Prologue
[3rd Person]
Caius walked up to his son, frowning, his son's face with a dark smile.
"Lucifer, you do realise why we have to duel don't you..."
"Oh father... we won't be duelling at all. These number cards are really something... but there's something else i've found... Goodbye father"
"What?! What are you-"
A flash of light, difficult to pick out one colour, and Caius Yamigetsu blacked out.
EYE OF THE DRAGON, RE-OPENED
[Caius' Perspective]
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
I awoke to the sound of... A heart rate monitor?... No. A computer running self diagnostics on some kind of system... No that is a heart rate monitor... My head is hurting. I must've hit something.
I sit up with a groan and open my eyes. Wait. I was in the back of a car driving on the motorway... but this is not the back of the car... this is some kind of... room... with... computers... my god... this place... is this?..
I start to panic internally, knowing all too well the appearance of the brainwashing room in the arcadia movement headquarters. Thoughts piling into my head "This isn't right... I shouldn't be here... Time has gone wrong... Where is... Wait... i remember... Yusei... Akiza... No... What happened..."
I look around again, taking in the room, probably looking extremely confused to the person standing there, i quickly realise that it was a certain red-headed psychic, one with a tendency to brainwash potential psychics, Sayer.
"Ah" he said. "He wakes, how is his mind?" He turns to look at the only other person in the room, his techie.
"Completing it now sir."
I feel my memories slip away. My brain slowly winding back and then it hit me... My name is Caius. I was dragged into this world from my own. And that is where my memory stopped. All my memories of my actions in this world were gone. But i remember everything from before i came here, like their tech couldn't find those memories.
"It is done, he's a blank slate sir" The techie turns to me and speaks like she didn't want this to happen. "You are now an operative for the Arcadia movement. You exist to serve"
I try not to smirk, somewhat successfully, knowing full well that they have taken some of my memory, i don't know what, but i know it's not gone, i remember playing the 5Ds games where you are brainwashed, if lore has continuity, then they're not gone forever.
Instead i nod, opting to play along and hopefully take a better path in this one.
"Excellent" Sayer says. "Let's make sure he knows how to duel, send for Akiza"
"Akiza, Sir? Isn't that too much for a new kid? He barely looks the same age as her"
I try to sound obedient in my next few words but also slightly confident. "I think i remember how to duel"
Sayer and the techie nod, Sayer piping up. "Dueling is a part of life, so it makes sense the memories would linger. But don't be smug, you are unlikely to remember how to duel properly, come with me."
I stand and follow him out of the room, toward the duel field, getting an odd sense that there's something missing. The techie slipped something into my hand on the way out speaking quietly.
"You may need this, don't tell Sayer"
I closed my hand around the thing and immediately felt the familiar shifting of my deck box. But it feels more worn than i remember. A rush of memories emerges in my head, all my strategies and tricks, my Dark Gaia flip buster... My double or nothing Beelze Booster... My... Kaiser OTK? I don't remember putting any D/D cards in my deck... they must have taken those memories. I decided i would have to look through my deck, or let whatever instincts i have flow in this duel.
Upon arriving i am handed a duel disk and a deck box. Sayer turns away.
"Put that deck in the duel disk and get ready. I'll prepare Akiza" He walks off to a beautiful red haired girl who i remember fairly well. But something is off. Like there are more things i don't remember.
I make the decision to put the deck the scientist gave me in the duel disk instead; pocketing the one Sayer gave me. This can either go extremely well or extremely badly but i choose to give it a whirl anyway. Turning to face Akiza, the redhead stares me down, i smirk, only she sees it.
"You're the new guy huh?! Don't expect me to take it easy!" She proclaims.
I chuckle and respond. "I'd be insulted if you did, Akiza Izinski."
Sayer seems taken aback, realising her last name had never been said. But it was too late.
Akiza and I both yell out, "DUEL!"
DUEL START: CAIUS VS AKIZA (C/A)
C: "Ladies first Akiza"
A: "You'll regret saying that! I draw! And i summon my Phoenixian Seed! But i don't keep it around! I use its ability to call on Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!"
Phoenixian Seed: Level 2, FIRE, ATK: 800
Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis: Level 8, FIRE, ATK: 2200
A: "With that I set two cards face down and end my turn!"
TURN CHANGE CAIUS
C: "I Draw!"
Looking at my hand, I'm confused... These cards are alien to me. I take a moment to read them, Sayer makes a look that says he still thinks I'm using the supplied deck... Well... these could be useful. I saw my extra deck when i was putting the cards in, i didn't have time to read them properly, but most i know by heart.
C: "Alright, I think i've got this... uh... I play my continuous spell, Dark Contract with the Swamp King!"
Sayer's jaw drops, Got 'im. A card he's never heard of...
C: "Next i use the effect of D/D Swirl Slime! I fuse it instantly with my D/D Lilith! I fusion summon D/D/D Oracle King D'Arc!"
D/D/D Oracle King D'Arc: Level 7, DARK, ATK: 2800
Akiza goes pale as my, what i assume is Joan of Arc cross bred with a succubus, appears on the field.
C: "Next i summon D/D Lamia! And Tune it to my Oracle King D'Arc! Rise up from the great depths of nothing! Overcome the enemy and vanquish light! Synchro Summon Level 8! Corrupt them! Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons!"
Something inside me makes me raise my right arm as i summon Beelze... Like a Signer using their mark... But nothing happens, as expected. I'm no signer. Sayer steps back, scared of the dragon, is there something on it?.. I look up and see it emerge in an aura of crimson energy... Akiza stares in silence
Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons: Level 8, DARK, ATK: 3000
C: "I'm not done yet! I use the effect of my Contract to banish, and thus fuse the Lamia and Lilith resting in the grave! Fusion Summon! I call upon D/D/D Flame King Ghengis!"
D/D/D Flame King Ghengis: Level 6, FIRE, ATK: 2000
C: "And for my next trick I banish Swirl Slime to use its other effect, summoning a D/D Monster from my hand! Specifically this D/D/D Doom King Armageddon!"
D/D/D Doom King Armageddon: Level 8, DARK, ATK: 3000
C: "It's over now Akiza... I attack your Amaryllis with my Doom King!"
This seems to snap her out of her trance and she watches her cluster shatter.
A: "I..! You... How? AHH!"
AKIZA LP: -800 = 3200
C: "Now!"
A: "Wait! When my cluster is sent to the graveyard you get slammed with 800 points of damage!"
CAIUS LP: -800 = 3200
BEELZE ATK: +800 = 3800
A: "What?! Why did your dragon get stronger?!"
C: "When i take damage from your effects or battles with Beelze, She gets stronger to the tune of the damage i took! And she'll use them! Beelze! Attack Akiza Directly! Diabolic Wave!"
AKIZA LP: -3800 = 0
DUEL OVER, CAIUS WINS
With that attack the room explodes, I see a barrier of crimson energy, Sayer must have shielded Akiza. But i know what's going to happen. I have Psychic powers, so I'm not safe here. In the smoke and chaos I run out of the building, I full on sprint. My monsters vanishing as the duel ends.
A while later I collapse against a building, exhausted. No sign of Sayer or any Psychics. I'm in the clear... I hear a dragon's roar. I look up and see a stadium, with a great red dragon rising from it, made of crimson energy... I hear a voice in my head...
"So... This is where you have been... My Paladin. You are a long way from where you should be"
Is that... The crimson dragon?!