Hey guys, welcome to my new fic! Just a couple of points beforehand. One, I will be using the anime effects of cards throughout the fic rather than their real-life counterparts. This decision was made because of how the plot will work out, and having the anime effects of cards is simply better in my opinion. Also, although this fic will take a different direction to many that are based around the Fortune Cup/Dark Signer arcs (that I've seen anyway), rest assured that their will be plenty of interaction with the Signers for you to enjoy. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter One – The Challenger
I have but one wish… to fulfil the promise I made to my father.
"Everybody, listen! Do we have a duel for you here today!"
Raphael Essidil slid a deep blue helmet over his short golden hair, tucking it in around his ears to stop it catching on anything. Placing his duel disk into its slot on his Runner, his blue eyes looked through the opening that he was about to ride through to the eagerly awaiting crowd. I wonder what kind of duel they are expecting… who am I kidding, I know exactly what they're looking for.
"Today's challenger is one not to be underestimated!" the MC proclaimed. "Having defeated dozens of the Tops best duelists in order for his shot at the title, this duelist has earned the right to challenge the King! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, Raphael Essidil!"
That's my cue. Revving the engine on his matching dark blue Duel Runner, he thrust out into the open air of the Duel Arena, his red duelling jacket flapping wildly from the rush of air. With the Duel Runner simply a normal motorbike adapted to be a Duel Runner, there was nothing from stopping the wind hitting his body, the rush as he drove forward something that he revelled in. As his wheels turned under him and he rushed towards the starting line, Raphael could hear the boom of the crowd grow ever louder as the anticipation grew. That roar… I will never tire of hearing that.
"And now," the MC continued as Raphael pulled up to the start line. "I have the pleasure of introducing, the one, the only, King of Duels, Jack Atlas!"
As loud as the crowd had been for his entrance, Raphael felt that they were twice as loud as the King made his way into the arena through a cloud of smoke set off by fireworks. As he approached, Raphael turned the screen on his Duel Runner on, and the face of Jack Atlas appeared above his duel disk, his deck tucked neatly into the left handle of the Runner. As he drew level with Raphael, Jack cocked his right handle out a bit and raised one finger to the sky.
"There is only one King, and that is me!" the man proclaimed.
"Oh-ho, there it is, the King's catchphrase!" the MC shouted as the crowd grew even more boisterous at his words. "Now, duelists, please set the Speed World Field Spell!"
After doing so, Raphael turned to Jack, who could hear him above the roar of the crowd. "I hope you know, I didn't come here with the intention of losing."
"I would have hoped so!" Jack replied gruffly. "Let's put on a show, shall we?"
The countdown appeared in front of them, and Raphael readied himself. "Here we go!" the MC said as the countdown began. "Riding Duel! Acceleration! First move goes to the challenger, Raphael Essidil!"
Raphael (4000 LP/Hand – 6/Speed Counters - 0)
Jack Atlas (4000 LP/Hand – 5/Speed Counters - 0)
"No Speed Counters on the first turn, so I'd better play it slow," Raphael whispered to himself as he examined his hand. "I summon the Tuner monster, Scrap Beast! (Lvl:4/ATK:1600/DEF:1300)."
A mechanical hound with a gold and silver colour scheme appeared from thin air beside his Duel Runner, its legs mimicking a running motion as if it were keeping up with the Runners as they sped around the circuit.
"I then set two cards face-down!" Raphael said, putting the cards into their respective slots on the duel disk in front of him. "Turn over!"
"A monster with 1600 ATK and two face-downs. How will you respond to this challenge, King?" the MC asked as they flew around the circular Duel Arena.
"Hmph," Jack muttered. "This is no challenge. My turn!"
Raphael (4000 LP/Hand – 3/Speed Counter - 1/Scrap Beast, two face-downs)
Jack Atlas (4000 LP/Hand – 6/Speed Counters - 1)
"Since you control a monster and I control none, I can special summon this card from my hand by halving its original ATK and DEF!" Jack announced. "Appear, Vice Dragon! (Lvl:5/ATK:1000/DEF:1200)."
"He's going for it already?" Raphael whispered to himself as the purple dragon with green wings appeared on the field.
"And I normal summon the Tuner monster, Clock Resonator! (Lvl:3/ATK:1200/DEF:600)," Jack continued, as a small fiend with a large clock on his back appeared beside the dragon. "I tune my Level 5 Vice Dragon with my Level 3 Clock Resonator! The ruler's heartbeat will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon! Level 8, my very soul, Red Dragon Archfiend! (ATK:3000/DEF:2000)."
"Jack Atlas summons his ace monster on his very first turn!" the MC cried as the crowd exploded in cheers at the appearance of the red dragon. "How will you answer this challenge, Raphael?!"
"Battle! Red Dragon Archfiend, attack his Scrap Beast! Blazing Crimson Hell Flare!"
"I activate the trap card, Half or Nothing!" Raphael countered, revealing the trap card and the dragon readied to attack. "Now you have a choice, Jack! Either halve your dragon's ATK, or end the Battle Phase!"
"I choose to end the Battle Phase," Jack said grudgingly, his dragon returning to its original position.
"What a counter from the challenger!" the MC said. "He's going toe to toe with the King and making it look easy! Are we going to witness history here today?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Jack said to the MC. "I set two cards face-down. Turn over!"
Raphael (4000 LP/Hand – 3/Speed Counters - 2/Scrap Beast, one face-down)
Jack Atlas (4000 LP/Hand – 2/Speed Counters - 2/Red Dragon Archfiend, two face-downs)
"My turn," Raphael said, drawing a card. There it is. "I normal summon Scrap Shark! (Lvl:4/ATK:2100/DEF:0). Jack, you aren't the only one who can duel with dragons!"
"A Synchro Summon?" Jack asked curiously.
"I tune my Level 4 Scrap Shark to my Level 4 Scrap Beast!" Raphael announced. "Living metal, combine your strength to call forth an even stronger power! Beat your iron wings and wipe away all in your path! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Scrap Dragon! (ATK:2800/DEF:2000)."
Raphael allowed himself a moment to bask in the presence of his metal dragon as its red eyes flashed upon its summon, the crowd revelling in the concept of two dragons fighting each other. However, bringing it out only reminded him of the promise he made to his father. It was your card after all, and you made this Duel Runner for me too… I won't let you down father. I'll win here for you.
"I activate Scrap Dragon's monster effect!" Raphael said, bringing himself back into the duel. "I destroy my face-down card in order to destroy your dragon! Say goodbye to your Red Dragon Archfiend!"
Much to Raphael's concern, Jack barely flinched as the dragon was destroyed. "What a move by the challenger!" the MC called out. "The King has found his field completely open! What will you do, Jack Atlas?"
"Battle! Scrap Dragon, attack Jack Atlas directly! Roar of the Iron Dragon!"
"I activate the trap card Ray of Hope!" Jack countered as the attack drew near. "Since I would take over 1500 damage, I take half battle damage!"
The attack hit Jack directly, sending his Duel Runner spinning and allowing Raphael to draw ahead for the first time in the duel. The crowd seemed to be unable to comprehend what had just happened, at a loss for words over the challenger being able to get in an attack just like that. The MC, however, had no such issues.
"Even with that counter, Raphael Essidil pulls ahead on both Life Points and Speed Counters!" the man said. "With Jack losing a Speed Counter for that attack and losing 1400 Life Points in the process, the challenger has opened up a nice little lead on the King!"
"Ray of Hope's secondary effect!" Jack continued after righting his Duel Runner. "I can special summon a Level 1 monster from my hand with its effect negated. Come forth, Chain Resonator! (Lvl:1/ATK:100/DEF:100)."
He's planning something. "I end my turn with this," Raphael said, wary of what Jack might have in store for him.
Raphael (4000 LP/Hand – 3/Speed Counters - 3/Scrap Dragon)
Jack Atlas (2600 LP/Hand – 2/Speed Counters - 3/Chain Resonator, one face-down)
"My turn!" Jack continued determinedly, drawing a card. "That last turn won't even slow me down, and I'll prove that to you right now!"
"I've already defeated Red Dragon Archfiend," Raphael pointed out. "If I can best your ace monster, then you can't stand in my way, Jack Atlas!"
"Is that so?" Jack replied gruffly. "From my hand, I summon Star Gatherer! (Lvl:1/ATK:0/DEF:0). And since you control a Synchro monster, its Level becomes one lower than that of your Scrap Dragon!"
"And he has a Tuner on the field…" Raphael whispered.
"I reveal the trap, Rage Resynchro!" Jack continued. "By targeting Red Dragon Archfiend in my graveyard, and by sending the appropriate materials listed on it for its Synchro Summon to the graveyard, I can special summon it back to my field!"
"What a reversal of fate by the King!" the MC shouted into his mic. "It would seem that his ace monster isn't done yet!"
"I send my now Level 7 Star Gatherer and my Level 1 Chain Resonator to my graveyard!" Jack said. "Revive to my side, my very soul! Red Dragon Archfiend! (Lvl:8/ATK:3000)."
"You never cease to surprise, do you Jack?" Raphael said to the man as the dragon roared on its reappearance.
"I'm not finished!" Jack smirked. "A monster summoned through the effect of Rage Resynchro gains 500 ATK, boosting my dragon to 3500!"
"Oh, no…"
"Battle! Red Dragon Archfiend, attack his Scrap Dragon!" Jack commanded. "Reduce that beast back to scrap! Absolute Powerforce!"
The crowd cheered as the two dragons danced in the air, Scrap Dragon dodging a lunge from Red Dragon Archfiend's flaming right hand. However, it was not so lucky the second time as a blast of fire from the Red Dragon's mouth caught it square in the chest, melting a hole right through before it disappeared.
"And just like that, the King answers the challenge, dealing 700 points of damage!" the MC commentated. "Has he stolen back the momentum from Raphael?"
"Scrap Dragon's monster effect!" Raphael said, determined to not be concerned by the loss of his dragon. "I special summon Scrap Shark (Lvl:4/ATK:2100) from my graveyard!"
"You're going to have to do better to surpass my Red Dragon," Jack told him. "I set one card face-down and end my turn. Now entertain us, Raphael!"
Raphael (3300 LP/Hand – 3/Speed Counters - 4/Scrap Shark)
Jack Atlas (2600 LP/Hand – 1/Speed Counters - 3/Red Dragon Archfiend, one face-down)
I promise you, father, I will win this for you. Taking a short moment to catch his breath as the two Duel Runners sped around the Duel Arena, Raphael knew that his parents were watching on, his father undoubtedly scrutinising every move that he made. He could almost hear his voice already. Why didn't you summon this instead, why didn't you set this as a counter… Raphael shook his head in frustration. He gave you Scrap Dragon. He gave you this Duel Runner. He wouldn't do all of that unless he wanted the best for you. Sure he can be harsh, but that's just his way of pushing you to be your best…
"My turn!" Raphael declared, shaking those thoughts out of his head as he drew a card. "Jack, I've defeated your dragon once, and I'll do it again, starting with this! From my hand, I summon the Tuner monster Scrap Goblin! (Lvl:3/ATK:0/DEF:500)."
"Call out whatever Synchro monster you want," Jack stated with gusto. "It will fall before my Red Dragon Archfiend!"
"I tune my Level 4 Scrap Shark to my Level 3 Scrap Goblin!" Raphael continued. "Old and abandoned metal, embody the demon that possesses you and tear your enemies asunder! Synchro Summon! Appear before us now, Level 7! Scrap Archfiend! (ATK:2700/DEF:1800)."
As the Shark and Goblin combined, out of it came a beast akin to a demon from of a horror story, except this one was made of sleek black metal. With horns and wings accompanying the glowing red eyes sitting atop a hulking, thick body, its appearance on the field sent a slight shiver down the spine of many of those sitting in the audience.
"An impressive monster, but he falls short of Red Dragon Archfiend's 3500 ATK!" Jack noted.
Raphael smiled slightly. "I activate the Speed Spell – Half Seize!" he announced, activating the card. "Since I have 3 or more Speed Counters, by targeting your dragon, I can halve its ATK and gain that many Life Points!"
"And yet again the challenger turns the pressure back on to the King!" the MC declared with a hint of surprise in his voice. "Thanks to his Speed Spell, Red Dragon Archfiend now only has 1750 ATK while Raphael now has 5050 LP! What an amazing move!"
"And now Scrap Archfiend has higher ATK," Raphael finished. "Battle! Attack his Red Dragon Archfiend! Possessed Steel Strike!"
Much to Raphael's satisfaction, Jack didn't respond as his dragon was destroyed for a second time, his Life Points dropping to 1650 in the process. It was at that moment that Raphael fully realised the position he was in. I'm not just keeping up with the King… I'm actually beating him! I hope you're watching closely, father. I'm almost there.
"I set one card face down and end my turn," he said, an excited grin on his face.
"What a turn by the challenger!" the MC shouted over the loudspeakers. "I think I speak for many when I say that I did not expect the King to be pushed so far in this duel. With only one card face-down and one in his hand, is it even possible for the King to turn it around? What will you do, Jack Atlas?"
Raphael (5050 LP/Hand – 1/Speed Counters - 5/Scrap Archfiend, one face-down)
Jack Atlas (1650 LP/Hand – 1/Speed Counters - 4/one face-down)
"You've proven to be a worthy opponent, Raphael," Jack admitted. "But you are still nothing before the might of the King! My turn!"
Raphael looked on as Jack drew a card, and a wry smile grew across the man's face. Why are you smiling at a time like this? Raphael thought to himself worriedly. What could you have drawn?
"I activate the effect of the Mirror Resonator in my hand!" Jack said, revealing the card he had previously had in his hand. "Since you control a monster that was summoned from the Extra Deck and I do not, I can special summon this card. Come, the Tuner monster, Mirror Resonator! (Lvl:1/ATK:0/DEF:0)."
"You drew a monster, didn't you?" Raphael realised as the small fiend with a large mirror on its back appeared on Jack's field.
"I activate Mirror Resonator's other effect!" Jack continued. "Its Level becomes the same as your Scrap Archfiend, giving it a Level of 7! And now I normal summon Battle Fader from my hand! (Lvl:1/ATK:0/DEF:0)."
"I've already beat his dragon twice. What else is he going to summon?" Raphael muttered as a bat with a golden pendulum attached to its underbelly appeared beside Mirror Resonator.
"I tune my Level 1 Battle Fader to my Level 7 Mirror Resonator!" Jack proclaimed. "The King's determination is conceived with a crimson blade ablaze fires of red! Appear from beyond the burning heat waves! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 8! The Burning Fierce God, Crimson Blader! (ATK:2800/DEF:2600)."
A man in red, beetle-like armour appeared beside Jack's Duel Runner, the outfit laced with pale blue shoulder and hip pads. From his head came two antennae that split and fell to either side of his head, and in each hand the man gripped two extravagant white blades. As he fell into position beside Jack, his green cape fluttered as he kept up with the speed of the Runner.
"I'm not done!" Jack announced. "I activate the trap card Call of the Haunted to revive one monster from my graveyard! Return to my field one last time, Red Dragon Archfiend! (Lvl:8/ATK:3000)."
"Getting out two Synchro monsters in one turn…" Raphael whispered to himself as the dragon appeared. "This is the true power of the King…"
"Battle! Crimson Blader, attack his Scrap Archfiend!" Jack began. "Red Burner!"
What the hell am I supposed to do now? Raphael thought desperately as his monster was sliced into three by the swords wielded by Crimson Blader, reducing his Life Points by 100 to 4950. Not only is his dragon yet to attack, but there's also Blader's effect…
"Since Crimson Blader destroyed a Synchro monster by battle, on your next turn, you can't summon any monsters!" Jack said, Raphael cringing slightly at the words. "And now, Red Dragon Archfiend, attack him directly! Blazing Crimson Hell Flare!"
Raphael braced as the breath of concentrated fire engulfed him, causing his Duel runner to spiral out of control from the impact. He tried to keep his head as still as he could as the Runner flailed, but the autopilot soon righted the vehicle and he cleared the smog created by the attack. Glancing at the screen above his duel disk, he could see that his Speed Counters had dropped to 2, and his Life Points were reduced to 1950. Dammit, where did I go wrong…?
"What an incredible sequence of events by the King!" the MC managed to say. "Not only has he halted the momentum of the challenger, but he's also managed to wipe Raphael's field and restore his own! With a big lead in Speed Counters and Crimson Blader's effect in play, is there anything that Raphael can do to get out of this position? We're about to find out!"
Jack smiled at the words. "I end my turn at that."
Raphael (1950 LP/Hand – 1/Speed Counters - 3/one face-down)
Jack Atlas (1650 LP/Hand – 0/Speed Counters - 5/Crimson Blader, Red Dragon Archfiend, Call of the Haunted)
What can I even do? Raphael thought to himself as the wind brushed against him. With the Crimson Blader lock in effect, all he could do was set a monster, but the one card he had left in his hand was a Speed Spell, and even that was useless because of the amount of Speed Counters he had. Just draw your card. I'm sure your deck will give you something…
"My turn!" Raphael said eventually, drawing a card. Wait, with this I could…
"Remember, thanks to Crimson Blader, you can only set monsters this turn!" Jack reminded him.
"And that's exactly what I'll do!" Raphael said in agreement. "I set one monster face-down. Turn over!"
Raphael (1950 LP/Hand – 1/Speed Counters - 4/One set, one face-down)
Jack Atlas (1650 LP/Hand – 0/Speed Counters - 6/Crimson Blader, Red Dragon Archfiend, Call of the Haunted)
I know it's not much, but it'll have to do for now, Raphael thought to himself. If I know Jack, he will attack first with Crimson Blader in order to finish me off with his ace. If he does, then I can survive this turn and stage a comeback on my next turn with my Speed Spell. He eyes fell to the cheering crowd once more as his thoughts again turned to his father. Just you watch me, father.
"My turn!" Jack said, drawing a card. "This is the end for you! Battle! Red Dragon Archfiend, attack his face-down monster! Absolute Powerforce!"
No! Why would he… "The monster you attacked is Scrap Recycler!" Raphael said through gritted teeth, revealing the monster. (Lvl:3/ATK:900/DEF:1200). "Since you attacked a 'Scrap' monster, I activate the trap Scrap Rage, increasing Scrap Recycler's DEF to 3200 for this Battle Phase only!"
The attack bounced harmlessly off of the now reinforced Recycler, Jack's Life Points going to 1450 in the process, but it was already too late. He knew, Raphael realised. He knew that I would probably have some way of keeping my monster on the field after the battle, so he attacked with his dragon in order to use its effect to clear the path. I can't believe it…
"Red Dragon Archfiend's monster effect activates!" Jack announced. "Since it attacked a DEF position monster, I can now destroy every single one of your monsters in DEF!"
I'm sorry, father… Raphael thought as Scrap Recycler was wiped from the field.
"This is the end! Crimson Blader, attack him directly and end this duel!" Jack declared. "Red Burner!"
Raphael could do nothing as the attack hit and his duel Runner exploded in smoke, slowing him down and indicating the end of the duel. The crowd burst into raucous cheers as Jack speed away from him, taking his victory lap and soaking in the applause of the crowd.
"And a victor has been decided!" the MC said. "Defending his title once again and defeating yet another challenger is Jack Atlas!"
I came so close… Raphael removed him helmet as some of the Duel Arena's crew came to help him off of the circuit as Jack continued to drive around, fireworks going off to celebrate his victory. Raphael, meanwhile, was already at work, analysing where he had gone wrong during the duel. Wait, I can already see it now. I should've had some protection for Scrap Archfiend so that it could survive the attacks from his Synchro monsters… dammit, why didn't I realise that earlier? A bead of sweat dripped from his brow. He could already hear his father berating him for that mistake, and undoubtedly some others that he made and didn't even know of.
"Is there anybody that can stand up to Jack Atlas?" he heard the MC say as he began to roll down the race to the preparation rooms. "With the participants of the Fortune Cup to be announced in two weeks' time, will there by anyone among them capable of challenging the King's reign at the top of the Duel Circuit?"
"Not likely," Raphael huffed to himself as the crew members left him, confident that he could handle his Duel Runner from there.
As the applause of the crowd began to die down as the event ended, Raphael cooled himself off with a quick shower in the change rooms, slipping into a more comfortable white t-shirt with black shorts. As he went about his normal post-duel routine or packing everything up and making sure that his Duel Runner had been undamaged during the bout, he failed to notice the small figure approaching him.
"Everything in order, is it?" the figure asked, causing Raphael to jump as his heart leapt.
"What the… who are you?" he demanded.
"Now, now there's no need for hostility," the figure said, stepping into the light and revealing a clown-like face. "I'm simply here to give you an offer."
"What kind of offer?" Raphael asked, curious yet wary at the same time.
"My name is Lazar, and I am here on the behalf of Director Goodwin," the small man said. "We are of the belief that you might be able to be of service to us. So let's have a chat, shall we?"