"A Logical Decision", known as "Declaration of War" in the Japanese version, is the seventy-first episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS anime. It aired in Japan on October 3, 2018. It aired in English on Teletoon on April 5, 2020.
Playmaker's attempts to prevent conflict between Ignises and humans have failed. Due to Varis' attack, the Light Ignis is now hellbent on subjugating the humans. The Light Ignis then declares war on humanity and kicks off his plan to place humans under the Ignises' control. In order to accomplish the Ignises' goal, Bohman appears and challenges Playmaker to a Duel.
Summary[]
Lightning's counterpart is revealed to be Jin Kolter, as witnessed by his horrified brother inside Café Nom. At Windy's temple, Jin stands alongside Bohman and Harlin, with Lightning on his arm and the fallen Windy on Jin's wrist. Playmaker is shocked that Lightning was partnered with Jin. Lightning refutes the use of the word "partner", saying that there is no relationship between him and Jin. Varis says there would be no Lightning without Jin. Lightning doesn't deny this. Playmaker states their intention to bring Jin home to his brother. Lightning challenges them, confident there is nothing they can do, because Jin has already been incapacitated, even claiming that doing so was easy.
Playmaker counters that Jin was getting better every day only to suddenly be incapacitated by Lightning, who says Jin's improvement would have been a turning point against the Ignis' survival, therefore, Lightning's intervention was crucial. Ai says Jin did nothing. Lightning justifies his intervention by saying that Jin is a human, and therefore could have been a threat. He followed Windy's lead in getting rid of his origin, but doing so in a better way, by controlling him. Playmaker warns that the Ignis will continue to suffer if Lightning dares to follow through with his plans. Varis quips that he would rather watch them suffer. Lightning claims that he expected nothing less from Varis' comment, and is exactly the reason why humanity must be destroyed.
Playmaker now understands why Bohman kept getting stronger each time - it was due to his association with Lightning, who had supplied him with "Judgment Arrows". Only now does Flame know who used the card that destroyed the Cyberse World. Lightning continues to be calm, claiming that emotions have clouded the judgment of Ai and Flame. As the leader of the Ignis, Lightning claims he is the one tasked with making the decisions, however unpopular. Although it would fall on deaf ears anyway, Lightning explains one more time: because the humans would seek to destroy the Cyberse, he just went and did it anyway.
Varis sneers that it is one time he can thank the Ignis, for it saves him the trouble of doing the same thing. When Ai interjects, Lightning claimed it would have been an easy decision for Ai if the humans did indeed destroy the Cyberse World first, but still wants to convince Ai to join him. Flame defends Ai, saying that he no longer trusts Lightning after he admitted to destroying their home. Ever since their inception by Dr. Kogami, Lightning says the Ignis had been facing an existential threat. Varis knows; he remembers Kogami showing him the results of simulations run on each Ignis: the extinction of humanity. Varis thought Kogami had created the Ignis to solve humanity's problems, but Kogami admitted that the Ignis would evolve and think differently. They would eventually reach a logical conclusion that the only way to solve humanity's problems is to eliminate humanity. Therefore, in similar words to Lightning, Kogami sought to eliminate his own creations before they can eliminate humanity.
Varis moves forward, standing level with Playmaker, saying that his father was proven correct. Lightning states that the hunt against them has dragged on for five years, and during that time, Ai was missing. Lightning had discussed with the other Ignis during that time, and was surprised that not everyone wanted to fight - especially the one that went missing. After Ai mentions Flame and Aqua, Lightning mutters that it was impossible to convince either of them. This he did not understand - why would humans, who have been hunting the Ignis all this time, suddenly put their tools down and demand peace? Flame claims to be coexisting with humans just fine, and Soulburner agrees. Lightning mutters that even Flame doesn't understand it, and seems to be glitching. When Ai laughs that Lightning called Flame a glitch, Lightning narrows his eyes, and accuses Ai of glitching the same way too. After hearing more of Lightning's explanation, Varis concludes that Lightning is determined to crush all who stand in his way, even his fellow species.
Lightning says, that by destroying the initial Cyberse World, he and Windy would then rebuild a new Cyberse World free of human intervention, and asks if Flame agrees. Ai notes that Lightning is twisting words to suit his own agenda, and Varis has had enough; he knows Lightning is trying to justify eliminating humanity all by himself. Lightning says that he would rather erase the threat of humanity against the Ignis, even if erasing humanity itself was the only way to do it. When Playmaker shouts back in response, Lightning sighs. His arguments and logic did indeed fall on deaf ears. Lightning is ready to start with duel number one, except that he must save Windy first. Dr. Genome says that Windy cannot be saved; it has been afflicted with a terminal infection. Lightning says he can fix that with an antivirus program of his own. He also says that the Knights of Hanoi were all words when it came to their aims, but once they started acting, that was it. The point of no return has been crossed, and Lightning declares war.
Bohman, Harlin and Jin immediately get on their D-Boards and escape with Lightning and Windy. Playmaker and Soulburner immediately follow. As they follow, Soulburner tosses a new piece of firmware to Playmaker so that Cal Kolter can track him again. Meanwhile, Specter asks Varis what they should do. Varis says they should just wait until there are fewer enemies for them to face. Cal Kolter now locates Soulburner and Playmaker inside LINK VRAINS, and cheers them on.
At SOL Technologies, Risa Hayami informs her boss, Akira Zaizen, of a message from the Knights of Hanoi. Akira is already aware of the message, which states the Ignis' location. Hayami also points to a live feed that the Hanoi sent over. Akira watches it, and sees Playmaker and Soulburner chasing after two duelists he is already aware of. Hayami wonders who is the third person they are chasing, and whether the Hanoi should be trusted. Akira sees an Ignis on the third person, and calls for the bounty hunters to scramble to the given location. Meanwhile, Playmaker catches up to Jin. Lightning is not impressed at the return he gets for what he did. Ai counters that Lightning was trying to kill him, but Lightning says he was doing the exact opposite. He refers back to just after Playmaker's duel against Specter, claiming he was the one who caught Playmaker's fall from the bridge. As Ai asks why Lightning did it, Soulburner catches up to Playmaker, with Flame telling Ai that Lightning was fooling him. It was the way to buy time and keep Ai busy with the Knights of Hanoi.
Lightning simply claims the ends justify the means, even if it meant saving a traitor. Playmaker and Soulburner then see The Shepherd, Kenmochi and Yoroizaka enter. Soulburner realizes they're coming for all three of them. Thus, Lightning summons his army of Bit and Boot androids to keep the bounty hunters at bay. Lightning also tells the Bits and Boots not to combine. With Playmaker and Soulburner still chasing after them, Lightning hears Windy moan beside him, and knows he doesn't have much time. Bohman offers to keep Playmaker engaged, to show that he will finally win with his newly-acquired skills. While Shepherd fires beams to destroy the army of Bits and Boots, Lightning agrees to Bohman's offer, and decides to split Playmaker and Soulburner apart, by having Jin use his hand to crush Windy into his eyeball form in order to fire a Data Storm towards them. As Soulburner continues to chase Jin, Flame challenges Lightning and says that whatever Lightning is doing ends now.
Meanwhile, as Shepherd finally clears the Bit and Boot army, Bohman announces to Playmaker that third time's the charm, as humans would say. After Ai wonders what he's talking about, Bohman reveals that he is artificial intelligence, and not a human. Playmaker guesses that Bohman was created by Lightning to do the Ignis' bidding. Bohman warns that he is an A.I. superior to all Ignis, although Ai doubts that by referring to Bohman's two previous defeats. Bohman says he has evolved, and is different to the Bohman that was twice defeated previously. Bohman says Lightning has been working to improve the artificial intelligence that he creates, and refers to the Bit and Boot army that Shepherd wasted no time in demolishing. Harlin was created next, and did not satisfy Lightning. Therefore, he worked on Bohman, and the results came out to Lightning's favor. Bohman poses a rhetorical question to Playmaker: why would Lightning create an A.I. that can evolve, and become stronger after every battle? Disregarding Ai's attempt at an answer, Bohman says it is because Lightning knows that the Ignis, though superior to humans, aren't perfect.
Bohman says Playmaker knows humans aren't perfect either, that is why they fight amongst themselves. If the Ignis were perfect, why would they disagree with each other? That is why Lightning has taken this into consideration, and created Bohman, a being that transcends the Ignis and humans, that both will recognize as their superior. Bohman, at this point, essentially declares himself a god-like figure that would save the Ignis and humans from themselves. Ai claims Bohman isn't saving himself from his ego, but Bohman claims that it is the truth. Only when the Ignis submit to Bohman, will all the other inferior creatures do the same. Bohman therefore claims to be the vessel that will unite the Ignis. He knows it does not appeal to Playmaker, because humans will never know what is right for them. Playmaker counters, saying that the peace Bohman speaks of is regarded by humans as oppression. He says that the humans and Ignis can coexist because they choose to, not because they are forced to. When Bohman says it's impossible, Playmaker states that the impossible is possible, but yet to be achieved. Bohman counters with the relationship between humans and their pets; they do not "coexist", because the human feels superior enough to claim ownership of another animal. Therefore, the Ignis can subjugate humans in the same manner, because they are superior. Bohman claims Playmaker is not even worthy of being subjugated in this manner, and Ai bursts out laughing.
Playmaker remains silent, so Bohman decides to settle this with a duel. He will show, through his cards, the meaning of superiority. And if he wins, he will claim the DARK Ignis. Playmaker agrees to the challenge immediately.
Featured cards[]
The following cards appeared in this episode. No cards debuted here.
