"Outsmart, Outwit, Outthink!", known as "Ignis Unification Plan" in the Japanese version, is the ninety-seventh episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS anime. It aired in Japan on April 10, 2019. It aired in English on Teletoon on December 13, 2020.
Varis talks about a simulation that predicts how Lightning's actions will result in the destruction of both the Ignises and humanity in the future. Varis has also gained the upper hand in the Duel and summoned a new Borrel monster. However, Lightning then uses an underhanded tactic.
Summary[]
Continuing from the previous episode, Varis managed to Link Summon Borreload Dragon to his field and uses it to destroy Lightning's Armatos Legio Plumbum Trident. However, Lightning mocks Varis, calling him predictable and reveals that he intended Varis to destroy his card since Plumbum's effect allows it to function exactly like a Link Spell in addition to adding him Judgment Arrows that he uses. However, Varis activates his own Trap Card that forces Lightning to discard Judgment Arrows, greatly infuriating Lightning. Playmaker was impressed by Varis' tactics as Lightning eventually uses his powerful Link Monsters to eventually get back Judgment Arrows and defeat Borreload Dragon.
At this point, Lightning begins to get prideful, claiming that "a monkey" like Varis would not be able to destroy it. When a shocked Ai asked if that's how Lightning really feels about humanity, Lightning simply tells Ai that the Ignis as a whole never needed humans. Ai then said that Lightning talks just like Windy. Varis then told Ai on the revelation of why Lightning shares a similar personality to Windy; Varis said that Flame mentioned how Windy wasn't so "twisted" before and while Ai affirms it, Varis said that his investigation revealed that Lightning had altered and reprogrammed Windy's personality to force Windy to ally with him for the sake of the Ignis Unification Plan since Windy's simulation had no "evil personalities" prior.
Lightning then admits to the act, saying that Windy was weak and that was the only way for him to be useful for the cause. When Ai got angry at Lightning for such an act, Lightning stubbornly insisted that his actions are still made for the future of the Ignis as a whole. Ai then said that everything Lightning said and has done were all lies as Lightning still said that even if it started as a lie, his ideas is still on the correct path to the future where humanity will be under AI's control and will vanish away entirely and even believed it to be an inevitable destiny.
Varis then scolds Lightning, saying that if it's a contest of memories, AIs may be superior, but as a species, humanity isn't as spineless as the AIs. Varis goes on to say that humans lived and evolved as creatures of flesh and blood and because of the innate fear of death engraved into the DNA, humans celebrate the limited time they have to chase their dreams. Lightning however, said that those are actually flaws that will never limit advanced AIs like him as Varis said that he will defeat Lightning.
True to his word, Varis continued on the duel and with the Xyz Summoning of Borreload eXcharge Dragon, Varis had managed to defeat Lightning's ace monster. As Varis was about to finish Lightning off, the latter, desperate, releases his origin, Jin Kolter from his control to the shock of everyone aside from Bohman. Lightning explains to a surprised Varis that he has merged his program to Jin's consciousness data and if Lightning loses this duel, he will be erased along with Jin as the latter is confused and scared.
Lightning then dares Varis to attack him, knowing that Varis will be reluctant to risk deleting Jin's data...
Featured Duel: Varis vs. Lightning[]
Duel continues from the previous episode.
Turn 2: Varis
Varis activates the effect of "Borreload Dragon", targeting Lightining's "Armatos Legio Plumbum Trident" and reducing its ATK/DEF by 500, with Lightning being unable to activate card effects in response ("Plumbum Trident": 2200 → 1700 ATK). "Borreload Dragon" then attacks and destroys "Plumbum Trident" (Lightning: 4000 → 2700 LP). As "Plumbum Trident" was destroyed by battle, its effect lets Lightning add "Judgment Arrows" from his Deck or GY to his hand and then place "Plumbum Trident" in his Spell & Trap Zone as a Link Spell Card, but it will be banished when it leaves the field. Varis sets a card.
Turn 3: Lightning
Lightning activates the effect of "Plumbum Trident" as it is in the Spell/Trap Zone, letting him return 1 Link Monster from his GY to his Extra Deck and then Special Summon 1 "Armatos Legio" Link Monster from the GY to a zone "Plumbum Trident" points to. Lightning returns "Armatos Legio Decurion" to his Extra Deck and Special Summons "Armatos Legio Centurion" to the zone "Plumbum Trident" points to. Lightning then activates the second effect of "Armatos Colosseum", sending a Level 4 or lower "Armatos Legio" monster from his hand to the GY, then targeting an "Armatos Legio" Link Monster he controls to Special Summon as many "Armatos Legio" monsters as possible with different names from each other and the monster sent to the GY to activate this effect in Defense Position to his zones that Link Monster points to. He sends "Armatos Legio Sica" to the GY, targets "Centurion" and Special Summons "Armatos Legio Gradius" and "Armatos Legio Segmentata" (0/2000) to the Left and Right zones "Centurion" points to.
Lightning then uses "Gradius" to Link Summon "Armatos Legio Decurion" next to the Main Monster Zone that "Centurion" points to. Varis chains his set "Mind Crush", letting Varis declare a card name and if that card is in Lightning's hand, Lightning will have to discard all copies of it or else Varis will have to discard 1 card. Varis declares "Judgment Arrows" and as Lightning has it in his hand, he is forced to discard it. Lightning then uses "Segmentata", "Centurion" and "Decurion" to Link Summon "Armatos Legio Magnus Dux" (3000/LINK-4/↑←↓→) to the Top-Right Zone that "Plumbum Trident" points to. Lightning then activates the effect of "Segmentata" in his GY; When it is linked and sent to the GY as a Material for a Link Summon, he can pay 1000 LP (Lightning: 2700 → 1700 LP) to return all of the Link Materials used for the summon back into the Deck. In addition, Lightning can return a card from his GY to the Deck for each of Link Arrows of "Magnus Dux". Lightning returns "Armatos Legio Speculata", "Gradius" and his 2 copies of "Sica" from the GY to his Deck and then Varis must choose 1 card in Lightning's GY to return it back to his hand. As it is the only card in his GY, Lightning adds "Judgment Arrows" to his hand.
Lightning activates "Judgment Arrows" (↖↑↗) in the Spell & Trap Zone "Magnus Dux" points to. "Magnus Dux" attacks "Borreload Dragon", but Varis activates the latter's effect, targeting "Magnus Dux" and reducing its ATK/DEF by 500 with Lightning being unable to activate card effects in response ("Magnus Dux": 3000 → 2500 ATK). Lightning then activates the effect of "Judgment Arrows", doubling the current ATK of "Magnus Dux" during damage calculation only ("Magnus Dux": 2500 → 5000 ATK). "Magnus Dux" attacks and destroys "Borreload Dragon" (Varis: 4000 → 2000 LP).
Turn 4: Varis
As Lightning controls more monsters than Varis, Varis activates the effect of "Boot Sector Launch", letting him Special Summon "Rokket" monsters with different names from his GY in Defense Position, up to the difference. Varis Special Summons "Magnarokket Dragon" (1800/1200). The effect of "Boot Sector Launch" increases the ATK/DEF of all "Rokket" monsters on the field by 300 ("Magnarokket": 1800/1200 → 2100/1500). Varis then Normal Summons "Estrangement Dragon" (1500/1500). Varis then activates the effect of "Estrangement Dragon"; when it is Summoned, Varis Special Summons another copy of it from his Deck to the opponent's field in Attack Position, but it is sent to the GY at the end of the turn. If there is another monster aside from itself on the field, "Estrangement Dragon" cannot be attacked.
Varis overlays his Level 4 "Estrangement Dragon" and "Magnarokket Dragon" to Xyz Summon "Borreload eXcharge Dragon" (3000/2500) in Attack Position to the Extra Monster Zone. Varis activates the effect of "Borreload eXcharge Dragon", detaching 1 Xyz Material to target "Magnus Dux", reduce its ATK/DEF by 600 ("Magnus Dux": 2500 → 1900 ATK) and Special Summon "Borreload Dragon" from his GY to his field, but for the rest of the turn Varis cannot Special Summon or attack directly. Varis activates the effect of "Borreload Dragon", targeting "Magnus Dux" and reducing its ATK/DEF by 500 with Lightning being unable to activate card effects in response ("Magnus Dux": 1900 → 1400 ATK).
"Borreload eXcharge Dragon" attacks "Magnus Dux", with the effect of "Judgment Arrows" doubling the current ATK of "Magnus Dux" ("Magnus Dux": 1400 → 2800 ATK). The attack continues and "Borreload eXcharge Dragon" destroys "Magnus Dux" (Lightning: 1700 → 1500 LP). Varis intends to attack "Estrangement Dragon" with "Borreload Dragon", which would win him the duel, but Lightning uses Jin as a hostage, making Varis hesitate.
Duel continues in the next episode.
Featured cards[]
The following cards appeared in this episode. Cards in italics debuted here.
Mistakes[]
- When Lightning summoned the LINK-1 "Armatos Legio Decurion", he referred to it as "Armatos Legio Centurion".
