Chapter One
The great bell in the center of town rang loudly, proclaiming that noon had arrived. It did not herald the coming of the hour alone; it also marked the official beginning of the Puzzle Town dueling tryouts! Not everyone who wanted to join the tournament could. There was a screening process in place to make sure only competitive and serious duelists could enter. This process ran for three days, and on the morning of the fourth day, the duelists who passed were then pitted against each other.
The Puzzle Town tournament was meant to mimic the grand Battle City tournament that was sponsored by KaibaCorp last year. And just like with Battle City, this was expected to draw hundreds of duelists from all around the world. From the elite regional champions to the local players looking for a spot of fun. As long as you had a deck and a duel disk, you were more than welcome to try.
As long as you were of course, on time. Poor Osada Konahi had the misfortune of oversleeping and was in danger of missing the tryouts! "Gah! How am I expected to be able to compete after running two clear miles?" the lad gasps in between breaths. "I barely had time to grab my deck!". The silvery-haired boy was sprinting at his top speed, aided by adrenaline and desperation. His dark blue flannel, unbuttoned, was billowing from both the wind and his frantic sprint. Underneath the flannel was a simple white t-shirt. Osada's khaki pants did really match with the rest of his outfit, but it was the first thing he saw. Given how late he was, he would've taken a pair of sweatpants and been content enough.
Fashion didn't matter to Osada. All that mattered was getting to his destination. And lo! After a few more minutes of panicked dashing, the lad was at the location; Atticus Park. The park was jampacked with people; at least two hundred duelists and their families must've been here! The only thing separating this throng were the duels. Maybe fifteen of them were happening, spread out over the park. Osada was amazed. He'd never seen this many games occurring at once.
Enough watching! Osada wanted to try it out himself! A flurry of "excuse me"s and "pardon"s, followed by shuffling and the attempts at not stepping on people's toes, the young man emerged onto the other side of the crowd. A steady line had formed at the three tables that had been set up. Manning the tables were employees at some gaming corporation trying to make it big by tagging itself onto the Yu-gi-oh card game. They were sponsoring and running this tournament. Who cares about them though? Osada stood in line for what seemed to be eternity. In actuality it was only about twenty minutes.
When he finally inched his way up the line and to the front desk, Osada was greeted with a tired smile from the middle aged woman handling this section of the table. "Hello and welcome to the Hideki Corp Tournament. Before we begin, do you have a dueling disk and Yu-Gi-Oh deck?"
The boy nods, his foot tapping rapidly. He just wanted to duel already! That would have to wait though as the woman slides a sheet of paper towards Osada.
He quickly scanned it over. Basic information such as your name, email address, cell phone number, age, medical history...the average things. Osada didn't care about making everything formal or neat. He quickly slapped down the information asked onto the paper. Five foot six, age sixteen, no previous health conditions. After scribbling in the answers, he hands the paper back to the woman. She takes a moment, reading it all over. Finally she places it in a large green folder, and hands him a nametag and a permanent marker. Osada sighs and scribbles his name in before pinning it to his flannel. The woman smiles again and points to a nearby man, maybe in his late twenties. "That man over there, Mister Gorou, will test you. Have fun!" And with that, Osada is waved off, and the next duelist steps up in line.
Mister Gorou was a large barrel chested man with a thick, black moustache. He wore a grey suit with a red tie, and was equipped with a duel disk. Osada wanders over, a little awkwardly. The boy never was the biggest social butterfly. Mister Gorou however was a kindly soul, giving the lad a gentle smile. "Good afternoon! If the woman at the desk had not already informed you, I am Mister Gorou. I will be testing you today."
Osada bowed his head gently. "Good afternoon sir. I am Osada Konahi, and I wish you good luck!" Mister Gorou chuckles and holds out his deck to the lad. Osada takes it, being very careful not to bend or otherwise damage the cards. Mister Gorou handled Osada's deck, making sure it got a nice good shuffle. Both decks are soon shuffled and passed back to their respective owners.
Mister Gorou inserts the deck into the duel disk, as does Osada. Soon the field in front of them is divided into two holographic sections of five, separated only by a band of grass. The duel disks hum and register, their life points, both registering at four thousand, appear. "Osada, would you prefer to go first or second?" The boy thought for a moment before deciding, "I will start us off."
With those words, he drew his hand of five, plus the first turn draw, and the duel commenced. Osada looked at the hand of cards. "Hm not too bad of a hand. I can make this work!" Selecting one of his cards, he places it on the battlefield in face down defense mode. This is followed by two cards face down. Osada is nervous though. What if he made a mistake? His entire strategy could be undone with one wrong play. Mister Gorou seemed to be thinking on this as well. What had the kid played face down? Maybe it was a Man-Eater Bug or something nasty? Best to play something weak first. With that thought in his mind, Mister Gorou played a monster in attack mode; Cannon Soldier. The machine monster boasted fourteen hundred attack, along with a relatively nasty special effect. It could sacrifice creatures on its side of the field in order to deal five hundred damage directly to the opponent.
Mister Gorou didn't care for the effect at the moment. He wanted to see what was under those cards. "Cannon Soldier, blast open his face down." The order was given, and the machine fired a single shot from its large green cannon. The facedown card was hit and flipped. Soitsu, a green featureless blob man on a paper airplane, who wielded a combined attack and defense of zero, was defenseless. The blob was obliterated. Satisfied, Mister Gorou laid a single card face down. "With that, I end my move."
Osada was disappointed. He was hoping that his opponent wouldn't attack just yet. Oh well. This duel was far from over. "I draw." The lad drew a new card, adding it to his hand. Doitsu. Would've been far more useful with Soitsu on the field, but now, it was merely a borderline useless card. It was identical in appearance to Soitsu, save that this one was yellow. Back to four cards in his hand. He thought hard. "What can I do with this…" he bit his lower lip. Pressure was mounting. Osada was never good under stress, and this wasn't going to help his dueling skills at all. Mister Gorou sat patiently while waiting for the lad to go about his turn.
"What can I do with this.." Osada repeats quietly to himself, before realizing something that had been in front of his face the entire time. Of his four cards in his hand, they were Koitsu, Aitsu, Mother Grizzly, and Frontline Base. The strategy was in motion. "I play Mother Grizzly in attack mode, and end my turn." He summons the great beast whose attack was identical to the Cannon soldier's.
Mister Gorou was alert was the strategy here? "Very well. I draw." Another card to his hand. "I sacrifice my Cannon Soldier to summon my Spikebot!" The Cannon soldier sinks back into its card on the field, before the card itself is discarded to the graveyard. In its place is a large metallic monster, covered in spikes. Where its hands would be, were replaced by spiked balls hanging from chains. Eighteen hundred attack. A wrecking ball with decent power.
Osada wasn't concerned though. If anything he was happy. Best not to let that
show. Want to keep your opponent guessing. He stood silently, waiting while Mister Gorou weighed the options in his head. Finally he declares, "Spikebot, bash that bear to tatters!". The machine responds by charging across the field before bringing its mighty weapons down upon the bear. It shatters and four hundred life points are deducted from Osada's total. Thirty-six hundred left.
"Very well, I activate the effect of my bear. When Mother Grizzly is destroyed, I am allowed to search my deck for a water monster with fifteen hundred or less attack. So I choose Koitsu!" The blue blob man on his paper airplane appears. Despite having ten stars to his name, he only possessed an attack strength of two hundred, and even less for defense. Mister Gorou was confused. Why a monster that weak? And in attack mode? What was this kid thinking?
Osada had a plan now however. Mister Gorou decided to play it safe. One more card face down. "Alright. Back to you kid." Osada was ready. Draw the card, add it to the hand. Spirit Reaper. Might be needed later. But the lad had already decided the next course of action. "I play the spell card, Frontline Base. Its effect allows me to special summon one union monster. I choose Doitsu." The yellow blob man on his paper airplane materializes next to Koitsu. "He isn't compatible with Koitsu however, so I sacrifice my Doitsu, and in his place will be Aitsu!" Aitsu was identical to the others except for being red. "With Aitsu on the field, I can bind Koitsu to him, adding an additional 3000 attack points." Koitsu leaps from his paper airplane onto Aitsu's, standing directly behind him. The attack meter rises to thirty-one hundred. Greater than Spikebot by thirteen hundred points.
Osada, now grinning with the end of the duel in sight, points to Mister Gorou. "Now
Aitsu, attack his Spikebot!" The paper airplane carrying the two blob men flies close to Spikebot. Close enough that Aitsu unleashes a torrent of power, overwhelming the machine monster and reducing it to smithereens. Mister Gorou cringes, his life points reducing to twenty-seven hundred. "Good move kid. But i'm not joking around anymore. Time to get serious." Another card is drawn. Wait, this card...this is one of the strongest monsters in his deck. Not physically, as it only could draw upon fourteen hundred attack, but its effect was fatal. Blast Sphere.
The card is set. The other two set cards in the Trap and spell zones, would come in handy now. It appears Osada's most powerful monster had been put in play. Now was the time to use those cards. "I am finished. Your turn kid." The silvery-haired lad nods and draws another card. His second Soitsu. Might come in handy if he can draw another Doitsu. "I place Spirit Reaper in attack mode." He places the card on the duel disk, and a skeletal figure in a purple robe wielding a scythe materializes. Three hundred attack but a few nifty abilities. It couldn't be destroyed by battle and if it hits an opponent, they have to discard one card from their hand. "Now I declare an attack with my Aitsu! Destroy his hidden monster!" The paper airplane drew close. Too close. The card flipped and the blast sphere attached itself to Aitsu.
Mister Gorou chuckles. "Well it does seem like you're in a pickle now. Next standby phase that blaster's going to detonate. It'll take out your Aitsu and most of your life points." Osada blinked and bit his lower lip. This isn't good. His next draw was vital. Maybe even his last. Until then however, his Spirit Reaper was still able to attack.
"Spirit Reaper! Remove three hundred of his life points. Oh and a random card." The attack dropped Mister Gorou to twenty-four hundred and one of his cards was forced into the graveyard. So long Launcher Spider. "I am now finished." Osada ended his turn. Back to Mister Gorou it went. The next draw happened to be Karakuri Spider. A robotic spider with spikes and two blades attached to its frontal legs. A mere four hundred attack but that wasn't what was important. It automatically destroyed any dark monster it aims to attack. Such as Spirit Reaper. Of course it has to be played.
"Karakuri Spider in attack mode!" The orange and purple striped robot spider appeared. "Attack his Spirit Reaper now!" The spider scurries rapidly across the field, sinking its blades into the Spirit Reaper. The card fractures and is sent to the Graveyard. "Alright, that ends my turn. Your turn kid."
Osada drew his next card. Giant Rat! It had the same stats and effect as Mother Grizzly, only difference being that this summoned earth monsters. Like Doitsu. His planning was interrupted by the explosion of the blast sphere and the annihilation of his Aitsu and Koitsu along with thirty-one hundred of his life points. Five hundred left. "I may be down but i'm not out!" Osada declares, throwing his giant rat in attack mode. "Avenge my monsters and destroy his Karakuri Spider!" The Rat claws and hacks the robotic spider to ribbons, knocking a thousand points off of Mister Gorou's life. Fourteen hundred left.
It was getting close now. Intense. A crowd was steadily forming around the playing field, watching with excitement. A card is drawn from Mister Gorou's deck. "Gotta' tell you kid, I really enjoyed playing with you. Sorry the duel has to end so soon though. I summon Disk Magician in attack mode!" The card materializes on the field. A small circular object projects a mechanical magician who wielded thirteen hundred and fifty attack points. Fifty less than Giant Rat. Osada was confused. 'Why play that card?' He wondered. 'It's weaker than my rat.'
Mister Gorou played his next card as if he'd been reading the lad's mind. "I know he's weak now, but not when I add this equip card; Machine Conversion Factory. Now his attack and defense points have been raised by three hundred." The Disk magician grew in size, reflecting his newfound power. "Now my magician, exterminate his pesky rat!" The Disk Magician conjured what appeared to be a ball of shadowy energy. It is launched at the rat who is subsequently destroyed. Two hundred and fifty points are taken from Osada. But it's worth it, because now he can summon his Doitsu! "Due to the effect of my giant rat, I summon the monster card Doitsu." The familiar yellow blob man on his paper airplane materializes on the field. Mister Gorou wasn't too impressed however. He'd already seen this weak card before. One hundred attack won't stop his Disk Magician. With a wave of his hand, Osada begins his final turn.
The card he drew was Ordeal of a Traveler. But that didn't matter anymore. He had won. Osada could feel it. He chuckles and sets his plan into motion. "I play my Soitsu." The green blob man appears. "And I attach my Doitsu to it!" Just like with Koitsu and Aitsu, the Doitsu hops onto Soitsu's paper airplane, combining their strength. "Twenty five hundred strength is now at my disposal. And i'm using all of it on your Disk Magician. Go now Soitsu!" The airplane soars towards its target. Mister Gorou was unmoved however.
"Not so fast kid. Mirror force go!" One of his two facedown cards have been revealed. Mirror Force erects a shield about the player's field, reflecting and destroying any and all attacking monsters. This was it for Osada. This trap would obliterate any and all chances he had of defeating his opponent! The lad realized this and grins. "
"Not today. Solemn Judgment!" One of the cards have been flipped. For sacrificing half of his life (now at one hundred and twenty five), he could counter any trap or spell or monster summon. Mister Gorou's face contorts slightly into one of annoyance. He flips his other card.
"Seven tools of the Bandit will stop that from taking effect!" The card required a payment of one thousand lifepoints, bringing his life points down to a mere four hundred. It was worth it though. He needed to stop that card from halting his mirror force! Osada's grin grows though. The final link of this chain is activated.
"Trap Jammer. I cancel out your Tools." Mister Gorou's face grows pale as he realizes his mistake. Ordeal of a Traveler is discarded for Trap Jammer to work. The chain is completed. Mirror force and Seven Tools have been countered. With his life points reduced to four hundred following his attempt with Seven Tools, there was no way now he would survive the attack. Soitsu flies in close and unleashes his power. The Disk Magician is finished and so is Mister Gorou. "Good game sir. I win." Osada declares simply. The cards fade out and there is applause. A climactic finish!