Chapter 1: The Key to the Future
The teen boy stepped through the halls of the overly large academy made to idolize the greatest duelists of all times. He continued forward through the corridor to a blinding light at the end of the hall. He could hear the chants of his name calling him to present himself in front of the audience.
"Kuroki! Kuroki! Kuroki!" The loud audience continued. He stepped into the light and saw the tall ceilings surrounding as a dome. This was his moment to get to the major league. Suddenly, he looked down and saw that he had only his pajamas and an alarm clock blaring into his ears in hand.
"Whoa!" Kuroki woke up breathing loudly. He sighed as he had just awoken from a good dream that was his and his only. He heard a knock at his door and welcomed the person to come in. It was his mother, Kudou Rena.
"Kudou Kuroki! You are about to be late to your entrance exam at the Star Dueling Academy today! Come on and get dressed so you can go!" His mother huffed aggressively. Kuroki then jumped out of bed replying to his mother, "Yes, mom! I'll get ready."
"Good, meet me downstairs once you are done." Kuroki nodded in response to his mother as he stripped out of his pajamas and into his casual dress suit for his entrance exam. He walked out his door grabbing his deck on the way out with his bag containing all the stuff he would need for the next 3 years of his life, if he even makes the entrance exam at all. Kuroki tossed his bags down the stairs and stomped down in a hurry. His mom pressed at the door waiting for the scruffed boy who was both excited and nervous to move into the car.
As he placed his bag and suitcase into the trunk, he looked up at his mom. "What do you think it's going to be like over there, mom?!"
His mother chuckled. "Oh probably it has changed since the last 20 years. Who knows what it is like now. But I know you'll have a good time over there. I just know it." Rena ushered Kuroki into the car as she started the engine. "Did you forget anything, dear?" Kuroki shook his head.
"Nothing. I haven't forgotten anything." He gives a quick smile to his mother as she drove towards the exam area before looking out the window. The Star Dueling Academy was far out into the sea, and that was where he was going, for sure. It didn't take long before he arrived at the exam area as it was a short drive. Kuroki stepped out of the vehicle and opened the car trunk to grab his duel disk. His mom giggled happily.
Upon looking at the exam area, it was a large building with a large dome in the middle. He knew that was where it would be. The place that would determine his future. Kuroki brushed his white plaid shirt and blue vest.
"Today is the day that tells all…"
Kuroki slowly walked inside nervously with his mom cheering from the back. He looked back at his mom who was waving her arms around wildly in support of him. He grinned widely at the love his mom gave. With that, he rushed inside and came upon the registrar office.
The lady at the front firmly stared at him. "Name?" She monotonously asked.
"Kudou Kuroki!" Kuroki excitedly said.
"Your testing… is the last one. You'll be on in about 3 minutes. You came quite late you know. Any later and you'd be disqualified from the exam." Kuroki chuckled it off. He was glad he made it though. He took his ID from the lady and ran off in search of the testing room. The loud shaking and sounds from a room let him know that that was it. He opened the two doors to see the arenas. It was almost his time to shine.
"Kudou Kuroki, report to the center stage for the practical exams. Repeat, Kudou Kuroki, report to the center stage for the practical exams." Kuroki ran down the stairway and hopped over the small rail down to the arena. He walked over to the center stage looking around at the amount of students there were going to be with him. Then, a voice met with his ears.
"Kudou… Kuroki, correct?" The larger man stated. Kuroki nodded silently. "Hm… do you have your deck ready?" Kuroki pulled his arm up to show his duel disk. The examiner chuckled. "Aha, great then! Your examiner is Professor Portman, me! Now, we shall see your skills and test it ourselves! Remember, this is a test of wits and not a test of sheer power!"
"Yes, sir!" Kuroki screamed readying his Duel Disk.
"Duel!"
Kuroki vs Portman
LP: 4000
Rules: New Era Style
New Era Style. The newest playstyle where Link Monsters are not needed to be used to make more Extra Monster Zones and the Pendulum Zones are back separate from the Spell/Trap Card Zones. The Extra Monster Zone exists but only for Link Monsters. Any other Extra Deck Monsters can go into the Main Monster Zone.
"I'll take the first move!" Professor Portman announced. "I activate the Spell Card 'Trickster Pass' and send 1 'Trickster' monster from my hand to the Graveyard. Then I draw 2 cards." Portman then took a look at his hand. "Perfect." He mumbled. "The effect of 'Trickster Honoo-ka' (Level 3/FIRE/Spellcaster/1200/1200) in the Graveyard activates! It is sent to your Graveyard instead." Kuroki looked at his Duel Disk.
"So now I can't banish cards during my Main Phase now. Great." Portman then set 3 cards on his field and set 1 monster. "I end my turn. However, by the effect of 'Trickster Pass', I must send all cards in my hand during my End Phase. So I send this card to the Graveyard."
Kuroki then looked at his hand. "Seems like a good start. My turn, draw!" Kuroki drew his 'Reinforcement of the Army'. "I activate the Spell Card 'Reinforcement of the Army' so I can add 1 Level 4 or lower Warrior monster from my Deck to my hand! I'll add 'Sora the Keyblade Bearer' (Level 4/LIGHT/Warrior/1800/1500). Then I also Summon him! When he is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon 1 'Keyblade' monster from my hand! Appear, 'Goofy the Keyblade Guardian Knight'. (Level 4/LIGHT/Warrior/1500/1900) Since Goofy was Special Summoned, I can discard 1 LIGHT monster to add 1 LIGHT monster with 1800 ATK or less from my Deck to my hand. I'll discard 'Mickey the Keyblade King' (Level 7/LIGHT/Warrior/2550/2100) and add 'Donald the Keyblade Master Wizard' (Level 4/LIGHT/Spellcaster/1300/1100). Battle! Sora, attack that face-down! Aerial Dive!"
Portman laughed. "Big mistake! I activate the Continuous Trap Card 'Trickster Mayhem'. If you have a 'Trickster' monster in your Graveyard, your monster's ATK become zero."
Sora's ATK 1800 - 0.
Goofy's ATK 1500 - 0.
"As if! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card 'Return Fee'. I return Goofy to my hand so that I can target 1 card in either player's Graveyard, and return that to the Deck. Now it goes back to your Deck!" Portman then caught his card in the air and it vanished returning to his Deck as it shuffled itself. "Since I don't have a 'Trickster' monster in my Graveyard, my monster's ATK returns to normal."
Sora 0 - 1800
The face-down then revealed itself as a girl who appeared with bubbles around her. It was 'Trickster Mizuka'. (Level 3/WATER/Spellcaster/1400/1400) "Your monster is destroyed!" Kuroki danced around in a small victory. "Yes!"
Portman then turned over a card. "Trap Card, 'Tricksterlusion'. Since my 'Trickster' monster was destroyed, I can instead return it to my Deck and Special Summon 2 'Trickster' monsters from my Deck with different names. Come out, 'Trickster Honoo-ka' (1200/1200) and 'Trickster Kaze-Tarou' (Level 3/WIND/Spellcaster/1300/1300)."
"Not good… I'll set two cards face-down and activate 'Sora the Keyblade Bearer's' effect. I banish 'Donald the Keyblade Master Wizard' from my hand and add 1 'Drive' card from my Deck to my hand. I'll take 'Drive Form'. That'll end my turn."
Turn 3
Kuroki
LP: 4000
Hand: 2
Graveyard: 3
Portman
LP: 4000
Hand: 0
Graveyard: 2
Portman stared down his opponent's field, viewing the cards Kuroki had. "Isn't this… a bit much for that guy, Itou-san?" A girl said.
"Hm… maybe. But I get the feeling he might pull through, Maya-san." Itou replied.
Maya held herself watching the duel intently.
"Draw! I activate from my hand the Spell Card 'Twister Trickster'. If I control at least 2 'Trickster' monsters, I can target 2 cards you control and they cannot be activated nor their effects this turn. I choose your 2 face-down Spell/Trap Cards. Next I fuse 'Trickster Honoo-ka' and 'Trickster Kaze-Tarou' to Fusion Summon!
"What?! But you don't have a 'Polymerization'." Kuroki was surprised.
"I don't need 'Polymerization for this Fusion Summon. This is Contact Fusion! Now, come on! Appear, the malevolent trickster of soul. Unleash your trickery to fight your foe! Fusion Summon! Level 6 'Trickster Embodiment of Soul'! (Level 6/WATER/Spellcaster/2200/2200) Also, the monsters sent by this effect have the recurring effect that they are sent to your Graveyard instead! Now you cannot activate cards and effects in response to my card effects due to Kaze-Tarou. And you cannot banish cards due to Honoo-ka. Also, once per turn, I can send 1 monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I'll send 'Trickster Yami-no-Kagami'. (Level 3/DARK/1500/1500) It is also sent to your Graveyard. Then, you can draw 1 card." Kuroki accepted the draw. He looked at the Quick-Play Spell Card in his hand.
"'Curaga'..."
"Not good for him. Professor Portman already has his combo set up. That Kuroki guy won't have many options against him. Are you sure he'll pull through?" Maya asked Itou.
"I'm pretty sure…" Itou calmly stated.
"Battle! Embodiment of Soul! Attack Sora! Soul Strike!" The Fusion Monster pierced her arm through Sora and destroyed him. (Kuroki's LP: 4000 - 3600) "With this, I'll end my turn."
Turn 4
Kuroki
LP: 3600
Hand: 3
Graveyard: 7
Portman
LP: 4000
Hand: 0
Graveyard: 2
Kuroki drew a card from his Deck. As he was about to start his turn, Portman interrupted him. "'Trickster Yami-no-Kagami' effect. During your Standby Phase, while it is in YOUR Graveyard, you take 100 damage for each card in your Graveyard. There is 7, so that is 700 damage to you!" The Trickster appeared in air and shot a dark blast at Kuroki charging pain through him.
Kuroki
LP: 3600 - 2900
Hand: 4
Kuroki took Curaga in his hand and discarded it to activated his Trap Card on the field. "I'll activate 'Key of Wonders'. This lets me Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Keyblade" monster from my Graveyard, then I can also Special Summon 1 "Keyblade" monster from my hand. But their effects are negated. Come, Sora… Goofy!"
Portman grinned. "Interesting! But I have to stop you! I'll activate 'Bottomless Trap Hole'. Your monsters with 1500 ATK or more are destroyed and banished!"
Kuroki looked devastated. However, he couldn't use anything in response to it since there was Kaze-Tarou in his Graveyard. "Ouch… it looks like Professor is too much for him." Maya sighed from the seats. "His deck seems interesting too. Now if only I could see it upfront."
He then remembered. "I activate the effects of 'Trickster Honoo-ka, Kaze-Tarou, and Yami-no-Kagami'. Honoo-ka forces me to discard a card to shuffle it to your Deck. Kaze-Tarou forces me to destroy my own card so it can shuffle back to your Deck. And Yami-no-Kagami punishes me by banish my top card of my Deck face-down so I can shuffle it back!"
"Amazing… you know what to do. Hahahaha!" Portman laughed it off. "So you think you got what it takes? Then bring it on!"
"I gladly will!" Kuroki revealed his card on the field in reaction to 'Trickster Kaze-Tarou's' effect. "I now activate the Quick-Play Spell Card 'Light of the Darkness'. If a LIGHT monster(s) is banished, I can Special Summon those monsters back, but their effects are negated and their ATK become 0. Revive! Sora and Goofy! Don't worry, I'm finishing it this turn! I activate the Spell Card from my hand, 'Drive Form'! This let's me reveal 1 'Drive' monster from my Extra Deck, and use the monsters on my field as materials to Summon that monster. Now then, with the strength of valor, show your power. Reveal to all the might of light! Drive Fusion Summon! Materialize, 'Drive Form - Sora the Keyblade Bearer of Valor'!" (Level 7/LIGHT/Warrior/2500/1900)
The crowd of students yelled in awe as it was a never before seen monster. "Who'd have thought that he'd make a comeback?! What do you think Itou-san?" Maya tapped her foot in excitement.
"Most definitely interesting. He is quite intriguing." Itou chuckled.
Another couple of students began to talk about Kuroki. "Heh, here I thought he stood no chance against Professor Portman. But now, he's going to win, Kintaro." The pompous boy said.
"Hmph, that's what it seems like, Bakance-san." Kintaro smirked.
"It's Vance to you!" He pouted.
"I activate the effect of 'Sora the Keyblade Bearer of Valor'. By discarding 1 card and banish the top 2 cards of my Deck, I can destroy 1 other monster on the field, then we both take damage equal to its ATK." Kuroki explained.
"Amazing effect you got there," Professor Portman did not falter. He gave the look of amazement.
"Over the Horizon!" Kuroki called out. Sora leaped into the air and pushed through the Embodiment of Souls and destroyed her.
Kuroki
LP: 2900 - 700
Hand: 0
Portman
LP: 4000 - 1800
Hand: 0
"However, Sora the Keyblade of Valor cannot attack this turn. So what will you do?" Portman wondered.
Kuroki smirked. "I'll activate the effect of the banished 'High Drive'. If this card is banished by a 'Drive' card effect: I can Special Summon 1 'Sora the Keyblade Bearer' from my Graveyard." Portman gasped. "And you know what this means! Direct attack! Sora the Keyblade Bearer, Aerial Spiral!" Portman was cut through by Sora as his LP were reduced to zero.
Portman
LP: 1800 - 0
Winner: Kudou Kuroki
"I win!" Kuroki jumped about and ran across the stage in excitement as he was officially going to be enrolled in Star Dueling Academy.
"I told you, Maya-san. Now my money." Itou grinned widely as his hands were holding onto Maya's funds.
"Can't believe I lost this bet…" Maya slumped down in depression.
"I'm finally going to go where I've always wanted to all along! Star Dueling Academy!"
