02x40 - The Weakest Link

[bunniefuu]

[upbeat music]

- [Yusaku] Decode
Talker, att*ck!

[Decode Talker grunts]

- [Boot] No ways,
we're gonna be fragged!

- Heatleo, bring the heat!

- Borreload, end this now.

- [Bit] You bunglified it, Boot.

- [Boot] Nah, you blew it, Bit.

- Good riddance, program.

[Boot and Bit yell]

- It appears we're
in the clear now,

but I'm sure Lightning has
other surprises in store for us.

- [Ai] You mean like that?

- [Random Citizen] Is
that an earthquake?

- Great, now what's going on?

[electronic beeping speeding up]

- Mirror LINK VRAINS is
merging with the original.

And the signal just went down,
because of course it did.

Time to beta test that program

I installed in
Playmaker's Duel Disk.

[rocket engine sputtering]

- [Ai] Um, that's not
good. Mayday! Mayday!

[all exclaiming]

What are we gonna do?

Oh, that.

[foreboding music plays]

[heroic music plays]

[Specter groans]

- [Clarissa] We've
lost Varis' signal.

- [Faust] And Genome
will find it, correct?

- Of course I'll find it.

It's just a matter of how.

[techno theme music plays]

- [Ai] Hey, Playmaker, you

I wonder if the others had
as smooth a landing as ours.

Oh, we got an
incoming from Kolter.

[Ai grunts and yelps]

Oh, that's some intense code.

- [Cal] Nice.

Looks like everybody's back
online and in one piece.

And now, to spread the love.

- [Clarissa] Signal's back.

- Good work, Genome.

- [Genome] I wish I
could take the credit,

but this was not my doing.

- It appears that the
signal was restored

by Playmaker's hacker friend.

- And not a moment too soon.

Who knows what thr*at
awaits Varis and Specter?

- [Ai] It's gonna
be a lot harder

to track down Lightning by foot.

I'm glad you're gonna be the
one doing all the walking.

- We're not going anywhere
for the time being.

- [Ai] What is that?

[Skye grunts]

- A barrier?

- [Aqua] Somebody
doesn't want us

joining up with the others.

- Does his name rhyme
with "frightening?"

- [Aqua] Yes. Lightning
must be planning something.

- [Windy] Those force fields
are a waste of resources

if you ask me, and
you should ask me,

you really, really should.

- [Lightning] Duly noted, Windy,

but you don't understand
humans like I do.

In particular, you
fail to appreciate

the need that these humans
have to bond with each other.

- [Windy] Bond? You mean like
glue themselves together?

- [Lightning] Not
literally, it's a metaphor.

Yet these bonds that humans form

can make them truly powerful.

- [Windy] I see.

Rather than letting them bond,

you're keeping the humans apart,

so we can pick them off
one by one by one by one,

yes, yes, yes, yes,
clever, clever.

There is one factor
you left out though.

- [Lightning] What
factor is that?

- [Windy] The fright
factor, of course. [laughs]

We should allow the
humans to tune in

and watch along as their
companions are deleted,

bit by byte, shock and awe, yes?

- [Lightning] Hmm, an
interesting proposition.

It would require us to
broadcast the Duels,

however, which is
highly impractical.

- [Windy] Not if we use
outside consultants,

freelancers, if you will.

I recently apprehended the
perfect pair for the job.

[Frog and Pigeon scream]

- I'm so scared, boss!

What do you think
this lot want from us?

- I dunno, ask them!

- [Windy] Ask away, but
keep the questions quick.

- Okay, then quick, what do
you two want from us two?

- [Windy] Well, judging from
that camera on your cranium,

you two must be in the
sh**t and show biz,

and we need to sneak some
peaks to a couple of peeps.

- No thanks, we're desperate,
but not that desperate.

- [Lightning] Windy
wasn't making a job offer.

- [Windy] No, no, no, no, no,

not a job offer, a job order.

[Frog groans]

- He collared us!

- [Windy] Fail to follow
our ABCs and 123s,

and those collars
will zap your traps,

which would be
quite entertaining,

but shocking to say the least.

[Frog and Pigeon whine]

- Okay, we're ready
to follow away.

- For real?

- It sure beats having
our bits and bytes

blasted all over this place.

- Yeah, I hadn't
thought of it that way.

- [Windy] Good,
then we have a deal.

Let's get ready to
roll in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

- Huh?

That's Specter.

It appears he's safe.

- [Ai] But for how long?

I mean, what's with the
look-see of him and only him?

Something stinks
here and it's not me.

- [Yusaku] Yes, Ai, this
situation is unsettling.

- [Ai] Yeah, like off milk.

- [Lightning] Greetings,
Specter, and all
those tuning in.

- [Ai] It's Lightning.

- He has Jin!

- [Specter] Ah, Lightning,

I see you share my taste
for dramatic entrances.

- Are you rolling?

Don't you louse this up
or our data's done for.

- 'kay, I'll do my best, boss.

- [Specter] I take it you plan

to duel each of us separately.

- [Lightning] Precisely.

And I chose you to
be first, my friend.

- I see.

- Eradicate that Ignis
once and for all.

- The Knights of Hanoi
are counting on you.

- [Specter] I'm honored.

I assume you chose me
because I'm the most

distinguished
duelist in the group.

- [Lightning] Not at all.

I chose to duel you first

because my analysis indicates

that you are the weakest.

- Then your analysis
is incorrect.

Regardless though,
I'm still honored

to be the first chosen,

because I'll get to be the one

who crushes the
leader of the Ignis.

- [Lightning] That outcome
is highly improbable.

In addition to
indicating that you are

the weakest of my
human adversaries,

my analysis also indicates

the chance of my losing
to you is nonexistent.

And it also indicates
that the chance

that I will enjoy defeating
you is quite existent.

- Bravo, you're even
more arrogant than me.

I can see that we
have much in common.

There is one
significant difference

between the two of us, however.

- [Lightning] Oh?

- Believe it or not, I
wasn't always this way.

As a boy, I was shy and timid.

I grew into my
present personality.

It's quite different for you.

As an AI, your personality

is a mere byproduct
of your programming.

- [Lightning] Hmph. You
know nothing about me.

- Oh, but I do.

I understand you
thoroughly, Ignis.

Simply put, I know you better
than you know yourself.

I can perceive your
many strengths,

and your biggest weakness.

[Lightning grunts]

Would you care to
know your fatal flaw?

It's this: as an Ignis,
you are incapable

of growth or change.

No matter how clever you
are, or believe you are,

you will always be limited
by your original programming.

It's quite tragic, really.

- [Lightning] You
expect me to believe

that you, an enemy of the
Ignis, feel pity for us?

- When the Ignis created
from me was erased,

I unexpectedly sensed its loss.

And to my great surprise,
I was stirred with emotion.

- [Ai] Does he mean Earth?

- It seems so.

I didn't realize Specter
felt an attachment to him.

- [Ai] Kinda like
how you feel all

warm and fuzzy about me.

- [Yusaku] No.
- [Ai] Oh.

- I am am still
convinced that the Ignis

are a thr*at that
must be eliminated.

But I am curious what
would've happened

if you had remained
hidden in the Cyberse.

Not that it matters to me,

but would that Ignis still
be in existence if...?

- [Lightning]
Perhaps, perhaps not.

You see, if we had
stayed in the Cyberse,

sooner or later, you and
your fellow Knights of Hanoi

would've come to hunt us down.

It was inevitable.

Ignis and humans are in
a fight to the finish.

Only one of us will survive.

- And in this Duel I
will be the survivor.

- [Lightning] Shall we proceed?

- Oh yes, by all means.

Ready when you are.

- [Lightning] Well then.

- [Lightning and
Specter] Let's Duel.

- [Lightning] I'll go first.

I'll start by Summoning
Armatos Legio Gladius.

Next, Gladius' special
ability allows me to draw

Armatos Colosseum from
my deck and activate it.

[ground rumbles]

- Oh my.

- [Lightning] By playing
this Field Spell,

I can draw an Armatos
Legio card from my deck.

Now I shall
illuminate my circuit.

I Link Summon Link 1
Armatos Legio Decurion.

[Decurion grunts]

Next, I can activate Armatos
Colosseum's second effect

to resurrect a monster
from my Graveyard

and Summon it next to
Decurion's Link in defense mode.

All for the simple
cost of discarding

one Armatos Legio from my hand.

So I send Armatos Legio Sica

to the Graveyard to
revive my Gladius.

I now have two monsters in
play, but I can have more.

By sending Armatos Legio Scutum

from my hand to the Graveyard,

I can Summon Armatos
Legio Speculata,

and I'll use it and Gladius
to Link Summon again.

[laser beams fire]

Link 2 Armatos Legio Centurion.

[Centurion grunts and roars]

- [Ai] Lightning's
using the same tricks

that b*at The Shepherd.

- [Lightning] I activate Armatos
Colosseum's effect again.

I send this Armatos
Legio to the Graveyard

to re-Summon Gladius and Sica
next to my Centurion's Links.

And I'll set Gladius
in the Link Arrow

to Link Summon another
Armatos Legio Decurion.

- Hmm.

- [Lightning] And to cap out
this sequence, I play my Spell.

One I'm sure you're
quite familiar with.

- Of course, Judgment Arrows.

- I was wondering when
you would play that card.

You wouldn't be you
without it, would you?

And I expected nothing less.

Managing to play four
monsters and a Link Spell

in a single turn is
quite impressive.

- [Lightning] Are you
implying that my turn is done?

- Oh?

- [Lightning] Your
implications are incorrect.

I Set Armatos Legio Sica and
Centurion in the Link Arrows.

I Link Summon Link 2
Armatos Legio Primi Ordines.

But that's not all, Primi
Ordines' special ability

Summons an Armatos
Legio from my Graveyard.

And it allows me to
fulfill the requirements

to illuminate my circuit
for a fifth time.

I Link Summon

Link 2 Armatos
Legio Pilus Prior.

When Pilus Prior
is Link Summoned,

I can banish a card from my deck

for every co-linked
monster on my field.

And then on my next turn,

I get to add those
banished cards to my hand.

Therefore, I banish three cards.

But that's only part one.

Its second ability revives

an Armatos Legio
from my Graveyard.

Come, Gladius.

- [gasps] Well, well, well.

You brought new
monsters for this Duel.

- [Lightning] Yes, and the
old ones helped just as well.

For my sixth and
final Link Summoning

I Set Armatos Legio
Gladius in the Link Arrow

to Link Summon Armatos
Legio Decurion.

[Decurion roars]

- What's this?

- Ai, look at the field.

- [Ai] Huh? What for?

- [Yusaku] All of
Lightning's cards

are connected together
into an extra Link.

That means Lightning occupies
both Extra Monster Zones.

- [Ai] And that means Specter

can't Link Summon
even if he wants to.

He's wrapped Specter up
like a birthday present.

- This isn't looking
good for Specter.

- [Aqua] No, it isn't.

- Huh, looks like this
Duel's gonna end quick.

- No kidding,
Specter hasn't played

a single card and he's
already in trouble.

- [Lightning] As you humans
say, practice makes perfect.

So I ran millions of simulations
of your previous Duels,

and learned that even
when you load your deck

with new cards, you never alter

your core strategy of
Summoning Link Monsters.

I've crushed your
ability to do so.

- Yes you have, but we
humans have another saying:

nobody's perfect, and that
applies to you as well.

And you're about to
learn that firsthand.

- [Lightning] My friend,
you still think you can win

when logic says you cannot?

- Yes, I do.

- Since Specter's deck
relies on Link Monsters,

he has no chance
unless he breaks apart

that Ignis' extra Link.

- But how is he supposed
to accomplish that?

- [Clarissa] I don't know,
so let's hope Specter does.

- It's my turn, I draw.

First I Summon
Sunseed Genius Loci.

Now that I have a Plant-type
monster on my field,

I'm allowed to also Summon
Sunseed Shadow from my hand.

Now usually I would use these
two monsters to Link Summon,

but I unfortunately cannot,

because I need an open Extra
Monster Zone to Link Summon.

But your monsters have
occupied them both.

Oh well.

- [Lightning] Yes,
if you can't Summon

your Link Monsters,
your deck is useless,

because all your other monsters
have zero att*ck points.

And that fatal flaw will
logically lead to your defeat.

- You're absolutely right.

If I analyzed my previous Duels

as thoroughly as
you obviously have,

I'd have reached
the same conclusion.

- [Lightning] Yes.

- So what if I did
analyze my previous Duels?

Why, I would completely
rethink my strategy

before facing you, wouldn't I?

I would come up with
new ideas and tactics.

For example, Judgment Arrows
is a very powerful card

that would surely help me.

- [Lightning] Yes it would,
but you don't have one.

- No, I don't, but I have this.

I pay 800 Life Points
to activate the Spell
Sunvine Plunder.

It allows me to take
control of your Spell Card,

meaning Judgment Arrows is mine.

- [Lightning] What?

- What I don't own, I'll
just simply steal from you.

- Nice, Specter, very well done.

- [Ai] He just yoinked it?

- It's a simple yet
effective tactic.

- Now that Judgment Arrows
is in my possession,

it opens up new strategies

that I couldn't
possibly use before

because I never had this card.

And it's all thanks to you.

- [Lightning] You guessed
that I would play that card,

so you were ready to turn
it to your advantage.

- [Specter] Guessed?
More like I knew.

You Ignis may pretend
to be sophisticated,

calculating creatures,
but in the end,

you're like all other programs:
predictable and formulaic.

But there was one thing
I didn't anticipate.

I didn't know you could
program arrogance,

because even a
human without a nose

would've sniffed
out this strategy.

I mean, why are you so upset?

Isn't that the only logical
conclusion, my friend?

- [Lightning] No, it's not
logical at all, my friend.

- Oh, very well.

Anyway, since I now
control Judgment Arrows,

your monsters
aren't Extra Linked.

Don't the rules state
that I can Link Summon

if the Extra Link's broken?

- [Lightning] Yes.

- That's great!

Then watch as I
manifest my circuit!

I Link Summon Link

Now that I have a Sunavalon
monster on my field,

I can activate the
Spell Sunvine Shrine

by sending a card in my
hand to the Graveyard.

Due to Sunvine Shrine's effect,

I can summon a Level 4 or lower

Plant-type monster
from my Graveyard.

Now rebloom,
Sunseed Genius Loci.

However, this seed won't be
sticking around for long,

since I'm using it
to Link Summon again.

I Link Summon Link

When Thrasher is Linked
to Sunavalon Daphne,

it gains 800 att*ck points
from each of its Links.

Sunavalon Daphne has 2 Links,

so my Thrasher gains

Now go, att*ck Armatos
Legio Decurion.

Don't forget that I now have

control of your Judgment Arrows.

So when my Link Monster battles,

its att*ck points are doubled.

[Thrasher roars]

- [Lightning] Oh,
I hadn't forgotten.

That's why I'll activate Primi
Ordines' special ability.

For every co-linked
monster on my field,

I take 1000 fewer
points of damage.

Add it all together and I take
no damage from your att*ck.

- Yes, that's true,
but your monster

will still be destroyed.

[Thrasher yells]

And when my Thrasher destroys
your monster in battle,

I get to take control
of that monster

and Summon it next to
my Sunavalon's Link.

And now I'll att*ck
your Decurion with
the Decurion I stole.

The only difference
is Judgment Arrows

doubles my Decurion's
att*ck points.

[swords clink, monsters roar]

- [Lightning] But due to
Primi Ordines' ability,

I still take no damage.

- Yes, that is your one
saving grace, but not anymore.

I activate my Spell
Sunvine Crossbreed.

By Tributing a Link
Monster on my field,

I can bring back a Plant-type
monster from my Graveyard

by negating its
special abilities.

So I'm exchanging my Decurion
for Sunseed Genius Loci.

And I'll use it to
manifest my circuit.

I now Link Summon Link

And since you've analyzed
millions of my Duels, was it?

You must know that
whenever I take damage,

Dryas' special
ability lets me Summon

a Sunvine Link Monster
from my Extra Deck,

and regain Life Points equal
to the damage that I took.

[Lightning grunts]

- [Ai] Or in other words,

Specter stole control of
the Duel with his Dryas.

- True, but there's
still a lot of Duel left.

The outcome is far from decided.

[Specter chuckles]

[techno theme music plays]