methods, except Ritual, which all dimensions know. As for the Fusion Parasites, you'll have to wait and see. As for your request regarding Yuji and Viral Dawn, I don't think I'll do that, at least not right now. Yuji's relationship with his dragon is a bit… different compared to the other boys.
ThePLOThand: I think we all know what the result of Naoki vs. Sawatari would be. As for the 2 World Legacy Decks, that was actually a coincidence. I originally planned for the last two duelists to use Weather Painter and Magical Musket Decks, but Weather Painters are tricky to write in a Speed Duel, and I felt the Magical Musket Duel didn't flow well enough, so I switched to Fire Burn and Mekk-Knight Decks.
Yuji: Right now, Yuji doesn't have Firewall Dragon. Its symbolism as Yusaku's ace monster aside, its effects are ludicrously powerful, and I don't want Yuji to be as powerful a duelist as Playmaker. Not yet, anyway. I may decide to give him Firewall Dragon later, but not for a while.
Okay, this was Chapter 2. I wonder how many of you anticipated that ending. I hope I surprised most of you. Shout out to EZ2412 and his story Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V: The Past and The Future, as he also used a Master Duel Override in his fanfic and I got the idea from that. We also got more Hanako and Yuji content, and a duel between Yuji and Ryoken, which was mainly to show how powerful Ryoken was. But it also served a point regarding Yuji and Viral Dawn Link Dragon.
I know some people might be upset Viral Dawn didn't show up in the duel, and there are three reasons for that. The first is practical; Viral Dawn's effects only work against Level 5 or higher monsters, so against someone whose ace monsters are all Link Monsters, it's much better for Yuji to use his Code Talker monsters. The second is also practical, while a little symbolic. As I understood it, the reason that the Dragon boys usually use their dragons in duels is mostly because they don't have too many beatsticks. This is especially true for Yuya and Yuri. Yuji, on the other hand, does have many powerful monsters besides Viral Dawn, and even if they are weaker than it, there are times they are more useful. And the third reason is purely symbolic; As I said above, Yuji's relationship with Viral Dawn is different compared to the relationships between the boys and their dragons. How it is different I won't say just yet, but I will explain eventually.
That rant aside, it appears we won't be seeing the Link Dimension for a while. We will get back to it later, but for now, I hope you enjoy Yuji's and his comrades' adventures through the dimensions. As always, please tell me what you thought of this chapter and any questions you have.