The battle this time is between the Puppets of Arisa Kinosaki and the Mineral deck of Close (who is under the control of Unchained).

Arisa's Puppet deck can turn the battle in its favor by deploying [Familiar] Tokens and [Puppet] trait Digimon while utilizing suspension.
Her usual setup is aggressive, featuring <Overclock> finishers, but this time her sister Mirai Kinosaki has lent her partner, Hanimon, giving Arisa the ability to control the board as well.
Arisa has genius instincts when it comes to the Digimon Card Game, but will she be able to use the new powers she has been entrusted with along with the "charm" given to her by her older sister?

Meanwhile, Close's Mineral deck pulls off powerful effects by trashing digivolution cards.
It may take some time to set up, but once the towering titan Pyramidimon reigns over the battle area, it will quickly crush the opposing player's security with relentless attacks, while remaining resilient thanks to <Fragment>.

An army of puppets are splayed horizontally while a fortified giant looms above. This is a showdown between decks with diametrically opposed means of attack.
Will Arisa be able to win this battle and reclaim Close from the clutches of Unchained? Let's take a look back at how it went.

This is Arisa's field.

Arisa has a level 5 Chaperomon in her breeding area, with a Cendrillmon and Tobucatmon along with 2 Tamer cards in her battle area.
One of the Tamer cards is a Mirai Tamer card. Now that Mirai's partner Hanimon is in the deck, this card can show what it's capable of.

Since there are no [Familiar] Tokens, which Cendrillmon's effect produces, we can infer that Arisa made a security attack with <Overclock> on the previous turn.
If Arisa's board is not broken at this point, she will be able to win the game imminently.

Meanwhile, this is Close's field.

Close has a Proganomon that had just moved from the breeding area with 3 digivolution cards, alongside a Tamer card.
...And in addition, Shademon.

A Level 4 Digimon with the [Unidentified] trait, which was able to enter the field with its [Security] effect.
Curiously, this Digimon does not fit into this deck, which is centered on the synergy between the [Rock] and [Mineral] traits.
Perhaps it was slipped in by Unchained. The fact that even Close's partner, Sunarizamon, didn’t react at all during the battle may have also been the work of this Shademon.

It's Close's turn, and the memory gauge is at 4.
There are several [Rock] and [Mineral] trait Digimon in the trash, and Proganomon is on the field.

If you were able to look at this board and predict what was going to happen, then you are likely a player who has fought against Close somewhere in Liberator.

Close makes her move.
She pays 4 memory to digivolve Proganomon into Pyramidimon.
She then suspends her Tamer card, allowing her to place Sunarizamon and Landramon under Pyramidimon as digivolution cards.
There are now a total of 6 digivolution cards under Pyramidimon. It's enough to chew through Arisa's 5 security cards and end the game. All the while, there is not a <Blocker> in sight on Arisa's field.

Close declares an attack to end the game.

The rocky titan stirs, moving in to smash Arisa's security to bits.
Pyramidimon's [When Attacking] effect trashes Proganomon, Landramon, and Sunarizamon in order to unsuspend and gain <Security A. +1>.

Being trashed triggers Proganomon and Landramon's inherited effects, de-digivolving Cendrillmon into ShoeShoemon. Since ShoeShoemon's play cost is 4, Sunarizamon's inherited effect is able to delete it.

Pyramidimon's fist crushes two of Arisa's security cards. Chaperomon and ShoeShoemon leap out to aid in the security battle, but they cannot stop its fearsome fists.
Without pausing, Close declares a second attack. And of course, she declares the [When Attacking] effect—this time trashing Tumblemon, Sunarizamon, and Landramon, granting her attacker <Security A. +1> and unsuspending it yet again.
Trashing Tumblemon triggers its inherited effect, granting +1 memory. If this attack goes through, Arisa's defeat will be sealed.

Pyramidimon's fist slams down, closing in on the last 3 of Arisa's security cards.

The first card, Shoemon. Eliminated.

The second card is ShoeShoemon.
It has a [Security] effect that puts it into play at the end of battle.
After battling with Pyramidimon, its [On Play] effect will create a [Familiar] Token, but that does not stop the onslaught.

Finally, Arisa's last security card. It's none other than the Option card "Unique Emblem: Fable Waltz."

Arisa's Unique Emblem has taken the form of a card. As had happened in the battle with Yao, the last security card was changed. This was caused by the "charm" from Mirai reacting to the feelings of Arisa's partner, Shoemon.

The [Security] effect activates, triggering the [Main] effect of Fable Waltz.
Shoemon emerges from the trash, and with its [On Play] effect, it can grant <Blocker> to a [Puppet] trait Digimon. Arisa chooses her remaining Tobucatmon as the target for this effect.

Tobucatmon uses its body to block the last blow of Pyramidimon's barrage. Arisa has survived by the skin of her teeth.

Then, Close plays Gogmamon for a cost of 7.
This Digimon excels at defense. It has <Blocker> on its own, and has an [On Deletion] ability to play a low-cost [Mineral]/[Rock] trait Digimon from among the top 3 cards of the deck.

Close appears to be deploying it to defend against the suspension-based onslaught that Puppet strategies are known for.

And while Arisa and co. had their attention drawn by the unexpected Unique Emblem, something else was unusual: Close did not use Pyramidimon's [End of Your Turn] effect to charge it up with digivolution cards.

This means that Pyramidimon will not be able to use its protective <Fragment> effect, one of its primary strengths. Why would Close do this? Perhaps it was the result of her resisting the brainwashing from Unchained, even if only a little.

At any rate, Pyramidimon's torrential barrage of attacks is over, and Arisa's turn has begun. The memory gauge is at 6.
Arisa moves Chaperomon to the battle area in the Breeding Phase, then digivolves ShoeShoemon into Karakurumon for a cost of 3. Then, she uses its [When Digivolving] effect to delete the Shoemon on the field, and digivolves into Kaguyamon for no cost.

Mirai's partner, the lunar princess, descends upon the battle area to grant victory to her sister, Arisa.

Having fulfilled the condition of digivolving into a [Puppet] trait Digimon, Arisa declares that she'll use her 2 Tamer cards.
Firstly, Mirai's Tamer card's [Your Turn] effect. Hanimon is played by placing the Tamer card at the bottom of the deck.
Next, Arisa's Tamer card's [Your Turn] effect grants +1 memory.

By suspending the Tamer card, she meets the conditions for activating the [Delay] effect of the Unique Emblem. Chaperomon now digivolves into a new form.

The little cat-like figure, dressed as a medieval knight, reminds one of a faithful feline from a fairy tale, sworn to protect its master.
But it is not the master that this knight saves. It wields its sword to save its precious friend named Arisa.

A new digivolution possibility for Shoemon: Nyabootmon, the commander of Arisa's puppet army.

ShoeShoemon is played from the hand due to Nyabootmon's [When Digivolving] effect. This brings the total number of Digimon on Arisa's field to 4. The 12000 DP slash deletes Gogmamon.

Triggered by the deletion of Gogmamon, Kaguyamon's [All Turns] effect resolves.
The brilliant light of the moon princess shines down upon the Shademon that had attached itself to Close, deleting it.
After that, Gogmamon's [On Deletion] effect resolves, and Gotsumon is played from the top of the deck.

On Arisa's field stands a princess and a knight. The two Megas flip the odds in an instant.

Finally, the stage is set for the Fable Waltz.

Arisa has only 1 memory left.
All that remains is to push forward, forward, forward!

To start, the first strike. Nyabootmon suspends Hanimon with the <Alliance> effect, attacking with 15000 DP and checking 2 security cards. Shoemon's inherited effect reduces Gotsumon's DP by 2000, allowing it to be deleted.

First check, Landramon. Cleared.

Second check, Pyramidimon. Cleared.

Now Close's security stack is reduced to 2.

After slamming in, Nyabootmon tags in Kaguyamon to step into the ring.
Forming an <Alliance> with ShoeShoemon, it attacks with 17000 DP, checking 2 security cards.

Third check, Gotsumon (X Antibody). Cleared.

Fourth check, Gotsumon. Cleared.

This has reduced Close's security stack to zero. Now all she needs to do is wind up the final blow.
And of course, when it comes to finishers, this deck can always count on one thing.

Arisa plays Shoemon at a cost of 3. The turn ends, with the memory gauge at 2 on Close's side.

Nyabootmon's <Overclock> triggers.
By deleting Hanimon, it can attack without suspending.

When Hanimon is deleted, Nyabootmon's [All Turns] effect causes Nyabootmon's [When Digivolving] effect to trigger. Arisa plays ShoeShoemon from the hand, inflicting a deadly 15000 DP blow to Pyramidimon.

With Pyramidimon disintegrating in the background, Nyabootmon uses its secret technique, Cat of Nine Lives, to pierce through Close's defence.

Thus, Puppet Army vs. Sand Giants showdown was won by Arisa, who enjoyed the battle to the end and succeeded in releasing Close from the clutches of Unchained.

The Noah Project, orchestrated by Unchained, is not over yet. The future of Lacuna is at stake, so be sure not to miss the battles to come.