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"Roots of Evil", known as "The Sacred Tree" in the Japanese version, is the thirty-forth episode of the Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS anime. It first aired in Japan on January 10, 2018 and became available on Crunchyroll with English subtitles on the same day. The English dub aired on Teletoon on December 23, 2018 and on Pluto TV on March 12, 2021.

Specter's Sunavalon evolves and drives Blue Angel into a corner. As her tactics are gradually sealed off, Blue Angel comes up with a plan to counter Specter's impenetrable battle formation. Now on the defensive, Blue Angel Link Summons a new Trickstar...!

Summary[]

Playmaker continues to run towards the tower. Ai informs him that the first ring is almost complete, meaning that he only has five hours left. After being reminded of what Varis told him, Playmaker says losing is not an option. Meanwhile, Blue Angel's duel against Specter continues. She believes she'll need the perfect timing and luck to break through, and proceeds to make her plays. She draws the card she needs from "Trickstar Crimson Heart's" effect. Specter then appears to nonchalantly thank Blue Angel for powering up his monster through "Trickstar Bouquet's" effect. When Blue Angel plays "Trickstar Temptation", Pigeon notices that Specter isn't fazed by the move. Frog, while still being carried in the air, believes Specter has no emotion. Akira Zaizen and his assistant are still watching from inside SOL Technologies, and agree that Skye must win.

Back at the duel, Specter asks why Blue Angel became so rude. Blue Angel barks that just because Specter has issues, he shouldn't blame the whole world for them. Specter remains calm, saying that Blue Angel's loneliness was her choice because she had a brother beside her while Specter did not. Blue Angel notes that Specter is trying to suit his agenda; Specter replies that he isn't wrong. The duel continues. After Specter summons "Sunvine Maiden" through a plus-one negate effect, he notes that he stopped Blue Angel's seven-card strategy with just a single negate.

Specter is thrilled that he gets another turn, and claims that he'll win because his upbringing was more difficult than Blue Angel's. He would have given anything to live like Blue Angel. He draws, and sees that he has the opportunity to trap Blue Angel forever. During his turn, he summons another "Sunvine Thrasher" and uses it to steal "Crimson Heart" before attacking Blue Angel directly with both of her monsters that he stole. Blue Angel is given another turn. Before she draws, she thinks Specter may have outclassed her by field count and Life Points, but he does not have more heart. During Blue Angel's turn, Specter notes the effect of "Trickstar Bloom" giving him advantage once more. But when "Trickstar Delfiendium's" effect lets Blue Angel retrieve banished cards, Specter is taken by surprise. He then grits his teeth because the cards he thought he had gotten rid of are in Blue Angel's hand again. Specter then tricks Blue Angel into focusing on the effect of "Sunavalon Dryanome" he can't use, due to its occupied links. Blue Angel doesn't notice until after she orders "Delfiendium's" attack, which is negated.

Frog and Pigeon wonder if Specter is cheating. Risa and Akira wonder if Skye has another chance. Specter clarifies that "Dryanome's" effect was simply to move one of its link-pointed monsters away from its link to negate the attack. Blue Angel is forced to concede her turn. Specter starts thinking out loud whether he's taking it too easy on his opponent. When Blue Angel barks back, Specter notes that none of Blue Angel's opponents were Specter. Just after Specter draws, Blue Angel activates the Quick Effects of both "Trickstar Lycoris" in her hand, putting them on her field in exchange for "Delfiendium" and "Crimson Heart". Specter sees what she's planning, but Blue Angel surprises Specter with her next move, and does so using the words Specter used on his previous turn. Specter is angry at being mocked. Blue Angel retorts that it's because he's never been in this situation before. She claims to understand how Specter may react to this loss, because she knows she had to fight for every scrap growing up. Blue Angel knows that Specter was battle-hardened by his past. But, if she's an example, it's never too late to change one's ways.

Blue Angel recites the line of the "Blue Angel" book that stood out to her - her friends put her on the right path. Specter laughs at that idea, because his current path led to where he is now, which he is completely satisfied with. Blue Angel responds by activating her first "Trickstar Reincarnation". Specter takes damage from the two "Lycoris", but laughs because he was prepared for it. Through the effects of "Dryanome" and "Sunvine Healer", his Life Points stand at 100 more than before the first "Reincarnation" was played. Blue Angel notes that both are once-per-turn abilities, and she'll be able to play two more "Reincarnations" and win the duel. After taking damage a second time, Specter lets Blue Angel know who the better duelist is, and feigns a facepalm. Just as Blue Angel plays her third "Reincarnation", Specter lets Blue Angel know that she absolutely and utterly fell for it, by playing his trap, "Sunbloom Doom", and choosing "Trickstar Holly Angel", which Specter still has control of. Specter raises his hands grandly as Blue Angel's two "Lycoris" cower in fear of the glowing eyes of "Holly Angel" and "Crimson Heart", and Specter's Life Points rise beyond reach of the third "Reincarnation".

Specter smirks that it is foolish for a fraud from a book to lecture him. Holding said book in his hand, Specter grins that he enjoyed reading the book, but he wasn't so dumb as to revolve his entire life around it. This makes Specter conclude that children will realize, when they grow up, that there are no "happily-ever-afters" in adult life. With that, he rips the book in half and sets it on fire with his hands. The flame disappears in front of Blue Angel's feet. Blue Angel vows that her friends will carry on for her, but Specter doubts they'll be around - they might have even vanished before she did. With that, Specter puts the duel to a close by banishing "Sunbloom Doom" for its other effect. He claims the sequel to the "Blue Angel" book will never happen.

Blue Angel is swept away by a hurricane of blossoms, as Frog and Pigeon cry out. While Playmaker is still running, Ai alerts him to the hurricane behind him, and Playmaker gasps, "Blue Angel"? Akira and Risa cry out for Skye in the comfort of their real-world location, and Specter ends the scene in vicious laughter as he watches the Tower of Hanoi continue to form.

Featured Duel: Blue Angel vs. Specter[]

Duel continues from the previous episode.

Turn 4: Blue Angel
Blue Angel's hand contains "Trickstar Treat", "Trickstar Lilybell" and "Trickstar Candina". Blue Angel Normal Summons "Candina" (1800/400). As "Candina" was Normal Summoned, Blue Angel activates its effect to add a "Trickstar" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds "Trickstar Temptation". Blue Angel uses "Candina" and "Trickstar Lycoris" to Link Summon "Trickstar Crimson Heart" (2000/LINK-2/↙→) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Blue Angel Link Summoned a "Trickstar" monster, she activates the effect of "Trickstar Light Arena", letting her Special Summon a "Trickstar" monster that was used for that Link Summon from the GY. She Special Summons "Candina" to the bottom-left Link Point of "Crimson Heart". As a "Trickstar" monster was Normal or Special Summoned to a zone "Crimson Heart" points to, Blue Angel gains 200 LP (Blue Angel: 3600 → 3800 LP). Blue Angel activates the effect of "Crimson Heart", discarding a "Trickstar" card to let both players draw a card. She discards an unknown "Trickstar" card. Blue Angel activates the Quick-Play Spell Card "Trickstar Bouquet", returning a "Trickstar" monster to her hand, then increasing the ATK of a monster on the field by that "Trickstar" monster's ATK until the End Phase. She returns "Candina" and increases the ATK of "Sunavalon Dryades" ("Dryades": 0 → 1800 ATK). As she controls a "Trickstar" monster, Blue Angel activates the Quick-Play Spell Card "Trickstar Temptation", to return a monster with an ATK that is higher than its original ATK to the hand. As "Blue Angel" activated a card or effect that would target a Plant monster he controls, Specter activates the effect of "Sunvine Maiden" in his hand, Special Summoning it in Defense Position (0/0) and negating that effect. Blue Angel Sets a card.

Turn 5: Specter
Specter uses "Dryades" and "Maiden" to Link Summon "Sunavalon Dryanome" (0/LINK-3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Specter discards a card from his hand to activate the Continuous Spell Card "Sunvine Shrine". Once per turn, Specter can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Plant Normal Monster from the GY. He activates this effect to Special Summon "Sunseed Genius Loci" (0/600) from the GY. Specter uses "Genius Loci" to Link Summon "Sunvine Thrasher" (800/LINK-1/↓) to the bottom-left Link Point of "Dryanome". Specter activates the effect of "Thrasher", which lets him increase its ATK by 800 for every Link Arrow a "Sunavalon" Link Monster that points to it has, in this case three ("Thrasher": 800 → 3200 ATK).

"Thrasher" attacks "Crimson Heart". As a "Trickstar" monster is battling, Blue Angel activates the effect of "Light Arena" to reduce the battle damage to 0, then gain LP equal to the damage that would have been inflicted. "Thrasher" destroys "Crimson Heart" (Blue Angel: 3800 → 5000 LP). As "Thrasher" destroyed a monster by battle, Specter activates its effect, Special Summoning that monster to a zone a "Sunavalon" Link Monster points to. He Special Summons "Crimson Heart" (2000/LINK-2/↙→) to the bottom Link Point of "Dryanome". "Trickstar Holly Angel" and "Crimson Heart" attack Blue Angel directly (Blue Angel: 5000 → 3000 → 1000 LP).

Turn 6: Blue Angel
Blue Angel Normal Summons "Trickstar Nightshade" (100/0). Blue Angel uses "Nightshade" to Link Summon "Trickstar Bloom" (100/LINK-1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. As "Bloom" was Link Summoned, Blue Angel activates its effect to let Specter draw a card. As "Nightshade" was sent to the GY as a material for the Link Summon of a "Trickstar" monster, Blue Angel activates its effect to Special Summon it from the GY (100/0). Blue Angel uses "Bloom" and "Nightshade" to Link Summon "Trickstar Black Catbat" (2000/LINK-2/←→) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Blue Angel Link Summoned a "Trickstar" monster, she activates the effect of "Light Arena", Special Summoning "Nightshade". Blue Angel then uses "Nightshade" and "Black Catbat" to Link Summon "Trickstar Delfiendium" (2200/LINK-3/↙↑↘). Blue Angel activates the Trap Card "Trickstar Maribold" returning a "Trickstar" card from the GY to her hand, then Normal Summoning a "Trickstar" monster from her hand. She returns "Lycoris" to her hand, then Normal Summons "Candina" (1800/400). As "Candina" was Normal Summoned, Blue Angel activates its effect to add another copy of "Lycoris" to her hand. Blue Angel Sets a card.

"Delfiendium" attacks "Crimson Heart". Blue Angel activates the effect of "Delfiendium", to return banished cards to her hand, up to the number of Link Monsters on the opponent's field, then increasing the ATK of "Delfiendium" by 1000 for each card returned until the End Phase, however she cannot Set those cards this turn. She returns three copies of "Trickstar Reincarnation" to her hand ("Delfiendium": 2200 → 5200 ATK). As a monster "Dryanome" points to is attacked, Specter activates its effect to move that monster to an unoccupied Main Monster Zone and negating that attack. During the End Phase, the effect of "Shrine" allows Specter to Set a Trap Card from his GY.

Turn 7: Specter
Blue Angel activates the effect of both copies of "Lycoris" in her hand, Special Summoning them, then returning a "Trickstar" monster on the field back to her hand. She Special Summons both in Defense Position (1600/1200 each), then returns "Candina" to her hand and "Delfiendium" to her Extra Deck. Blue Angel activates her face-down Continuous Trap Card "Trickstar Treat", placing a Trickstar Counter on it upon activation ("Treat": 0 → 1 Trickstar Counter). Blue Angel can place a Trickstar Counter on "Treat", reveal a "Trickstar" Trap Card in her hand, and Set it. Blue Angel can then activate that Trap this turn. She activates the effect of "Treat", to reveal "Reincarnation" and Set it. She then subsequently activates it, banishing all cards in Specter's hand, then making him draw cards equal to the number of cards banished, in this case four. As Specter added cards to his hand, both "Lycoris" inflict 200 damage to him for each card (Specter: 3100 → 2300 → 1500 LP). As Specter took battle or effect damage, he activates the effect of "Dryanome", which allows him to Special Summon "Sunvine Healer" (600/LINK-1/↑) from his Extra Deck to the bottom Link Point of "Dryanome", then he gains LP equal to the damage he took (Specter: 1500 → 2300 LP). Specter activates the effect of "Healer" to gain 300 LP for every Link Arrow a "Sunavalon" Link Monster that points to it has, in this case three (Specter: 2300 → 3200 LP). Blue Angel activates the effect of "Treat" again, Setting "Reincarnation", then activating it, with the effects of both "Lycoris" following after (Specter: 3200 → 2400 → 1600 LP). Blue Angel activates the effect of "Treat" a third time, Setting "Reincarnation" then activating it, but Specter activates his face-down Trap Card "Sunbloom Doom", which lets him choose a monster he controls, then gaining LP equal to the combined ATK of all monsters on the field with the same Type as that monster. He chooses "Holly Angel" and gains LP equal to the combined ATK of all Fairy monsters on the field, in this case 7200 (Specter: 1600 → 8800 LP). The effect of "Reincarnation" resolves, with the effects of both "Lycoris" following after (Specter: 8800 → 8000 → 7200 LP). Specter activates the effect of "Sunbloom Doom" in his GY, banishing it to destroy all monsters Blue Angel controls with a Level equal to the number of other Spell/Trap Cards that were activated this turn, then inflicting 500 damage to Blue Angel for each monster destroyed. Three Trap Cards were activated this turn, so Specter destroys both Level 3 "Lycoris" (Blue Angel: 1000 → 0 LP).

Featured cards[]

The following cards appeared in this episode. Cards in italics debuted here.



Difference in Adaptions[]

  • Blue Angel being lifted in to the air by Sunbloom Doom are cut out in the dub due to her dress flapping about wildly.
  • Blue Angel's fall to the ground after her defeat to Specter is cut out in the dub.
  • Close up shots of Specter laughing after defeating Blue Angel are cut out in the dub.
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