Responses to Reviews

Thank you to HunterHQ, ZeroMK7, Guest, Electriuser, And Then the Sky, E.T. 2000, Ethan Kironus, Donjusticia, and Noobmaster for reviewing Chapter 23 of Obscured Truth.

Hello, everyone! I hope that you're safe and healthy wherever you are. I also want to thank everyone for their positive reviews, as it not only indicates that you're enjoying the story, but that you enjoyed the duels as well (and I'm happy that people enjoyed Playmaker's duel with Ace. Which means I'm doing great!).

As always, if you want a good laugh, I encourage you to read Roxy's Reports, a series of Duel Profiles that occur between chapters (who knows? There might be a detail or two for future seasons to come).

Without further ado, it's time to answer some reviews:

HunterHQ: Rachel will eventually tell Yuhiro how she got the Cyberse cards. As for the duel between Raguel and Rosetta, some of it was actually inspired from the first duel between Yusei and Akiza. Oh, and to answer your question regarding Cyreath Salvation: Even if Raguel did manage to save Hercules, Rosetta would still have managed to deal damage, which would have lead to him summoning Turboblaze on his third turn. Hope that clears things up.

ZeroMK7: Happy that you enjoyed the chapter. And on the topic regarding Black Rose Dragon's manga counterpart, all I'll say is: Be patient. For you never know what will come in the future.

Guest: To acquire the answer to your question, I encourage you to keep on reading.

Electriuser: Okay, allow me to clarify something: Rosetta doesn't hate pieces of cardboard. Rather, she hates the very thing that tore her family apart, which is Cyberse. And keep in mind that the Cyberse are living creatures, whether they are in card form or not (after all, the Ignis did create them once Cyberse World was finished). Regardless, I'm happy that you enjoyed Playmaker's Speed Duel, and as for your other question, Ace did cheat in Chapter 21 during his duel against Specter.

And then the Sky: Okay, a lot of information, so give me a few sentences to condense everything into this reply. First off, I'm very happy that my story has satisfied you so far. I'm also glad that you liked the angle I took for Playmaker's Speed Duel. Second, your constructive criticism, after reading it, is really insightful. I want to assure you that Yuhiro does have weaknesses, and they will be proper ones that will be revealed when the time comes. After all, he's a human being, and no human being is perfect. Third, Infearno is going to be the one that duels Yuhiro while Playmaker and Revolver duel during the Tower of Hanoi arc. Fourth, I encourage you to keep on reading, as Rosetta appears in this chapter. Fifth, I didn't know that the song 'Whims of Fate' from Persona 5 fit him.

E.T. 2000: I'm glad you enjoyed both duels. And you're right, Ace was smart in preventing Playmaker from using Storm Access (or else we'd have another Deus Ex Machina moment). As for your other question, this is what I'll tell you: I do plan on a Legendary Monster appearing in Season 2, and more existing archetypes will also appear. It'll be up to you to guess which ones will appear.

Ethan Kironus: I didn't expect you to not only favorite my story, but to give it a chance. For that, I give you my sincerest thanks. I do hope you enjoy not only this chapter, but the rest of the story going forward.

Donjusticia: Your reviews reminded me of TeamFourStar's Dragon Ball Z Abridged (they made me laugh too). I do hope you enjoy reading the story going forward.

Noobmaster: Ace did cheat against Specter during their duel.

And with reviews answered, it's time for the chapter!

Chapter 24: Doubt

At Café Matsuo, in the morning...

"Progleo!" Yuhiro called out to the cub, as he walked downstairs to the second floor, composing of the living and dining rooms. "Where are you, buddy? I have to go to school, and I need to-."

CRASH!

Yuhiro was both startled and curious as to what that sound was. Knowing that the sound came from the second floor, he peeked into the living room, only to see a swarm of cockroaches run past him, with Progleo chasing after them from the kitchen.

"Get them, boy!" Roxy said to Progleo, who followed the cub with a broom in her hand and ran past Yuhiro. "Don't let them get to the first floor!"

"I'm gonna get you." Progleo declared, as he jumped over the cockroaches, cornering and giving them a brief scare. By the time they decided to start running away in the opposite direction, Roxy smashed them several times with her broom, stunning them even more.

"Quick, Yuhiro!" Roxy stated. "Grab the trash can from the kitchen!"

"Uh, sure?" Yuhiro replied, running to the trash can in the kitchen and grabbing it before returning to the living room and giving it to Roxy. After putting it down on the ground, she swept the stunned cockroaches into the trash can before sealing it shut.

"Whew, that was a close one." Roxy said, approaching Progleo and petting him on the head. "Good boy. You made me proud."

"Roxy, what was that all about?" Yuhiro asked flatly, giving her a slight scare, indicating that he got her attention.

"Oh, Yuhiro," Roxy said, rubbing her head sheepishly. "You saw all that, didn't you?"

"Obviously." Yuhiro replied. "Seriously. I never seen you so hellbent on killing cockroaches before."

"Well," Roxy said, as she took the trash bag containing the cockroaches and tying it into a knot, "remember when I said how cleanliness is the #1 priority in restaurants?"

"Yeah?"

"I meant that." Roxy went downstairs to Café Matsuo and put the trash bag in the trash can, while Yuhiro and Progleo followed after her. "A single one of these vermin can bring the entire place down, and I won't lose it due to a couple of bugs."

Yuhiro crossed his arms. "Okay. That explains one problem. But why did you bring Progleo into this mess?"

For a second time, Roxy rubbed her head sheepishly. "After I learned how relentless Progleo was with chasing squirrels, I figured I could put that energy to good use. Which is why I asked for his help."

"And I got to pounce on something!" Progleo added, as Yuhiro bent down to the cub's level. "Or at least tried to."

"You'll get them next time buddy," Yuhiro assured the cub, as he put the leash on his collar. He was then about to walk out the door with Progleo when Roxy stopped him.

"You'll keep an eye on your phone and tablet, right? In case something regarding the Hanoi comes up?"

Yuhiro nodded.

"Good. In that case, have a great day at school!" Without a further word, Yuhiro exited Café Matsuo and started walking to Den Academy.

"First, it was squirrels, now it's bugs." Yuhiro said to Progleo. "It's like you're starting to get used to the creatures of Earth or something."

"What?" Progleo replied. "Roxy needed my help with getting those pesky bugs dealt with, and I was more than happy to assist."

"Well, from past experiences, you are a curious creature, Progleo." Herald stated, who was in his eyeball form. "And that curiosity of yours is something you need to be careful about. Otherwise, something that you perceive as innocent will only turn out to be dangerous." He then turned to Yuhiro. "Could we change the subject to something that's important? Like the fact that the Hanoi stole two Cyberse cards for whatever it is they're planning?!"

"Not so loud, Herald." Yuhiro scolded the Ignis. "And yeah, on what you said, it sucks. If it weren't for Ace appearing out of nowhere, I might have been able to retrieve them from Rosetta."

"Says the guy who was willing to help someone that was your age, a female, and has suffered." Progleo pointed out with a smirk on his face, causing Yuhiro to roll his eyes in embarrassment, while Herald chuckled. Great. Now Progleo was teasing him about the people in his life. First, it was Roxy. Then Rachel. Then Miles and Quinton. And now Progleo, Yuhiro thought. He made a mental note to talk to Roxy after school about who could tease him.

"Hey Herald," Yuhiro said, getting the Ignis's attention, "could you tell me about World Gears of Theurological Demiurgy? You said that it was destroyed when Revolver attacked the Cyberse World."

"And yet Watchman was somehow able to save it." Herald stated, emerging from Yuhiro's Duel Disk. "Yuhiro, what you need to know about World Gears of Theurological Demiurgy is this: It's so strong that it was able to power the entire Cyberse World all by itself. As to how SOL Technologies acquired the card is beyond me."

"But did you and the other Ignis have a contingency in case something was wrong with World Gears of Theurological Demiurgy?"

"Just call it World Gears for short." Herald told Yuhiro. "And yes. Each of us Ignis created a support pillar with a portion of World Gears' power so the Cyberse World would continue to be powered in the event something happened to the main power supply."

"Okay." Yuhiro replied, understanding what Herald told him. "To be honest, I'm kind of glad that it's secure in SOL Technologies for the time being."

"And why's that?"

"It's because we know that it's safe, and out of the Hanoi's clutches." Yuhiro answered.

"For now." Herald emphasized. "If the Hanoi were able to obtain World Gears for themselves, the results would be catastrophic."

"Yeah." Yuhiro kept on walking. Based on the scenario Herald described, Yuhiro knew that it was crucial to acquire World Gears before the Hanoi did. Because if they didn't, and the Hanoi obtained its power instead, it would surely be catastrophic indeed.

Meanwhile, in the Hanoi Stronghold...

"The two of you have done an excellent job." Revolver said, holding Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme and Crusadia Equimax in his right hand. "These Cyberse cards will be perfect sacrifices for the Tower of Hanoi."

"I'm sure they will." Ace replied, giving a smirk to Revolver. The two of them were in the Hanoi Stronghold's observation deck, where they could oversee Rosetta's duel against a duel dummy. That way, she could train for what's to come.

"Battle!" Rosetta declared. "Black Rose Dragon attacks The Fiend Megacyber! Black Rose Flare!" Black Rose Dragon gathered energy inside her maw before firing it at The Fiend Megacyber, destroying it and dropping the duel dummy's life points to zero.

Even though the duel was easy, it was evident that Rosetta was more tired than usual, as she was clearly panting.

"What's wrong?" Revolver asked Ace. "Concerned for your little 'Assassin'?"

"Normally, Rosetta would have taken that duel dummy down in a couple of rounds." Ace answered back.

"Well, based on this duel, as well as the one between her and Raguel, I can come to one conclusion." Revolver theorized, a hand on his chin. "It appears that her dueling prowess has been hindered since her duel against Raguel, where she lost."

"I don't need you to tell me what I already know." Ace said, turning to face Revolver. "From what I'm seeing, she needs fixing. The thing is: I don't know what exactly I need to fix."

"Then allow me to help you with your dilemma." Revolver said, looking at Rosetta. "It wasn't her duel. Rather, it was her opponent."

Ace then smirked upon realizing the answer. "Yes. Could it be that Rosetta has a crush?"

"I don't care what it is." Revolver stated, as he turned around and started walking from Ace. "If she is to serve the Hanoi, nothing must hinder her as a duelist. It therefore falls onto you to fix this. Before I do it myself. Permanently." And Revolver then walked out of the observation deck.

Meanwhile, Rosetta left the dueling field, satisfied with her victory. However, Ace caught up to her.

"Rosetta," Ace said, approaching her. "That was an impressive duel."

"Yeah, right." Rosetta replied.

"You're too hard on yourself." Ace gently told her. "Whatever's troubling you, you can always tell me. After all, we're friends."

"I'm fine. I just need to rest." Unfortunately for her, Ace didn't buy it.

"Come now. I've known you too long for you to start lying." Ace stated. "I saved you. Or don't you remember?" Those words got Rosetta's attention. "You were abandoned by your family, who was supposed to be there for you in your grief, thus turning you into an outcast. You had no friends to turn to, and no one wanted to be around you. They'd stare at you from afar, afraid of what you've become. And when you were ready to throw away your future, who was it that saved you? Me, Ace. Now you're one of the Black Market's most powerful agents, surrounded by friends who share your abilities, all thanks to yours truly. What's more, you get to unleash your pain and anger on the very thing that tore your family away from you."

"Cyberse..." Rosetta muttered, looking down to the ground.

"At the very least, you can tell me what is really going on." Ace said, trying to get Rosetta's attention for a second time. "Why are you distracted? What's so important that you're risking not only your accomplishments, but mine as well?"

Gathering her thoughts quickly, Rosetta looked into Ace's eyes and said, "I said it's nothing." She then started walking away from Ace, only for him to continue talking.

"Or is it Raguel?" That statement caused Rosetta to widen her eyes and open her mouth in shock. Judging from her reaction, Ace guessed correctly.

"You don't have to be super-smart to figure it out." Ace continued, turning to her. "You think you can run off, live a normal life once again, and have Raguel fight your battles for you? Very romantic. But I'm afraid your place will always be here, by my side. Understand?"

"I understand." Rosetta answered.

"Then turn around and say it to my face." Ace boldly requested. Sure enough, Rosetta turned around and faced Ace, just as he wanted.

"I understand."

"Good." Ace breathed a sigh of relief, satisfied with her answer. "Get some rest. You'll need it the next time you encounter Raguel, Playmaker, or one of their allies." And Rosetta walked away from him, exiting the duel arena component of the Hanoi Stronghold.

A couple of seconds later, Ace's Duel Disk started beeping, indicating that he's receiving a call. Clicking on one of the buttons, he learned that Athaliah was calling him.

"Not now," he told her, answering her call.

"My apologies," Athaliah said on the other end, "but I cross-referenced everyone in Den City regarding the dataprint."

"And?"

"I found a match." Athaliah stated, causing Ace to narrow his eyes.

"Is that so?" Ace said. "Forward the results to me first. I need to check something before showing them to Revolver." He then hung up on her, ending the call.

After Rosetta entered her room in the Hanoi Stronghold, she sat down on a nearby chair and thought of the words Raguel told her during their duel. When you previously attacked with your Black Rose Dragon, other than pain and anger, you want to know what I sensed? I'll tell you: It's the need to belong. You want to feel accepted, but because of what you went through, you're willing to inflict pain on anybody and everybody to try and not feel it again.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked down on the floor. Do I really duel like that just to avoid my sadness? Rosetta thought. I want to make the Cyberse suffer, but at the same time, I just want to belong again. She then took out Black Rose Dragon from her deck and looked at it. "Raguel..." she muttered. "I don't know who you are, but since our duel, you're making me question everything." The question on her mind was: Could she truly find peace for herself?

At the Den City Regis Hotel...

"Damn it..." Gekiryushi muttered, as she got up from her bed and stretched her arms, even though she felt some pain in them. Ever since her duel against Dancho, she had been ordered by SOL Technologies to recover from her injuries. All because she was humiliated by her former sensei and turned into an 'Another' within three turns. Not only did that duel humiliate her, but it put SOL Technologies' reputation into question as to whether it can keep the people of Den City safe or not.

So here she was. Recovering. And waiting for something to happen.

RING RING!

Noticing that the phone was ringing, Gekiryushi went to the nearby desk and picked it up. Upon learning who was calling her, she rolled her eyes.

"I know it's you, Kitamura." Gekiryushi immediately said on her phone. "Has something come up regarding the Hanoi?"

"You could say that." Kitamura answered on the other end. "I've found something that will end them once and for all. Please meet me at SOL Technologies." He then hung up on her, causing her to sigh in complete annoyance.

"Of all the people to be assigned as Security Chief, it had to be you, Kitamura..." Gekiryushi muttered, as she headed to the bathroom to freshen up for her meeting.

After showering and putting on a fresh set of clothes, Gekiryushi went over to her desk to pick up her Duel Disk and phone before heading out. But before she could reach the door...

"Obeying your master's call, like the loyal dog you are..."

Gekiryushi's eyes widened in shock upon hearing that voice. A voice she didn't expect to hear. She turned around to see if who was speaking to her wasn't there. Unfortunately, it turned out that Dancho was on the other side of the room, speaking to her.

"S-S-Sensei Ikiagi...?!" Gekiryushi said, unsure of how Dancho was still alive. From what she recalled, he became an 'Another' just like the other Hanoi lieutenants.

"I should think it's obvious." Dancho replied, a smirk on his face.

"I thought... I thought you became an 'Another'." Gekiryushi said, as Dancho walked closer to her. "You shouldn't be here!"

"And yet here I am." Dancho pointed out, suddenly appearing on the other side of the room behind Gekiryushi. "As I once told you a long time ago, there is more than one way to exist." He then raised his right hand, releasing a blast of dark chi at Gekiryushi, causing her to protect herself with her arms as she was pushed back.

The next thing Gekiryushi knew, Dancho rushed and went right through her, giving her the shivers and catching her off guard.

"Why are you here?!" Gekiryushi demanded. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

"Why, to teach you of course." Dancho answered, turning to face her. "Tell me, former pupil of mine: Why is it that you fight? What is the motivation that drives your cause?"

"You know exactly as well as I do, Sensei Ikiagi." Gekiryushi said. "I fight to bring the corrupt to justice. So that they get what they deserve!"

Dancho simply laughed at her declaration. "Even after your loss, you still learned nothing?" He dashed towards Gekiryushi and hit her in the stomach, making her stumble back a few steps. "Allow me another question. What about the innocents involved in your crusade for 'justice'? What happens to them?"

Gekiryushi couldn't utter a single word in response to Dancho's question. It reminded her of what he told her before their duel concluded. Life isn't as black and white as you believe. You can't just look down on others by refusing to see their perspective. Otherwise, you're no better than the people you judge as evil!

"No response, huh? Surely, you must have know that this was eventually going to happen." Dancho took a few steps forward before continuing. "You better be careful, Gekiryushi. Otherwise, you'll take an innocent life, and that will change you forever."

"Shut up!" Gekiryushi told him, turning to face Dancho. "You don't know that!"

"YES I DO!" Dancho roared at her, in a voice so loud that it caused Gekiryushi to put her hands on her ears. "YOU THINK YOU'RE CRUSADE MAKES YOU RIGHTEOUS?" He hit her with another blast of dark chi, pushing her back once again. "WRONG! IT MAKES YOU JUDGE, JURY, AND EXECUTIONER!" Dancho fired a third blast of dark chi at Gekiryushi, making her plant her feet to avoid falling to the ground. "JUST WAIT, GEKIRYUSHI! ONCE YOU END UP TAKING THAT INNOCENT LIFE, YOU'LL BE HAUNTED BY YOUR MISTAKE FOREVER!"

"Shut up, Shut up, SHUT UP!" Gekiryushi screamed at the top of her lungs to stop him from talking. Upon learning that Dancho was no longer there, she removed her hands from her ears as soon as a few seconds passed. Not again, she thought, walking over to the door. A side effect from her duel was that she continued to be haunted by Dancho in her dreams. Now it was happening when she was awake? Just great.

Gekiryushi shook her head. As she left her room, she made a mental note to book an appointment with a doctor once she completed her assignment. I'll prove that my crusade is righteous, Sensei, Gekiryushi thought, as she headed to one of the taxis and requested a ride to SOL Technologies.

At SOL Technologies...

When Gekiryushi arrived at SOL Technologies, she immediately headed for SOL Headquarters, knowing that whatever Kitamura found must be important in order to defeat the Hanoi once and for all.

"What perfect timing." Kitamura said, turning his desk chair around to face Gekiryushi as she entered SOL Headquarters. "I trust you understand why I called you?"

Gekiryushi nodded. "You said that you found a way to end the Hanoi once and for all. What exactly is it?"

"I'm glad you asked." He then motioned to his left side, where there were three humanoid robots in different colors. The first robot was colored black and grey, the second was colored purple with neon highlights, and the third was colored red with white lines. "These are three of my strongest AI duelists: AI-X, AI-Y, and AI-Z. Only the strongest will be able to complete this assignment."

"Which is?"

Kitamura then turned to his laptop and pushed a button on, which showed an image on the large, translucent neon-green screen that was on the other side of the room. "Destroy the Hanoi's base of operations."

Gekiryushi's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the image on the screen. Sure enough, it showed where the Hanoi's base of operations was. If this mission was a success, then the Hanoi would be no more. Still, it did raise a question for her. "How did you find their location?"

"I paid the Piper." Kitamura answered, a smirk on his face evident. When Gekiryushi raised an eyebrow, he sighed and turned to face her. "I paid a very-skilled hacker to identify their location for me."

"Oh." Gekiryushi replied, now understanding what Kitamura meant. She then changed the subject. "Other than destroy the Hanoi's base of operations, is there anything else that's required for this assignment?"

"As a matter of fact, two things." Kitamura confirmed, handing her two data cards: one blue, and one red. "One: Retrieve the information that the Hanoi has in their databanks. The blue card that you hold will let you make a copy of that information before my AI Duelists destroy the place. Two: With the red card in your hand, I want to capture one of the Hanoi's members, preferably Revolver. By doing so, we'll be able to obtain information and lock them up, as well as restore the public's faith in us."

Or more so in you and that big ego of yours, Gekiryushi thought. "Very well. I will go immediately."

"Glad to hear your enthusiasm." Kitamura said, handing Gekiryushi a third data card, which was colored green. "This card will take you to the Hanoi's location, and will be essential in logging you out. Once you meet my AI duelists in the network, you'll complete the tasks I assigned you to the letter. You're dismissed." He then pressed another button on his laptop, activating all three AI duelists. Each of them then logged into the network without saying anything.

Knowing that her assignment has begun, Gekiryushi ran out of SOL Headquarters and headed to one of the nearby pods, where employees of SOL Technologies can log into LINK VRAINS to get a task done. As the glass cylindrical door closed around her, she took out her deck, placed it in her Duel Disk, and said, "Deck Set! Into the VRAINS!"

In LINK VRAINS...

SengokuQueen emerged from a portal as she appeared in LINK VRAINS. Or more specifically, the location where the Hanoi Stronghold was supposedly located. To her left was AI-X, AI-Y, and AI-Z.

"Each of us has a unique program that will be beneficial in your mission." AI-X told her. "For instance, I carry a thermal, electrical pulse that can shut down communications within a specific radius for a limited period of time."

"I carry a program that can prevent someone from logging out for a limited period of time." AI-Y said.

"I carry an invisibility program that lets us evade the Hanoi's security for a limited period of time." AI-Z said.

"We are ready to begin the mission at your command." AI-X stated. Before Gekiryushi could begin the assignment...

"And just like a dog, you're following your master's orders..."

SengokuQueen's eyes widened for a third time in one day upon hearing Dancho's voice behind her. Even if she was in LINK VRAINS, he still continued to haunt her?

"Why...Why do you haunt me?" SengokuQueen demanded from Dancho, turning to her right to face him.

"To open your eyes and help you see the truth." Dancho answered her. "Yet, no matter what I say or do, it ends up falling on deaf ears. If you continue to be stiff-necked, it will only lead to your undoing!"

"You're wrong!" Gekiryushi told him. "AND I'll PROVE IT!"

All Dancho did was smirk. "I'd like to see you try."

"Ms. SengokuQueen?" AI-X interrupted, touching her shoulder and shocking her back into reality. When she looked around, Dancho wasn't there, haunting her. "Shall we proceed with the mission?"

"Y-Yes." SengokuQueen responded. "Let's begin." The quartet then went to the nearby wall in front of them, where SengokuQueen took out four small bugs and placed them on the wall. Once the quartet was in safe distance, SengokuQueen pressed a button on her Duel Disk, causing the bugs to cut the wall and create an entrance where they could enter into the Hanoi Stronghold.

One by one, they went through the entrance into the Hanoi Stronghold. Upon entry, SengokuQueen turned to AI-Z. "Activate your invisibility program."

"Activating invisibility program," AI-Z said, turning it and the others invisible. As they trekked around the Hanoi Stronghold and evaded its security systems, SengokuQueen couldn't help but begin to wonder how the Hanoi were able to evade SOL for this long. She shook her head, knowing that it didn't matter. Because once the mission was a success, the Hanoi would either be defeated for good, or severely crippled enough to the point where they couldn't threaten anyone.

We're almost at the Hanoi's databank, SengokuQueen thought, as the quartet arrived at the observation deck, where Revolver and Lord Kazuma were talking.

"He's evasive, I got to tell you." Lord Kazuma said. "No matter how many times I go through LINK VRAINS, I can't seem to find him."

"Then search again." Revolver ordered, turning away from him. "We have to find Watchman ASAP. Otherwise, father's plans for the Tower will be jeopardized."

SengokuQueen stopped walking upon hearing this. Who exactly was Watchman? And Revolver had a father? Could it be that Revolver was a figurehead while his father was the leader all along?

AI-Y motioned for her to keep going, causing her to nod and go join the others. Unfortunately, the invisibility program wore off at the worst moment, exposing her and the three AI's to Revolver and Lord Kazuma.

"Now this is interesting." Revolver said, a snicker on his face upon looking at them. "Looks like SOL Technologies decided to send their dogs to try and stop us."

"You may have gotten into the Lion's Den," Lord Kazuma added, "but there's no way you're getting out!"

"We'll see." SengokuQueen replied. She turned to AI-X. "AI-X, activate the thermal electrical pulse program."

"Activating thermal electrical pulse," AI-X said, glowing blue before unleashing a wave of bright light, pushing everyone back and shutting down communications in the Hanoi Stronghold. As a result, the power in the Hanoi Stronghold went out.

"We have to move!" SengokuQueen told the three AI's. "AI-X and AI-Y, defeat Revolver and his ally. AI-Z, you're with me."

"Acknowledged," AI-X and AI-Y said, moving towards Revolver and Lord Kazuma, while SengokuQueen and AI-Z went further into the Hanoi Stronghold.

"Damn that bounty hunter and her AI's!" Revolver growled. "We have to stop them!"

"You're not going anywhere." AI-Y told Revolver. "I activated the anti-logout program, preventing you from logging out for a limited period of time."

"It is now time for us to duel." AI-X added, both AI's activating their Duel Disks.

"Kitamura must have balls to think he can defeat us this easily." Lord Kazuma stated, as he readied his Duel Disk to face AI-X.

"He does indeed, Lord Kazuma." Revolver agreed with him, as the emergency power came online. He then readied his own Duel Disk and pointed his right index finger at AI-Y. "Prepare yourself, AI. For you'll have the pleasure of getting crushed personally by me!"

As SengokuQueen and AI-Z continued through the corridors, she turned to AI-Z and said, "Find the Hanoi's databank. I must complete my part of the assignment."

"Understood." AI-Z said, as it took a left turn upward, while SengokuQueen continued going straight.

So the emergency power came online, SengokuQueen thought, as she continued to run through the hallways in the Hanoi Stronghold. She had to admit: This place appeared to look like a maze. A tricky one to be exact. And one could easily get lost if they couldn't figure it out.

SengokuQueen suddenly heard footsteps, causing her to take slow steps in order to not get noticed. When she looked around the corner, she ended up seeing Rosetta, who was on the same floor she was.

I know this woman, SengokuQueen realized. On the black market, she's also known as 'The Graceful Assassin'. To think that someone like her would join the Hanoi. If SengokuQueen were to capture Rosetta and bring her to SOL Technologies, not only would a highly well-known criminal face justice, she could prove to Dancho that her crusade was right.

"Ace. Anyone." Rosetta called out into the open. "Hello. Is anyone there?"

"Looking for someone?" SengokuQueen asked, as she stepped out of the corner to face Rosetta. "I'm afraid this 'Ace' person you're talking about, as well as the rest of the Hanoi are a little occupied."

"Wait. You're that bounty hunter from Kyoto." Rosetta said, recognizing SengokuQueen.

"I do happen to have a name you know. It's SengokuQueen." SengokuQueen narrowed her eyes at Rosetta. "You're famous yourself, right Rosetta? Or do you prefer 'The Graceful Assassin'?"

Rosetta slightly gasped as SengokuQueen continued talking. "I've waited a long time for this, Miss Whatever-You-Call-Yourself. The people that you targeted during your assignments demand justice."

"Justice?" Rosetta repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"Enough lies." SengokuQueen firmly stated. "Since I have honor, I'm willing to give you one chance to surrender peacefully."

"I don't plan on surrendering." Rosetta decided, activating her Duel Disk. "And I don't plan on doing so until I complete my mission."

"Then we duel." SengokuQueen concluded.

"Fine. Let's go."

SengokuQueen responded by activating her own Duel Disk. "To tell you the truth, I had hoped it would come to this. A duel should be the perfect chance to try out my upgraded deck. After all, if I can beat you, it means I'll be able to handle myself against Raguel and Playmaker."

"Raguel and Playmaker?" Rosetta asked. "What do they have to do with this?"

"You have no idea, don't you?" SengokuQueen replied. "No idea on what you got yourself into. But it doesn't matter, as once I defeat you, you'll pay for your crimes!"

"Not if I defeat you first!"

"Duel!" both duelists declared.

Rosetta: 4000 LP

SengokuQueen: 4000 LP

"The first turn is mine!" SengokuQueen said, looking at the cards in her hand. "I'll start by activating two Continuous-Spell cards: Six Samurai United and Shien's Dojo, along with the Field Spell card Temple of the Six." A massive temple appeared behind SengokuQueen, with the gate having the Bushido symbol. "Each time I Normal or Special Summon a 'Six Samurai' monster, I can place a Bushido counter on all three cards. Also, for every Bushido counter on Temple of the Six, all monsters you control will lose 100 attack points. I now summon Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki from my hand!" A samurai with bronze armor and high boots with yellow lines appeared on SengokuQueen's field, carrying a katana in each arm. The samurai had a bronze mask with wires on his helmet. On the samurai's back was a set of mechanical arms, which also had a katana in each hand.

Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki ATK: 200 DEF: 2000 LVL: 3

"The effects of Six Samurai United, Shien's Dojo, and Temple of the Six now activate, letting me put a Bushido counter on each of them!"

Six Samurai United BC: 0 + 1 = 1

Shien's Dojo BC: 0 + 1 = 1

Temple of the Six BC: 0 + 1 = 1

"Kageki's effect!" SengokuQueen continued. "When it's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Six Samurai' monster from my hand. Come to me, Kagemusha of the Six Samurai!" A samurai with dark brown armor and shin pads with yellow lines covering his entire body joined SengokuQueen's field. Unlike his brethren, this samurai's mask was a bit taller vertically, and its mask covered his face up to his eyes. Kagemusha cracked his whip, ready for battle.

Kagemusha of the Six Samurai ATK: 400 DEF: 1800 LV: 2

"And just like before, the effects of my Continuous-Spells and Field Spell activate!"

Six Samurai United BC: 1 + 1 = 2

Shien's Dojo BC: 1 + 1 = 2

Temple of the Six BC: 1 + 1 = 2

"Kageki's second effect! Since I control a 'Six Samurai' monster with a different name, it gains 1500 attack points!"

Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki ATK: 200 + 1500 = 1700

"I also activate Six Samurai United's second effect!" SengokuQueen added. "As it reached the max capacity of how many Bushido counters it can have, I will send it to the Graveyard to draw one card for each Bushido counter that was on it. There were two Bushido counters, so I get to draw two cards!" She drew the top two cards of her deck.

"Level 2 Kagemusha of the Six Samurai tunes Level 3 Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki!" SengokuQueen boldly declared. A bolt of crimson lightning struck her as the world greyed out and her two monsters disappeared into particles. Two rings, one brown and one green, appeared before turning blue and merging. Five blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "2 + 3" in front of them. The screen changed to "5" as light surged through the rings.

"The legendary samurai brings fear and death to all his enemies!" SengokuQueen chanted. "Soon, your death shall strengthen his power! Synchro Summon! Emerge from the battlefield, Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En!" A samurai with light crimson armor and golden lines covering his entire body emerged from the light and onto the right Extra Monster Zone. He had medium-sized wings with golden lines on his back. On each of his shoulders was a curved spike. His helmet had the Bushido symbol on the top, with the samurai mask having a golden outline. His eyes glowed red as he swung his katana, ready for battle.

Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En ATK: 2500 DEF: 1400 LV: 5

"The effects of my Continuous-Spell and Field Spell activate!"

Shien's Dojo BC: 2 + 1 = 3

Temple of the Six BC: 2 + 1 = 3

"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." SengokuQueen concluded. "You're up."

"My turn! I draw!" Rosetta said, drawing the top card of her deck. "I summon Necro Fleur from my hand!" A shriveled-up rose sprouted onto Rosetta's field.

Necro Fleur ATK: 0 DEF: 0 LV: 1

"I now activate the Quick-Play Spell card, Mystical Space Typhoon, which-."

"Won't let you do anything!" SengokuQueen interrupted. "I activate Shi En's effect! Once per turn, during either of our turns, when you activate a Spell or Trap card, I can negate and destroy it! Trembling Terror!" Shi En slashed horizontally in front of him, releasing a wave of energy from his blade and destroying Mystical Space Typhoon. But all Rosetta did was smirk.

"I activate the Spell card, Fragrance Storm." Rosetta calmly continued. "I can target a Plant monster on my field and destroy it. By doing so, I get to draw a card, and if that card was a Plant monster, I get to draw a second card. I therefore target and destroy Necro Fleur!" A tornado of roses suddenly appeared and destroyed Necro Fleur, turning the flower into particles.

"I draw!" Rosetta drew the top card of her deck and looked at it. Upon looking at it, she smiled and revealed what she drew. "The card I drew was Rose Fairy, which means I get to draw another card." Rosetta then drew another card from the top of her deck.

"At this point, I use Rose Fairy's effect! Since it was added to my hand by a card effect, I get to Special Summon it!" A small fairy with rosy red eyes, pink skin and wings flew onto her field. Her hands and feet were decorated with rosy gloves and shoes. She also had a rose petal as hair.

Rose Fairy ATK: 600 DEF: 1200 LV: 3

"Temple of the Six's effect makes all monsters you control lose 100 attack points for every Bushido counter on it." SengokuQueen reminded Rosetta. "Since there's currently three, your Rose Fairy loses 300 attack points." The symbol on Temple of the Six behind SengokuQueen started glowing, draining Rose Fairy of attack points.

Rose Fairy ATK: 600 – 300 = 300

"That may be a minor setback, but it's something that won't stop me." Rosetta stated. "At this point, I use the effect of Necro Fleur! Since it was destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Sorciere De Fleur from my deck." A woman wearing botanical clothing appeared on Rosetta's field. Her clothing consisted of a thin dress with long, light-rosy sleeves. On top of her head was a giant rose colored red in the back and yellow on the front, with a portion of blue in the middle. In her left hand, she carried a scepter with a rose on the tip.

Sorciere De Fleur ATK: 2900 DEF: 0 LV: 8

Sorciere De Fleur ATK: 2900 – 300 = 2600

"Sorciere De Fleur's effect! When she's Normal or Special Summoned, I can target one monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it to my field. Serve me, Kagemusha of the Six Samurai!" At Rosetta's command, Kagemusha reappeared, only on her field.

Kagemusha of the Six Samurai ATK: 400 DEF: 1800 LV: 2

"How dare you steal my monster!" SengokuQueen exclaimed. "It just proves how dirty you are!"

"Dirty?" Rosetta repeated. "You absolutely have no idea what I went through, don't you?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." SengokuQueen replied. "Regardless, you're part of the black market, which means I must carry out justice. And since a 'Six Samurai' monster is Normal or Special Summoned, I can activate the effects of Shien's Dojo and Temple of the Six, which now lets me place a Bushido counter on them."

Shien's Dojo BC: 3 + 1 = 4

Temple of the Six BC: 3 + 1 = 4

Sorciere De Fleur ATK: 2600 – 100 = 2500

Rose Fairy ATK: 300 – 100 = 200

Kagemusha of the Six Samurai ATK: 400 – 400 = 0

"I activate Dark Rose Fairy's effect from my hand." Rosetta continued, ignoring SengokuQueen's statements. "Since a Tuner monster was summoned to my field, I can Special Summon this card from my hand." A little fairy with bright blue eyes carrying a rose appeared on Rosetta's field. She wore a grey, rosy dress with black shoes. Her hair was light-green and tied into a bun.

Dark Rose Fairy ATK: 800 DEF: 1000 LV: 2

Dark Rose Fairy ATK: 800 – 400 = 400

"Level 2 Kagemusha of the Six Samurai tunes Level 2 Dark Rose Fairy and Level 3 Rose Fairy!" Rosetta declared, as a bolt of green lightning struck her. At the same time, the world greyed out, while her three monsters disappeared into particles. Three rings, one brown, one black, and one pink appeared before turning blue and merging. Seven blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "2 + 2 + 3" in front of them. The screen changed to "7" as light surged through the rings.

"The cold flame engulfs the entire world!" Rosetta chanted. "Pitch-black flower, bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 7! Black Rose Dragon!" A massive, black-skinned dragon, whose entire body was covered in roses, spread out her wings and let out a shriveling roar as she was summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone on Rosetta's field. She had a long, slender neck that was covered in roses at the back, and three mandibles that were made of roses on her head. She also had clawed draconic feet. In addition, the dragon had a long, thorned tail, along with thinner thorned tails. Black Rose Dragon's orange eyes glowed as she glared at SengokuQueen.

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800 LV: 7

"Black Rose Dragon's effect activates!" Rosetta said. "When it's Synchro Summoned, every card on the field is destroyed!"

"Counter-Trap, activate!" SengokuQueen interrupted. "Musakani Magatama! If you activate a Spell or Trap card, or a monster effect that would destroy a card while I control a 'Six Samurai' monster, I can negate the activation and destroy it!" A blast of energy came out of Musakani Magatama and hit Black Rose Dragon, turning her into particles.

"In that case, I activate the Spell card, Monster Reborn." Rosetta said. "This card lets me Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard. Return, Black Rose Dragon!" On Rosetta's command, Black Rose Dragon reappeared on her field and roared at SengokuQueen, infuriated at her for what she did.

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800 LV: 7

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 – 400 = 2000

"Let's battle! Sorciere De Fleur attacks your Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En!" Sorciere De Fleur fired a blast of energy from her rose-tipped scepter at Shi En. However...

"Trap card, activate!" SengokuQueen said. "Return of the Six Samurai! This card lets me target one 'Six Samurai' monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it! I choose Kageki!" At SengokuQueen's command, Kageki reappeared on her field in attack position.

Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki ATK: 200 DEF: 2000 LVL: 3

"The effects of Kageki, my Continuous-Spell and Field Spell activate once again. And you know what that means!"

Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki ATK: 200 + 1500 = 1700

Shien's Dojo BC: 4 + 1 = 5

Temple of the Six BC: 4 + 1 = 5

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2000 – 100 = 1900

Sorciere De Fleur ATK: 2500 – 100 = 2400

"Shi En, counterattack!" Shi En dodged the blast Sorciere De Fleur fired from her scepter and slashed her in response, turning her into particles.

Rosetta: 4000 – 100 = 3900 LP

Undeterred from SengokuQueen's defense, Rosetta said, "The battle still continues! Black Rose Dragon attacks Legendary Six Samurai - Kageki! Go, Black Rose Flare!" Black Rose Dragon gathered energy inside her maw before firing it at Kagemusha, destroying the warrior and causing SengokuQueen to slightly wince.

SengokuQueen: 4000 – 200 = 3800 LP

"I Set one card face-down and end my turn." Rosetta concluded. "You claim that what I do is dirty, but I do what I must to accomplish your goal."

"Your goal?" SengokuQueen inquired. "What goal leads you to side with the black market, huh? Tell me, 'Graceful Assassin'."

"Peace for myself." Rosetta bluntly answered, surprising SengokuQueen. "But I doubt you'd understand."

SengokuQueen narrowed her eyes in fury. Ever since what happened eleven years ago, all she had been doing was to get peace for her failure. And now she was getting lectured by an assassin, who claimed to want peace?!

No. SengokuQueen would not listen to an assassin, a killer of all people. Rosetta may be younger than her, but that didn't excuse her actions on the black market.

"My turn! I draw!" SengokuQueen said, drawing the top card of her deck. "I activate a second copy of Six Samurai United from my hand. Next, I use the effect of Shien's Dojo. By sending it from my field to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Six Samurai' monster from my deck whose level is less than or equal to the number of Bushido counters Shien's Dojo had. Come, Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan!" A samurai with dark blue armor appeared on her field. Unlike his brethren, this samurai's mask did not come with the helmet. His long black hair was on his sides, and he carried a katana in his hands.

Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan ATK: 1800 DEF: 500 LV: 4

"The effects of United and Temple of the Six activate!"

Six Samurai United BC: 0 + 1 = 1

Temple of the Six BC: 5 + 1 = 6

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 1900 – 100 = 1800

"Next, I summon The Six Samurai – Zanji from my hand!" A samurai holding a naginata also appeared on her field. Zanji wore dark brown armor and shin guards with orange lines. His helmet was curved at the top.

The Six Samurai – Zanji ATK: 1800 DEF: 1300 LV: 4

"United and Temple of the Six's effects!"

Six Samurai United BC: 1 + 1 = 2

Temple of the Six BC: 6 + 1 = 7

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 1800 – 100 = 1700

"I activate Six Samurai United's second effect!" SengokuQueen continued. "As it reached the max capacity of how many Bushido counters it can have, I will send it to the Graveyard to draw one card for each Bushido counter that was on it. There were two Bushido counters, so I get to draw two cards!" She drew the top two cards of her deck.

"Kizan's effect! Since I have two or more other 'Six Samurai' monsters on my field, it gains 300 attack and defense points!"

Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan ATK: 1800 + 300 = 2100 DEF: 500 + 300 = 800

"Battle!" SengokuQueen declared. "First, Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En attacks Black Rose Dragon! Crimson Slash of Death!" Shi En charged forward and slashed Black Rose Dragon multiple times, destroying her in a massive explosion. Rosetta's left shoulder fizzled due to the attack.

Rosetta: 3900 – 800 = 3100 LP

"Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan attacks you directly!" Kizan ran forward and slashed Rosetta, but...

"I activate Rose Defender's effect from my hand!" Rosetta said. "When a monster you control attacks me directly, I'm allowed to Special Summon this card from my hand in defense position." A knight in rose-colored armor appeared on Rosetta's field in defense position. In his left hand, he carried a massive shield that was in the shape of a rose.

Rose Defender ATK: 0 DEF: 2000 LV: 5

"The battle still continues." SengokuQueen told Rosetta. "Kizan, resume your attack!" Kizan ran forward and struck his blade at Rose Defender, who pushed back. Unfortunately, Kizan won the struggle and slashed the knight in two, destroying it for good.

"The second effect of Rose Defender activates." Rosetta said. "If it was destroyed in battle the turn it was Special Summoned by its own effect, I'm allowed to draw one card from my deck." After saying this, she drew the top card of her deck.

"I'm not done battling yet. For I still have one more monster left to attack with." SengokuQueen reminded her. "Zanji attacks you directly!" Zanji leapt forward at Rosetta and slashed her using his naginata, causing her to take a few steps back and grunt as well.

Rosetta: 3100 – 1800 = 1300 LP

"I Set two cards face-down and end my turn." SengokuQueen concluded. "No matter what you do, you can't hide from the actions you've committed. Which brings me to one conclusion."

"And what conclusion would that be?" Rosetta demanded.

SengokuQueen closed her eyes. "You're nothing more than a destructive and vile person, who's willing to injure others in order to accomplish their goal. You claim to want peace for yourself, but based on your past and present actions, it's only fitting to say that you're also a hypocrite. And to avoid this truth, you surround yourself with similar people who encourage your actions, such as those from the Hanoi and the Black Market." She opened her eyes again and smirked. "Am I not correct, Rosetta?"

Rosetta's eyes widened after hearing SengokuQueen's theory. She thought about earlier, when she contemplated whether she dueled to inflict pain in order to avoid her sadness. What if she's right, Rosetta thought. What if I'm as destructive and vile as she claims?

She shook her head. The last thing she needed was for a bounty hunter to play mind games with her. Once Rosetta finished this duel, she would think things over. But first, she had to win.

"It's my turn! I draw!" Rosetta said, drawing the top card of her deck and looking at both cards in her hand. I can use Mark of the Rose to bait out Shi En's effect, she thought. Once she uses her monster's effect, I can play Triple Tactics Talent to draw two cards. And if one of them is Black Garden, I can then use Ivy Shackles to turn all her monsters into Plant monsters, which will let me bring back Black Rose Dragon from my Graveyard!

"I activate the Equip Spell card, Mark of the Rose! By banishing one Plant monster from my Graveyard, I can target one face-up monster you control and equip it with this card. Afterwards, I can then take control of it!"

"Not so fast!" SengokuQueen said. "I use Shi En's effect to negate Mark of the Rose and destroy it!" Shi En slashed horizontally in front of him, releasing a wave of energy from his blade and destroying Mark of the Rose. "You won't win by taking my monsters."

"Even for a bounty hunter, you must realize that wasn't a smart move." Rosetta stated. "After all, in activating your monster's effect, you allowed me to activate the Spell card, Triple Tactics Talent! This card lets me choose one of three effects, and I think I'll choose the first one, which lets me draw two cards from my deck." She then drew the top two cards of her deck, and upon looking at them, realized that she drew Black Garden.

"I'll also activate my Field Spell card, Black Garden!" Soon, the rest of the duel field was engulfed in thorns and roses. A statue of a faun soon emerged from the ground to the center of the duel field. "Now if either of us Normal or Special Summons a monster, except by Black Garden's effect, its attack points are halved, and a Rose token is Special Summoned to the controller's opponent's side of the field in attack position."

She then gestured to her face-down card. "Continuous-Trap, activate! Ivy Shackles! Now during each of my turns only, all monsters you control become Plant monsters." Thorns emerged from the ground on SengokuQueen's field and wrapped themselves around each of her monsters, restraining them.

"And why exactly would you do that?" SengokuQueen said, an eyebrow raised. "How exactly would-?" Her eyes suddenly widened before narrowing again. "Your Field Spell has another effect, doesn't it?"

"It most certainly does!" Rosetta confirmed. "Black Garden's second effect! By destroying this card and all Plant monsters on the field, I can Special Summon one monster whose attack points are equal or less than the total attack of those monsters."

SengokuQueen grit her teeth in fury as the thorns and roses across the duel field vanished before her three monsters wrapped in thorns were destroyed as well. She had a backup plan in case taking control of Shi En didn't work, she thought. But if she dares attack with her ace monster, I'll have a way to deal with it.

"Return to the field, Black Rose Dragon!" Rosetta commanded, as Black Rose Dragon reappeared on her field and roared at SengokuQueen.

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800 LV: 7

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 – 700 = 1700

"I activate the Spell card, Rose Veil." The card showed Black Rose Dragon, Rose Paladin, and Rose Lover being coated in a rosy aura. "For the rest of this turn, monsters I control are unaffected by your card effects." As a rosy aura surrounded Black Rose Dragon, she roared and regained her strength.

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 1700 + 700 = 2400

"Battle!" Rosetta declared. "Black Rose Dragon attacks you directly! Go, Black Rose Gale!" Black Rose Dragon gathered energy inside her maw before firing it at SengokuQueen, knocking off her feet and making her land on her back.

SengokuQueen: 3800 – 2400 = 1400 LP

"That ends my turn." Rosetta concluded. "And since it's the end of my turn, Rose Veil's second effect kicks in. As I control a Synchro monster, I can draw one card from my deck." As Rosetta drew the top card of her deck, Black Rose Dragon's strength was once again drained.

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 2400 – 700 = 1700

"What you did just proved my theory." SengokuQueen said, breathing heavily as she got herself up to one knee. "You're truly destructive and vile as the rumors claim." After further pushing herself to a standing position, she continued. "One cannot destire peace and be destructive at the same time. It's one or the other. And it's clear you've chosen your permanent path."

"What?!" Rosetta exclaimed, shocked at what SengokuQueen said. "That's not true. Do you really think I want to be this way?" Tears started flowing through her eyes. "Because I don't. I never asked to be the person I am right now, and I never asked to lose one of the most important people of my life! And yet you still judge me?! If that's the case, then you're JUST AS DIRTY AS I AM!"

SengokuQueen's eyes widened in surprise to this. She didn't expect Rosetta to say that at all. And as a result, she didn't know how to react.

No, SengokuQueen thought, narrowing her eyes. Rosetta's just like the other criminals I've faced, and no matter what she says, she deserves the full extent of justice!

Does she though?

SengokuQueen gasped at the voice. Rosetta makes a valid point. She didn't ask to become the criminal you face. Just like you, she's lost someone in her life, which spurred her actions up until now. You could say she's a tragic victim of her sins.

T-That's a lie! SengokuQueen thought. I know it! I've always been right about criminals, and my beliefs have never failed me!

Until you lost the duel against me, the voice of Dancho pointed out. And ever since, you've been questioning it. How do you know it will end the way you want it to?

"It will," she whispered. "I'll prove to you, Dancho, that my ideology is once again right!"

SengokuQueen grit her teeth and placed her hand on the top card of her Duel Disk. "My turn! I draw!" She drew the top card of her deck, and upon looking at it, knew she would win this turn. "Trap card, activate! Return of the Six Samurai! Just like before, this card lets me target one 'Six Samurai' monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it! I choose Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En!" Shi En reappeared on SengokuQueen's field and drew out his sword, ready for battle.

Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En ATK: 2500 DEF: 1400 LV: 5

"Temple of the Six's effect!"

Temple of the Six BC: 7 + 1 = 8

Black Rose Dragon ATK: 1700 – 100 = 1600

"I also activate the Equip Spell card, Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, and equip it onto Shi En!" The sword Shi En had started glowing purple as he powered up. "While this card is equipped onto a monster, it cannot be destroyed by card effects."

Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En ATK: 2500 + 800 = 3300

"It's over for you!" SengokuQueen declared. "Battle! Legendary Six Samurai – Shi En attacks Black Rose Dragon! Crimson Slash of Death!" Shi En charged forward at Black Rose Dragon, ready to cut her down for good.

"If I'm going down, I'll do it on my own terms." Rosetta said. "I activate the effect of Pulsing Roses from my hand! If I would take damage this turn, I can make it so both players take the same damage for the rest of this turn!"

"You're ending this duel in a draw?!" SengokuQueen exclaimed, as two giant red roses on the same stem briefly appeared on Rosetta's field. Shi En slashed Black Rose Dragon, destroying her in a massive explosion, which was absorbed by the giant red roses. One turned in Rosetta's direction, while the other turned in SengokuQueen's direction. After doing so, both red roses fired the explosion at them, knocking each one off their feet and causing them to land on their backs, effectively ending the duel.

Rosetta: 1300 – 1700 = 0

SengokuQueen: 1400 – 1700 = 0

The next thing both women knew, the entire Hanoi Stronghold started shaking, as though an earthquake was happening. In addition, out of nowhere, Ace fell from the top floor of the Hanoi Stronghold, and was still falling when Rosetta spotted him.

"ACE!" Rosetta screamed, his name echoing through the building. Meanwhile, SengokuQueen got up and checked her Duel Disk, which received a notification.

"Looks like AI-Z's mission was a success." SengokuQueen muttered, before taking the red data card out of her Duel Disk.

"What did you do?" Rosetta demanded.

"My mission." SengokuQueen answered. "As for you, your victims call for justice, Rosetta." Before Rosetta could make a single move, SengokuQueen threw the card at her. On contact, the card electrified Rosetta enough to knock her unconscious and make her fall to the ground.

Horrified with what she just did, SengokuQueen ran over to the unconscious Rosetta and turned her to her front before shaking her body. "Rosetta? Are you there?" Please don't be dead, she internally pleaded, as she continued to shake her body.

Soon, there were two more explosions from the lower floors of the Hanoi Stronghold. Using the green data card Kitamura gave her, SengokuQueen logged herself and Rosetta out of LINK VRAINS.

Elsewhere, in the Hanoi Stronghold...

"You pathetic AI's are not going to desecrate this place!" Revolver told AI's X and Y, as he unleashed a Data Storm at the explosions the two of them unleashed, trying to contain the blast. Seeing that it was more powerful than anticipated, Revolver put all the energy he can into the Data Storm and threw it out of the Hanoi Stronghold before releasing it, causing a massive explosion just outside. Tired by what he just did, he took a knee and slammed his fist to the ground.

"Easy, Revolver." Lord Kazuma said, kneeling to Revolver's level, a look of concern on his face. "You used up a lot of energy there." Before Revolver could respond, Ace ended up landing on the floor the other two Hanoi members were on. Based on how slowly he got up, it was clearly evident that he was seriously bruised up.

"Damn," Ace said, chuckling as he stood himself up after some effort. "If I didn't activate that program at the last minute, I probably would have been in a worse condition." Unfortunately, Ace's attempt to lighten up the situation didn't work; for Revolver got up, a mask of furious anger and wrath on his face.

"Contact Infearno and Specter!" Revolver snapped at Lord Kazuma, who paled upon seeing his expression. "SOL Technologies is going to suffer dearly for what they've done!" Upon saying that, Borreload Dragon appeared behind Revolver and roared behind its master, ready for the battle to come.

Meanwhile, at Den Academy...

Yuhiro was completely bored. It was the afternoon, and he was stuck in a Functions class, which he didn't want to attend. I'd rather do anything else than this, Yuhiro thought.

He then turned to Naoki, who was looking at something on his tablet with a panicked expression on his face.

"Shima, what exactly are you looking at?" Yuhiro whispered to him.

"Furutani." Shima replied, turning to him. "Glad to see you got my name right."

"Could you answer the question?"

Realizing that Yuhiro asked him a question, Naoki handed him his tablet. "Why tell you when I can show you instead?"

As Yuhiro looked through the news page Naoki was looking at, he clicked on something that caught his eye. Upon reading the title, his eyes widened in shock.

SOL Technologies destroyed Hanoi's Headquarters in Deadly Attack

Oh no, Yuhiro thought. No. No. No. This was clearly bad. Attacking the Hanoi's HQ was the last thing anyone would do in fighting them. And the fact that Kitamura was this stupid in doing something like this meant things would only get worse for everyone, not just for SOL Technologies.

As if on cue, Yuhiro's phone vibrated, causing him to hand Naoki his tablet back and take his phone out his pocket.

Get your ass over here right now, the text from Roxy read. Major Emergency.

"Furutani?" the teacher at the front said, getting Yuhiro's attention. "I just got a call from the principal. He said that I'm to excuse you for the day due to an emergency. But please ensure you complete the work for the beginning of next week."

"Understood." Yuhiro immediately got up, packed his things, and ran out the classroom, intent on returning to Café Matsuo.

As he ran through the hallways and reached the entrance to Den Academy, Yuhiro had a feeling that things would take a drastic turn due to Kitamura's actions. I just hope that it doesn't escalate into a war, Yuhiro thought, as he ran out of Den Academy and headed for Café Matsuo.

Card Gallery

Rose Defender (LV: 5/Plant/Earth/ATK: 0/DEF: 2000)

Effect: When your opponent attacks you directly with a monster they control: You can Special Summon this card from your hand in Defense Position. If this card is destroyed by battle the turn it was Special Summoned by its own effect: You can draw 1 card from your deck. You can only use each effect of 'Rose Defender' once per turn.

Pulsing Roses (LV: 6/Plant/Fire/ATK: 0/DEF: 0)

Effect: If you would take damage: You can send this card from your hand to the GY; any damage you take this turn is also inflicted to your opponent.

Rose Veil (Normal Spell card)

Effect: When this card is activated, monsters you control are unaffected by your opponent's card effects until the End Phase. During the End Phase this card was sent to the GY, if you control a Synchro Monster: You can draw 1 card from your deck. You can only activate 1 'Rose Veil' per turn.

QOTC

Based on the story so far, whose viewpoint would you agree with? Rosetta's or SengokuQueen's?

Chapter Preview

Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Obscured Truth. Chapter 25: A Rock and a Hard Place. Following SOL Technologies' attack on the Hanoi Stronghold, Rosetta is left in an unconscious state. Upon learning of the situation with Akira, as well as who was responsible, Aoi refers to someone who can help her recover...

Author's Notes

Ah, it's good to finally finish this chapter. Before I begin, I want to thank HunterHQ for helping out with the duel. I ultimately decided in a draw, for both Rosetta and SengokuQueen are strong duelists, and to have one of them lose would not be good for either of them in the story.

Here's the main reason why the chapter title is called Doubt. It's because both Rosetta and SengokuQueen are questioning what they believe in following their duels from Chapters 17 and 23. In the case of Rosetta, it's her actions, and whether or not she can truly find peace for herself. Whereas for SengokuQueen, she's questioning her crusade, as she's never looked from other people's perspectives before. I thought it'd be useful to highlight their inner conflicts not only during the chapter, but during their duel as well. That way, when the two commence their duel, it'd lead to a debate on who was right. In your opinion, who do you think was right?

A couple of things before I leave you for now. First, I want to apologize for taking so long. I had intended to release it a few days earlier, but I ended up having to rewrite the duel all over again due to it not looking the way I wanted it to. Also, I was playing the Kingdom Hearts video games series, but rest assured: I am keeping a balance between it and this story.

Second, I intend to take a break from Roxy's Reports, at least until I conclude this arc. This means I'll be focusing on finishing this arc first before I unveil the next Report, which will be released before the Tower of Hanoi arc begins. I'll release a further update once I finish the Cyberse Hunt arc.

Third, I would like to make an announcement. I am planning a Yu-gi-oh! Arc V Fanfic, which, while is in development, will be released soon. Although I will leave you with some details to ensure you look forward to it:

One: Unlike other Arc V fanfics, which start in the Standard Dimension, this one will actually start in the Original Dimension, with a different OC. That's right. I said the Original Dimension.

Two: While Academia will be the main antagonist by the time we get to the Standard Dimension, there will be an even deadlier antagonist, who's stronger than Academia...

Thank you very much for your patience, as well as for reading Chapter 24 of Obscured Truth. As always, let me know what you thought about this chapter in your reviews below. In addition, constructive criticism is always welcome, as it helps make the story even better. If you know of anyone who would be interested in reading the story, don't hesitate in showing them.

Also, let me know what you think of the Arc V announcement. What are you looking forward to the most? Is there an OC you want to see in that story? A specific archetype?

Stay healthy and safe wherever you are, and see you next time!