Yugioh Card Maker Forum

It was pretty much like Roswell. Domino City had its very own folklore, almost as believable as the New Mexico aliens... Duel Monsters Heroes.
Farfetched, highly dubious tales about a Pharaoh from Ancient Egypt who had been reincarnated as a boy called Yugi Mutou, who defeated the darkness threatening to overtake the world. Not to mention, he accomplished said feat through the power of his Duel Monsters deck.

He knew, like everybody else, that it was all fake. And he lived by the tiny portion of his heart that screamed it was real.

Yudou Shinji was a 19-year-old boy from Domino City. He had heard the folk throughout his entire life, grown in it, embroiled in it. Whereas most kids in Domino accepted Yugi Mutou as a fable before they did Santa, Yudou had always remained sceptical. He sensed it, in his heart, that something about that tale felt incredibly real, incredibly close, incredibly familiar.

Today was Locals day. "Lolocals", as the pros called it. It always ticked him off, it was a competition as worthy as any other. Then again, he had always felt an unreasonable amount of respect for the game.

Yugi Mutou was said to have the most fabulous hairstyle of any man to walk the Earth. His was, thank the Gods, much more normal. Dark green hair, with occasional blonde strands, passed by reasonably unnoticed. Girls always seemed to favour guys with black or red hair, for some reason - not that he cared. His eyes were gold, and he was fortunate on that department as well - men with purple eyes were the ones girls kept chasing, like that guy across the street, Lelouch.

It was his 3rd straight victory. Nobody was posing much of a challenge though. Lightsworns and Dark Armed Dragon Decks were so predictable, so reliable on the same boring engines. He was still to face the top players in the block, however. Rai Satake was dominating as usual, methodically destroying his opponents; he wasn't one to just mercilessly pummel away.

"We will now proceed with the third qualifying match of Group B. Yudou Shinji and Jin Batto, please make your way to table 4."

By the time he got there, Batto was already shuffling his deck. He sat down as he greeted his opponent, as usual. But, not as usual, his opponent didn't even acknowledge his presence - again, not that he cared.
They cut each other's decks and the duel began. All the while, Jin Batto didn't look Yudou in the eyes once.

Yudou: 4000 LP
Batto: 4000 LP

"I'll start.", said Yudou. It wasn't his habit to go first like that, but his opponent... there was something about his silence that radiated confidence. "Draw!"

His deck had always come through for him. That didn't necessarily mean he always won, but he always had a good time running those particular 40 cards. Right now, judging by his hand, it was coming through for him again.

"I summon Blackland Knight in Attack Mode, and I set a card. Turn end."

Yudou: 4000 LP
Batto: 4000 LP

Batto looked fierce. Come to think of it, it was Locals, but he'd never seen the guy. Large frame, black jacket and worn-out jeans; head shaved almost bald, sunglasses for show... but he didn't act like the regular hooligan that fits the description.

"My turn. Draw..." and he cracked a smile.
"Power On, Cyber Beast - Primer Spawn in Attack Mode! Now I activate Automated Priming, destroying my Cyber Beast to Special Summon 1 Primer monster from my hand. Power On, Primer Changer in Defense Mode!"

"A Level 2 monster? Why would he lose card advantage to bring out something weaker?... And what's with the "Power On!" catchphrase?"

"If you're wondering why I didn't move Cyber Beast - Primer Spawn to the Graveyard yet, let me explain: When Primer Spawn is destroyed by a card effect, it remains on the field, face-down, and it's treated as a Primer Token... so it's not like I lost much. I set a card and I end my turn."

Yudou: 4000 LP
Batto: 4000 LP

"My turn. Draw!" "He played 4 cards... I see. Either he doesn't know how to manage his resources, or his strategy doesn't allow him to... Either way, I can use that."
"Spell Card, Sign of Blessing! During my next Standby Phase, if I have less cards in my hand than you, I draw 2 cards. Now... I summon Fine-Tuned Battle Synchron! Its effect allows me to discard a card and make the Level of a monster I control 4. I select Blackland Knight. Now, Blackland Knight, attack Primer Changer!"

"Hah, you'll be playing right into my hands. When Changer is destroyed by battle, it becomes a Primer Token as well!"

"I know. Blackland Knight's effect activates! I discard a card to end the Battle Phase immediately and have it gain a Level... making it Level 5. Now, before I'm done... Synchro Summon! I use Battle Synchron and Blackland Knight to bring out Deepsea Master Jormungandr!"

"A Synchro?... But you gave up Battle Synchron's effect that allowed you to attack twice with Jormungandr when you skipped your Battle Phase, fool!" grinned Batto.

"You're nervous now." thought Yudou with an imperceptible smile. "I set a card, then I activate the last card in my hand... Strain Spell! I remove the Scapegoat Spell Card I discarded for Battle Synchron's effect to have Jormungandr gain 1 Level... plus another one by Jormungandr's own effect, making it's Level 10. After it gains 2 more levels... It's over. Turn end."

From a distance, far from the considerable crowd that was gathering around the table, Rai Satake watched with a bitter look. "Why are you toying with him, Yudou... I've never seen you play this bad."

Yudou: 4000 LP
Batto: 4000 LP

"My move then. Draw!"
Batto smiled. He didn't seem as cold as before. Apparently it was his own way of concentrating... But he didn't feel menacing anymore, not even moody.
"Power On! Primer Phoenix in Attack Mode! Its effect allows me to Special Summon a Primer Monster from my hand face-down and treat it as a Primer Token!"

"3 Primer Tokens, plus that Primer Phoenix in play... and a face-down. Hand advantage isn't his forte... but he can keep the field full." thought Yudou.

"And now... my ace card! Power On! I Special Summon Primer Excelsior from my hand by Tributing 3 Primer Tokens! And by doing so, I can destroy any 3 cards on the field! I select your Jormungandr and your two face-down cards!"

"Such power... However..." "I activate my face-down card in response to your effect! Divine Release! I remove Strain Spell, Blackland Knight and Fine-Tuned Battle Synchron in my Graveyard from play instead of my cards on the field being destroyed. Not only that, since I removed cards from play, Jormungandr gains another Level, making it Level 11... and finally, after Divine Release resolves and is sent to the Graveyard, it is immediately removed from play as well, which means... Jormungandr's Level is now 12, and its effect automatically activates, destroying all cards on the field except itself and reducing its own Level back to 8!"

"This... can't be!..."

"It can. And I played you all the way up to this point... You see, not only did you lose all cards on your field, you also have no hand... Because subconsciously you never managed to forget the "Sign of Blessing" I activated last turn, that would give me 2 extra cards if I had less cards in my hand than you. So you dried yourself out to make sure I wouldn't get that effect, and placed everything you had on the field. Not a wise move. Now end your turn."

"Yudou Shinji... You haven't heard the last of me. Next time we meet, I'll be the one to make you dance to my tune. Turn end."

Yudou: 4000 LP
Batto: 4000 LP

"My turn. Draw! I summon Fire Knight Nero in Attack Mode... and I attack you directly with Nero and Jormungandr, inflicting over 4000 damage." said Yudou, smiling. "Good game."

Yudou: 4000 LP
Batto: 0 LP

"That it was, kid. You have talent." replied Batto. As he got up, Yudou couldn't help but smile, as the large man was probably nearly 7 feet tall. It was always nice to see people like that playing the game for a change. "An interesting man indeed... Jin Batto."

"Yudou Shinji qualifies for the semifinals! The matches will stop for 2 hours for lunch break now. Thank you!"

As Yudou got up, still smiling over his victory, Rai approached him. 20 years old, he was slightly taller than Yudou, with short white hair and green eyes; he was never in a good mood, either that or he did a terrible job at expressing joy.
"What happened here, Yudou?"
"I had a fun match, Rai. I honestly don't care if you have a problem with that. Excuse me." said Yudou, as he started to walk away.
Rai grabbed his arm. "We will be facing one another in the finals, Yudou. You know that. I've been waiting to have an official match with you for a very long time. Do not disappoint me..."
"You seem to have some sort of Seto Kaiba complex, Rai. I thought you said you stopped caring about those bedtime stories years ago." concluded Yudou, pulling his arm free and leaving the man behind.


Cards used in this chapter:
- By Yudou: - By Batto:

"Whoa! In a record-setting 4 minutes, Gen Kodashi defeats another opponent! Kodashi qualifies for the semifinals!"

The man with wild black hair got up slowly, his dark red eyes glowing with anticipation.

"Yudou Shinji... I'm coming for you next."

----

"Yudou-senpai!" called somebody from a distance. Lost in thought, he didn't hear it.
"Yudou-senpai!" screamed the little boy when he got close. "Why are you here? The semifinals will begin in less than an hour! Do you wanna lose by default? Yudou-senpai, are you even listening?!"
Yudou turned his attention to the boy. "Levin, stop screaming. I can hear you fine. I was trying to find a quiet place to eat and relax before my next match, and it was going fine until 2 minutes ago."
"But, Yudou-senpai! You just blasted another guy, why aren't you happy? You seemed happy during the duel, I saw the whole thing! It was awesome! But now you're all cranky and stuff! You taught me to always enjoy myself when dueling, that it was all about having fun!"
"Levin... I know, I'm sorry. You're right, I'm going against what I told you. I'm just tired, if you don't mind can you go back now? I'll meet you there, I just wanna rest for a bit." said Yudou, trying his best to smile.
"Hum... sure, Yudou-senpai." Levin was obviously not convinced, but they were friends, he'd get the message."Just make sure you're fully recovered when you start your next duel!" added the boy, as he started to head back to the duel site.

Yudou layed down on the ground, looking up, thinking about Rai's words. To be honest, he wanted to face Rai just as much, if there was something you could call the relationship between them, it'd have to be a rivalry. An unorthodox one, though; they never actually had a match. Rai always refused friendly duels, saying he didn't want to face Yudou unless it was a sanctioned duel. It was a sort of Kaiba complex: the desire to beat Yudou in front of everybody, to beat him where it counts. He understood Rai's ambition, perhaps he felt the same. Or maybe his own desire to beat his rival was stronger than Rai's - it didn't really matter where, all he wanted was to defeat him.
But now... he knew it was true. He knew Rai was right, he was playing worse than he ever did. He enjoyed dueling so much that sometimes he aimed for drawn-out confrontations, other times, such as his duel with Batto, he tried to get inside his opponent's heads, manipulate them like puppets. The endless possibilities of dueling were intoxicating to the point where he ended up nearly sacrificing victory... and in that condition, he would never be able to beat Rai Satake.

"Well... about time I get back."

His mind was totally away from his upcoming match. The semifinals wouldn't be a problem as long as he had a higher goal. The same two people always made it to the finals every year, and one of them had already fallen to Yudou in an earlier round; the other one was Rai. This was Yudou's first time at a Locals tournament, as he didn't particularly enjoy the spotlight. He was well known as one of the top duelists in the region, but never actually took part in official matches. This time, Levin had convinced him to sign up, and the thought of Rai accepting a duel in an official tournament helped.

He bumped into somebody.

"My apologies, I..."
"Yudou Shinji, are you not?..."
"Wh.. who are you?"

A tall, middle-aged man stood in front of him. The clearest skin he'd ever seen, combined with jet-black hair and short beard, made him look like a ghost.

"Come with me."
"I'll have to refuse. I'm late for something."
"That is not your choice to make." he said, swiftly delivering a blow to the side of Yudou's head, knocking him out.

---

He woke up inside what appeared to be an old, abandoned warehouse. if they were close to where the man struck him down, then he knew exactly where they were.

"My head is killing me... uh? What's this thing in my arm?... No way! It can't be..."

"Get up, boy." The ghost-man was standing in the dim light of the warehouse. He also had the same thing on his arm... "Get up so I can make you fall again. Let us duel."

"What? Are you insane?... You kidnapped me so we could have a duel?!"

"Indeed... but a duel unlike any other you ever had. A duel like the ones you always dreamed about. Remember when they all told you Yugi Mutou was a myth?" he asked with a slow, deep voice. "And remember how a part of you knew they were lying?..."
The man was smiling.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"You can call me Hino. Now, let us begin. I will start."

"But... how? Where do you intend to..." Then he heard a sound. It came from the machine stuck to his left arm. The small screen on it flashed, indicating... "4000 LP".
"A... duel disk?!"

Yudou: 4000 LP
Hino: 4000 LP

"Yes, boy. They are real. But not available to the... general public; the ignorant fools, uneducated in the art of dueling, clueless of its history, oblivious of its potential... and of its dangers." he said, an ominous tone in his voice, a mix of delight and insanity.
"I draw... and I summon Firebrand Mystic in Attack Mode."
The monster did, as Yudou expected, materialize in a spectacular sight, dancing flames around the beast's body. Under any other circumstances, that would be a dream come true.
"I set a card... and it is your move."

Yudou: 4000 LP
Hino: 4000 LP

"I can't believe this... this is insane! Duel disks, kidnappers that duel you instead of hurting you... and I'm going to lose by default if I don't show up at the tourney site!"

---

"It's ten past 2 already... Are you hiding from me, Shinji?!" muttered a visibly infuriated Kodashi. He was sitting at the table where he was supposed have his semifinals duel against Yudou. 5 more minutes and he would win by default.

"You want him badly... why is that?"

The voice came from a table nearby. Kodashi looked up to find Rai gathering his cards - he'd qualified for the finals already.
"None of your business, Satake..."
Rai smiled. The kind of smile that annoys pretty much everybody, his lips forming an arrogant curve. "You're right, it doesn't really matter to me.. since it seems I'll be facing you in the finals instead of Yudou. See you later." he said, as he got up and walked away.

As he wandered without a destination, Rai clenched his fists in anger. "Yudou... how could you just disappear? Are you too scared to face me?! I won't let you get away with this... I'll find you and drag you back if I must!"

---

Yudou: 4000 LP
Hino: 4000 LP

"Damn it... Is a duel really the only way out of this whole thing?!".. He found himself smiling. "...So be it."
"My turn. Draw!"
He didn't know his opponent's monster's effect. But being of FIRE Attribute, it would be best to expect burn damage. And in that case, he had to dispose of it quickly.
"I summon Water Knight Nautilus in Attack Mode!" and in an instant, it was actually there, in front of him. Just like in the stories... "Now, Nautilus, attack Firebrand Mystic!"
As the undine lunged forward to attack, a wall of flames stopped erupted from the ground between the two monsters.

"My trap card... First Art - Firecall. By discarding 1 Spell Card and 1 FIRE monster from my deck to the Graveyard, your attack is negated and Nautilus loses 1000 attack points. Now, end your t... Hm?"

Yudou was smiling. In a minute, he was laughing. "I happen to be loving this. Rai can wait... I'm going to beat you first!" Hino could swear a shade of red crossed the young man's green eyes for the briefest of moments.
"I'm not stopping just yet. I activate Foolish Burial, and I send Fire Knight Nero from my Deck to my Graveyard. Now I set a card... and I end my turn."

Yudou: 4000 LP
Hino: 4000 LP

"Now boy... don't be so sure of yourself. Draw! Firebrand Mystic's effect activates... I lose 1000 Life Points and it gains 1000 attack points, making it 2400. And since your Nautilus is 1000 points down, making it 600... prepare for a painful blow. Literally..." he said, as the temperature somehow began to... rise?
"I begin by activating Dian Keto the Cure Master, regaining the Life Points that I lost, then Double Summon. Now I summon Crimson Berserker, which I now Tribute to bring out... Maos the Inferno."

"It just got hotter in here... what's going on?!"

"Now... Maos the Inferno, crush Nautilus." The wizard hurled a large fireball at Yudou's monster, and it was promplty consumed by the flames. Furthermore...
"Urgh... it burns! My arm..." muttered Yudou as sparks from the blast flew toward him and landed on his skin.

"Let's see now... Maos 2200 attack points crashed into your Nautilus, whose attack was lowered by 1000 points, making it 600... Adding to that, Maos's effect, which inflicts 200 damage when it destroyes a monster by battle... You lose 1800 Life Points."

"Think again... Trap Card, Defense Draw! I only lose 200 Life Points by Maos's effect, since this card nullifies this attacks' Battle Damage, and lets me draw 1 card."
"The pain was real... My skin feels burned! What on earth is going on?..."

"Heh, not bad, boy. However... each time Maos destroys a monster by battle from here on out, the effect damage it inflicts doubles each time... Will you handle the pain? Oh, why don't we find that out right now? Since Firebrand Mystic still hasn't attacked... But that is about to change. Attack him directly, my monster... Hellfire Storm!"
A tower of fire headed straight for him... and got him. The pain was excruciating, his body engulfed by the flames. When it was over, no visible marks were left, but Yudou was on the floor, writhing in pain.

"Hahaha... I set a card... turn end!"

Yudou: 1400 LP
Hino: 4000 LP

"This... can't be happening... the pain is real, but it's... impossible... Damn you. I'll kill you!"
Yudou got up slowly. His eyes weren't green anymore, but bright red.
"My turn. Draw."

"What... happened to him? He's not scared, and he seems recovered already... and what is this aura I'm feeling?!" thought Hino.

"Now... I remove the Fire Knight Nero and Water Knight Nautilus in my Graveyard from play, and I Special Summon Dragon Knight Paladrake. Now, I reveal my face-down card... Burial from a Different Dimension. Thus I return Nero and Nautilus to my Graveyard. Now, another Spell Card... Harmonious Destruction. By removing 1 WATER and 1 FIRE monster in my Graveyard from play, I can destroy 1 card on the field... I select Maos the Inferno and your face-down card."

A giant whirl of water and fire rose and spun towards Hino's monster.
"Nice try... I chain my Trap Card, Jar of Greed! It allows me to draw a card before my cards are destroyed! Hah!"
Soon thereafter, the whirl surrounded Maos and Jar of Greed, destroying them in a violent explosion. The building seemed to shake.

Yudou chuckled. "Such.. emotion. Nothing like you were acting before... Hino-san. You should experience fear more often. It makes you feel... warm on the inside... Dragon Knight Paladrake's effect. It destroys 1 non-LIGHT or face-down monster on the field... I select Firebrand Mystic."
The dragon's eyes glowed, as a sort of mandala appeared below Hino's last monster. Then, from that mandala rose a pillar of light, destroying Firebrand Mystic.
"Hino-san... You're wide open..."
Yudou had a wicked smile on his face, his eyes glowing brighter than before.
"I summon Blackland Knight to the field in Attack Mode. Now, Paladrake, Blackland Knight... Show him death's doors."
The two monsters attacked in a row, A beam of light followed by a vicious sword slash, that tossed the ghostly man to the floor. He screamed in pain, as his Life Points dropped to a mere 200.
"I set two cards. Turn end. Ganbatte... Hino-san."

Yudou: 1400 LP
Hino: 200 LP

~----~

Cards used in this chapter:
- By Yudou:
- By Hino:

"Yudou-senpai... where are you? I knew I shouldn't have gone back!"
Levin sat on the grass, in the park where the tournament was being held. All the matches were over, except for the finals. Rai Satake versus the newcomer Gen Kodashi. But by all rights, it was Yudou who should be facing Rai..
"He would have owned that Kodashi guy in the semis, I'm sure of it... Yudou-senpai..."

---

Rai heard the sound of what seemed like an explosion, not far from where he was. If only he could accurately tell where it came from... Then he saw it, light coming from the broken windows of the old warehouse.

"Yudou, are you in there?"

He started running towards the abandoned building , intent on bringing back his rival safely.

---

"Hey, aren't you the guy that won by default? Y'know, I bet if Yudou had shown up, he'd have wiped the floor with you, mate. No offense."
Spiked, electric-blue hair, tight metal necklace, sporting a dark-blue jacket and jeans, Bolt Nagashi sat atop the park's fountain, grinning at an angry-looking Gen Kodashi.

"What did you say?..."

"Well, let's face it... your deck ain't so special. Kinda... brute, y'know. No style to it, no flash, no strategy... I'm just sayin'. Mind you, if I had signed up for the tourney, you wouldn't even have made it to the quarterfinals!"

"Hey you, get down from there at once!" yelled a security. Since two year's ago, when a boy stole 8 competitors' decks, the organization began requesting some men from the local police station to keep an eye on events.

"H.. Hai! I'm sorry!" said Bolt in a rush, jumping down from the fountain. Upon landing, he was face to face with Kodashi.
"So like I was saying, anytime you wanna get your butt kic-" he was interrupted by a vicious punch from the black-haired duelist.

"You talk too much... arrogant brat." said Kodashi as he walked away, leaving Bolt on the floor, blood running from his mouth.

---

Yudou: 1400 LP
Hino: 200 LP

Hino started to get up. His eyes were hazy, as if the pain clouded his vision. Clearly, Yudou wasn't he only one affected... both players actually got hurt in this game. It was beyond any logical reason... but Yudou wasn't interested in the logic of it all right now. He smiled, enjoying the sight of his opponent struggling to get back on his feet. It was exhilarating.

"So... you have... come to accept the dark... nature of this game already, boy?... Indeed, my master was right... you have to be one of... them... But I'm not... done yet... Draw!"
"My task was not to simply to find the boy... I have to defeat him and kill him by the old arts... This duel has to end with the loss of Yudou Shinji, and with his death!"
"I summon Volcannon to the field in Attack Mode, and I activate its effect! By sending 1 FIRE or EARTH monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, I can destroy 1 monster you control! I select your Dragon Knight Paladrake!"

As the flaming armadillo-like creature fired a salvo of blazing fireballs, Yudou clapped his fingers.

"Trap Card... Divine Release. I remove from play the Foolish Burial in my Graveyard, negating Volcannon's destruction effect."

A rainbow shield surrounded Paladrake, blocking the fire projectiles.

"Hah... that is not all! Prepare to witness my ultimate card... I remove Firebrand Mystic, Maos the Inferno and the Spell Card "Ka" in my Graveyard from play, to Special Summon... Infernal Volcross!"

It was an inpressive sight indeed. From the ground rose two gigantic flaming wings, followed by an equally large body, covered in fire and scales. When the dragon opened its eyes, it was like staring at two orbs of incandescent steel. It roared, and the building definitely shook.

"My dragon allows me to remove a FIRE monster in my Graveyard to discard 1 card from your hand; as such, I remove the Heat Lizard I sent some turns ago by the effect of First Art - Firecall, and you lose a card from your hand!"

"Fine..." said Yudou, discarding a card without taking his eyes off of Hino.

"Now! Infernal Volcross, incinerate his Paladrake!"

The colossal dragon unleashed a stream of fire at Yudou's armoured dragon... and the stream suddenly bended, turning to Blackland Knight instead.

"What?!"

"Trap Card... Shift. Blackland Knight becomes the new attack target... so I can trigger its effect, discarding 1 card to negate the attack, end the Battle Phase and have it gain 1 level."
The fire vanished before it touched the Knight.
"I would say you are out of options, Hino-san... care to end your turn?" said Yudou, with a mocking smile.

"I... I set a card... and I end my turn..."

Yudou: 1400 LP
Hino: 200 LP

"My turn. Draw." "This card?!.."
Yudou's eyes looked straight at Hino. "Dragon Knight Paladrake's effect. I can destroy 1 non-LIGHT monster you control."

"No, he can dispose of my Infernal Volcross easily like this!..."

"I select your Volcannon".

"Wh... are you insane?!"

The mandala glowed below the armadillo, and a pillar of light consumed it.

"About Infernal Volcross... You did say... "your ultimate card", did you not?... It would be shameful if it were to fall so easily. I will crush it by battle."

"Foolish boy, my monster has over 3000 attack points!"

"...I Tribute my Paladrake to bring out Matter Shifter in Attack Mode. Now for its effect... When it attacks, both monsters gain 1000 attack points for each Spell Card in their owner's Graveyards. I count 4 on mine: Burial from a Different Dimension, Harmonious Destruction, the Scapegoat I discarded by your Volcross's effect and the Strain Spell I discarded for Blackland Knight's. You... have two: Dian Keto and Double Summon. Which means... both monsters' attack points become 5200."

"5200?! Don't... don't make them fight! You have no idea what you're..."

"Matter Shifter, attack Infernal Volcross." "Die."

Matter Shifter grew into an enormous orb of light, and flew towards Hino's monster. In turn, Volcross fired another stream of fire. When the two collided, an immense explosion occurred... and soon after the warehouse was crumbling and on fire.

---

Fire spewed from every window of the warehouse as Rai was about to make his way in.

"What the hell?!... Yudou!"

He covered his mouth with his arm and ran inside, the place was falling apart and literally burning up.
He found Yudou lying on the floor, flames surrounding him from almost everywhere. There was also another man not far away from him, standing on one knee, his robes on fire, a terrified look on his face.
He ran for Yudou.
"Damn you, are you alright? Come on, on your feet! Put your arm around me, move!"

"W...wait... my deck..." said Yudou, breaking free from Rai's grasp. as he began to make his way to the broken duel disk, flaming debris fell on it, crushing it.
"No... my deck! It's gone!..."
"Are you out of your mind?! We have to go, the building's going to collapse at any moment!"

"Wait... I still had a card in my hand... I must have dropped it... I have to find it, I simply cannot lose that card!"
Yudou began looking around, his eyes trying to get a glimpse of the precious card he drew on the last turn and didn't get to play... and they found it. It was there, untouched by the flames... He tried running to catch it before the fire did, but he was too weak and fell on his knees. He was nearly unconscious when Rai ran to him and tried to lift him back up.
"No... Rai, please... My card... over there, you have to get it... I can't leave without it!"

"Yudou... damn you!" roared Rai as he ran for the card, which was already surrounded by flames. He picked it up and ran back for Yudou, who had passed out, and dragged him to the door as fast as he could. The other man was nowhere to be seen...

By the time they made it outside, the smoke was so thick it was impossible to breather and his eyes were burning... but they made it nonetheless.

Rai looked angrily at the fainted Yudou, then at the card that almost cost them their lives.
""Limit Breaker"?..."

~----~

Cards used in this chapter:
- By Yudou:
- By Hino:

"Rai-san! You found him! Is he alright?!"

Rai looked at the over-excited kid in front of him. His day was going from bad to worse.
"Yes. Look after him. I'm not in the mood for babysitting... Bring him to the tourney site when he wakes up. Hm, and take this card - he'll want it back."
"I want you to see the match you could have had, Yudou."

"Y..yes Rai-san! Thank you so much for bringing him back!"
Levin wanted to know what happened, why his senpai was hurt and passed out, but he was too scared of Rai to even ask. Knowing Yudou was alright was all the information he would be getting from the white-haired man.

---

"For a minute there, I thought I was going to win first place by default as well..." mocked Kodashi, lying on the grass.

"You wished. When you're done with your nap, feel free to head over to our table." Rai was not in the mood for people. Less than usual, anyway.

"Hmph. Full of yourself as usual, Satake. I'll take your ego and wipe the floor with it..." thought Kodashi, with a smirk on his face.

---

"Damn that guy, what was that for?!" mumbled Bolt.

"Quiet or I stitch your tongue as well." growled the nurse who was tending to him; his lip wouldn't stop bleeding after Kodashi's punch, so he had made his way to the nursery nearby to close the wound.

"Hai, sorry..."
"Hurry up already, or I'll lose the finals! I wanna see Satake-san teach that thug the lesson I should be teaching him!"

---

"Everyone, it's time for the final match of this Local Tournament! We've witnessed some incredible matches - pro-level, really! - but this one is sure to blow the others right out of the water! Rai Satake, Gen Kodashi, please make your way to the table, the duel will begin in 10 minutes!"

Kodashi got up, wiped the grass from his jacket and walked to the table. The only man he actually wanted to face, the reason why he travelled all the way to Domino City, hadn't bothered showing up. That pissed him off, and unfortunately for Rai, he was in the way.

Rai heard the call and frowned. The only man he actually wanted to face, the reason why he signed up for another pitiful Local, had wandered off somewhere and nearly killed himself. That pissed him off, and unfortunately for Kodashi, he would be the one feeling the full brunt of is deck.

The two men met in by the table, neither taking their sit - the staredown of two cold, upset duelists about to face one another was an intense moment that caught even Levin's eye, who stopped trying to awaken Yudou for a minute.
"Those two... they're definitely not in a good mood. Still, I hope Rai-san can win..." Yudou would be devastated if somebody beat Rai before he did. He wouldn't admit it, but he wouldn't have to either. Not only that, it was hard not to respect a man like Rai... and equally hard to sympathize with a figure such as the dangerous-looking Gen Kodashi.

---

"You're unlucky, Satake... I'm in a bad mood, which means this won't be a match fitting of a Final - I'll beat you way too quickly. If people actually felt pain when they took damage, like in the folk... you wouldn't make it out of here alive." His dark-red eyes stared right at Rai's, ominously glowing with anger.

"You talk way too much for my taste. Scared to actually get it on?..."

"You... I'll wipe that pretentious smirk off your face, Satake... and if it's in my hands, I'll make sure you do feel pain." said Kodashi, tense and enraged, as he sat down.

"Well then, Gen Kodashi..." said Rai, taking out his deck;
"Try to humble me."

Kodashi: 4000 LP
Rai: 4000 LP

"I'll start!" roared Kodashi. "Draw!"

"A man like him would feel comfortable running nothing but a super-offensive build. This might be interesting after all..." thought Rai.

"I summon "Cataclysm Mage" in Attack Mode, and I set a card. Your move, Satake..."

Kodashi: 4000 LP
Rai: 4000 LP

"My turn. Draw!"
"A 1200 ATK monster? I expected something bigger... still, I better dispose of it before it becomes a nuisance."

"I Special Summon "Uberdrach" from my hand, since you have a Spell or Trap Card and I have none."

"Hah, you're too predicatble, Satake! Trap Card, "False Ground"! I destroy your Special Summoned monster, and in four turns, it will become mine!" said Kodashi, grinning.

"He stopped me from gaining field advantage in the second round and will end up with even more field presence of his own in a few turns... Looks like I might have to go all out."
"I set a monster and a face-down card, and I end my turn."

Kodashi: 4000 LP
Rai: 4000 LP

"That all you got, Satake?! Then you're mine! Draw!" "Perfect!"
"Now, I summon "Ravadjinn" in Attack mode, and I activate the Spell Card "Forbidden Summoning Rites"! I can use this card when I control two SPellcasters, and by Tributing one of them, I can bring out my ace card! So, I send "Ravadjinn" to the Graveyard... now behold, "Red Ravager Dragnarok"!

---

"Yudou-senpai, you're awake!" screamed Levin, relieved. "Are you alright? How are you feeling? What happened?"
"L..Levin? Where's... Rai?" Yudou covered is eyes with his arm. They burned, and the light wasn't making it any better. His head was hurting like mad.
"Rai-san brought you back from I don't know where, you were passed out! He told me to take care of you, and take you to the table where his match is taking place when you felt better... He's dueling Kodashi-san right now... Oh yeah, he also told me to hold this card for him. But it's yours, isn't it? Your father's card! Here!"
"L.. Limit Breaker? He got it back..." "Thank you Rai... thought Yudou with a smile, as he tried to get up. The loss of his deck meant he would have to build a new one from scratch, and not only that, he had been dueling with those cards since he could remember... but knowing he still had that one card made it easier to cope with it. "Levin, let's go. Rai needs our support."
"But Yudou-senpai, you're still weak! You have to rest a little longer!"
"In due time, Levin... Rai's duel won't wait for me. I owe it to him to at least watch the Finals, since I'm not there to duel him myself."
And with that, they joined the crowd that gathered around the table.

---

Kodashi: 4000 LP
Rai: 4000 LP

""Red Ravager Dragnarok" is the core of my deck... and you're about to feel its power! Actually... I'm about to wipe you out in one turn!"

"A One-Turn Kill? I have a face-down monster..."

"I'll activate one of Dragnarok's effects! By paying 1000 Life Points, I can return one face-down card back to its owner's hand! I select your face-down monster, leaving you wide open! And since my dragon's attack is 2800, and my Cataclysm Mage's is 1200, I'll take all your Life Points in one turn! Cataclysm Mage, direct attack!"

"Kodashi... Bringing out your ace card in your second turn, and dominating the field like this... you're talented. But..."

"Now, Dragnarok, end this! Direct Attack!"

"... I'm not an amateur." "Trap Card, Ultimate Offering. I pay 500 Life Points to summon Master Mechanic in Defense Position."

"Oh, so you managed to save yourself for now... It doesn't matter, Dragnarok, crush his Mechanic! And once Dragnarok destroys a monster, all my other monsters are destroyed as well, and a Doom Counter is placed in each Zone that had a monster! Since Cataclysm Mage is destroyed, I get 1 Doom Counter."

"Incidentally, I also gain something when my Master Mechanic is destroyed - A "Limiter" Spell Card from my deck." said Rai, as he added a card to his hand.

""Limiter" Spell Card? Why not say simply "Limiter Removal"?..." thought Yudou. Levin didn't seem to notice that detail.

"It makes no difference! Now, I set 2 cards and I end my turn." "You think you saved yourself, Satake? You have just prolonged this duel long enough for me to show the full potential of my deck..."

Kodashi: 4000 LP
Rai: 2300 LP

Rai smiled. Yudou could tell he was enjoying himself, even though Kodashi wasn't the opponent his rival desired.

"Now, it begins. Draw!"

~----~

Cards used in this chapter:
- By Kodashi:
- By Rai:

"Finally! Thank you miss!" shouted Bolt, already out of the nurse's tent, as he ran for the tourney site.

When he finally got there, he found everybody gathered around one table. Not being one to miss out on the action, he pushed as many people as he could, until finally he had a clear view of the action. Kodashi had that unpleasant grin on his face that arrogant duelists made when they cornered their opponent. However, Rai was also smiling.
When he looked around, trying to hear parts of conversations to understand what he had lost of the duel thus far, he saw him. The green-haired, serious-looking duelling prodigy, Yudou Shinji.
"Hey! Yudou-san!" he called.
Yudou turned his head to him slowly. He didn't look so good.

"Yes?"

"Sorry to interrupt, the name's Bolt Nagashi. It's an honour to meet you in person! Why didn't you show..."

"I'm trying to watch my friend's duel. We can talk later..."

"H... Hai! I'm sorry... Who's winning?"

Yudou let slip a smile.
"Very soon, Rai will be."

---

Kodashi: 4000 LP
Rai: 2300 LP

"Now... I apologize, but I'm not going to fall just yet. First I'll set a 2 cards, then a monster as well. Now, Kodashi... Now is the time to humble me, if you can..."

"Rai... you're playing defense? Granted, his dragon is powerful, but are you really out of options?" thought Yudou. He looked at the the man next to him - "Bolt" something, if he recalled. They were probably the same age, but their mentalities appeared to be complete opposites. Bolt had a huge smile on his face, looking marvelled at the duel; apparently he didn't realize Rai had his back against the wall. Maybe he didn't even know how the game was played...

Kodashi: 4000 LP
Rai: 2300 LP

Kodashi laughed.
"Defense Mode, Satake?" It was like he spit that last word. "Then I'll crush you even faster than I thought at first! I activate my Dragnarok's effect, paying 1000 Life Points to return that face-down monster to your hand! Now, you're wide open... I summon Red Remnant in Attack mode! This guy cannot be destroyed by Dragnarok's effect, so... Dragnarok, attack him directly!"
Yudou looked around. It wasn't looking good for the champion, thought pretty mcuh everyone in the crowd, judging by the looks on their faces. Only 2 people seemed to believe otherwise - himself, who knew Rai had what it took to win, and that clueless guy, Bolt, who kept smiling.

"I activate Ultimate Offering's effect, and I Summon the monster you returned to my hand previously, in Defense Mode: Cyberdrach."

"Like it matters! Obliterate his machine, Dragnarok!"

"As I expected... Cyberdrach's effect kicks in. When destroyed, I can add 1 Dragon-Type monster from my deck to my hand, provided it's a Normal Monster..."

"How is some worthless vanilla going to help you, Satake? Red Remnant, attack him direc..."

"I'm not done. When you destroyed my Cyberdrach, you unleashed something else from my deck. I Special Summon Metalborn Virus in Defense Mode!"

"Fine, I'll have to blow that one up as well! Red Remnant, attack his virus!"

"Now, Kodashi... why do you keep neglecting my Trap Cards? I activate Negate Attack!"

"Such a cowardly approach, Satake?! I thought you were more of a man! I set 2 cards and I end my turn."
"If you're' just going to sit there and halt my offense, I'll have to deal with you differently... This combination of cards will destroy you before my next turn arrives!"

Kodashi: 4000 LP
Rai: 1800 LP

"Draw!" "This is it... it's completed."
"Kodashi!" Rai's eyes were glowing with a fearsome determination. "A coward, is that what you think of me? Then it's time I prove you otherwise... I'll end this duel now, and in a few minutes..." he looked at Yudou, then back at Kodashi "... you will have become just another stepping stone."
"First, I activate Ancient Rules, to Special Summon the very heart of my Deck... come forth, Great Dragon Zagorian!"

"That was the monster he fetched with Cyberdrach before... Rai, you really are amazing. You have your own dragon and your own virus on the field... Seems I was more right than I thought when I said you were like Kaiba." thought Yudou with a smile. "However... Dragnarok is still stronger. What are you going to do?"

"Now... bear witness to the full power of my Deck! I activate Metalborn Virus's effect, sending itself and my Zagorian to the Graveyard to bring out... Fusion Monster, Perfect Hybrid Metalgorian!"

"4000 Attack points?! What is this?!" Kodashi was visibly caught off guard.

"And now... I activate two Spell Cards! Limiter Removal... and Limiter Malfunction! Which means my Metalgorian's power goes up to 12000!"

"This is insane! But still... Once you declare your attack, all I have to do is trigger my own combination of face-down cards to shut you down!"

"Limiter Malfunction... so that's what you chose when your Master Mechanic was destroyed... It adds power to the current attack instead of the original, meaning it can combo with Limiter Removal... Impressive, Rai." Yudou felt more and more bitter about the events that kept him from reaching the finals. He would have given up almost anything to be there in Kodashi's place. And the only thing he wouldn't trade for that chance, was the one he had lost - his Deck.

"Final card..." said Rai...

"XING ZHEN HU!" shouted Bolt.
Yudou looked in shock as Rai's last face-down card activated revealing... indeed, Xing Zhen Hu.
"How.. how did he know? Who is this guy?"

"Xing Zhen Hu prevents you from activating 2 face-down cards... which means whatever defenses you had set up, are now obsolete."

"No! It can't... Damn you, Satake!"

"It's over. Not only is my dragon's power higher than anything you can handle, it can also attack as many times as the number of Spell and Trap cards you have. And since you can't activate them to get rid of them..."

Suddenly, Kodashi got up and swooped - he took all of his cards, shuffled them back together and turned his back to Rai.
"Keh. Looks like I underestimated you... but know this. The cards you locked... I could have activated them when your turn began and I would have won. So next time... the outcome will be different."
He made his way through the crowd as fast as he could, looking at no one, but Yudou caught a glimpse of his face. He looked livid, but above all, he looked ashamed. The kind of expression he never thought a man like Kodashi would show.

"Amazing, Rai-san! You rock!! Kodashi, you worthless excuse of a duelist, you don't go away before your opponent can attack! That's rude, you sore loser! Apologize to Rai-san!!" yelled a familiar voice. Well, it became familiar after more than 10 minutes of listening to it without interruptions. Bolt Nagashi waved at Rai, completely taken over by his performance. Yudou smiled - it actually was a good showing. He bid his time and resources and crushed his opponent in one single turn. You could always count on Rai to teach somebody a good lesson in humility.

---

The crowd had gone home. Rai had received his trophy and prize promotional card, which Yudou knew he'd never use, and only a hand full of people remained in the precinct. The champion was about to leave as well, so Yudou, followed by Levin, ran to him.
"Rai! Wait."
"Yudou... I hope you realize you missed your chance."
"What... are you talking about?"
"I'm through dueling. It's not the same anymore. Don't you understand? I need to be beaten. I need somebody to defeat me after I give it my all... I need to face somebody stronger than me. But I've never met that somebody. It's pointless to duel... knowing there's nobody better out there."
"What about what you said to Kodashi? About him being another stepping stone? Rai... You can't know for sure if there isn't a stronger duelist than you out there. And you haven't faced me yet. Your pride is what has been keeping you from finding the real challenge you desire... That challenge... might be me. But you've been turning your back on it forever. You do need somebody to humble you Rai, and not just in a duel."
Rai stared at Yudou with anger in his eyes. Then he turned around and walked away without another word.

"Yudou-senpai... Want me to bug him to death till he says yes?"
"Hum... no Levin, don't. Let him think about what I said... I know he'll understand eventually."

"RAI-SAN! Wait! Wait a min... oh damn, he's gone!" Bolt was back, electric as ever. "Aw, I wanted to challenge him... and maybe ask for an autograph... He was awesome once again!"
"Bolt... Nagashi, wasn't it?"
"Yup, that's the name! And you're the no-show pro, Yudou Shinji, right?" He was smiling way too much for that to have been sarcasm. Apparently he was just trying to be funny.
"Well, you got the name right. Tell me... How did you know what card Rai was going to play back there?"
"Huh? Oh, Xing Zhen Hu? Well duh, it's his signature move! Every time he brings out his Metalfreakingorian, he locks his opponent's Traps in place with Xing Zhen Hu to attack more than once! How didn't you know that? Aren't you guys like, the top two dogs in West Domino?"
"Well... yes, but... we never actually duelled one another. But neither have you..."
"Well, Rai's kinda like the rival I never had... I wanna be the best, and he's the current best I know, so I've watched him duel many times before, kinda like to get ready for when I gain the honour of dueling him, y'know?! I've memorized all of his combinations and match-winning turns, not to brag or anything. Well, maybe a little. I'm not from around these parts, but I've already qualified for the Regionals, so I'm hoping I get to face him there!"
"Memorized... everything? Interesting guy... But if Rai is really quitting, you're in for a let-down..." "Yeah... I hope you get that chance too. We have to go now, it's getting late. Let's get you home, Levin, or I'll have to deal with your mother..." said Yudou, smiling at the boy. "Pleasure to meet you Bolt, and good luck."
"Likewise dude, Godspeed!"

---

"Wh... What do you want of me?!" said Rai.
A strong pain came from the back of his head, he felt dizzy, and for some reason, he didn't remember taking a detour through any dark alleys; yet there he was in one, cornered by a man in black robes.
"Rai Satake, are you not? You can call me Kuro..."

~----~
Cards used in this chapter:
- By Kodashi:
- By Rai:

Kuro: 4000 LP
Rai: 150 LP

"On your feet, boy... we're not done."

"Wha... What's going on here?... Duel disks, real monsters, real pain... this can't be happening... My body hurts all over... But I can't... I will not lose!"
"Draw! I activate Swing of Memories to Special Summon Great Dragon Zagorian from the Graveyard! Now I summon Metalborn Virus!"

"Again the same mistake..."

"Fusion Summon! Rise, Perfect Hybrid Metalgorian!"

The metallic dragon rose indeed, in a spectacular sight of flames, sparks and glowing steel. The gigantic creature took flight and roared menacingly at his opponent, who didn't even flinch.

"Now, my trap card, Xing Zhen Hu!"

"Chain... Mystical Space Typhoon..."

"What?! Damn... No difference. Limiter Malfunction, activate! Metalgorian, crush his monster!"

"Trap... Mirror Force..."

Metalgorian unleashed a beam of light that crashed into a rainbow dome, and multiple smaller beams reflected back towards the dragon, which was destroyed.

"It... can't be!" said Rai in shock, as his body grew weaker and weaker. "T.. turn end..."


Kuro: 4000 LP
Rai: 150 LP

Kuro dropped the hood of his robe, revealing a very old man with short, white beard. His eyes couldn't possible belong to the man who had been inflicting slow, torturing pain on Rai for the last twenty minutes. Those eyes were full of sorrow and disappointment.
He turned off his duel disk, and Rai's automatically did so as well a second later. The holograms disappeared, but the young man's pain did not.

"You felt it... the pain, the unbearable pain. And in your mind you know, that if I had attacked you now, your body would not have endured it..." The man looked sad, and for some reason Rai, who was standing on one knee, couldn't bear to look the elder in the eyes.
"Rai Satake... your closest friend, whom you are yet to acknowledge as so, was faced with this same adversity not long ago. You saved his life, but chose to close your eyes, ears and heart to what really happened... Yudou Shinji faced a man in the exact same conditions you just did, and would have won if not by circumstances beyond his control. He has matured and is ready to be introduced to his destiny... I hoped you were as well, before they found you first... The balance is tipped in favour of some, and it should not be so by the time of the Battle. Improve, Rai... and acknowledge the heart of your Deck. Your devotion lies in the wrong ally... Go and improve, before it's too late. Or you will be eliminated before the Battle even begins."

"Wh.. what are you talking about? You're not making any sense... Who are you?!"

The old man looked at the sky; the sun had set, and it had started to rain. "Kuro is not my name, but that of somebody you will eventually cross your path. I am the Neutral... the Judge." he said, as he turned around and walked away.

"W..wait!" Rai got back up on his feet, but a stabbing pain in his heart grounded him again when he began to run after the mysterious elder. "What... what the hell is going on here?! You know, don't you... Yudou?... You know..."

He passed out.

---

"Yudou-kun, there you are! Where is he?!"
She was one year younger than Yudou - eighteen. Like her brother Rai, her hair was white. Unlike Rai though, she had blue eyes , so somewhere down the line Mendel had screwed up in his theory.

"Rin-san? Where is who?..."

He was sitting in one of the park's benches. It was Autumn, the weather was chilly, but he liked it there. He always went for a walk in West Domino's park when he wanted to sort out his ideas, and God knew how scrambled they were right now. But it was always pleasant to see Rin, even when she was visibly upset.

"Rai, who else?! He didn't come home last night, after that tournament you two went to... You better tell me where he is or I'll make you go look for him!"

"What? Rai is missing?"
He hadn't seen him since he left the tourney site the day before, angry at Yudou. Him going missing had too many implications, he had to show up fast.

Rai and Rin lived with their mother. Their father had died shortly after Rin was born, and their mother contracted a debilitating disease some years ago. It had been up to the two siblings to take care of her, each other and the house since then. And as hard-working and dependable as Rin was, it had always been Rai's task to bring home the money. Indeed, even while they were in school, Rai was already working part-time to earn whatever little he could, since their mother was in no condition to work herself.

But surely, he couldn't have gone far - even if it was completely unlike Rai not to head straight home by nightfall.

"Yes, mom is sick worried, and so am I! It's not like my brother at all... You sure you don't know where he could be, Yudou?"

"I... I really don't, Rin-san. I'm sorry. But I'll go look for him, don't worry. I'll find your brother."
He tried to sound calm, and he always did a good job at it, but deep inside his heart was racing - he prayed that Rai didn't do anything stupid after their argument the day before.

"Thank you... I'm just concerned, you know how it is..."

"Certainly. Next time we see each other, I'll have your brother, I promise."
He headed back to the place where the tourney had taken place, leaving Rin behind. He wasn't going to wait for her to tag along, it'd be too awkward... and uncomfortable.

---

"You failed miserably. Hino. As we knew you would."
"Predictable indeed, Hino. Ergai-sama will probably be upset..."
"I always said he'd be a hindrance. Why hasn't Ergai disposed of him yet?"

Four man were in the room. All were wearing black suits with black shirts underneath, and each had a tie with a different color. Three of them sat at one side of a large conference table; the last one, wearing the red tie, stood across it.

Hino was still visibly shook from the events at the old warehouse, where he nearly lost his life in the fire that consumed it. His faced was partially burned, but fortunately it'd heal overtime, like it always did. He hoped.
Fire had always been his friend. Now in his fifties, he had played with fire countless times before, got burned every single time, and always recovered. This, however, had been the first time he felt scared.

"The boy... Ergai-sama was right! He really is..."

"Silence." a deep voice echoed through the room. A man with the same suit and black tie stood at the door, directly behind Hino. He had short black hair, and white beard. His eyes were light-blue, and his visage was that of a man in his late forties.
"Hino-san. It has come to my ears that you lost against Yudou Shinji."

"Er... Ergai-sama!" Hino lowered his head and looked straight at the ground. Being one who enjoyed flames, the cold shiver that crawled down his spine felt particularly unpleasant.
"I did not lose, the match..."
"Battle."
"Y..yes, my apologies, the battle did not reach a conclusion... as I'm sure you are aware, the collision of our monsters resulted in a..."
"As you said, I am aware. I am also aware that, had it been an... ordinary duel, Yudou would still have had one monster to attack you with, and you would not have been able to stop it..."
"You know?! I-I mean, you are correct, Ergai-sama, pl-please don't..."
"Excellent job, Hino-san."
"Wha... I mean... thank you, sir..."
One of the men sitting at the table, the one wearing a green tie, suddenly got up.
"Excellent?! He got his ass handed to him! What do you mean by "excellent"?!"
Ergai's light blue eyes stared straight at the man, an untamed ferocity glowing for a brief moment. The man sat back down.
"You will speak properly in this room, Kaito-san. May this be your last reminder. Thanks to Hino's complete failure, it is now evident that our time is coming to an end, and that the new generation is nearly ready to take over. So..."
The man with blue tie smiled.
"...So it's time we tell our future all about our past."
Ergai smiled back.
"Precisely. Hopefully they will succeed in completing what we started. Oh, and Hino?..."
The man still hadn't raised his head. He clenched his fists when he heard his name. "Yes, sir?"
"You can have him. But make sure you do a proper job this time, unlike what happened when you went for Yudou."
"Th... Thank you, Ergai-sama! I will make him see the reason, I promise. I'm sure he'll go past the weak legacy of his mother... I will not fail you."

The man at the table all got up and started leaving the room, lowering their heads when they passed Ergai, in a sign of respect. Kaito, the man in green tie, tilted his head instead, rather than lowering it. Ergai noticed it, but Kaito had never been one to take authority seriously. No matter, as long as he was useful.
As Ergai himself turned around to leave, Hino looked up again.
"Ergai-sama?"
He did not turn around to face Hino, but stopped, waiting for the rest of the question.
"You... told me my mission was to kill Yudou Shinji. Why?"
"Because I knew you would fail in doing so. If I had told you my real intentions, you might have gone easier on the boy, and in doing so, you might have been beaten without any kind of manifestation from the youngster. By convincing you that his death would be your triumph, I got both of you to play with everything you had."

He walked out of the room, leaving behind a puzzled Hino.

---

"Rai?"
Yudou had searched for his friend all day. It was getting dark already, and he was back where he had started: the park. Somebody sitting in one of the benches looked just like... no, it was him.
"Rai!"
The white-haired man looked up with an empty expression.
"... Yudou."
"Rai, where were you? You got your sister and your mother very worried, it's not like..."
"Shut it. I know." He got up and started walking away.
"Rai. Wait. What happened to you? Are you... alright?"
"... I'm fine. Go home, Yudou. You're obviosuly not recovered yet. Next time, think twice before running off to do whatever my sister asks you to... You'll look like a fool again."
With that, he walked away. He had never been very friendly, but he was still obviously upset about what happened the day before. However, Yudou could sense that wasn't all that was going through Rai's mind.

~----~

"Rai! You're home, thank God! What happened to you?"

Rin hugged his brother. She wasn't really worried, since Rai didn't look hurt, and the ill-humoured look wasn't exactly a new acquisition for his range of facial expressions.

"Nothing, Rin. I'll go tell mother I'm home."

"O-okay, I'll... be upstairs then..."
On second thought, maybe she should be worried. It wasn't like Rai to dismiss her like that, and it certainly wasn't like him to willingly go talk with their mother. Not that he didn't love her... but he always felt guilty near her. She never really understood what he blamed himself for - if for their father's death,or their mother's illness. He wouldn't tell her, but she could tell that mom's praises hurt Rai more than they made him happy.

After a while, Rai entered the room. They shared it since they were little, in part because they couldn't afford a bigger house, in part because even if they did have their own rooms, they would spend most of the time in only one of them, talking or dueling together , so it kind of defeated the purpose anyway.

On closer inspection, Rai did seem more than just moody.

"Did you come across Yudou, by any chance?" she asked.
"Yes. Why did you send him to get me anyway? I'm not your pet, I don't need to be found!"
"Oh, shut it. You're just mad because I asked Yudou. Anyway, what's on your mind this time? And don't tell me it's nothing, we both know better than that."

Rai couldn't help but crack a smile. That was just like Rin. She wasn't fond of small talk; she went straight to the point, and arguing with her never did any good.

"And why are you carrying that thing in your arm? You do realize you're a bit too old to be playing with duel disks, right?"

He had forgotten all about it. It didn't place a lot of weight on his arm, and with all that had been going on in his mind, he had dismissed it. The duel disk that old man gave him before gracing him with the most terrifying minutes of his life, where monsters became real before his eyes, as did pain... The pain had gone away long ago, but the man's words clinged to his mind and echoed again and again.

"Rin... I need your help."

---

"Hey, if it ain't Mr. Sore Loser!"

The dozens of people that hurried along the crowded street all seemed to slow down and turn their heads at the excessively loud remark.
On one side of the street, Bolt Nagashi stood smiling and looking straight ahead at another man.
That man was a deranged-looking Gen Kodashi.

"What did you say, worm?!"

The events of the past day clearly hadn't settled properly in Kodashi's mind yet. The loud, obnoxious Bolt was the last man he wanted to see, and he decided to make that painfully clear as he raced to the other side of the street, intent on hurting the younger duelist.

"W-wait, I... Ah, never mind!" yelled Bolt, as he began to run away.

After trying to lose Kodashi for a few minutes, he ended up in a n alley. And he didn't succeed at losing Kodashi either.
"Looks like I just lost the game..." thought Bolt. As he turned around, a vicious kick made him fall on his knees and wrap his arms around his stomach.
"I've had enough of you, you annoying brat... Your mouth just got you in way more trouble than you can handle..."

As he prepared to throw another kick, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Gen Kodashi?..."

Kodashi turned around to see a large man, casually - if not carelessly - dressed. Dark skin, short beard, a piercing in his left ear, sleeveless black shirt... no distinctive traces whatsoever, just another street thug like so many others that wandered those parts of West Domino. Except for the white ring in a finger of his right hand.

"Who's asking?"
"I was sent to find you and deliver this to you, with a word of enlightenment."
He handed Kodashi a duel disk; straight out of Duels R' Us, probably. He didn't have time for this kind of foolishness.
"Are you making fun of me?!" asked an infuriated Kodashi, slapping the toy out of the taller man's hand. He hurt his hand... that wasn't plastic. As he looked in shock to the duel disk on the floor, a painful slap threw him to the ground.
"Insolent fool. You will calm down and listen to what I have to say." In that moment, the dark-skinned thug looked more menacing than before. "You will take that duel disk, for you have been chosen to partake in the Battle. I have been sent to introduce you to your destiny as one of the Asgard" His eyes turned from Kodashi to Bolt. "You. On your feet, boy. Since there is unfinished business between the two of you, we will take this opportunity and settle it by the old arts. Take my duel disk; you will face Kodashi-san in a duel immediately."

---

Two kids were dueling one another. One of them was dominating... since I trained him, thought Yudou with a smile. He was in the park again, where most children would go when they wanted to play cards. He himself used to go there every day when he was younger. Even now, he would spend most of his days there, especially lately when he had a lot in his mind. But he allowed himself a break from introspection to see Levin pummel a friend in a duel.

Levin: 3200 LP
Goki: 1800 LP

"My turn!" said Levin. "Draw!"

He enjoyed dueling as much as Yudou. Each time he won a duel, Yudou would either buy him a pack of cards or give im a hand-picked card that fit Levin's theme to further strengthen his deck - but only if he deserved it. That included not bragging after winning or getting cocky and going easy on his opponent during a duel.

"I summon S.C.A.R.A.B. Standard Model in Attack Mode! Now, I'll Attack your Spiral Serpent with my S.C.A.R.A.B. Hunter Model! I take 1500 damage, but since I control another S.C.A.R.A.B. monster, my Hunter Model's effect activates, allowing me to destroy your monster after this battle even though it's stronger!"

"What? But... That's my best card!" whined Levin's friend.

"Having a lot of attack points doesn't make a card good, Goki! Yudou-senpai taught me that! Now, you're wide open, so my S.C.A.R.A.B. Standard Model can attack you directly for game! And that's it!"

Levin: 1700 LP
Goki: 0 LP

"Ooooh yeah! I did it! Oh, oh yeah. Good game Goki!"

"And good game Levin." said a familiar voice behind him. The boy quickly turned around.
"Yudou-senpai!"
"Seems like you've mastered the strategy, Levin. And not only that... You behaved properly even though you didn't know I was around. Congratulations." said Yudou, smiling. He was visibly tired, but that wouldn't stop him from keeping his promise. "Come with me, Levin."
"Alright! See ya later, Goki!"

After a while of walking, with Levin telling Yudou every single detail of his last matches, they arrived at Yudou's home.
"Wait here, I'll go upstairs and get something."

After a while of searching through his drawers, he finally found what he was looking for. Living all by himself, it was hard to keep everything tidy. His father, just like Rai's, had died when he was young, and his mother lived halfway across the world. Well actually, he was the one that moved out two years ago. His mother didn't earn enough to keep enough food on the table for two people, and didn't do a very good job at hiding the fact that she thought Yudou was the source of her problems. As such, when he reached 16, he packed his things and left home with a quick goodbye. It hadn't been half as emotionally challenging as he had expected.

"Here you go, Lev... Levin?!"

Levin was exactly where Yudou had left him. But he left him alone. Now, he was talking to an old-looking, albeit physically imposing man, who wore an unpretentious gray suit and white shirt underneath.

"So he said he was gonna go ups... Oh, there you are, senpai! This man was looking for you!"
"May I... help you?"
The man smiled. He looked friendly enough, thought Yudou.
"Why yes, you may. Your friend told me you are Yudou Shinji, the dueling prodigy of Domino City. I trust he is correct?"
"You got the name right. The rest is arguable." Yudou didn't like idle chit-chat with strangers. Especially when they were specifically looking for him for God knows what reason.
"Marvellous. Is that... your house?"
"Yes."
"Oh, then I'll gladly come in, naturally. Thank you." said the old man, walking past Yudou as if he'd been invited.
"What on earth?!... Anyway. Levin, this is for you. You've earned it, and I trust you'll learn how to make the most of it in no time. It'll be the core of your Deck when you do, but for the time being, don't be too eager to use it... That's a novice mistake. I have to go now, that man is obviously out of his mind. See you later, kid."
"Wow! S.C.A.R.A.B. War Model?! I'd never head of it! Cool! Thank you Yudou-senpai, see you later! Good luck in.. hm, dealing with that mister!" said Levin as he ran off.

---

"A... real duel disk?!" Bolt had forgotten all about the pain in his stomach. "You mean it?! Coool!"
Getting up in an instant, he approached the large man and took the duel disk from his arm. "Wow, it's much heavier than I thought! This thing actually works?"
His question was answered immediately as the duel disk turned on and showed "4000" on the small screen.

Kodashi got back on his feet as well. "You gotta be kidding me...".
Regardless, he picked up the duel disk he had tossed aside earlier and placed it on his arm; it immediately turned on as well.

Both duelists placed their decks in the appropriate slot.
"This is insane... Who the hell are you anyway? I don't have to do any of this, I can just walk away when I feel like it!"
The man looked at Kodashi. "Yet... you won't. If you wanted out, you would have gone away already. The fact that you activated the duel disk in the first place is a sign that you want this duel to take place. A part of you is eager to know if all of this is real."
"You're out of your mi.."
"MY TURN!!" yelled Bolt out of nowhere, as he drew a card.

Bolt: 4000 LP
Kodashi: 4000 LP

"Let's try this baby out! I... set a card and end my turn!"
A face-down card hologram appeared in front of him. Kodashi gasped, while Bolt simply couldn't hold the excitement. "Oooh my GOD! It actually works! Now all I need to do is get out some monsters soon! I can't wait to see them!"

Bolt: 4000 LP
Kodashi: 4000 LP

"This can't be happening... No way, does this mean all those stories about Pharaohs are real?! This has to be some kind of trick... no technology in the world could produce holograms with this quality, and hell, even if such technology existed, it wouldn't be used in a card game!"

"Hey Mr. Sore Loser, you gonna play or what?!"

Nagashi was too loud, no doubt about that. He'd have to hurry this and make the thug go so he could finish the beating he owed him...

"So, he didn't play a single monster in his first turn? Heh... Easier than expected!"
"I summon Red Destroyer Myrmidon in Attack Mode!"
And it actually happened. A majestic red dragon materialized before his eyes. It was real... and it felt amazing. Crushing opponents with his trusted cards was always satisfying, but having them appear in front of his eyes made Kodashi feel a kind of rush he had never felt before.
"Incredible... Heh, and now we begin! Since you have no monsters to protect yourself, Myrmidon can attack you directly! And when it declares an attack, one of my empty Monster Card Zones gets a Doom Counter!"
A large, round boulder in flames, resembling a meteor, appeared next to the red dragon.
"Myrmidon, direct attack!"

As the dragon took flight and unleashed a massive stream of flames, a large, metallic monster appeared on Bolt's side of the field.

"What?!"
"Meet my Counter monster, Gozanthor Wall!"
"Counter... monster?!"
"Damn right Kodashi! Counter monsters are what my deck is all about! I can't summon them like I would normally summon a monster; instead, they come out when you perform certain moves! Gozanthor Wall, for example, can only be summoned when you declare a direct attack, and it comes with a sexy 3000 defense points!"
"A deck as annoying as its owner... Keh, I should've seen it coming."
"Fine, I stop my attack then I set 2 cards, and..."
Suddenly, a bird seemingly made of ice materialized nexto to Bolt's Gozanthor Wall.
"Yup, you got it! This is ShinTori, and it comes out whenever you set a Spell or Trap Card. Man, this is so coool, they're just like in the cards! Real monsters!"
"... I end my turn." concluded Kodashi in a dry tone.

Bolt: 4000 LP
Kodashi: 4000 LP

"All of a sudden it's his turn, and he already has more monsters than I do... How the hell did I let this happen?!"
"Okay, my move! Draw!"

The large, dark-skinned man hadn't moved an inch from his spot, carefully watching the two duelists.
"Impressive... both are able to utilize the duel disk without any trouble. As expected of Kodashi... and despite only being able to use the disk because it's mine, this Bolt kid is not bad at all either... Too bad destiny has no plans for him in the Battle."

"Now... I activate the Spell Card Limitations Broken! It allows me to summon a Counter monster from my hand without having to wait for you to do anything! So come out, Deduro Gahka in Defense Mode!"
A monkey armed with a long pole appeared.
"Next, I change my ShinTori to Defense, place a card face-down, and I think that'll do it for now!"

Bolt: 4000 LP
Kodashi: 4000 LP

"Again, no attack? What are you biding your time for, Nagashi?"
"My turn, draw! Now I activate my face-down card, Embodiment of Doom, which allows me to turn one Doom Counter into a monster! So I special Summon a Doom Token in Attack Mode!"
The round flaming stone exploded, revealing the Doom Token, a small monster covered in flames.

Suddenly, a metallic dragon rose from the ground and placed itself next to Bolt's other monsters.

"Again?!"
"Oh yeah, this one is Saibaryu! It can be Special Summon when you Special Summon a monster, and it has 2100 attack points!"
"Enough of this already... I tribute Myrmidon and my Doom Token to bring out... Red Ravager Dragnarok!"
Dancing flames consumed both monsters, then converged and took the shape of a large dragon. when the flames dissipated, Kodashi's ace monster stood before the two duelists, a magnificent sight.

"Finally, you're bringing your A game, Kodashi-san. thought the large man.

Suddenly, another monkey, different from Deduro Gahka, appeared on Bolt's field.
"Your big lizard helped me bring out this fella, Ioku Ape! It can be Special Summoned when you Normal Summon a monster... so now I got 5 monsters and you have just one! Not looking too good, is it? I wonder how you'll take a second straight loss..."
Kodashi's dark-red eyes narrowed.
"You worthless insect... I'll crush you! Dragnarok, destroy Saibaryu!"
As the mighty dragon fired a meteor-like fireball towards Bolt's monster, a cannon appeared on Ioku Ape's arm and fire instantly, hitting Dragnarok, which braced itself after being hit - it changed to Defense Position, and the fireball vanished.
"What?!"
"The cake was a lie! You were so busy sounding badass that you forgot I had a face-down card! You could have payed 1000 Life Points to return it to my hand before attacking, but since you didn't, I activated it! It was Counter Blaster, that allows me to cancel your attack and change your monster to Defense Mode!"
"Th-that means..."
"Yup, it's ripe for picking! On my next turn, it's going down! What can I say... you're doing it wrong again!"
Kodashi's hands clenched in anger, but for once, he said nothing. He set two cards and looked at Dragnarok.
"Well... since you ain't talking anymore, I'm gonna assume you ended your turn!" yelled an ecstatic Bolt.

Bolt: 4000 LP
Kodashi: 4000 LP

"Alright, then it's my move again, and I'll end it this very turn!"

"A beginner mistake, Kodashi-san. You're once again looking defeat in the eye... Only this time, it's not even against somebody of Rai Satake's calibre. Will you somehow prove to me that destiny isn't wrong?..."

"Okay, time to end this!"
"Actually, I don't have much of a choice, my field is crowded and he has three face-down cards I have no means of removing yet.. but if I let the chance of destroying Dragnarok slip away now, I'm gonna regret it when his turn comes..."
"I change all my monsters except Gozanthor to Attack Mode! Now, Deduro Gahka, attack Dragnarok!"
The monkey jumped up and was about to strike Dragnarok when a pillar of flames surrounded Kodashi's dragon.
"What's up with that?!"
Kodashi was looking straight at Bolt.
"My trap card, Ravager's Legacy. By sending Dragnarok to the Graveyard..."
The pillar of flames exploded violently, and generated five Doom Counters, spreaded through all of Kodashi's Monster Card Zones.
"... all empty Zones get a Doom Counter."
"That ain't gonna help you much, Grouch! The rulebook says I get a replay if the number of monsters on your side of the field changes, so it's not like you negated my attack... Now ALL my monsters can have a free swing at ya! So go, Saibaryu, direct attack!"
The Cyber Dragon look-alike roared and fired a light-blue stream of energy.

"Wrong again, maggot."

A pair of wings enveloped Kodashi; the energy beam collided against the red wings, which exploded into small particles, resembling burning ashes; as these covered Kodashi, his Life Points rose to 6800.
"Ah geez, cut out the fancy pyro, what happened this time?!"
"I activated my other Trap, Ravager's Roar. When my Dragnarok is in the Graveyard and you declare an attack, I can cancel your entire Battle Phase and gain Life Points equal to my dragon's Attack."
"No... freakin'.. way." Even in the most frustrating of situations, it seemed to be a trait of Bolt's to always come up with an awkward reaction.
"Well, in that case... I'll set a card and end my turn."

Bolt: 4000 LP
Kodashi: 6800 LP

"My turn! Draw!"
"I'm up against five monsters while controlling none... My kind of odds! I have to admit, Nagashi, you're not as worthless as I thought. But you made me send my precious Dragnarok to the Graveyard, so now you're gonna pay...."

"First off, I Special Summon from my hand Red Kaiser Dragon by removing 1 Doom Counter from a Zone!"
Another dragon, smaller than Dragnarok, emerged from the meteor that occupied one of the Monster Card Zones as it crumbled.
"Next I activate a Spell Card from my hand, Postponed End! It allows me to remove all Doom Counters from my side of the field and if I remove four or more..."
The remaining 4 counters clustered together and were consumed by a tower of flames. From it rose...
"... Red Ravager Dragnarok returns."
"What?! Again?!"
"Now, for my Normal Summon... Red Wyvern! By Tributing it, I gain a Doom Counter in its place!"
The small crimson dragon disappeared as fast as it appeared, leaving behind another large blazing rock.
"I activate Dragnarok's effect this time. By paying 1000 Life Points, that face-down card you have goes back to your hand! Thanks for the reminder, maggot."
Dragnarok flapped its large wings and the hologram of Bolt's face-down card vanished.
"Battle Phase! Dragnarok, attack..."
"Damn it, ShinTori's in Attack Mode and it only has 800 Attack points!"
"... Gozanthor Wall!"
"What? It has 3000 Defense!"
Dragnarok's fireball crashed into Gozanthor and exploded. Some sparks flew in Kodashi's direction and burned him, as he lost 200 Life Points of recoil damage.

Actual damage.

"Urgh... what.. what the hell is going on?! How can an illusion hurt?" he turned to the dark-skinned man. "Answer me!"
The man look back, unfazed. "You wanted to hurt the kid, right? You were kicking him when I found you.. So for now, just finish the duel, then I'll answer your questions. See this as a.. different way of punishing your opponent."
"This is insane..." "But interesting... Brace yourself, worm!"

"What are you two talkin' about? And why did you attack my Gozanthor, of all the choices?!"
"Calm down Nagashi, it'll be explained in a minute! First, since Dragnarok attacked, all my other monsters are destroyed and I gain another Doom Counter!"
Red Kaiser Dragon was consumed by flames and a Doom Counter took its place.
"That makes it two counters. Now I reveal my last face-down, the Trap Card, Destruction Blaze! When Dragnarok battles a Defense Position monster, I gain1 Doom Counter at the end of the damage Step, and Dragnarok gets to attack again! So now, attack ShinTori! And by my dragon's effect when it attacks, I get a Doom Counter... Making it four!"
Dragnarok attacked as a fourth meteor appeared in Kodashi's last empty Zone. This time, the large fireball found its target, destroying the ice bird and inflicting 2000 points of battle damage to Bolt... who fell on his knees in pain.
"OUCH! That... actually hurt... damn it..." he mumbled, as he fought to get back on his feet.
As the blast subsided, a green worm with wings appeared where ShinTori was.
"Th-this is... Arcus B-Belua... It comes out when you d-destroy a Counter Monster... by battle..."
"It doesn't matter, maggot! Red Ravager Dragnarok's effect activates! By removing four Doom Counters from the field, I can destroy all cards you control!"
"Say what?!" Bolt had gotten back up, grabbing his chest in pain, but like always, he was quick to forget about it if something more impressive came up.
The four meteors rose to the sky, and as Dragnarok roared, they came crashing down on Bolt's side of the field, destroying all his monsters in the explosion that followed.
And again, as the dust cleared, another monster rose to take their place. This time, a two-headed dog.
"Again?!"
"Showin' off just cost you again, Grumpy! When a monster on my side of the field is destroyed by an effect, Dog of War can be Summoned! And it comes with an effect that's gonna piss you off for sure! When Summoned, I can destroy an Attack Position monster you control! So goodbye Dragnarok.. again! And that means your field is completely empty!"
A black hole appeared under Kodashi's dragon as Dog of War howled, and Dragnarok was pulled into it, vanishing from the field.
"N..Not again! You worm!"

"Bolt Nagashi... You'll pay for this humiliation... I will not be defeated twice! Satake was one thing, but I refuse to lose against somebody like you!"

Bolt: 2000 LP
Kodashi: 5800 LP

"Heh! And now the fun starts, Kodashi! Draw!"

~----~

Cards used in this chapter:
- By Levin:
- By Goki:
- By Bolt:
- By Kodashi: