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The fic is complete at 26 chapters and can be found on [=AO3=] [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18642130 here.]] It also has a valentine's day special, set before the events of the story.
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The fic is complete at 26 chapters and can be found on [=AO3=] [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18642130 here.]] It also has a valentine's day special, ValentinesDayEpisode, set before the events of the story.
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The fic has no relation to the ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded'' remake also called [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]].
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The fic has no relation to the ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded'' remake also called [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]].Re:coded.
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The fic has no relation to the ''Kingdom Hearts coded'' remake also called [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]].
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The fic has no relation to the ''Kingdom Hearts coded'' ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded'' remake also called [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]].
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The fic has no relation to the Kingdom Hearts coded remake also called [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]].
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The fic has no relation to the Kingdom ''Kingdom Hearts coded coded'' remake also called [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:coded]].
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** Yusaku threatens to turn Ai into a [[Anime/{{Digimon}} Tentomon]] after one too many teasing.
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** Yusaku threatens to turn Ai into a [[Anime/{{Digimon}} [[Franchise/{{Digimon}} Tentomon]] after one too many teasing.
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Not So Different has been renamed, and it needs to be dewicked/moved
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* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler:Kusanagi]] admits that if he's given the chance, he would have a chance of making the same decisions as [[spoiler:Lightning]]. This helps the latter realize his errors and promises to take his partner back to make up for his mistakes.
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* NotSoDifferent: NotSoDifferentRemark: [[spoiler:Kusanagi]] admits that if he's given the chance, he would have a chance of making the same decisions as [[spoiler:Lightning]]. This helps the latter realize his errors and promises to take his partner back to make up for his mistakes.
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* FinaleTitleDrop: Ai drops the title as the second last line of the fic as another way to describe the miracle that happened in the climax of the story.
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* TitleDrop: Said in the last parts of the fic as another way to describe the miracle that happened in the climax of the story.
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** Soulburner's BigEntrance against Blood Shepherd is similar to his debut in the show proper.
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* PsychologicalTormentZone: A variant with Windy's domain. It is programmed to read the intruder's heart and feeds them what they desire to get their guard down; manifesting [[spoiler:a fake Revolver]] for Playmaker who took advantage of him. The Laplace can feed anyone trapped in its realm their worst nightmares, as Playmaker painfully found out after [[spoiler:Queen traps him and Revolver inside it.]]
to:
* PsychologicalTormentZone: PsychologicalTormentZone:
** A variant with Windy's domain. It is programmed to read the intruder's heart and feeds them what they desire to get their guard down; manifesting [[spoiler:a fake Revolver]] for Playmaker who took advantage of him.
** The Laplace can feed anyone trapped in its realm their worst nightmares, as Playmaker painfully found out after [[spoiler:Queen traps him and Revolver inside it.]]
** A variant with Windy's domain. It is programmed to read the intruder's heart and feeds them what they desire to get their guard down; manifesting [[spoiler:a fake Revolver]] for Playmaker who took advantage of him.
** The Laplace can feed anyone trapped in its realm their worst nightmares, as Playmaker painfully found out after [[spoiler:Queen traps him and Revolver inside it.]]
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* SingleTargetSexuality: Yusaku and Ryoken cared for each other since they were kids and this grew into romantic feelings as teenagers, yet still deny their feelings even if EveryoneCanSeeIt. Meanwhile, Spectre states many times he is only interested in Aoi after he met her on a mission.
to:
* SingleTargetSexuality: {{Everyone|CanSeeIt}} knows that Yusaku and Ryoken cared only have eyes for each other since as soon as they were kids and this grew into romantic feelings as teenagers, hit their teens, yet still deny their feelings even if EveryoneCanSeeIt.when asked. Meanwhile, Spectre states many times he is only interested in Aoi after he met her on a mission.
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The fic has no relation to the Kingdom Hearts coded remake also called [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:Coded]].
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The fic has no relation to the Kingdom Hearts coded remake also called [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:Coded]].Re:coded]].
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The fic has no relation to the Kingdom Hearts coded remake also called [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded Re:Coded]].
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* DivideAndConquer: After the heroes started the raid to the Cyberse World, Lightning quickly split them apart before forcing them to fight their captured friends to weaken their resolve, as he explains to Revolver.
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* PeoplePuppets: Queen's Laplace can control anyone she defeats, as she forces [[spoiler:Emma and Blood Shepherd]] to fight their allies while still aware and unable to fight back from the inside. [[spoiler:It also takes control of ]]
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* PeoplePuppets: Queen's Laplace can control anyone she defeats, as she forces [[spoiler:Emma and Blood Shepherd]] to fight their allies while still aware and unable to fight back from the inside. [[spoiler:It also takes control of ]]
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* TheCorruption: The Laplace corrupts any program or person it encodes itself to, making them villainous or turning them into self-aware puppets. [[spoiler:Ghost Girl and Blood Shepherd fall under Laplace's control after a botched operation and are forced to fight their allies. Revolver is also corrupted by it after Queen's attempt to turn him into her knight, and tries to kill himself to prevent it from killing his allies.]]
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* TheCorruption: The Laplace corrupts any program or person it encodes itself to, making them villainous or turning them into self-aware puppets. [[spoiler:Ghost Girl and Blood Shepherd fall under Laplace's control after a botched operation and are forced to fight their allies. allies, Queen is hinted to have fallen into SanitySlippage after linking her mind to it, and Revolver is also corrupted by it after Queen's attempt to turn him into her knight, knight and tries to kill himself to prevent it from killing his allies.would have turned bloodthirsty and destroyed everything if he wasn't stopped.]]
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Ten years ago, Ryoken saves Yusaku and runs away with him to save him from his own father. Now, Yusaku is part of the Hanoi and becomes Revolver's most trusted subordinate who hunts down all renegades, and more importantly, the Ignis. But there is someone capturing the lost incident kids and the Knights of Hanoi must save them while figuring out the Lightning's plans.\\\
Re:Coded is a ''Anime/YuGiOhVRAINS'' is an AlternateUniverse fanfic written by Jczala, exploring a ForWantOfANail retelling of the Lost Incident where Ryoken frees Yusaku and escapes with him.\\\
The fic is complete at 26 chapters and can be found on [=AO3=] [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18642130 here.]] It also has a valentine's day special, set before the events of the story.
----
!! Re:Coded provides the following tropes:
* AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul:
** Yusaku is a close childhood friend of Ryoken and Spectre, and is close with the other members of the Knights of Hanoi, unlike in canon where they are enemies.
** Emma adopts and becomes the trio's big sister figure/caretaker and later, a spy for the Knights of Hanoi. She also has a relationship with Kusanagi.
** Yusaku and Kusanagi have less of a partnership here than in canon, and Takeru takes Yusaku's place helping out Kusanagi.
** Ryoken's relationship with his father is almost antagonistic in this fic, choosing to save the Lost Incident kids and fighting his father for their freedom. In canon, Ryoken's loyalty to his father runs up to a fault even after the latter's death.
** All the Ignis struck a close partnership with their origins. In canon, only Yusaku and Takeru were able to do so, and Aqua partners up with Aoi instead of Miyu.
* AdaptationalHeroism: The Knights of Hanoi aren't as villainous in hunting down the Ignis compared to their canon counterparts, even protecting LINK VRAINS from behind the scenes.
* AdaptationalNiceGuy:
** [[spoiler:Lightning, while still having the same attitude in canon, only desires in order to protect his origin Jin. Once Queen usurps him to be the BigBad, he teams up with the Knights of Hanoi to save his partner.]]
** Spectre loses his FauxAffablyEvil nature and sadistic tendencies from canon, in here, he's very friendly to his allies and is VitriolicBestBuds with Yusaku.
* AdaptationalVillainy:
** [[spoiler:Aqua]] in canon chose to join the humans. Here, they join forces with Lightning in his quest and enslaved Miyu into doing her bidding. [[spoiler: But she's not as extreme as him and gave the Knights of Hanoi vital clues on their whereabouts once she feels like he's crossing the line.]]
** The other three lost incident victims (Miyu, Jin, and Zephyr) fall into the rogue Ignis's control and oppose the Knights of Hanoi and SOL Technologies at the start of the story.
** Dr. Kogami, unlike his AntiVillain canon counterpart, has no remorse in using kids for his experiments, even outright calls Yusaku by his [[YouAreNumberSix designation number]] instead of his name once they meet again.
* AdaptedOut: Go Onizuka isn't mentioned anywhere in the story even when Charisma duelists are mentioned to exist. Bohman doesn't exist as his predecessor Haru has [[AscendedExtra more impact in the story.]]
* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: Aoi skips her Blue Angel avatar and is using her Blue Girl alias at the start of the story.
* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: Lightning takes over SOL Technologies, knocks everyone inside unconscious, and forcefully logging in duelists to LINK VRAINS and trapping them to draw out the Knights of Hanoi.
* AlternateUniverse: An alternate telling where Ryoken runs away with Yusaku instead of calling the police.
* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler:An imitation of Revolver created by the Maze of Simulation took advantage of Yusaku's trust and began ravishing him, but Yusaku figures out he's a fake since [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Revolver wouldn't do anything that would compromise the mission.]] The real Revolver [[TranquilFury is not pleased]] after finding out what happened.]]
* BerserkButton: Hurting Yusaku will earn the Revolver's wrath, as his father and the Imitation Knight found out the hard way. He will also react the same way when the other origins are injured.
* BetaCouple: Spectre and Aoi serve as a foil for Yusaku and Ryoken. While the latter knew each other ever since childhood and are borderline SickeningSweethearts, Spectre met Aoi later in life and the two share [[BelligerentSexualTension the opposite dynamic]] as Specter made it his mission to [[TheGadfly tease and court her]] and Aoi confused with her feelings before getting together in the epilogue.
* BigBad: Lightning reveals himself as the one who kidnapped the three missing Lost Incident kids. [[spoiler:Queen, with the help of the Laplace, takes center stage in the second half after Yusaku and Ryoken defeat Lightning.]]
* BigDamnHeroes:
** In chapter 8, Soulburner makes his debut in a fiery tornado and challenges Windy to let Spectre and Playmaker pursue their target. In the same chapter, [[spoiler:Emma saves the latter two and Blue Girl from Aqua and lightning.]]
** Just as Yusaku is about to pass out from being choked in chapter 10, Revolver dynamically appears and attacks the culprit.
** [[spoiler: A revived Ai arrives just as Yusaku was about to give up in his fight against Queen and encourages him to continue the duel.]]
* CatapultNightmare: Yusaku experiences this many times in the story, most of his nightmares are related to his DarkAndTroubledPast but some dreams are actually his Link Sense acting up. Ryoken experiences one after Yusaku was heavily injured in a mission.
* TheCorruption: The Laplace corrupts any program or person it encodes itself to, making them villainous or turning them into self-aware puppets. [[spoiler:Ghost Girl and Blood Shepherd fall under Laplace's control after a botched operation and are forced to fight their allies. Revolver is also corrupted by it after Queen's attempt to turn him into her knight, and tries to kill himself to prevent it from killing his allies.]]
* {{Doorstopper}}: The fic sits at 248845 words and 26 chapters, passes the 250,000 threshold if you count the Valentine short story.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:Yusaku and Ryoken are able to confess their feelings and get together, but not before going through the wringer after that almost got one of them killed. The Ignis find a way to survive with their origins without using the Neuron Link Program, and everyone else lives happily. Finally, Queen is detained and the Laplace, while still inside Ryoken, is dormant with hints of it being dismantled.]]
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Nearly everyone can see just how close Yusaku and Ryoken really are, no matter how they deny it. Takeru and Kiku even think they are a couple just after meeting them in their hometown and Kusanagi says they're more than friends and less than lovers.
* EvilKnockoff: Windy's domain can feed the intruder its most desired thing or person to trick them, creating the Imitation Knight that looks like a [[spoiler:maskless version of Revolver.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** There are some hints scattered in the story where the three kidnapped origins still have their free will intact. [[spoiler:Then it turns out that the lost incident kids were never brainwashed and followed their Ignis partners willingly.]]
** Yusaku's dream in Laplace is Ryoken saying goodbye and leaving him behind. [[spoiler: After Queen was captured and everything settling down, Ryoken did say goodbye to him in a dream and disappeared without warning.]]
* ForWantOfANail: Revolver's decision to run away with Yusaku in tow instead of calling the police has drastic changes to everyone in the story.
* TheGadfly: Spectre loves to tease Yusaku for his inept [[ObliviousToLove ability to read the signs]] and Aoi, who he has a crush on. Emma also joins in teasing the former to a certain extent.
* GodzillaThreshold:
** The [[spoiler:Neuron Link Program]] is created by Dr. Kogami as a last-ditch attempt to kill the Ignis by combining the Ignis' and origin's minds, killing the Ignis wherever they are but also leave the origins braindead. This is such a big deal that Lightning is desperate for its location and [[spoiler:Ai is willing to die so Yusaku and the others won't die from it.]]
** [[spoiler:As the Laplace is corrupting his mind into madness and kill everyone he loves, Revolver activates the Tower of Hanoi and links it to his mind in a desperate SuicideByCop gambit to stop the Laplace inside him.]]
* HeroicSuicide:
** Ai asks Ryoken [[spoiler:to inject a virus in him just in case, and activates it after his battle with Lightning to protect Yusaku. It's only thanks to Ryoken somewhat breaking their promise by creating Pandor that he's brought back to life.]]
** [[spoiler: Ryoken attempts a SuicideByCop by creating the Tower of Hanoi to destroy the old LINK VRAINS and himself, preventing the Laplace from taking over his mind and destroying everything.]]
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight:
** Spectre fights a mind-controlled [[spoiler:Blue Girl]] and ups his taunt game to slowly break the control. It works, but she still fades away, [[spoiler: or would have if it wasn't for Aqua's intervention.]]
** At the same time, Soulburner reluctantly fights [[spoiler:his childhood friend Kiku who was kidnapped and controlled by Windy. He successfully snaps her out of it then she encourages him to attack her since she has a card that can end the duel in a tie but is actually a lie so he can survive.]]
* InMediasRes: Every chapter starts with a flashback from Yusaku and Ryoken's past, before moving forward to the present timeline.
* InSpiteOfANail: The [[spoiler:Tower of Hanoi still appears even if the Knights of Hanoi never destroy LINK VRAINS.]]
* MythologyGag:
** The [[spoiler:Tower of Hanoi]] makes its appearance in the final chapters, only this time it was able to activate.
** Ryoken's markings [[spoiler:after his corruption]] is described as looking like a [[Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL duel gazer tattoo]].
* NamedByTheAdaptation: Windy's unnamed origin is named [[MeaningfulName Zephyr]] in this fic.
* NotBrainwashed: When it's revealed that Miyu, Jin, and Zephyr fight alongside their Ignis, everyone thought that all the rogue Ignis have fully taken control of their partners and worked for ways to save them. It's revealed they are not, and the three lost incident victims willingly joined their Ignis partners for different reasons.
* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler:Kusanagi]] admits that if he's given the chance, he would have a chance of making the same decisions as [[spoiler:Lightning]]. This helps the latter realize his errors and promises to take his partner back to make up for his mistakes.
* PeoplePuppets: Queen's Laplace can control anyone she defeats, as she forces [[spoiler:Emma and Blood Shepherd]] to fight their allies while still aware and unable to fight back from the inside. [[spoiler:It also takes control of ]]
* PsychologicalTormentZone: A variant with Windy's domain. It is programmed to read the intruder's heart and feeds them what they desire to get their guard down; manifesting [[spoiler:a fake Revolver]] for Playmaker who took advantage of him. The Laplace can feed anyone trapped in its realm their worst nightmares, as Playmaker painfully found out after [[spoiler:Queen traps him and Revolver inside it.]]
* PsychoPrototype: The Laplace [[spoiler:is actually created from Lightning, who becomes too intelligent for his own good and caused so many malfunctions that Dr. Kogami restructured Lightning to remove this part of his programming. Unfortunately, this part of him survived and Queen managed to extract it from Lightning to use it for her own ends.]]
* TheReveal:
** Lightning uncovers that Ai is hiding the fact [[spoiler:he has a second origin, Ryoken himself. His interactions with Yusaku in his captivity created another source code, and explains why Ai is different from the other Ignis.]]
** [[spoiler:Just before he's decompiled, Ai explains he hid the Neuron Link program in his body and is the reason why he's running away from Lightning at the start of the story.]]
** In chapter 15, a video file reveals that Queen [[spoiler:tricked and experimented on Lightning to for her own ends which is the reason why Lightning is sour towards humanity. Later, it's revealed she extracted the Laplace and merged her mind with it.]]
* SingleTargetSexuality: Yusaku and Ryoken cared for each other since they were kids and this grew into romantic feelings as teenagers, yet still deny their feelings even if EveryoneCanSeeIt. Meanwhile, Spectre states many times he is only interested in Aoi after he met her on a mission.
* ShoutOut:
** Ryoken describes Yusaku's Playmaker avatar as a [[Manga/Reborn2004 a drifting cloud that protects the Knights of Hanoi from an independent standpoint.]]
** Yusaku threatens to turn Ai into a [[Anime/{{Digimon}} Tentomon]] after one too many teasing.
** Haru compares the effects of the Laplace to [[ComicBook/TheScarecrow a fear toxin.]]
** [[spoiler:Aqua's hideout]] is reminiscent of [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 the interior of Elsa's frozen castle]]. Ai even gives this a lampshade.
---> '''Someone’s been watching Frozen,' Ai commented, whistling in awe.''
* SleepCute: Twice in the story Yusaku catches Ryoken asleep and thinks he is cute. Ai teases them a lot about this, and Ryoken even jokingly tells Ai that they take naps together in kindergarten.
* TakingTheBullet:
** [[spoiler: In chapter 13, Revolver shields Playmaker from Haru's sword attack and gets skewered in his stomach for his troubles.]]
** Jin protects Lightning from a strong attack from Cyberse Clock Dragon's attacks, revealing that he was [[spoiler:never under Lightning's control the whole time and only pretended to do so to make it easier to fool everyone.]]
* TheirFirstTime: Just after a harrowing ordeal that sent Revolver to a coma for three chapters, [[RelationshipUpgrade finally admitting their feelings for each other]], and a [[AnxietyDreams foreboding nightmare]], Yusaku visits Ryoken a night before the final battle and consummates their relationship in Chapter 17.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Unlike his canon counterpart, Yusaku didn't get any help for his trauma because they were hiding from the Knights of Hanoi. Like Yusaku, Takeru became a {{Hikikomori}} and has a lot of issues when Yusaku and Ryoken visited him in his hometown. They both learn how to cope with the trauma and live normally again after the Lost Incident with the help of friends and newfound family. The only one who did get into therapy is Jin, who was catatonic until [[spoiler:Lightning recruited him.]]
* TitleDrop: Said in the last parts of the fic as another way to describe the miracle that happened in the climax of the story.
* TricksterMentor: Emma. Her three charges mention many times they're used of her using them as baits in missions, and Soulburner gets a taste of this in his first mission where she set him up against Blood Shepherd, who is unhappy once he learns of her machinations.
Re:Coded is a ''Anime/YuGiOhVRAINS'' is an AlternateUniverse fanfic written by Jczala, exploring a ForWantOfANail retelling of the Lost Incident where Ryoken frees Yusaku and escapes with him.\\\
The fic is complete at 26 chapters and can be found on [=AO3=] [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18642130 here.]] It also has a valentine's day special, set before the events of the story.
----
!! Re:Coded provides the following tropes:
* AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul:
** Yusaku is a close childhood friend of Ryoken and Spectre, and is close with the other members of the Knights of Hanoi, unlike in canon where they are enemies.
** Emma adopts and becomes the trio's big sister figure/caretaker and later, a spy for the Knights of Hanoi. She also has a relationship with Kusanagi.
** Yusaku and Kusanagi have less of a partnership here than in canon, and Takeru takes Yusaku's place helping out Kusanagi.
** Ryoken's relationship with his father is almost antagonistic in this fic, choosing to save the Lost Incident kids and fighting his father for their freedom. In canon, Ryoken's loyalty to his father runs up to a fault even after the latter's death.
** All the Ignis struck a close partnership with their origins. In canon, only Yusaku and Takeru were able to do so, and Aqua partners up with Aoi instead of Miyu.
* AdaptationalHeroism: The Knights of Hanoi aren't as villainous in hunting down the Ignis compared to their canon counterparts, even protecting LINK VRAINS from behind the scenes.
* AdaptationalNiceGuy:
** [[spoiler:Lightning, while still having the same attitude in canon, only desires in order to protect his origin Jin. Once Queen usurps him to be the BigBad, he teams up with the Knights of Hanoi to save his partner.]]
** Spectre loses his FauxAffablyEvil nature and sadistic tendencies from canon, in here, he's very friendly to his allies and is VitriolicBestBuds with Yusaku.
* AdaptationalVillainy:
** [[spoiler:Aqua]] in canon chose to join the humans. Here, they join forces with Lightning in his quest and enslaved Miyu into doing her bidding. [[spoiler: But she's not as extreme as him and gave the Knights of Hanoi vital clues on their whereabouts once she feels like he's crossing the line.]]
** The other three lost incident victims (Miyu, Jin, and Zephyr) fall into the rogue Ignis's control and oppose the Knights of Hanoi and SOL Technologies at the start of the story.
** Dr. Kogami, unlike his AntiVillain canon counterpart, has no remorse in using kids for his experiments, even outright calls Yusaku by his [[YouAreNumberSix designation number]] instead of his name once they meet again.
* AdaptedOut: Go Onizuka isn't mentioned anywhere in the story even when Charisma duelists are mentioned to exist. Bohman doesn't exist as his predecessor Haru has [[AscendedExtra more impact in the story.]]
* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: Aoi skips her Blue Angel avatar and is using her Blue Girl alias at the start of the story.
* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: Lightning takes over SOL Technologies, knocks everyone inside unconscious, and forcefully logging in duelists to LINK VRAINS and trapping them to draw out the Knights of Hanoi.
* AlternateUniverse: An alternate telling where Ryoken runs away with Yusaku instead of calling the police.
* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler:An imitation of Revolver created by the Maze of Simulation took advantage of Yusaku's trust and began ravishing him, but Yusaku figures out he's a fake since [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Revolver wouldn't do anything that would compromise the mission.]] The real Revolver [[TranquilFury is not pleased]] after finding out what happened.]]
* BerserkButton: Hurting Yusaku will earn the Revolver's wrath, as his father and the Imitation Knight found out the hard way. He will also react the same way when the other origins are injured.
* BetaCouple: Spectre and Aoi serve as a foil for Yusaku and Ryoken. While the latter knew each other ever since childhood and are borderline SickeningSweethearts, Spectre met Aoi later in life and the two share [[BelligerentSexualTension the opposite dynamic]] as Specter made it his mission to [[TheGadfly tease and court her]] and Aoi confused with her feelings before getting together in the epilogue.
* BigBad: Lightning reveals himself as the one who kidnapped the three missing Lost Incident kids. [[spoiler:Queen, with the help of the Laplace, takes center stage in the second half after Yusaku and Ryoken defeat Lightning.]]
* BigDamnHeroes:
** In chapter 8, Soulburner makes his debut in a fiery tornado and challenges Windy to let Spectre and Playmaker pursue their target. In the same chapter, [[spoiler:Emma saves the latter two and Blue Girl from Aqua and lightning.]]
** Just as Yusaku is about to pass out from being choked in chapter 10, Revolver dynamically appears and attacks the culprit.
** [[spoiler: A revived Ai arrives just as Yusaku was about to give up in his fight against Queen and encourages him to continue the duel.]]
* CatapultNightmare: Yusaku experiences this many times in the story, most of his nightmares are related to his DarkAndTroubledPast but some dreams are actually his Link Sense acting up. Ryoken experiences one after Yusaku was heavily injured in a mission.
* TheCorruption: The Laplace corrupts any program or person it encodes itself to, making them villainous or turning them into self-aware puppets. [[spoiler:Ghost Girl and Blood Shepherd fall under Laplace's control after a botched operation and are forced to fight their allies. Revolver is also corrupted by it after Queen's attempt to turn him into her knight, and tries to kill himself to prevent it from killing his allies.]]
* {{Doorstopper}}: The fic sits at 248845 words and 26 chapters, passes the 250,000 threshold if you count the Valentine short story.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:Yusaku and Ryoken are able to confess their feelings and get together, but not before going through the wringer after that almost got one of them killed. The Ignis find a way to survive with their origins without using the Neuron Link Program, and everyone else lives happily. Finally, Queen is detained and the Laplace, while still inside Ryoken, is dormant with hints of it being dismantled.]]
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Nearly everyone can see just how close Yusaku and Ryoken really are, no matter how they deny it. Takeru and Kiku even think they are a couple just after meeting them in their hometown and Kusanagi says they're more than friends and less than lovers.
* EvilKnockoff: Windy's domain can feed the intruder its most desired thing or person to trick them, creating the Imitation Knight that looks like a [[spoiler:maskless version of Revolver.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** There are some hints scattered in the story where the three kidnapped origins still have their free will intact. [[spoiler:Then it turns out that the lost incident kids were never brainwashed and followed their Ignis partners willingly.]]
** Yusaku's dream in Laplace is Ryoken saying goodbye and leaving him behind. [[spoiler: After Queen was captured and everything settling down, Ryoken did say goodbye to him in a dream and disappeared without warning.]]
* ForWantOfANail: Revolver's decision to run away with Yusaku in tow instead of calling the police has drastic changes to everyone in the story.
* TheGadfly: Spectre loves to tease Yusaku for his inept [[ObliviousToLove ability to read the signs]] and Aoi, who he has a crush on. Emma also joins in teasing the former to a certain extent.
* GodzillaThreshold:
** The [[spoiler:Neuron Link Program]] is created by Dr. Kogami as a last-ditch attempt to kill the Ignis by combining the Ignis' and origin's minds, killing the Ignis wherever they are but also leave the origins braindead. This is such a big deal that Lightning is desperate for its location and [[spoiler:Ai is willing to die so Yusaku and the others won't die from it.]]
** [[spoiler:As the Laplace is corrupting his mind into madness and kill everyone he loves, Revolver activates the Tower of Hanoi and links it to his mind in a desperate SuicideByCop gambit to stop the Laplace inside him.]]
* HeroicSuicide:
** Ai asks Ryoken [[spoiler:to inject a virus in him just in case, and activates it after his battle with Lightning to protect Yusaku. It's only thanks to Ryoken somewhat breaking their promise by creating Pandor that he's brought back to life.]]
** [[spoiler: Ryoken attempts a SuicideByCop by creating the Tower of Hanoi to destroy the old LINK VRAINS and himself, preventing the Laplace from taking over his mind and destroying everything.]]
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight:
** Spectre fights a mind-controlled [[spoiler:Blue Girl]] and ups his taunt game to slowly break the control. It works, but she still fades away, [[spoiler: or would have if it wasn't for Aqua's intervention.]]
** At the same time, Soulburner reluctantly fights [[spoiler:his childhood friend Kiku who was kidnapped and controlled by Windy. He successfully snaps her out of it then she encourages him to attack her since she has a card that can end the duel in a tie but is actually a lie so he can survive.]]
* InMediasRes: Every chapter starts with a flashback from Yusaku and Ryoken's past, before moving forward to the present timeline.
* InSpiteOfANail: The [[spoiler:Tower of Hanoi still appears even if the Knights of Hanoi never destroy LINK VRAINS.]]
* MythologyGag:
** The [[spoiler:Tower of Hanoi]] makes its appearance in the final chapters, only this time it was able to activate.
** Ryoken's markings [[spoiler:after his corruption]] is described as looking like a [[Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL duel gazer tattoo]].
* NamedByTheAdaptation: Windy's unnamed origin is named [[MeaningfulName Zephyr]] in this fic.
* NotBrainwashed: When it's revealed that Miyu, Jin, and Zephyr fight alongside their Ignis, everyone thought that all the rogue Ignis have fully taken control of their partners and worked for ways to save them. It's revealed they are not, and the three lost incident victims willingly joined their Ignis partners for different reasons.
* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler:Kusanagi]] admits that if he's given the chance, he would have a chance of making the same decisions as [[spoiler:Lightning]]. This helps the latter realize his errors and promises to take his partner back to make up for his mistakes.
* PeoplePuppets: Queen's Laplace can control anyone she defeats, as she forces [[spoiler:Emma and Blood Shepherd]] to fight their allies while still aware and unable to fight back from the inside. [[spoiler:It also takes control of ]]
* PsychologicalTormentZone: A variant with Windy's domain. It is programmed to read the intruder's heart and feeds them what they desire to get their guard down; manifesting [[spoiler:a fake Revolver]] for Playmaker who took advantage of him. The Laplace can feed anyone trapped in its realm their worst nightmares, as Playmaker painfully found out after [[spoiler:Queen traps him and Revolver inside it.]]
* PsychoPrototype: The Laplace [[spoiler:is actually created from Lightning, who becomes too intelligent for his own good and caused so many malfunctions that Dr. Kogami restructured Lightning to remove this part of his programming. Unfortunately, this part of him survived and Queen managed to extract it from Lightning to use it for her own ends.]]
* TheReveal:
** Lightning uncovers that Ai is hiding the fact [[spoiler:he has a second origin, Ryoken himself. His interactions with Yusaku in his captivity created another source code, and explains why Ai is different from the other Ignis.]]
** [[spoiler:Just before he's decompiled, Ai explains he hid the Neuron Link program in his body and is the reason why he's running away from Lightning at the start of the story.]]
** In chapter 15, a video file reveals that Queen [[spoiler:tricked and experimented on Lightning to for her own ends which is the reason why Lightning is sour towards humanity. Later, it's revealed she extracted the Laplace and merged her mind with it.]]
* SingleTargetSexuality: Yusaku and Ryoken cared for each other since they were kids and this grew into romantic feelings as teenagers, yet still deny their feelings even if EveryoneCanSeeIt. Meanwhile, Spectre states many times he is only interested in Aoi after he met her on a mission.
* ShoutOut:
** Ryoken describes Yusaku's Playmaker avatar as a [[Manga/Reborn2004 a drifting cloud that protects the Knights of Hanoi from an independent standpoint.]]
** Yusaku threatens to turn Ai into a [[Anime/{{Digimon}} Tentomon]] after one too many teasing.
** Haru compares the effects of the Laplace to [[ComicBook/TheScarecrow a fear toxin.]]
** [[spoiler:Aqua's hideout]] is reminiscent of [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 the interior of Elsa's frozen castle]]. Ai even gives this a lampshade.
---> '''Someone’s been watching Frozen,' Ai commented, whistling in awe.''
* SleepCute: Twice in the story Yusaku catches Ryoken asleep and thinks he is cute. Ai teases them a lot about this, and Ryoken even jokingly tells Ai that they take naps together in kindergarten.
* TakingTheBullet:
** [[spoiler: In chapter 13, Revolver shields Playmaker from Haru's sword attack and gets skewered in his stomach for his troubles.]]
** Jin protects Lightning from a strong attack from Cyberse Clock Dragon's attacks, revealing that he was [[spoiler:never under Lightning's control the whole time and only pretended to do so to make it easier to fool everyone.]]
* TheirFirstTime: Just after a harrowing ordeal that sent Revolver to a coma for three chapters, [[RelationshipUpgrade finally admitting their feelings for each other]], and a [[AnxietyDreams foreboding nightmare]], Yusaku visits Ryoken a night before the final battle and consummates their relationship in Chapter 17.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Unlike his canon counterpart, Yusaku didn't get any help for his trauma because they were hiding from the Knights of Hanoi. Like Yusaku, Takeru became a {{Hikikomori}} and has a lot of issues when Yusaku and Ryoken visited him in his hometown. They both learn how to cope with the trauma and live normally again after the Lost Incident with the help of friends and newfound family. The only one who did get into therapy is Jin, who was catatonic until [[spoiler:Lightning recruited him.]]
* TitleDrop: Said in the last parts of the fic as another way to describe the miracle that happened in the climax of the story.
* TricksterMentor: Emma. Her three charges mention many times they're used of her using them as baits in missions, and Soulburner gets a taste of this in his first mission where she set him up against Blood Shepherd, who is unhappy once he learns of her machinations.
