This is a story based on ideas I got while reading Kaze-Kami-Ha's work "Call To The Dragons" which I seriously recommend to all readers, so now that I've admitted that and now have attained legal amnesty form all accusations of copyright infringement, let's get down to business, I've also borrowed Kaze-Kami-Ha's card statistic display system.
I'll also be taking requests for OCs, just give a deck list and detailed description and if it's good I'll put it in.
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to any cards or the stat displayment system, all characters are mine unless stated otherwise, so now that I'm legally secure, I feel it's time to get ta story tell'n y'all.
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Eric Sifer was comfortably ignoring the world around him as his headphones blared in his ear while he stared out the window of the large helicopter traveling across the ocean carrying fifty-plus high school students to their soon-to-be home for the next year. Eric turned his attention from the fast passing scenery to flip through the mismatched pile of cards he proudly called a deck in the palm of his hand, wondering just how he'd gotten here in the first place.
---------Flashback-------------
It was a beautiful day to be alive, a day which could warm the coldest of hearts, a day where nothing could go wrong. That was until...BLREEP-BLREEP-BLREEP-BLRE-SMASH...Eric had to get up. As he lifted the pillow from on top of his head to look at the time displayed on his small black digital clock, only to let out a groan.
"8:04...dangit, tests in two and a half hours...great." he grumbled as he made his way from his room to the bathroom where he took his ritualistically scalding shower to complete wake every part of his sleep detached psyche. After he'd bathed and dressed in a plain gray t-shirt, his signature dark green bucket hat, and some dark blue jeans he'd slashed holes in during his English class last year with his prized pocket knife. He then grabbed his leather jacket off his couch and his deck and headed down stairs to get some breakfast. He was soon greeted by his lazy black lab Fred who was lying on the floor staring into space like he always did.
Eric gave his dog a wave of acknowledgement as he went to check the pantry, "Sup dawg, anything new?" he asked receiving a long pause, "I'll take that as a no." Eric said as he grabbed a pack of strawberry pop tarts and looked up at the clock, "Dangit, it's 8:45, I gotta get outta here if I'm gonna catch the bus to Kaiba corp. stadium for the exams, see ya Freddy boy." He said while he grabbed his CD player a placed in the inline pocket of his jacket after placing in a Johnny Cash CD and strapping on his dueldisk.
He walked out the door into the busy city. After roughly twenty minutes of walking he reached the stop and could see the bus only two traffic lights away. As the bus drew, near Eric caught the sight of a careless man knocking over a little old lady and sending her cane several feet away and ignoring her as he continued on his way. Being raised to always be a gentleman to a lady rushed over grabbing her cane and lending an outstretched hand to the elderly lady who appear to be in her late sixties, "Ma'am are you okay." he asked
"Oh, yes, just ain't as young as I used to be, thank you young man." She said with a smile generously accepting her can and gathering back her stability.
"Anytime ma'am." he said kindly, turning around to be greeted by the sight of his bus leaving without him. "Crap, I'll never make it to the stadium." While mentally cursing he felt a slight tug at his sleeve. Turning to find the source of the tug he found it was none other than the old lady.
"Young man, I would be happy to give you a ride." She said smiling up at him.
"Oh no, I couldn't impose on you." He said kindly
"No, I insist, I happen to be going that way anyhow." She said taking his hand and walking about half a block and turned the corner to find a long black limo with a rather well dressed slightly middle-aged man standing beside it.
"Why Madame, who might this young man be?" The man said gesturing to Eric with a questioning look on his face.
"Oh Jeeves, this fine young man help me when I had a little spill, but he missed his bus so I offered to take him up to the stadium." She said pointing to Eric fondly.
"Um...I'm Eric, Eric Sifer." He said extending his hand to the driver slightly stifling a laugh at the stereotypical name.
Jeeves shook his hand with a smile, "Well then, it will be an honor to escort you to your destination." He said as he open the door for Eric and The old woman.
After abut a twenty minute drive they arrived in front of the stadium where a small table was set up which appeared to be manned by two women in their mid-twenties. Eric exited the car and approached the table, "excuse me, I like to register." he said while reaching into his back pocket to fish out his registration papers.
The head registration lady merely placed her hand out in a refusing gesture, "I'm so very sorry, Registration closed a few minutes ago."
"Aw crap, you seriou..."
"I believe I may be of assistance." Eric turned to find the old lady standing behind him, but before he could say anything he noticed the expression on the ladies at the registration table.
"Headmistress Lunacroft!?" The first lady exclaimed.
"Hu-wha, headmistress?" Eric stammered as he stared at the elderly woman beside him in bewilderment.
She merely ignored Eric and continued staring at the registration woman, "I can vouch for this young man, so admit him please."She said with a hint of force in her voice.
The woman obviously afraid about losing her job merely stammered out, "I-I'm s-sorry miss Lunacroft, b-but we just sent off the last of the registries, we can't admit him because there won't be any proctors to administer his exam."
Lunacroft merely smirked a little and reached into her purse and pulled out a blue cell phone, "Leave finding and examiner to me." she said as she finished dialing a number.
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Inside the stadium several duels were taking place on the main floor, as a man sitting behind a desk inside the V.I.P. skybox watched from behind his orange tinted circular glasses. The man looked to be in his mid to late-thirties, he had a scruffy short beard growing around his chin which matched his graying auburn hair. He tore himself away from the many battles below him to examine the large stream of data flowing into his laptop of different duel statistics and other information gathered from every passing applicant. Suddenly the man heard a miniature chime version of Beethoven's fourth being played from his pants pocket so reached in to pick up his phone.
"Sydrycks speaking.---------why Madame Lunacroft I---------um--------yes of course I have my decks with me I--------But Miss Lunacroft that hardly seems fair to the other applicants-------------I---------yes that was kind of him-------yes it is rare to find a boy with such character-----------yes ma'am, I understand, I'll administer his test personally once I receive the last applicants data." with that the man sigh hanging up his phone while running a white gloved hand through his short hair.
The man reached down beside his chair and brought a briefcase up to rest on his lap, he popped the case to select a deck from the nine occupying the bottom half of the case. He grabbed the one on the right of the second row, he opened the deck box and briefly flipped through his contents, "This should do." he said as he merely placed it into his dueldisk and sat back and continued to examine the stream of incoming data.
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"Ah, all done," Lunacroft stated sweetly as she snatched his application and handed it to the second lady at the table, "takes this to Elliotz please." she said as the woman hurried off to do here appointed task. Lunacroft then turned to meet Eric's bewildered gaze. "Oh, I'm sorry, it must of slipped my mind to properly introduce myself, things like that start to happen when you start getting on in years." she said with a light chuckle.
"Oh that's fine, but I really grateful Miss Lunacroft. First the ride and now pulling strings to get me into the exams, I owe ya big time."
Lunacroft merely gave a smug grin, "How's 'bout you pass the entrance test and start setting a fine example to your fellow students, then we'll call it even." She said extending a hand in a gesture to seal their verbal agreement.
"Miss Lunacroft, you have a deal." Eric said taking he hand and sealing the deal.
"Okay, you best get going, good luck." With that Lunacroft walked past Eric into the stadium quickly followed by Jeeves.
"Well, I guess it's all up to the cards." Eric merely let out a quick sigh and entered into the stadium. After making his way in, Eric was taken aback at the sheer number of applicants both on the arena floor and in the stands. As he made his way to find a seat he came upon a girl with dark brown hair wearing a bright green jacket and blue Capri pants who was engrossed in a book which he couldn't make out the title. Eric's first thoughts were, "Wow, she's hot, but I ain't got a chance with a girl like that." after coming to terms with his inability to interact with the opposite sex, merely made his way to pass her to find a good seat, "Excuse, um...could I please get through." he said politely.
"Oh, sorry, go ahead." She said pulling her legs in slightly allowing him to pass.
"Thanks, I'm Eric Sifer." Eric said offering a hand in an attempt to end his 14 year long losing streak with the ladies.
"Emily Ryans, nice to meet you, have you passed yet." She said shaking his hand.
"Uh, no, I'm still waiting for my exam, have you passed?" Eric asked slowly pulling back his hand.
"Yeah, I'd suggest you watch some matches, it's a good way to get a feel for the different proctors and their strategies." Emily said returning her focus to her book.
"I'll do that, thanks." Eric said taking a seat a few chairs down from Emily to give her some privacy, soon he began scanning the arena floor, soon his eyes found and interesting match involving a girl wit shoulder length blonde hair. She was wearing a black t-shirt with something he couldn't read from the distance between them and dark blue jeans. All she had out was Ancient Gear Castle and only seven hundred and fifty life points while the proctor currently had nineteen hundred life points left as well as his Beast of Talwar(6/2400/2150) in attack mode. Eric was interested to see if the girl could pull out a victory.
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Examiner:1900
Girl:750
The examiner adjusted his glasses and watched his applicant drew her card and began her turn.
"Okay I'll start by playing Magnet Circle LV2," she said activating a spell card causing two yellow circles to appear on the arena floor, "This allows me to special summon any level two or lower machine from my hand, so I chose Ancient Gear Cannon in attack mode," She said as a small multi-barreled turret appeared on the field (2/500/500), "and thanks to my Ancient Gear Castle it gains an extra three hundred attack point (2/500/500-2/800/500) next I play Machine Duplication which allows me to summon a copy of any machine monster I have out with five hundred attack points or less, so I bring out another Ancient Gear Cannon in Attack mode," an identical turret appeared on the field (2/500/500-2/800/500)"next I'll use the effects of my Ancient Gears to special summon both to the field in attack mode." two strange machine appeared onto the field awkwardly balancing on a wheel and two scrawny mechanical arms (2/100/800-2/400/800x2).
"This is quiet impressive young lady, but you've yet to produce a card to either defeat my monster or assault my life points." The proctor said in a superior tone.
"I never ended my turn, now I sacrifice my Ancient Gears to summon my Ancient Gear Golem." She said as her two tripod like monsters vanished and a giant robotic creature took their place towering over the field (8/3000/3000-8/3300/3000), "Now Ancient Gear Golem attack Beast of Talwar with mechanized Melee!" The giant machine reeled back and then slammed his fist down hard crushing the smaller fiend.
Examiner:1000
Girl:750
"Finally I activate the effect of my Ancient Gear Cannons, allowing me to offer each of them to inflict five hundred points of direct damage each." She said this as the two machines each began gathering large amounts of energy, finally launching a giant burst of lasers at the proctor each, forcing the two cannons too explode as the beams connected with their intended target.
Examiner:0
Girl:750
As the proctor gathered himself after the blast, he raised his hand to signal the end of the match, "Congratulation miss Lisette Walton, you are now an official student of the Academy."
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Eric watched as the girl jumped up and down for joy as she celebrated her victory. He thought he might talk to her since he thought her deck was pretty awesome, that was until he heard a voice come over the intercom, "Will Eric Sifer please report to duel platform #1, I repeat. . . . ." he ignored the voice s he hopped down a few rows of stairs to reach the main floor. Once he was there Eric calmed himself mentally and continued on his way to the dueling platform, "Well, I made a deal to pass this test so I gotta win, can't be a man who breaks his word, it wouldn't be very gentlemanly at all." The thought of this made him chuckle a little as he continued on his way.
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Inside the V.I.P. box Sydrycks was going over the last bits of incoming data when he heard the door open. I turned to find the Headmistress and her faithful assistant enter and take a seat in one of the more lavish chairs in the box.
"Elliotz, thank you for your assistance, I know how busy you are." Lunacroft said solemnly as she watched the remaining duels take place on the floor below.
"Ma'am, it is my job, hehehe, maybe I'll even have some fun." Sydrycks said with an optimistic grin.
Lunacroft's soft old features took a stoic, almost dark expression, "Listen Elliotz, I may have asked you to do me a favor and carry out the boys examine, but I didn't ask you to do the kid any favors, you'd better not pull any punches out there." She said rather gruffly.
Sydrycks grim turned into a sinister smirk as he pushed his glasses up his nose with his index and middle finger to where the light glinting off them refused to allow vision of his eyes behind the tinted orange lenses, "Luna," he said calling her by her nickname in a sadistic voice that sent chills down the elderly woman's spine every time he took that tone, "you know just as well as anyone I didn't earn the name "Warden" by pulling any of my punches," he said as he clicked closing a file on his laptop before closing it and heading for the door, "as soon as they set foot on the stage they're just another criminal for me to put in lock down." With that he left leaving a tingling aura of bloodlust in his wake.
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When Eric reached the platform he felt like something was naturally amiss, maybe it was the fact there were no other applicants or proctors except a bespectacled man in a long blue and white coat who just emerged from an alternate entrance to the field, maybe it was the feeling creeping up in the pit of his stomach that seemed to scream more and more with each step this man took as he came closer, or maybe it was the fact all the remaining duelists in the buildings were watching him, but he did what he did what he always did when he was under stress, he took his right hand and brought it up in a swift motion as if throwing his troubles over his shoulder and me uttered three simple words, "Aw, screw it." That was how he dealt with all his problem and it currently yet to fail.
"Hello Mr. Sifer, my name is Professor Elliotz Sydrycks Headmaster to the Obelisk Blue dorms. I shall be administering your test today." Though this man seemed quiet polite and cultured, Eric could sense the repress "killer intent" of the man before him.
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In the one of the many balconies of the arena alone boy and girl watched the goings on below. The girl who was leaning on the rail leering down at the un aware occupants of the arena floor with a mischievous grin. She wore her long chocolate colored hair that reached the small of her back tied in a pony tail. She wore a common Slifer red with an only just legal enough short skirt. The boy seemed to be the polar opposite of his female companion. He had short red hair and wore a coat exactly similar to Sydrycks' except for the collar buttoned. He wore black dress pants and a slightly large wooden Crucifix that hung around his neck and a black leather Bible he cradled in his right arm.
The Girl looked up at the boy with an anticipating smile, "Ah, this gonna be good, been a' long while since I've seen Sydrycks lock up a boy that cute." She said giggling a little.
The boy merely sighed and ignored the last comment, "All that aside, it's strange for a the presiding Dorm master to take part in the application exams." He said looking down trying to exam the boy in the bucket hat to see what might be so special about him to prompt such a strange happening.
"You think to much Azriel, I wonder what he looks like with out the hat?" giving a girlish squeal ignoring Azriel's disapproving looks.
"You don't worry enough Samantha." With that said he placed his attention back on the upcoming duel, Azriel figured even if the kid wasn't anything special, at least he'd get an opportunity to see a second of Sydrycks infamous nine decks.
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"Alright, let's begin." Sydrycks said as he and Eric finished shuffling their deck.
"Let's duel!" Both combatants exclaim drawing cards from their decks.
Sydrycks:4000
Eric:4000
"I'll begin." Sydrycks said as he drew another card from his deck, "I play Magical Mallet, allowing me too send any number of cards to my deck, then draw the same number." he said as he added two cards to his deck, shuffling, and finally drawing the same number of cards he'd deposited, "Next I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two more cards." Sydrycks said drawing, "Finally, I'll summon Kinetic Solider in attack mode and play three cards face down." Sydrycks called as a cyborg dawning a laser blaster on his left shoulder appeared on the field(3/1350/1800), "That's all, your move." Sydrycks said as he stared down at Eric.
"I draw." Eric called adding a card to his hand.
"I now activate two of my face down cards, first Light of Intervention forcing the both of us too summon all monsters in face up positions, next I offer three thousands life points to activate my Wall of Revealing Light," he said as a large curtain of light descended down upon Eric's field, "now no monster on your side of the field can attack with less than the amount I offered." Sydrycks said with a slight grin as he waited to gauge Eric's retaliation.
Sydrycks:1000
Eric:4000
Eric knew this wasn't as good as the points read on his dueldisk. He'd already put on his best poker face the second the match started and he saw how horrible his hand was. He calmed himself and readied the best counter plan he could given the options at hand. "I set one card face down and…"
"I now activate my facedown card DNA Surgery, allowing me to alter the type of every monster on the field to warrior." Sydrycks interrupted as he activated his trap, his own monster removing his mask to reveal a human face.
"I'll end my turn by summoning Gilasaurus in defense mode." Eric said as a brown raptor appeared crouched on its hind legs holding a sword and wearing an uncharacteristic Viking helmet.
"I draw." Sydrycks called as he added the card to his hand," Now I equip my soldier with Fairy Meteor Crush, which will allow him to deal damage to your life points equal to the difference between his attack and your monsters defense." It was then Sydrycks noticed the first and most fatal error Eric had made since the duel had began. When he'd first played his equip spell, Sydrycks saw Eric's mouth let the faintest of grins for no longer than a second, but that was all it took to let Sydrycks into a players mind, the slightest hint of emotion. "I see now, the reason he choose not to use Gilasaurus's effect to special summon it was because that was the most he could do. So he either wants me to attack the monster to A. allow him to play a card that plays off him being in the graveyard, or B. his face down card could either cripple my plan or even out his strategic disadvantage. Unfortunately for him, lady luck seemed to shine most brightly on me today." Sydrycks grinned while he began his next move, "Next I play Mystical Space Typhoon, allowing me to destroy your face down card." As a large blast of wind blasted into Eric's side of the field shattering his face down Damage Condenser.
"Ugh! Dang it." Eric muttered under his breath as his trap burst apart infront him.
"Ah, just as I suspected." Sydrycks grin sending a chill down Eric's spine, "Now I'll attack with my soldier, allowing his effect to activate boosting his attack by 2000 points when battling a warrior type monster(3/1350/1800-3/3350/1800), Kinetic Soldier attack with Motion Wave Piercer!" The cyborg monster charged his shoulder mounted cannon firing a blast of energy which pierced right through Eric's monster and connecting in the center of Eric's chest knocking him back slightly.
Sydrycks:1000
Eric:1050
"That ends my turn, your move mister Sifer." Sydrycks said to the wobbling boy as he drew, noticing him grin and chuckle a little at the card in his hand. "May I ask what's so funny?" Sydrycks said to his young opponent.
Eric adjusted his hat and smiled, "Just think'n of how powerful strategies aren't good for long duels."
Sydrycks smirked at the boys new found confidence, no one had ever found the courage to insult his strategies, though he had no intention of defeat he was interested at what the boy had up his sleeve, "Why pray tell is that?"
Eric smiled and answered the professor, "It's simple, as a wise general once said "If you gather all your troops in your strongest fortress, you just give your enemy a bigger target", your strategy is so strong it has to spread out over several cards, making it weaker with every card you added to it, but I digress, I summon Cyber Tutu in attack mode." A pink haired girl wearing a red and blue jumpsuit and a clear tutu popped up onto the field(3/1000/800).
"So is this your "army" that will claim my "fortress"?" said Sydrycks becoming more amused by his opponents antics spurred by his new found confidence.
"Actually, she's only half," Eric said playing a magic card, "this is the other, I activate Spiritualism allowing me to send any spell or trap on your field back to your hand and I chose your Wall of Revealing Light." as Eric played his cards three ectoplasmic beings glided across the field to grab hold of Sydrycks card and returning it to his hand.
"Very good, but your monster is a still a warrior even without my DNA Surgery and still weaker than my soldier." Sydrycks declared confidently.
"True, that's why I'm attacking you. Thanks to her effect if Cyber Tutu is the weakest monster on the field she can hit my opponent directly, so attack Cyber Tutu attack directly with Chaos Spin!" Cyber Tutu began spinning itself into to the form of a miniature tornado before rocketing itself into Sydrycks.
Sydrycks:0
Eric:1050
The crowd was silent for the longest time.
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Lunacroft cocked a grin, "Well if anything, I can say the boy's the luckiest player I've seen in a while." She said leaning back in her chair chuckling to herself.
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In the balcony Samantha jumped up and down clapping her hands together in joy, "Yay! Yay! Yay! He did it."
Azriel merely turned to leave, "Pfft, that was just a fluke."
Samantha merely turned to face Azriel while leaning on the railing, "That's what they said when the King of Games beat Seto Kaiba. You and I can both see the latent potential within him."
Azriel turned to face his female companion, "Latent potential means nothing if it remains dormant, but I'm curious what kind of potential do you see in him."
Samantha just returned her gaze back to the boy on the arena floor, a smirking as she licked her lips, "I see the next heir to the Golden Throne."
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"Congratulations on passing the test my boy, you are now an official student of the academy." Sydrycks said as he shook Eric's hand a sign of respect and congratulation, "After a match like that I expect great things from you Eric." He said with a jovial expression.
Eric let out a nervous laugh while rubbing the back of his head, "Sorry to disappoint ya teach, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I was you." He said as he retracted his hand from the professor's.
"We'll see about that mister Sifer." Sydrycks said as he turned to leave the arena floor failing to mask the smirk on his face as masterfully as his bloodlust. "We'll just see about that."
---------Flashback End-------------
Eric let out a sigh as he looked out the window to see the flush island paradise that was their destination. He pushed the memory out of his mind as he focused on the music in his ears. He was oblivious of what fate had in store for him when he touched down on the island.
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Thanks for reading, please review even if you hated it, I'll take what ever characters sound good, I'll try to update on Fridays or days I ain't got school.
