So, I had a bit of an idea for a story that I just had to try. See the end of the chapter for a better explanation.
Chapter 1 – The Announcement
It was hard for many to describe why the concept of Duel Monsters had taken the world by storm. But for whatever reason, it certainly had. History books showed the early days. Of 2000 Life Points and no Tribute Summons. Of the dawn of Fusion Summoning, Synchro Summoning, Xyz Summoning, and Pendulum Summoning. The game had evolved far beyond what Maximillion Pegasus had begun many years ago. And it continued to evolve. Turbo Duels and Action Duels had been popular styles, though they had admittedly faded away over time. And then there was the newest addition.
Link Summoning.
Along a corridor walked a man in a business suit. He wore a solemn look as he walked, his mind deep in thought as to what he was about to do. If all went well, this could be the newest strive in the world of dueling. Just like that, his name would be known all over the world. It would be astounding.
As the doors opened, he felt one more rush of nervousness course through him before he stepped forward. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the board." He said, bowing in respect. "Thank you for bestowing the honour of a meeting with me."
"Mr. Smith, is it?" One of the members asking, looking over a clipboard.
He nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yes, that would be me. Jackson Smith. Thank you again, sir."
"Enough of the pleasantries." Another member said dryly, practically staring holes into Jackson. "You said you had something amazing for us."
Jackson nodded again, quickly moving to stand at the front. "Yes, I do." He said, placing a briefcase on the table. "As most people in the world do, I love the game Duel Monsters. I remember when I was a young boy first starting out the game, and learning all I could about its history. It was fantastic, looking at the humble beginnings. And now we stand here, but something hasn't worked this time. I can only speak for myself, but I only see a Link Summoning once in twenty duels. When this mechanic was introduced, suddenly everything was different. You couldn't summon extensively from the Extra Deck like you could before. There was a decline in card sales. People simply weren't interested in trying the new way of dueling."
"If you have a point, I suggest you get to it." Said the impatient board member from before as he checked his watch.
Jackson almost stuttered before he managed to get himself back on track. "Apologies. As I was saying, I realised that we need something to encourage a new style of dueling. So, as I should have done before, I looked to history. And I concluded that what we need to do is rather simple. When dueling was first introduced, Dueling Kingdom was held. When we moved to 4000 Life Points, Battle City changed the game." He smiled as he looked around. "Members of the board, we need a tournament."
"A tournament?" One of the members scoffed. "That's what you built all this up to be?"
"But what if this tournament could be accessed by any dueling? Won by any duelist?" Jackson asked, a smile in his face as he drummed his fingers along the brief case. "The final match could be a duelist from Japan against a duelist from Iceland."
"We don't have the money to fly people around." Another member said loudly.
"We don't have to." Jackson said happily. "We simply have to host this tournament in the VRAINS."
As silence passed through the room at his declaration, Jackson laughed. "Apologies, I got ahead of myself. VRAINS is something I've created. It stands for Virtual Reality Artificial Intelligence Network System. An entire universe, solely in machines that anyone can use." As he turned over his briefcase, he opened it, revealing a circular wrist device. "This is part of what you require to access the VRAINS, the other part I simply couldn't bring due to size. Essentially, when in effect, your mind is sent to this world. You can do anything in it that you could do in the real world, but more. Create avatars and identities if you please. See people from every corner of the world, and share with them in the art of dueling."
He could feel it. He could feel how the room had changed with his words. Suddenly, every eye was on him, every ear listening to his words.
"Shall I continue?" He asked with a grin.
Dalton Phillips was excited, to say the least. Everyone knew about it. The idea that Industrial Illusions was going to make a big announcement. Nobody knew exactly what, but the rumours were all over the place. Massive stories of wonder and fortune for all travelled everywhere Dalton went. The whole world seemed to be waiting impatiently for whatever the company was going to say.
Industrial Illusions was a titan company. The company that had produced the first ever Duel Monster cards under the guidance of Maximillion Pegasus. And now, long after the legendary creator's passing, it was still here. Sure, they had lost some favour with the introduction of Link Summoning. But the company still commanded respect. Which was why Dalton wasn't surprised to find the TV already on as he came inside. "Did I miss anything?" He asked, looking to the other three already sitting on the couch.
"Nope, just some commercial for the newest Tag Dueling video game." Connor, Dalton's older brother, answered. He was only three years older than Dalton, having turned 19 just recently. His hair was as messed up as it always was as he relaxed against the couch.
As Dalton moved to sit on the arm of the couch, one of his friends, Alexandra Rose, turned to face him. "Where even were you, Dalton?" She asked, tucking her shoulder length blonde hair behind her ear. Alexa was the same age as Dalton, and had lived next door to him and his family for as long as they both could remember. They were best friends, they did everything together. And when it came to tag duels, they were a force to be reckoned with.
"Dalton is always late." The final person, Cassandra Murdoch, laughed. She had only met the group last year when she transferred into Dalton and Alexandra's class, but she had fit in all the same. Her fiery red hair always emphasised her laugh or her smile.
As Dalton was about to raise his voice in a protest, Connor cut him off. "Shut up, it's starting." He said, pointing to the television screen, where the familiar logo of Industrial Illusions. When it faded away, the camera was now focusing on a man sitting at a desk who none of the four recognised. He had short black hair, and his green eyes shone through his glasses as he wore the biggest smile he could possibly wear.
"Hello." The man began, looking directly into the camera. My name is Jackson Smith. Three months ago, I came to this amazing company with an idea. With a plan to change the world of dueling. They graciously accepted me with open arms, and so today I sit here, ready to tell you all of what Industrial Illusions has in store. It is no secret that with the advent of Link Summoning, the game certainly went through changes."
"I hear that." Alexandra muttered, and Dalton had to suppress a laugh. She hadn't taken well to how Link Summoning changed the use of the Extra Deck.
"And I saw the words many had against it." Jackson continued. "So many duelists felt like their decks were hurt beyond belief. How would they use their favourite deck when there was no Link monster to use it with? But today, I bring forth a new dawn. I present to you, the VRAINS."
"The what now?" Connor asked with a raised eyebrow, causing everyone to shush him as Jackson was still smiling at the screen.
"The VRAINS is a virtual reality software like no other." The man said. "An entire world, that we can all access. No matter where you're from, no matter how rich or poor you are, we want to bring this program to you. The devices to use this will be free, for I believe, as does Industrial Illusions, that everyone deserve to feel the passion of dueling. But that is not all. Anyone who logs into VRAINS will have their deck scanned by the software, and be given a unique Link Monster to fit their deck. Even two duelists with a similar deck will gain different Link Monsters."
Suddenly, the mood in the room had changed. And if Dalton had to guess, the same effect was happening in many places around the world.
"As you further duel in VRAINS, you will unlock more Link Monsters, again, each one of a kind." Jackson grinned, barely able to contain himself. You can create an avatar and a name if you want, or you can simply come as you are. Any identity is valid in VRAINS. But, of course, what would something so spectacular be….without an opening tournament?"
Dalton, Connor, Alexandra, and Cassandra all leaned forward slightly, much more interested in this announcement than they had expected to be.
"The Cyber World Tournament will begin in one month. That will be more than enough time for all of you to obtain the software necessary to play." Jackson said. "But, there are still some changes. This tournament will use the Speed Duel format."
"Speed Duel?" Dalton muttered, jumping slightly at the angry shushing coming from his brother and friends.
As Jackson spoke, a dueling mat appeared in front of him. "A Speed Duel is much more unique than anything we've seen before. First, in a look back at the old days, we have moved from 8000 Life Points to 4000 Life Points."
"Hence the term Speed Duel, the game will last half the time." Cassandra chimed in as Jackson continued with the explanation.
"Extra Deck and Deck size remain the same, but the dueling field will be restricted to three zones each." He said as crosses appeared over the extra zones. "And for those worried, rest assured that Pendulum Summoning is still possible, the zones are merely moved. Of course, this does mean if you've set the scales, you'll only have access to use a single Spell or Trap, so play wisely. Players begin with four cards in their hand. There is no Main Phase 2. Outside of that, every other dueling rule is the same." He suddenly let out a chuckle. "Well, except for the use of a Skill."
As if he sensed the repetition of the world from all watching, Jackson laughed again. "A Skill, like your Link Monster, is unique to each duelist. But you will not know what your Skill is to begin. Indeed, you must discover your Skill. To those confused, more will make sense when you enter VRAINS."
He smiled to himself. "But what is a tournament without a prize?" He asked before he took on the biggest smile yet. "The winner of this tournament will be granted any wish that is within the power of Industrial Illusions."
He stopped speaking for a moment, presumably knowing the reaction this would get.
"Any…any wish?" Alexandra repeated, as the other three looked to the TV in silence.
"We're all entering this tournament, aren't we?" Connor asked, receiving nods from the others.
"But to those still hesitant, we have a demonstration of a Speed Duel." Jackson said with a small smile. "And I get the feeling you'll appreciate this, if you know your history."
The scene changed. Suddenly, two people were riding some sort of boards through the sky. "These are D-Boards. They are what you will use for Speed Duels." Jackson could be heard saying as suddenly the duelists came into view properly.
Dalton moved to his feet. "That's Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba!" He exclaimed in surprise. "They recreated them in this world?"
"And they're dueling in Domino City!" Cassandra added, also standing up. "This is amazing! I know it's not really them, but this still feels like we're watching something historical."
"Sit down and shut up then." Alexandra suggested, causing both of her friends to blush and sit back down in their spots.
On the screen, both duelists rounded a corner, the Seto Kaiba simulation in front. Both players readied their disks, drawing out four cards.
"DUEL!"
Yugi: 4000
Kaiba: 4000
The virtual Kaiba went first, looking over his four card hand. "I place one card face-down and summon Peten the Dark Clown (3/500/1200) in defense mode!" Appearing alongside the D-Board was a brown-backed card as well as a clown in big and colourful clothes.
"My turn." The voice of Yugi Moto rang out as the lookalike drew a card. "I too set a card and then summon Obnoxious Celtic Guard (4/1400/1200) in attack mode!" An elf dressed in battle armour appeared alongside the King of Games, brandishing a sword. "I enter my Battle Phase and attack Peten the Dark Clown!"
The elven warrior leapt forward, cutting down the clown with ease before a copy of Peten appeared in place of the defeated one. "When Peten is sent to the Graveyard, it can be banished to Special Summon another one from the hand or deck."
Yugi nodded, looking at the field. "I end my turn." He said as the two continued to ride through the Domino City skies.
Kaiba drew, smirking at what he found. "At this moment, I will activate my Skill! Advent of the White Dragon!"
Peten disappeared as power seemed to course through Kaiba. "A Skill can only be used once per duel. Using my Skill, I can summon one Blue-Eyes monster from my hand with one less tribute than before! So, with only one sacrifice, I call forth Blue-Eyes White Dragon (8/3000/2500)!"
Even on a screen depicting a virtual reality, the four friends could still feel the legendary presence Blue-Eyes White Dragon demanded. With a single roar, it sent a powerful blast at Yugi's monster.
Yugi: 2400
Kaiba: 4000
"Obnoxious Celtic Guard cannot be destroyed in battle by a monster with at least 1900 ATK!" Yugi said.
Kaiba merely shrugged. "End turn."
"This is interesting so far." Cassandra commented. "The cards look more realistic than ever, and if the Skills are even half as good as that one, we'll be in for a treat."
"And we haven't even seen a Link Summon yet." Alexandra added. "And if the unique Link really is based off each duelist's deck…"
"Then we might just see a Blue-Eyes Link monster." Connor concluded. Dalton said nothing, too amazed by the sight in front of him.
The moment Yugi drew, he revealed his face-down card. "Activate Fiend's Sanctuary, to summon a Metal Fiend Token (1/0/0)." A small collection of silver spheres appeared next to Obnoxious Celtic Guard before they both disappeared. "I sacrifice my two monsters in order to Tribute Summon Buster Blader (7/2600/2300)!" Now on the field was a warrior donning navy armour, brandishing a huge sword. Upon seeing the dragon, he twirled the sword, readying for battle.
"Buster Blader gains 500 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster on your field or in your Graveyard (7/2600 +500 = 3100/2300)!" Yugi explained. "Buster Blader attacks Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The warrior leapt up, rising high and destroying the dragon with a single slash of its sword.
Yugi: 2400
Kaiba: 3900
"End turn." Yugi said simply. The moment he drew, Kaiba revealed his face-down card.
"Call of the Haunted Special Summons Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The deadly dragon reappeared on the field as Kaiba continued his move. "I summon Kaibaman (3/300/700)!"
A monster bearing a very similar appearance to the legendary CEO and wearing a helmet structured after a very familiar dragon appeared briefly before he disappeared again. "Kaibaman may be sacrificed to Special Summon a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my hand (8/3000/2500)!
As a second copy of Blue-Eyes appeared on the field, Buster Blader grew stronger (7/3100 + 500 = 3600/2300). Holding up his hand, a blue spark appeared in Kaiba's hand. "Appear, the circuit of a new age!" Pointing at the sky, the spark grew to reveal a new shape. It was a square with a portal in the middle. At each edge, and the centre of each side, an arrow faced outwards, making eight in total. Kaiba flew inside it with the two dragons. The camera moved to show them inside a colourful space, looking down at the arrowed square.
"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Blue-Eyes monsters! I set the 2 Blue-Eyes White Dragons in the Link Markers!" As he spoke, both Blue-Eyes White Dragons flew towards the bottom left and bottom right of the square.
"The new age begins here! Link Summon! Roar, Blue-Eyes Neo Dragon (Link 2/3000/Arrows: Bottom Left, Bottom Right)!"
As Kaiba flew back down into Domino City, a new monster had joined him. It was Blue-Eyes, but covered in metallic armour. It shined brightly as it surged with power. Letting out a tremendous roar, it looked ready to battle.
Buster Blader surged more in power from the presence of the new dragon (7/3600 + 500 = 4100/2300), but Kaiba didn't seem to mind. "I activate the effect of my monster! By banishing a Blue-Eyes monster from my Graveyard, Neo Dragon gains it's ATK!"
The spirit of Blue-Eyes White Dragon flowed into the armour, practically doubling the Link Monster's size (Link 2/3000 + 3000 = 6000/Arrows: Bottom Left, Bottom Right). Meanwhile, Buster Blader lost some strength from one less Dragon in Kaiba's Graveyard (7/4100 – 500 = 3600/2500).
"Battle!" Kaiba declared as his monster charged up its blast. "Neo Stream!"
"If that attack hits, it'll be 2400 damage." Dalton said, staring at the screen. "That'll be enough to win!"
While Buster Blader was obliterated by Neo Dragon's blast, but it didn't reach Yugi, a collection of furballs blocking it. "I can discard Kuriboh to make the battle damage zero!" The King of Games called.
Kaiba nodded as Neo Dragon flew above him. "End turn!"
Yugi drew his card, leaving him with three cards in his hand. "Dark Magic Veil! At the cost of 1000 Life Points, one Dark Spellcaster-Type monster is Special Summoned from the hand or Graveyard! Appear, Dark Magician Girl!
Yugi: 1400
Kaiba: 3900
Appearing now was one of the most female monsters in the game, if not the most famous. She did a spin before flying next to Yugi, ready to fight (6/2000/1700)!
"At this time, I activate my Skill!" Yugi announced as his hand glowed. "Magical Surprise! I draw one card. If it is a Spell Card, it is immediately activated. Otherwise, it is sent to the Graveyard!"
"Risky Skill." Connor said. "He doesn't even know if it's going to pay off."
Cassandra smiled. "He was always known for drawing exactly what he needed to at the right time. Let's see if he can do the same here."
Snapping the card off the top of his deck, Yugi glanced at it before activating it. "Sage's Stone. As I control a face-up Dark Magician Girl, one Dark Magician (7/2500/2100) is Special Summoned from the Deck!"
Appearing next to the apprentice was her master, the purple wearing Spellcaster known around the world as the signature card of the ultimate duelist. Yugi's hand glowed the way Kaiba's had before. "Appear, the circuit of wisdom!"
Following the same path Kaiba had, Yugi now appeared in the mysterious void. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 6 or higher Spellcaster-Type monsters! I set Dark Magician Girl and Dark Magician in the Link Markers!"
Turning into orbs, the two mages moved to the bottom corner arrows, the same way Blue-Eyes had done.
"Born is the ultimate sorcerer! Link Summon! Ascend, Dark Master Magician (Link 2/2500/Arrows: Bottom Left, Bottom Right)!"
The new mage's presence was felt all around the world. He wore the same robes Dark Magician had, but something was different. This magician was experienced. He looked a decade older than the famous spellcaster. Indeed, this looked like Dark Magician at his prime.
"Activate, Monster Reborn!" Yugi called, playing the final card in his hand. "Dark Magician is summoned to the centre Main Monster Zone!" The young mage appeared again, and the similarity was clearer than ever. Meanwhile, Dark Master Magician's staff began to glow.
"When a Spellcaster-Type monster is Special Summoned to a Zone Dark Master Magician points to, his effect is activated!" Yugi explained. "From my deck, I can add one card that specifically lists the card 'Dark Magician' in its card text."
Adding it to his hand, the King of Games let it be no mystery as he immediately activated it. "Thousand Knives. As I control Dark Magician, one monster you control is destroyed!" From the sky rained knives that each stabbed into Neo Dragon's armour. Eventually, it was too much, and the mighty beast was destroyed.
"Battle! Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi yelled as his mage beckoned with his hand, causing Kaiba to stumble slightly.
Yugi: 1400
Kaiba: 1400
"Dark Master Magician, attack with Ultimate Sceptre Blast!" Yugi ordered as his Link Monster twirled its staff before it unleashed a blast that hit Kaiba full on, ending the game.
Yugi: 1400
Kaiba: 0
As the duelists came to a halt, the camera faded away, and suddenly Jackson was staring at the screen. "I do certainly hope you all enjoyed the show." He said with a small smile.
"I did." Alexandra said excitedly. "First time a Link Summon has got me pumped."
"Now I know what you all are thinking." Jackson nodded. "How can we be certain this software is safe?" His smile widened. "I am currently in the VRAINS. You are looking at the universe already."
As the four gasped and traded looks, Jackson chuckled and leaned forward. "Feeling excited now?"
"Ten minutes." Dalton said to his laptop. "Are we all certain we're ready to go? Names, decks, avatars are all 100% selected?"
"Dalton, we've had enough time to work this all out." Alexandra said. "We're ready. Really."
"Alex is right." Cassandra chimed in. "And we've already set it up so that we end up in the same area together when we log on. We've got this handled."
"Sorry, Cass, my brother just likes to worry." Connor laughed. "But we all have the software set up, and we know because of the reassurances from Industrial Illusions that we don't have to worry about our bodies becoming affected by hunger or thirst. They've really got it covered."
Dalton rolled his eyes. "I just want to be sure, okay? This is still risky. It's a huge change from how we normally duel."
After receiving eye rolls from his friends and his brother, Dalton groaned. "Fine. Fine. I'll see you guys soon."
After receiving farewells from everyone, Dalton closed his eyes and got himself ready. "Here we go."
Cassandra and Alexandra were each in their own homes, and Connor was in his own room. Dalton was grateful the software needed was small enough that they didn't have to worry about placement.
Walking up to the box needed to head into VRAINS, Dalton pressed the button to open it, closing it behind him once he had entered. "Okay, Dalton, you can do this. It's easy enough, just log on and hope your brain doesn't get fried." Looking down at his deck, he allowed himself to smile. "Here goes."
Taking his deck, he slammed his deck into the duel disk. "Deck Set! Into The VRAINS!"
Ok, so we're off to a start here. Now, I want to clarify that this won't stop my GX story. I plan on alternating chapters for these two so I'm always updating one of them. Into the Darkness is currently on indefinite hiatus until I decide what I want to do with it. Dawn of the VRAINS and Duel Academy Year 1 will be my priority here.
But hey, this is definitely new for me. I'd only ever gone as far as Synchro Summoning in my writing, so this could be fun. Hope you guys enjoyed the start here. Please leave your thoughts and reviews, and I'll see you next time!