(Rags pov)
I entered vrains and looked around, apparently Earth's signal had come from this area but it was empty.
"Aqua, I don't see anyone here." I said as the other ignis entered beside me.
Hibiki (through comms): Keep looking, the signal definitely was around here.
Aqua: We will.
Slowly I scanned the area and tried to sense any ignis presence.
Hibiki: Find anything?
"Not a trace. It's like he hasn't gotten here yet."
I ran the scan again, covering the area slowly until I stopped as I saw something.
"Aqua, I think I found him."
The scan highlighted a strange structure, almost like a hidden cavern inside vrains. Cautiously, me and Aqua flew into the structure and stopped with a gasp as we saw the blocky orange ignis in a spherical cage.
Aqua: How did this happen?
"I don't know, be very careful."
Earth: Who is there? Come out.
I nodded before I walked out of a shadow.
Earth: Who are you?
"My name is Rags, I am an ignis like you. We followed your message, and it lead here."
Earth: Who is with you? You are not playmaker.
"No, I'm not. I am the companion of Hibiki Okida, who decrypted your message."
Earth: Hibiki Okida? You are allied with a human.
"That's right, though I'd say we're more of partners."
Earth: I see. And why did you follow my signal?
"Because we need your help finding the one who destroyed the cyberse."
Earth: The light ignis.
"Yes, wait, you know?"
Earth: Get me out of here and I shall explain. I wish to meet this partner of yours.
I nodded and flew up to the bars, they contained a virus designed to slowly destroy code if touched.
'I'll have to be careful then.'
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the bars and started to pull apart, the code slowly inching as the virus started to degrade my hands. Soon, it was wide enough for the blocky ignis to slip through and I let go.
Earth: I thank you Rags. Let us leave this place.
"Yeah, then we can get my hands fixed." I said, holding up my blackened arms.
Me and Earth jumped onto my user and as we left, Aqua jumped onto the ai as well.
Aqua: You found him?
"Yeah, he was in some kind of cage, though I got him out."
Aqua: Your hands, let me see them.
Slowly, I raised them and Aqua took hold of them, a blue bubble surrounding them as they returned to how they were before.
"Wow... Thank you Aqua."
Earth: A-qua?
Aqua: Yes, it is the name I came up with to speak with the humans, since they can't pronounce our ignis ones.
Earth seemed to nod, though I saw him look at me with narrowed eyes for a second as Aqua finished healing me.
Earth: I see.
I logged us out and slowly rose from my disc with Earth as the world came to.
(No pov)
Hibiki watched as Rags and Earth rose up, followed by Aqua in Aoi's duel disc.
Hibiki: You must be the earth ignis.
Earth: Correct.
Hibiki: I'm Hibiki Okida, Rags is my partner. Nice to meet you.
Rags: Yep. We're really close, me and Hibiki have been through our fair share of scrapes together.
Earth: Yes, it is nice to meet you too.
Hibiki: So, you know about the light ignis destroying the cyberse?
Earth: Yes. It was he who imprisoned me.
Rags: Yeah, how did that happen? And how did you get a signal out?
Earth: The light ignis sent me a message, saying he had a private message for me alone.
= Flashback =
Earth walked into the cavern below the cyberse, Lightning was stood with his arms spread as a card materialised above him, the link spell, Judgement Arrows.
Earth: I am here.
Lightning: That's good, I was getting worried you wouldn't show up.
Earth: What is that?
Earth pointed to the card and Lightning spread his hands proudly.
Lightning: Ah yes, that card is the new weapon I have created. A weapon to protect the cyberse from destruction.
Earth narrowed his eyes and looked at the light ignis.
Earth: You are lying.
Lightning: Hmm, you're right. I am lying.
Lightning raised his hand as a yellow orb absorbed Earth and created a cage.
Lightning: I am not planning on using this card to protect the cyberse. I shall be using it to destroy it. But... Nobody needs to know that do they? Least of all the water ignis. So I need you to disappear for me.
Lightning raised his other hand and Earth was transported into VRAINS, the light ignis laughing.
= End of Flashback =
Rags: Yeah, but that doesn't explain how you got a signal out on that website.
Earth: I am getting to that. As I waited there trying to find a way to escape, the security stopping the message I had compiled for the dark ignis, who had escaped the cyberse earlier, was temporarily let down for some reason. The message went up a few days ago and so I waited for the dark ignis to arrive, instead you did.
Hibiki: A few days? That would be when I defeated Haru with Almarduke.
Earth: I see. So you are the reason.
Rags: Yeah, thank us later. So, what do you think about me, you, Aqua and these two...
He gestured towards Hibiki and Aoi.
Rags: Go confront Lightning together?
Earth paused and thought for a few minutes.
Earth: I am unsure. From my data on your human partner, it is clear that his skills are certainly to be respected. But due to his personality and motivation of revenge, not to mention you two have fought in the past, makes me unsure whether he is trustworthy as an ally.
Rags: What? Hibiki and I sorted that ages ago, he can totally be trusted, right Aqua?
Aqua: From what I have seen, I agree with Rags. Though Hibiki has his flaws he can be trusted.
Hibiki: Well thank you for the certainty. Though I doubt it will have much of an effect.
Earth: Agreed. Words can be subject interpretation, I shall test whether you can help myself.
Aoi: How?
Earth: He will duel me. The outcome will decide whether you and him can help us ignis against the light ignis.
Aqua: Earth, these two can certainly be trusted. If not I wouldn't have enlisted their help in the first place.
Hibiki: No, that's fine with me.
Rags: What? You're agreeing?
Hibiki: Yes, Earth wants to test my skills then I'll show him. And if he helps us that's all the better.
Earth: Very well Hibiki Okida. Shall we duel?
Hibiki: Yeah, let's go Earth.
Aoi: Hibiki, can we talk?
Hibiki: Huh? Oh, sure thing Aoi.
The girl pulled him aside.
Hibiki: What is it Aoi?
Aoi: Well, I know you dueled Go Onizuka. If he's working for my brother, who knows how dangerous he could be.
Hibiki: Don't worry about it. Onizuka couldn't beat me even with that new deck. And I know Akira wouldn't ask him to hold back against me.
Aoi: You can be so brash sometimes you know?
Hibiki shrugged.
Hibiki: It isn't intentional.
Aoi: I know.
The girl lightly kissed Hibiki on the cheek, causing him to blush.
Aoi: Now go win that duel.
Hibiki: I will, I promise.
Hibiki walked into the other room and grabbed his duel disc.
Earth: You are ready then.
Hibiki: I am. Let's go Earth.
The ignis nodded and Hibiki entered the vrains with him, Earth riding on the arm of Rags' artificial user with Hibiki's old duel disc on his arm.
Earth: Hibiki Okida, prepare to be tested.
Hibiki: I look forward to showing you what I can do.
Earth: Very well. I choose to go second.
Hibiki: Second huh? Alright, fine by me.
Earth/Hibiki: Duel.
Hibiki: My turn. I activate the spell card Foolish Burial, sending Orcust Harp Horror to my graveyard. I banish Harp Horror to summon Orcust Knightmare from my deck in defence mode. I set a card and end my turn.
Earth: I draw. I activate the spell card Cost Down. By discarding a G Golem Rock Hammer I lower the level of all monsters in my hand by 2. Now I normal summon a second Rock Hammer and use its effect. I tribute it to summon three G Golem tokens. Open circuit that roars the land! I set my three tokens in the link arrow! I summon link-3 G Golem Invalid Dolmen!
Hibiki: A link 3 so quickly. Impressive.
Earth: Thank you. Now Invalid Dolmen attacks your Orcust Knightmare. And when Dolmen attacks a defence mode monster, it deals piercing damage.
Hibiki: Orcust Knightmare can't be destroyed in battle by a link monster.
Earth: But you will still take the damage.
Hibiki lp: 4000 - - - 3200
Earth: I set a card and end my turn.
Hibiki: I draw. I summon Orcust Cymbal Skeleton. Now I open my circuit. I set Cymbal Skeleton and Knightmare, I summon Link-2 Galatea the Orcust Automaton. Now I banish Cymbal Skeleton to summon Knightmare from my graveyard, now open again my circuit! I set Galatea and Knightmare. I summon link-3 Longirsu the Orcust Orchestrator. Now I activate its effect, I shuffle two of my banished monsters into the deck to send Invalid Dolmen to the graveyard. Now I banish Knightmare and send World Legacy - World Wand to raise its attack points by 800.
Longirsu atk: 2500 - - - 3300
Hibiki: Now Longirsu attacks you directly!
Earth lp: 4000 - - - 700
Hibiki: I end my turn. So my monster returns to its original attack points.
Longirsu atk: 3300 - - - 2500
Earth: My turn. I draw. I activate the spell Gravity Balance. This allows me to summon two monsters from my graveyard by negating their effects and making their attack and defence 0. I summon two G Golem Rock Hammers. Open, circuit that roars the land! The summoning conditions are two cyberses. I summon link-2 G Golem Crystal Heart!
The world around Hibiki and Earth suddenly became filled with life, the rivers running as plants sprang from the ground.
Earth: I activate Crystal Heart's effect. I summon an earth link monster from my graveyard so its co linked. Then I place a G Golem counter on Crystal Heart. I summon Invalid Dolmen from my graveyard.
Crystal Heart Counter: 0 - - - 1
Invalid Dolmen atk: 2800 - - - 3400
Hibiki: I see. It gains 600 attack for each counter.
Earth: Correct. Now I attack Longirsu.
Hibiki lp: 3200 - - - 2400
Earth: I end my turn.
Hibiki: I draw. I summon Girsu the Orcust Mekk-knight and activate its ability, sending Cymbal Skeleton to the graveyard. I banish Cymbal Skeleton and summon Longirsu from my graveyard. Now open, circuit that defines the future! I set Longirsu and Girsu, I summon link-4 Topologic Gumblar Dragon.
Earth: A cyberse monster?
Hibiki: Now I activate my continuous trap Detonation Code. I special summon a monster from my graveyard next to the link of a monster I control. So I summon Longirsu. Now because a monster was summoned beside a link monsters link, I can discard two cards to make you discard the same amount. Then I'll battle, Topologic Gumblar attacks Crystal Heart!
Earth: I won't let you! While it's co linked, you can only target Invalid Dolmen for attacks.
Hibiki lp: 2400 - - - 1000
Hibiki: Alright Earth, since a link monster I control was destroyed I can summon World Legacy - World Ark from my hand then special summon Gumblar Dragon from my graveyard. I end my turn with a face down card.
Earth: It is my turn. I draw. Hibiki Okida, I find your determination not to give up admirable, but it is the end. Invalid Dolmen attacks Topologic Gumblar Dragon!
Hibiki: I activate my trap! World Legacy Awakenings. It allows me to link summon during your turn. Now open my circuit! I set Topologic Gumblar and Longirsu in the link arrow! I summon link-4 Mekk-knight Crusadia Avramax!
Earth: Very well, Dolmen attack Avramax.
Hibiki: I activate the effect of Avramax, it gains Dolmen's attack for this battle.
Avramax atk: 3000 - - - 6400
Earth: I activate my trap Gravity Fluctuation! I destroy a monster on my field, then you have to destroy a monster with equal or lower attack. I destroy Invalid Dolmen.
Hibiki: I destroy World Ark.
Earth: When Dolmen is destroyed, it negates the effects of all face up cards on your field.
Avramax atk: 6400 - - - 3000
Earth: I end the battle and activate Crystal Heart's effect, summoning Invalid Dolmen and placing a G Golem Counter.
Crystal Heart Counters: 1 - - - 2
Invalid Dolmen atk: 2800 - - - 4000
Earth: Now I summon G Golem Pebble Dog from my hand. Open, circuit that roars the land! I set G Golem Invalid Dolmen and Pebble Dog in the link arrow! I summon link-4 G Golem Dignified Trithilion!
Dignified Trithilion atk: 3200 - - - 4400
Hibiki: I draw.
Hibiki (thoughts): This is bad, I can't get over his monster easily, but I'm not giving up.
Hibiki: I set a monster face down and end my turn.
Earth: It is my turn. I attack your face down monster with Dignified Trithilion.
Hibiki: My set monster was Orcust Harp Horror. But since it was in defence mode I take no damage.
Earth: I activate the effect of Crystal Heart! When it has two or more counters, the monster co linked with it can attack twice in one turn! Finish him Trithilion!
Hibiki lp: 1000 - - - 0
Hibiki flew back but landed and Earth walked over.
Earth: Hibiki Okida. I am impressed with your drive. I have decided you can be trusted to help me. Will you?
Earth extended a hand.
Hibiki: Yeah. I will.
The two shook hands and logged out, unaware that someone was watching them.
Lightning: So they freed Earth. That isn't good at all.
Bohman: What shall we do master?
Lightning: Eliminate them.
Bohman: As you wish.