So I got a bit addicted to online trading card games yet again, this time it's Shadowverse! Maybe you can tell that this is some sort Yu-Gi-Oh shit going on, but nope, didn't take inspiration from that. Also, I'm trying to make this look like a novel (which I do plan to make one), hence the descriptive parts. If this isn't your type, then I'm sorry. If you're sticking around, that's awesome of you! Now, let us begin the prologue, I guess…

Warning: this first chapter relies heavily on my original lore. If you don't like this (makes sense since this is fanfiction) you can skip it, but you will miss out on the lore, the protagonist's personality, the many references to historical and popular culture figures, the protagonist's companions, how he behaves in battles and how he ended up in Gamindustri. So if you're staying, please bear with it.

One time Disclaimer: I own the idea of the original alternate historical timeline of "Play a Card!", which, in turn, is inspired by the many online trading card games I had played (Hearthstone, PKMN TCG, Shadowverse, etc.) plus the song "Dreaming" by Smallpools and some songs from the album "Worlds" by Porter Robinson. The concept of Gamindustri, CPUs, Makers, the title "Hyperdimension Neptunia", and many others belong to Idea Factory and Compile Heart.

Waking up at 4 am isn't a great way to start my day, but who am I to argue. I'm special. Well, at least to me. I wake up rather groggily, really resenting the fact that it is a Monday. I tidy up my blue bed, fix up the blankets, puff up the pillows, and stretched a little bit. The calm blue of my room's wall helped me ease up a bit, to the point that doing warm up exercises now helps me relax.

*yawn*

I brush my eyes to get them to open. I now have a full sight of my own room, with the walls having blue paint. From my own perspective, I can see my entrance and exit door at my left as well as the entrance to my personal bathroom, nearby is a desk that holds my Cards and other important stuff. Up front is a medium-sized poster of my own family picture, me, my parents and my uncle. At the right was a window that showed a glimpse of the outside world and below said window is a computer desk that had, of course, a magic-powered computer. I quickly turn it on and opened the browser. Opening the link for Journal, I am straight-up welcomed by a status message from the web developers.

Hi there, Souta! Today is the third day of the 300th celebration of the yearly Pax Orbis Meister Event! Support your country with a status update!

Yeah, sure. I'll update.

Hey guys! Get ready for a rowdy Pax Orbis! I'm going to make it so worth it!

And… posted! There we go! Gotta keep 'em excited, am I right? Ahh! I stretch out my arms to wake myself up even more. Woo! All right, I'm up! Gotta fix up my deck case first and then it's shower time! Walking towards the desk to my left, I look at a picture frame containing an image of me and my two closest friends, Kaito Eito, Haru Youkina, and Yumi Yukihime. A while later, I think to myself, "Am I really gonna carry the team?"

I take ahold of my Card deck, taking three cards in particular. Each of the three Cards had one Hiragana character each card, well except for one.

まい (Mai), す (Su), and た (Ta). These characters symbolize the conventional Japanese reading for Meister. My Singular Cards. I grip them tighter with my thumb and index finger. I really hope…

"Okay, where's the Pixel pouch…?" I said to myself as I kept on searching on my desk. Opening drawer one…! None! Drawer two…! Nope, just some magazines featuring Newton-san. Drawer three…! Yes!

I grab the brown leather pouch and shook it vertically, making the contents move around like liquid. Ah yes, the Pixels are still enough for one Card, but I'm not going to craft yet. I gotta get washing!

Quickly shuffling my feet, I pace towards the bathroom, well not before bringing a towel and a change of clothes with me. I ready up the shower, folded my next wear, began to take off my pajamas and straight up went to the shower without removing the boxers. I'm that kind of guy, yep.

As the water drizzled, washing my hair and body, I began to think about the Pax Orbis. Well, the Pax Orbis is a yearly tournament wherein Meisters from all around the world represent the nations and battle with each other through a magic Card battle. Of course, the Meister who defeats his or her opponent is considered a winner. This will keep continuing on until we reach the height of the games: Finale. But more will be described later on, as I am new to all of this.

Coming out of the shower, I began to wear the standard Meister Academy student's uniform. I secure my white long-sleeved undershirt and brownish pants, wore and fixed up my red necktie, put on my chestnut brown vest and buttoned it up, clamped the Play bracelet around my left arm, rolled up my right sleeve and wore my wristwatch, folded up the vest's collars, making them look like they're flaring up, and finally, I wrap a brown belt around my waist that will secure my deck case later on.

Before leaving the bathroom, I brush my teeth and checked on my face. The face that stared back at me had jet black hair, with the bangs pointing towards the right, a slight chestnut brown shade of eyes, and some unnoticeable pimples. I take a comb and fixed up my hair, still maintaining the bangs pointing right, but now there are less strands standing up. Nice look, me.

Exiting the bathroom and the bedroom, I make my way down the stairs to the kitchen and dining room. Yellowish walls, of course to liven up the people entering here. From my perspective, there are cupboard desks up front and to the left. Atop the left cupboard desks is a magic stove, together with a rice cooker right beside it. Then up front, the cupboard desks have some plates stacked, then the sink, and then a large water jug. There are also cupboards high above, containing glasses and some plates for the guests. It is then that I noticed some steamed vegetables already on the table, as well as a note. I take my time to read the short thing.

Hey, Souta. Eat up, it is your big day after all. The rice cooker is by the stove if you don't know. Ganbatte, young man!

P.S. I'll be waiting for you by Meister Academy's gate.

Your uncle, Hiraga.

Uncle Gennai, you do know that I can cook for myself. Sheesh. Oh well, the old man cooked for me, so be it. I'm going to cook some eggs though. Just wait.

So now, I have before me my own creation, the fried rice doused in egg yolk! What a way to start the day, am I right? Of course, I'll eat this masterpiece with Uncle Gennai's vegetables.

"Ahaha! Delicious!"

The combination of Uncle Gennai's vegetables together with the egg yolk taste of the rice is already making me feel happier than any boy in the whole world! I quickly drink some water to flush them all down.

Now that that breakfast is done, I better prep- What the?! Since when was it 4:46 am?! Time flied fast. Well I still have time, so I got to prepare the Cards. Here we go, up the stairs again. Back inside my room, I sigh in relief.

I slowly walk towards the desk that has the Pixel pouch, the deck case, and a total of 80 Cards I crafted myself, including Mai, Su, and Ta. The deck case has the appearance of a small silver card case, but in the front is a gem that acts as a button to unlock the case. Also to take note of this deck case is the four rhombus-like locks located on each corner of the case's curved rectangular shape, that of course acts as the 'locks' that secure the case's plate in place until I open it. I slowly move my eyes, checking if the Cards are indeed 80 in number, then I begin to choose 40 for the standard Pax Orbis deck to be played. Better not think about each of the cards out loud for the sake of excitement.

A while later, I have my 40 hand-picked Cards inside the deck case. I carefully attach it into the belt I have, locking it down in the process.

After that, I begin to take the small sling bag from the computer desk and wore it round my body, then put in the Pixel pouch inside. Then, I fold up my pants, wore my white socks with red accents, and put on my brown shoes. After that, I began to shake my hands feverishly. Ahem, this is going to be so awesome! I can feel it in my bones! Let's do this!

I open the door towards my new life as a Meister, a competitor even. The bright lamp lights temporarily blind me, but then it doesn't blind my steaming hot determination. Let's go!

[BGM: Smallpools – Dreaming]

"Hey there, Souta!"

"Good luck, Souta!"

"Thank you!" I reply. Well, for the moment, let me think about my identity. My name is Souta Souma, 16 years of age, and I'm in my first year of being a full-fledged Meister, thanks to my uncle, the well-known magic scientist and second youngest man to have become a Meister, whose name is Gennai Hiraga. Yeah, Gennai Hiraga, the one well-known for the essay "On Farting". I've been sent to the city of Edo by my parents, who live in the provinces, to take up sign language education. But I, for one, wanted to be one of the people who use magic (specifically Cards) to bring goodwill to the citizens. I wanted to be a Meister.

Well, at first, I became just a regular student, until I somehow managed to create a magic sphere to protect a fellow sign language student from an egoistic Meister in the year 1759, which my uncle saw firsthand. Therefore he recommended me to Japan's own Meister Academy, in which he is a teacher there. The first days were pretty harsh, but yeah I lived through.

Oh yeah, Meisters are the special children of the older generations, inborn with an exceptional talent with the use of magic and the Cards. Well, I was actually born as a Meister, but didn't get the chance to sharpen it until I came to Edo. This was also when I made new friends, especially my teammates Kaito and Haru, and also Yumi.

I would describe how our card battles in Pax Orbis work but this exposition of my lore is already off-putting to a point, so let us look at the lantern lights and the buildings while we strut our way towards Meister Academy.

The temples are really beautiful and the houses are full of rejoicing families already tuning in on their magic televisions just to watch me battle. It puts a warm smile on my face, knowing that a lot of people support their competitors, especially me. Well, no time to drown in my thoughts, we're already here.

The Meister Academy of Japan looks like your normal large-sized Shinto shrine, but inside is a vast array of specialty rooms, focused on the education of magicians and Meisters alike, a cafeteria (did I really have to add that in?), magic computers running for the sake of learning the different battle tactics, and so much more I couldn't even describe. I continue to stare at the building until a familiar mature voice called out to me.

"Hey, kiddo, care to close your mouth?"

[BGM fades away]

I notice my jaw dropping, so I put my palm under it and gently pushed it upwards. Then, a mature man, in the age of 32, having neatly combed grayish hair, gray eyes, wearing a faded blue kimono and pants, a samurai blade and sheath on his waist belt, and sandals walked towards me. I know him too well.

"I'm still awestruck whenever I come here, you know… Anyways, why were you waiting for me, Uncle Gennai?"

Uncle Gennai poked my forehead, "You're a Meister already. You should be familiar with this already…"

"It's not that… I mean, this is my dream since I was a kid… making it come true, adding the fact that I'm competing at the Pax Orbis… still gives me the chills…"

"Heh, get used to the publicity, kiddo. Oh, well I waited for you because I'm also coming with you to England," my uncle replied. W-wait… he's coming along? And did he just say England?!

"D-did you just say England?! I thought we're holding the third day in Maynila?"

"No, the events in the Philippines were moved to England, by orders of the Spanish Governor-General Pedro Manuel de Arandia Santisteban."

I sweatdrop, "That's a long name to remember, uncle…"

But Uncle Gennai shrugged, "But this is a way to present respects to a political figure… for it is the way of a samurai!"

Oh yeah, Uncle Gennai is a great samurai, as well. Yeah, even though he's a good looking man, he can slice you down if you ever did an unforgivable offense to a political figure. That's the effect of the way he undertook, even my parents were doubtful of ever trusting him with taking care of me while I'm in Edo.

"…Anyway, before we get any more off track, let us go inside…"

Uncle Gennai went before me as he opened the sliding doors of the academy, which is currently filled with a whole lot of people. Teachers and students all around, I honestly didn't expect people to be here, especially since it's 5 in the morning and it's still dark out there, but who cares. They stared at me with smiles on their faces as they gave me good luck.

First off is Rika-sensei, the one who handles the second years, as she gave me a four leaved clover. "Take good care of that, Souta-chan, since I had to go to Ireland to get that special one." Rika-sensei then winked, making me smile awkwardly.

The next one to come near me is Hayato Tokugawa, the second year Meister closely related to the shoguns of the Tokugawa. He simply threw me one gold coin, engraved with the current shogun's face. "Uncle is betting on you to win. Better not disappoint him, kid," he advised me then went off to talk to his companions.

The last one is Uncle Gennai himself. He gave me his unfinished book about being a Meister. "If you have the time, read this little manuscript. It's not much, but of course, Newton and I wrote this together, so I believe it'll be of use to you…"

I grasp the book with my two hands while looking at Uncle Gennai. He gave me the 'believe in yourself' aura, which brought up my self-confidence. I'm going to be the one who's going to decide whether Japan gets through or not. A gulp runs down my throat, then with a brave face, answered, "You can count on me, uncle."

"Come on, let's not make the audience wait any longer…"

We went further into the school until we found ourselves inside the Portal room. Nothing much can be described, aside from the many magic circles inscribed on the floor. One magic circle in particular had a cement pad on it, with the words 'England' on a wooden panel just left beside the pad. The circle glowed a luminescent blue color, and various other Japanese letters written in rectangular pieces of paper plastered on the pad. Gennai went up to stand on it. I just stand there while he gave me a doubting face.

"What are you waiting for, kiddo? Come on!" he exclaimed, making some hand gestures that meant 'come on'. "J-just wait, uncle. Just…"

"Sheesh, don't be a sissy now, let's go, I wanna talk to Newton again after all these years!"

I look at Uncle Gennai, who was tapping his foot, waiting for his Meister nephew to finally step into the pad. Okay, inhale. Exhale. No time to disappoint the audience now.

Do or die. In or out. In it for the win, or in it for the fun. Hmm…

I slowly lift my head up. I generate a smirk, "Let's do this then!"

I finally step on the pad. Uncle Gennai muttered some inaudible words, but I knew what they were. The incantation for the teleportation sequence.

"…"

Moments after, the pad began to glow brighter and brighter until me and uncle were doused in a blinding beam of light. I swear, I am feeling my body tearing away from me as our particles began to gain a velocity worth the speed of light itself. Now, I feel like my whole body is torn apart, yet I can still get a sensation from them, yet I can't move them. This just elapsed for a second though.

That one second passed, and I land my bum on a new pad, the same as the one we used, but a sign now says 'Japan' on its face. My body gets itself the chills. We're here…

Trinity College, Cambridge University. Otherwise known as England's own Meister Academy. The alma mater of Sir Isaac Newton and Uncle Gennai themselves. I didn't really expect myself to step on its great ground. Another thing off my bucket list!

Uncle Gennai walked off the pad and tilted his head to somewhere to the north of us. "Well, shall we go meet Kaito and Haru?"

I just answered with an eager smile. "That's the stuff, young man. Let's go."

[BGM: Porter Robinson ft. Breanne Düren and Sean Caskey – Years of War]

So here I am, fulfilling my dream of getting a chance to stroll around Trinity College. There are some parts of the school that are a bit run down, but they are still usable, to my surprise. And, oh yes, it's currently 9:21 pm here, Sunday. Guess you can turn back time, though not literally. The derelict yet gracious hallways are illuminated by some kind of solar-powered lamps that are poorly lit, but still provides light all around. Plus, it adds to the 'oldest Meister Academy in existence' going on in this place.

We reach a sort of auditorium. "Wait here, okay…?"

"Y-yes, uncle," I replied back. Uncle Gennai went inside one of the rooms, and a few minutes later, he comes out with a new companion with him.

He has bronze brown hair, crystal clear blue eyes, and a light complexion. He wears a white polo shirt underneath a brown suit or vest, whatever you call it, secured by one button on the abdomen part. . On the brown suit's pockets is a piece of paper that had "N. Isaac" written on it. Oh yes, he has a red ribbon around his shirt collars. As for the lower portion, I could describe a waist belt securing his brown slacks, and his shoes are just plain brown. Wait...

N. Isaac?!

"Oh, so you're Gennai's promising Meister nephew… I've wanted to meet you for quite some time now…"

I stutter, "I-I-Isaac N-Newton-san?! In the flesh?!"

Uncle Gennai nodded and gave off a warm smile, "Kiddo, meet my long-time friend and rival Sir Isaac Newton. Isaac-kun, meet my endearing nephew, Souta Souma."

[BGM slightly volumes down]

Is this f-for real?! I get to meet Newton-san himself!? Uh… I almost wet myself.

I stare blankly. Uncle Gennai thought I shut down, so he showed two fingers near my face, "Kiddo, you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" He wiggled his two fingers afterwards. I still gave no answer, so…

He strongly flicks my forehead.

"Owww! Ow! Ow!" I cried in pain as I touched my forehead, creating small beads of water on my eyes. "Souta, why did you just black out?"

"I just…" I nervously replied, scratching the back of my head a little. "It's okay. People do tend to be so awestruck when they see me in person," Newton-san then answered. Then, he extended his right arm towards a magic passageway. "Shall we go?"

Uncle and I nod our heads and ran towards the passageway. "Hey, you two. Please no running in the halls!"

Gennai just stuck his tongue out, "My recklessness is still alive, my friend!"

Newton-san just let out a sigh, "Sheesh, Gennai…" and began running as well. Almost there… Almost there…!

If I can reach the light…!

Ahh!

[BGM Shift: Porter Robinson ft. Urban Cone – Lionhearted]

I was welcomed by the sight of an aerial view of the land of London! And there's the Big Ben! The Buckingham Palace! The London Eye! I drool at the spectacle before me. I know where I am. The well-known Westmister Arena, where Meisters can fight each other without directly inflicting damage to one another. Guess you could say that the Pax Orbis is nothing more than a battle of brains. Newton-san slightly nodded his head as he looked at me.

[BGM fades]

"You awestruck, young Gennai in the making?"

I look at the Master Meister himself with sparkles in my eyes, "Y-yes, Newton-san!"

"Just drop the honorifics, all right? Anyone related to Gennai is already an acquaintance and a friend of mine."

My mouth opened on its own, "So I'm allowed to call you Newton!?"

"But of course, lad! I do admit, I don't like immersing myself into the spotlight…" Newton chuckled. I was left confused, but this didn't last for long. A few minutes later, I find myself in the Japan team quarters. I peek through the glass, to see Kaito and Haru momentarily, yet awkwardly, gaze into each other's eyes. Sheesh, why can't they be a couple already? Okay. Opening the door.

"Hey, hey, everyone!"

Cue in the silence. Ugh.

Kaito Eito. Eighteen years of age. Yes, he and Haru are older than me, but they seem to be my peers. As for Kaito's appearance, his looks are quite languid at first sight, with black hair and eyes, having a tanned complexion due to his days in the countryside, so he says. He stands at a towering 170 cm, and weighs at least 55 kgs. He has the standard Japanese Meister Uniform, although the tie is… loosely tied around.

Meanwhile, Haru Youkina is also 18 years of age, but stands in a short 160 cm, which sometimes infuriate her. Due to undisclosed reasons, her eyes are a bit on the side of diamond blue, even though she is of pure Japanese ancestry. I don't want to disclose her vital statistics, so here's just a few words to describe her: she's a pettanko. Kaito would tease her about it, so it's already tradition that…

BLANG!

I look sideways in surprise. Out of nowhere, Kaito flied away fast towards the room's only window, almost making him fall to his death, if he didn't hang on for dear life. "Whahaha! Why did you do that?!"

Haru let out a 'hmph' while crossing her arms, "It's not like I wanted you to notice or anything…!"

Kaito manages to climb up without using any Cards. He said afterwards, "You and your weird personality tendencies allure me sometimes… anyhoo… hey!"

Kaito walks up to me, tightly wraps his arms around my neck, and then rubbing his fist against my hair, "Our little champion is here to save Japan's ass, isn't that right, Souta?"

Sometimes, I would get irritated by the things Kaito would do to me, such as grabbing me by the back collar, or roughly poking my head, but I know he's just doing it to guide me. Or maybe because he just likes to toy with me.

Well, what I didn't realize was my upper left canine was showing itself again. Let's just say, I have something described as a 'cute fang'. And what happens next…? Well…

"Aww! Take your filthy hands off innocent Souta, you pervert!" Haru demanded, snatching me off Kaito's clutches, then proceeds to cuddle me like a teddy bear. Yes, Haru has a thing for cute things, but who can blame her? She's a girl…

Kaito shrugs his shoulders, "Sheesh Haru, can't chill a bit? There are no busty blondes here or anything related so…"

He then walks toward Haru, leaning closer to her face, "I only have my eyes on you…"

And as expected, she lets go of me and delivers another sucker punch at the eldest of us. "You womanizer!" she blurted, having a bright red blush across her face. I just sigh at the current commotion I got wrapped into. This reminds me…

Haru's uniform consists of a white short-sleeved polo undershirt and brownish skirt, whose length reaches to a few inches above the knees. She has a red ribbon tied around her neck collar, a Play bracelet around her right wrists, her Card deck latched onto her own waist belt, on which something small can be seen hanging from it, and I could've sworn I saw it as a chibi version of Kaito… anyway, she also wears white stockings and brown leather shoes. Her hair is black yet silky, especially for one with long hair.

Haru proceeds to pinch my two cheeks, "Aww~ isn't Souta-kun the cutest boy…?"

"Uh, how about me…? We're childhood friends, right?" Kaito mentioned, pointing at himself. Haru looks back at him and sticks her tongue out, making the teen fall on his back idiotically. Afterwards, she releases her pinches on my face.

"Ah, man, thank goodness," I spoke out while massaging my numb cheeks. A bit of a brute (and dishonest) girl with a soft spot for cuteness… haven't I heard of a character like that before? …Nah, must be my imagination.

"Sheesh, couldn't you have fangirled over Souta AFTER he wins this round?"

Oh man, the pressure's on, isn't it…? *gulp*

As a recap, the first day had Haru as Japan's first representative against the Philippines' own girl Meister Alyanna Brillante. She won by a long shot, and this battle happened in Paris.

The next day, Kaito followed suit, against France's "Ice Meister" Blanc Bonheur, which took place in Beijing, and well… he lost. I guess Cards with girls in skimpy clothing won't work against someone stoic. Poor Kaito.

And now… the venue was supposed to take place in the Philippines' capital, Maynila, but due to circumstances Uncle Gennai didn't really elaborate, it was moved to London, England. And now, it's my turn to indulge in what they call the spotlight.

No time to chicken out. Time for me to grow some backbone! I straighten myself up and breathed deeply.

"*deep breath* Hoo… alright! It's my time to shine! Let's make Japan one of the top countries this year!"

In sync to my shout, the two also hailed, "YEAH! GO BREAK A LEG, SOUTA!"

I grip my Card deck case with my left hand, trying to pray to the gods for good luck, especially the goddess of the sun, Amaterasu. "Oh great goddess of Japan, who lights and guides us children of the Rising Sun, may you give me peace of mind and guidance on this undertaking I'm about to face…"

The next bits, I had to murmur. "And can you please help Haru and Kaito with their relationship?" I requested, secretly winking and letting out my tongue.

Okay, okay. No more stupid stuff… Clear out my mind. Shaking my hands. Let those tense feelings out, Souta. *gulp*

With my fist held up high, I shout at the top of my lungs, "LET'S DO THIS!"

[10 minutes later]

BGM: Midnight City – M83 (Instrumental)

So they're playing that music eh? I believe that's from M83's highly-acclaimed album, right? Anyway, I quickly latch on my Card deck case on my waist belt, then Checked if my Mental Power is enough to last one battle. I let some of my MP leak out of my hand, creating a bluish mist that would seem like smoke coming from my palm. I think I have enough, I'm fully rested so…

Let's study my opponent. Russian Meister Antonov Sharpova. He's one of those foul-mouthed mysterious guys who like to shout "Cyka Blyat" at his enemies. I know, he's a weird one. But other than that, there's not much known about him. All that's known is that he's strong as hell when it comes to casting magic and summoning units through Cards.

I'm standing on a hallway, the exit shining bright with artificial lights. Once I pass through, the battle's on. Not just physically, but also mentally. I still am stuck on low MP and I could only use one to two Cards whenever I have to fight with magic. But, I have an advantage…

I am someone… unique.

They told me that it was a surprise that my magic prowess manifested when I was 15, when the standard age is 8 to also said that I have the ability to imagine my own units or attacks when creating new Cards, but the problem with that is that they are bound to have one to two flaws. I've managed to counter some of those flaws. Some. There are still others that I can't efficiently use, so here's my tactic: retain as much MP as possible, then use it for a table-turning attack. It might cost me half of my consciousness, but…

Either way…

Win or lose…

I finally stepped into the auditorium. At least I can proudly say that about myself. After all, who would've thought that a sign language student hailing from the countryside would turn out to be a Dreamer Meister.

Here we go…

Phew, here we go…

No turning back nooooooooooowwwwww—

"WAAAAAHHHHH!" the hails from the audience ring into my ears, plus the sudden flash blinded my eyes, but when it all subsided…

"Hueeee…! Waaaahhhhh…!"

[BGM fades]

I am really inside Westminster Arena! I still can't believe that I… wow.

Westminster Arena, the site of many Meister duels whenever Pax Orbis is held in England. It's well-known for generating its own terrain through magical technology while keeping the audience out of harm's way. Some even say Newton developed and planned this while Uncle Gennai was still an exchange student and when he was his classmate for Trinity College! Awesome!

As of this moment, no virtual terrain can be seen, only a concrete floor, a glass dome above, some big spotlights, and… my opponent.

His skin is pale, his hair is gray, with the bangs swaying to the right, his dead fish-like eyes are a shade of dark brown, his attire is of the Russian Meister Academy, consisting of a scarf wrapped around his neck, long-sleeved white undershirt, long-sleeved brown suit, blackish pants, and finally, black shoes that seemed to shine with the light. For starters, it seems that he doesn't like to wear the tie, and his glare… it's… menacing…

"YYYEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Trying not to let his appearance get me, I hesitantly turned to the crowd. A lot of people are here to watch my fight… wait… is someone… signing to me?

"Souta!" the person gestured with his- no, that's a she- wait, that's-

"Souta! Good luck!"

Yu-Yumi?! I feel my hairs stand up in nervousness. Yumi Yukihime. The girl who changed my fate after meeting her for the first time. I can still remember that moment when Kenjiro Kousaka and his gang bullied Yumi in the park because of her hearing disability. Man, oh man, I was such a cliché yet brave idiot back then…

"Why are you doing this? Even though you're a Meister?!" I instinctively stand in front of the oppressed girl. I am seriously irritated that this guy got to be a Meister. Makes me sick. He and his lackeys stared down at me like I was some sort of a fool.

"You seriously standing up against me, a Meister?! Hah!" he answered, making his stupid point clear while preparing a spell with his hand. I don't know what it really is, but I'm pretty damn sure it's a destruction type!

"Bastard, no one ever defies Kenjiro-sama! All who oppose him should go die in a fire!"

"You're just a nobody trying to be somebody! Give it up!"

And I finally realized why that bastard is creating a destruction type magic circle! He's—

"Wait, why are you—"

I was cut off by his sudden action. Momentarily hitching, he threw the spell circle at us like a baseball. "Don't defy me, lowlife!"

I felt my time and my surroundings slow down, making me recall my past memories like I'm walking down the memory lane. The silver-haired girl was still behind me, cowering in fear for her (and my) life. Out of reflex, I make an X shape with my arms. No matter what happens to me, I must protect her! I may not have magic, but…

The magic circle draws near…It's almost right in front of me. From here, I can take a closer look of the magic circle. The runes inscribed were Latin… the shape inside seemed like an uncontrolled fire. I knew what it finally was. Hell's Inferno. I keep my stance sturdy, tightening my arms' muscles. Is this… the en—

BLANG!

She was the one who set me down the path to being a Meister… actually, she entered Meister Academy a few months after my entry, so… Didn't expect it all…

She kept making signs with her hands. It translated to, "Do your best, Souta!"

I sign back, "I'll do you proud, Yumi!" then look at my opponent intently, awaiting for the host to arrive. Oftentimes, the host would be a respectable Meister of the host country, like how Uncle Gennai hosts Japan events, so I already know who'll watch us fight…

The host box, slightly lower than the audience seats, opened up, revealing the people inside. A few people of the Royal Society, Her Majesty and her family, Uncle Gennai, who drew out his sword to intimidate any attempting assassins, and of course, right in front of the microphone…

"It's a few days since winter had left us, and now, we celebrate yet again, the Pax Orbis!"

Oh yeah, it's a few days into January… I kinda miss the snow since… eh… but yep, can't have it all.

Newton continued, "Now we are in the third day of the Pax Orbis Meister Duels, the time is 9:23:04 pm, but the unwavering hype of my fellow countrymen is smashing!"

"But now let's focus on our main event, ladies and lads! To the left, the shocking Japanese first-year Meister who started with no magic, Souta Souma!"

As my name was called, I curled up my fist and punched the air while wearing a competent smile, gathering several shouts and hails from the audience. Some of them shouted, "Good luck, kid!" while others, "Win this one, Japanese kid!"

I can feel their cheers empowering me! There's no way I can lose with this!

"And to the right, the mysterious Russian Meister who likes to cuss, Antonov Sharpova!"

He stayed silent after Newton announced his name. This particular silence continued for a while until he shouted, "Cyka Blyat!" out of nowhere, startling every spectator, except maybe for Yumi, who kept looking at me intently. I too was shocked at his sudden cursing. What happened to him that made him seem like a sort of douchebag…? I have to push that thought back. I clutched my Card deck case.

"Well, no way we can delay this any longer… Meisters, if you're ready…"

I take a stance, hunching slightly while maintaining footing. Antonov meanwhile held his fist up.

SWITCHING… Initializing third person control…

"Do your best, lil man."

"Give that guy a beating, Souta!"

Three… two… one…

"PLAY A CARD!"

And with that, the third day of the Pax Orbis begins. Souta made the first move, by shifting his weight onto his right foot, then detaching his Card deck and opening it, took out a Summon Card.

"Play a Card! Knight Lancelot!"

The bracelet around his left arm generated an indistinguishable pattern or code and it revolved around the arm holding the Card. The Card shone brightly and began to appear like it's glitching. Afterwards, Souta threw it a few meters in front of Antonov, who had been running around for a bit. The Japanese boy had to predict where the Russian was supposed to be a few milliseconds before he could throw the Card. And it was a major success.

The Card began to dissolve and take the shape of a knight who had blonde hair and blue eyes, donning armor that can date back to King Arthur's rule. "Who be the one to have called me?"

"I am, Sir Lancelot. Fight by my side, as you did with King Arthur centuries ago…"

The knight first took a closer look at the promising magic user, then after thinking, agreed. "You are a promising one. All right, I will be your sword and shield. As for you, be my mage."

Souta clenched his fists, "You got it!"

"Nadare Kougeki Mahou…"

Souta's hands became cold as a blizzard. The raging snow revolving around his arms became so cold the whole audience could feel the decrease in local temperature. He faces his palms at Antonov, though a little harder since the Russian's dealing with the knight Souta summoned. Antonov grew tired of this. He took out one of his own Cards and summoned…

"P'yesa a Karta! Syvagotor!" Antonov shouted in his native language, letting go of the Card as it dissolved and formed into a giant who wore armor reminiscent to the days of the Kievan Rus'.

"Syvagotor, ataka!"

The giant moved, making the ground rumble. The spectators were surprised at the sudden "earthquake" and now got their attention back into the fight.

Lancelot stood his ground, and tried to defend with his shield. "He won't survive that giant's smash with just that!" Souta told himself. Taking action, he creates a spell recited in English.

"Dome Deflect Safety!"

The three spell keywords created a sort of transparent dome surrounding the Japanese Meister's knight. Syvagotor lifted his greatsword up, and giving power into slamming the blade, he strikes the dome, breaking it, but leaving Lancelot unscathed.

Souta then sneaks up on Syvagotor and summons a samurai blade with an Item Card. "Sorry, noble giant, but you must be downed."

Of course, the giant felt the Japanese Meister's aura, and so, he grabs the boy by the waist and throws him up into the air, making the audience let out a voice of awe. But… on Souta's face was a smirk. He knew what he was doing. Antonov quickly notices this and tries to summon another Card, but he was…

SWING!

…stopped to his tracks by Lancelot. "Thou shalt not strike his opponents with their backs turned," he stated towards the Russian, who began to spew out "BULLSHIT!" in Russian.

"Meister Spell! Samurai Dignity Slash!"

He thrusts the blade downwards and it initially hit the giant's face, then by the use of gravity, sliced him to half. Souta puts his samurai on his right shoulder while the divided body of Syvagotor dissolved and formed back into a Card. Now, the Japanese points his blade at the Russian. Antonov did not like this.

"Cyka Blyat! I've had enough of this bullshit!"

Souta's (and everyone else's) eyes widened, "What the hell, he could speak English…?"

At that moment, something felt wrong for Newton. It's as if… something dark and evil somehow entered the arena. He stood up from his seat and cautiously whispered something to the Queen's ears, prompting her and her family to leave the audience box.

"Gennai, do you feel that…?" he asked the samurai Meister.

"Yes, I do. The Delusion Terrorist Group is at it again. We thought we crushed their existence during our student days…!"

Newton made his tongue click while he prepared his own Cards, "Tch, who's the bastard who dares disturb my country's peace…?!"

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Souta ran fast at Antonov to give him the final attack. "ANNNNDDDD… I…. WI-"

Antonov's glare became devious, "Little hare, you walked towards my trap."

Souta's eyes shrank in fear. This man… is not a Meister to be good. His aura is as black as the darkest pits, his feet were a demon dog's, and his eyes turned into bloodshot red. His aura then formed a physical manifestation, a black mist that looks like a hand. With this, he grabbed Souta and threw him at the wall, his back absorbing the damage. "GAAAAAHHHH!"

Inside the Japanese quarters, Haru and Kaito watched the whole scene unfurl with their own eyes. The girl cowered and cried, "S-Souta! That-that's against the rules to physically hurt a fellow Meister…! Right, Kai- *gasp*"

Kaito, however, isn't taking that action lightly. "That bastard is one of them! Those Delusion fanatics!"

The boy wasted no time and ran outside towards the arena, while Haru just stood there, conflicted. "K-Kaito! Wait!"

Haru had to grab her scepter and power it up with her remaining Pixels, and after that, she also ran towards the stadium.

Back at the battle, Gennai spotted what the Russian had done to his nephew. "You little shit! You cannot hurt your fellow Meisters!"

Antonov quipped back with a rhetorical question, "Am I REALLY a Meister? Think about it, old man, this whole "world peace" thing is a lie. Where there is death, there will always be death." This took Gennai aback while Newton already deployed one of his Cards. "Play a Card, love! Sir Perceval!"

The Card then immediately formed into the form of the Holy Grail's captor, Perceval of the Round Table, and just swung without warning. Antonov sidestepped and just punched and destroyed Perceval like he was just a weak Knight. "Your summons bore me, wise fool. Let Delusion take this land, and all the lands of this Earth, until we all die and reborn! Gahahahahahaha!"

Souta, still having his back ache from the hit trauma, crawled towards the distracted lunatic, hoping he could stun him with one of his spells. "If only… I can- Ack! Get… closer…."

Lifting his arms, Souta recited a spell that is unheard by the crowd, but somehow heard by Antonov. He quickly steps on the hand, getting a grunt of pain from the Meister. "What do you think you're doing, eh…? Want to die so badly? Come, let Delusion take you over…"

"NOT IF I CAN HELP IT, BASTARD! GET YOUR FILTHY FOOT AWAY FROM MY FRIEND!"

Antonov shot his glance towards one of the entrances, and there came out Kaito, taking out a Card and holding it with his left hand. He shouted out, "Black Clawed Armament!"

The Card turned into small particles and began to envelop the black-haired Meister's lower left arm. This turned into dark black scales that prop up and the fingers grow sharp on the tips. He curled up his fist and thrust it at the Russian. The enemy dodged and kicked him right at his solar plexus, downing Kaito.

"You traitorous dog…" the Russian Delusion fanatic murmured.

By this time, almost all of the audience had run out to safety because of Gennai and Newton's guidance, but there were a few people who stayed and watched the chaos open with their own eyes. One of these people was Yumi, whose mother is trying desperately to make her daughter move. She pulled her child along, grabbing the girl's arm in a panic. "Come on, Yumi! Let's get out of here!" she signed at her with her free hand, but Yumi wouldn't budge. She stared at her mother, with eyes full of determination and courage.

"No. I…"

Right back at the battlefield…

"Kaito! Kaito!" Haru lifted Kaito's unconscious body, shaking it a little bit.

"There is nowhere to run, Delusion agent…"

"You can't run away from a battle. That's unhonorable…!"

The two veterans started to help the young Meisters, pushing Antonov into a corner. Newton activated his Singular Card: Smart Man Choice or in understandable titles, "The Wise Circuit". Gennai, meanwhile, forgot to bring his Cards along, but he is fully prepared judging from how he's handling his katana above his head.

"You run, Gennai takes action and downs you. Surrender and you won't suffer utter defeat. What is it that you will choose…?"

The Delusion fanatic grinned malevolently, "I choose… neither."

At that point, a sort of portal appeared behind Antonov, sucking anything in its path. The party had to hold on to something, which is the ground. "So long… suckers…"

The Russian walked towards and through the black portal, never to be seen by the party. Kaito jolted out of his unconsciousness and spewed out, "Where the hell is that bastard?! Ah! You won't get away from me!"

Kaito jumped towards the portal, angering the veterans and Haru.

"That idiot! How dare he just act without thinking!"

Left with no choice (since this is her love interest we're talking about), she also went through the portal, leaving behind Souta… well… not really. He was still unconscious, but the pull force the vortex is creating managed to pull Souta towards the inner reaches of the portal.

"Dammit, we have to-"

BOOM!

Lost c%nn3ct1o… Retttttt-?

MIDDOSTATION! Preview for second "Play a Card!" chapter!

[Intercepting communication signal…]

[Receiving…]

[Encoding video…]

Middo: Hello ladies and gents and welcome to the first edition of Middostation! My name's MiddonaitoShi!

Chester: And I'm Chester of Earth!

Middo: Hooooollllly crap that's a long-ass chapter, don't you think? And geez, it's full of original trash almost 99% of fanfiction readers wouldn't dare to take interest.

Chester: But I guess it's just normal for the author to try different scenarios and stuff (I mean, look at Miracle sous la Nuit's setting). Anyway, onto the preview, which is to be narrated by Middonaito!

Middo: Next time on Play a Card! Meisters Rebirth: Souta lands on the Gamindustri Graveyard! You guys know where this will go, but just a clue, the basis is Re;Birth2 wink wink.

Chester: Wait, he's going to try to fight CFW Mr. Hulk-smash over here!? Holy crap, he has a death wish. Kinda insane like him here… *throws thumb at Middonaito*

Middo: HEY! I GET THAT GESTURE! Next time: The Unusual Meister and the Goddess Candidate (Part 1)!

Both: HOPE TO CATCH YOU GUYS AGAIN *drumroll* Next time!