Turn 1: Return
My name is Yuzu Mutou. I am a sophomore at Igarashi (formerly Domino) High School. We're about a month into the second semester. Right now, it's my last class of the day, Advanced English. It's my least favorite class this year. I need it though, if I'm ever going to get to America like I plan to do.
Ring!
There goes the bell. The worst part of every day comes right after school for me. Because every day after school, she's waiting there for me.
"Hey, Yuzu," she calls out to me. "Ready to lose again?"
She's standing in the courtyard in front of the school. A crowd is already gathering around her in anticipation, just like they've been doing every day since the beginning of the semester. She, of course, is none other than Seishi Kaiba (生死), daughter of Seto Kaiba and heir to Kaiba Corp. And the event the crowd has gathered for is her daily humiliation of me in Duel Monsters. She's also my best friend.
We've been friends since elementary school. Duel Monsters had been quieting down for a few years after the events of Battle City. No one played the game anymore. Even so, I still brought my cards to school every day. No one else cared about them. And then one day, she came up to me during recess and pulled a deck of Duel Monsters cards out of her pocket. She challenged me to a game then and there. I haven't beaten her yet. This year, I decided I would change that. At the end of last semester, I proposed a deal. We would duel every day after school, and the winner would always be paid 100¥ by the loser. As of today, she's gotten 3200¥ from me, and I'm running out of allowance to give her.
"Maybe we can skip the money part this time, Seishi," I say. "You're already rich beyond belief."
"It was your idea in the first place. Besides, I can't ride on my father's coattails. I'm expected to outmaneuver him and take over the company eventually. And I need to earn a lot of money toward that goal."
I hate it when she's right. "All right," I say. "You got your Duel Disk?"
"Yep," she replies brightly. "It's the newest model too. It's got everything. Improved holo-graphics, sleek design, folds up for easy storage, et hoc genus homne. Pretty cool, don't you think?"
"As always, you just love to show off. Don't you, Shi-chan?" I tease.
"If you're going to call me names, call me Sei-chan you necrophiliac! That's it, banter time is over. Let's duel! Duel Disk on!"
"Duel Disk, on!"
The duel is about to begin.
A robotic voice emerges from Seishi's Duel Disk.
"The duel between Kaiba Seishi and Mutou Yuzu has begun. Deciding player order…"
The voice stops for a few seconds.
"First player: Mutou Yuzu."
I go first, it would seem. I draw a card and look at my hand. "Bunila", "Mirror Force", "Heavy Storm", "Trap Jammer", "Mirage Dragon", and "Giant Soldier of Stone".
"All right here it goes. I summon "Bunila" in Attack Position. Then, I play three cards face-down. I end my turn."
Seishi looks at me. She gives a little smile as she draws a card.
"You're so predictable, you know," she says. "A low attack Monster in Attack Position. You must have a reflecting card face-down. In that case, I activate 'Giant Trunade'. All your Spells and Traps go back to your hand. Then, I activate 'Ancient Rules'."
"A new strategy today, too? You've beaten me thirty-two times, each a slightly different way. Do you really need to rub it in with a new strategy every day?" I ask.
"At least this way, I feel slightly challenged."
She does everything better than me. Dueling, insults, you name it and she can top me. And most everyone else in our class.
"Anyway, with the effect of my Spell card, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Normal Monster, negating the need for a Tribute. From my hand, I summon 'Blue-Eyes White Dragon'."
And there's her trump card. The monstrous beast that belonged to Seto Kaiba is now in the hands of his daughter. I have an open field and nothing useful in my hand or Graveyard.
"Direct attack, Blue Eyes. White Burst Stream of Lightning Destruction!"
Oof. That was painful. Well, not really, since it's just holograms, but still, you can imagine pain. It's not fun. Down to 5000 Life Points now. I better draw well or this next turn, she's gonna win.
"I set two cards face down. I end my turn."
Card draw: "Rainbow Life". Good. Now I can last at least one more turn.
"I summon "Mirage Dragon" in attack mode. Then, I place one card face down and end my turn."
Mirage Dragon will prevent her from stopping Rainbow Life during the attack she'll definitely make.
"My turn then. I draw! I activate "Advanced Ritual Art". This card allows me to summon a Ritual Monster from my hand using monsters from my Deck. It does have the drawback of only Normal Monsters and being exact Levels, though. Not a problem in my case. I send a Blue-Eyes from my Deck to the Graveyard to summon 'Demise, king of Armageddon' from my hand."
What? She has Demise in her Deck this time?
"I activate the effect of Demise. By paying 2000 Life points, I destroy everything else on the field."
"Not so fast! By discarding Giant Soldier of Stone, I chain Rainbow Life onto that!"
"Facedown card activate! Seven Tools of the Bandit! 3000 points of damage is worth it to knock you down further. Battle Phase! Attack, Demise! Wrath of Armageddon!"
She's outwitted me again. Now, I'm down to 2600 Life Points. She still sits far above me at 5000. And I have nothing useful yet again.
Duel Restart.
A voice echoes across the courtyard. My Life Points are climbing back to 8000. What's happening? I call out to Seishi.
"Seishi! You were winning! Why did you restart the Duel?"
"You think I did this?" she asks, looking at me like I'm crazy.
"Well, I didn't."
The sky is growing dark. Not storm cloud dark. The inky blackness is spreading across the sky like a wildfire.
Nexus Energy Decks, powered and active.
That voice again. It's deep, masculine. Creepy is not a term that would do it justice. It whisper-echoes across the courtyard as a light breeze scatters leaves on the ground.
The Nexus Duel will now commence.
I look around. Everyone but Seishi has disappeared. We are alone here. I feel a little nervous.
"How do we get out of here, Yuzu?"
That Seishi is afraid as well does not make me glad, though I am slightly relieved of my worries.
"I don't know," I reply.
The way out is through a Nexus Duel. You shall both be granted leave of this place upon a victory by one contestant or a draw.
With that helpful advice from the unearthly voice, I turn to Seishi.
"Yu heard it. We have to Duel to get out of here. So, let's start again. Duel Disk, decide player one."
The Duel Disk remains silent. The lack of its voice is eerie.
"Okay, you try, Seishi."
"Duel Disk, decide player one."
Silence again.
"The old-fashioned way, then," she says. "Rock-paper-scissors, going on scissors. Ready? Rock, paper, scissors!"
Me; Rock.
Her: Scissors.
"I'll go first again. Let's get this over with quickly."
I draw my six cards and then look down at my hand. The cards are blank. I'm confused by this development.
Nexus, on.
With the waning of the voice, I glance down at my hand again. The cards now appear to me. They have strange names. "Schoolgirl Madoka Kaname", "Schoolgirl Sayaka Miki", "Ordinary Middle School", "Taking Attendance" "Schoolgirl Hitomi Shizuki" and "Homura's Wish". I've never heard of these cards. I might as well begin my turn.
"To begin my turn, I activate the Field Spell, Ordinary Middle School. I activate its effect, allowing me to add 1 "Schoolgirl" monster to my hand from my Deck."
CARD DATA:
Ordinary Middle School
SPELL
Field
Effect: Once per turn, you may add 1 "Schoolgirl" monster or "Ordinary Middle School" from your Deck to your hand.
I search through my Deck. All the cards except the "Schoolgirl" monsters seem to be blank. "I add "Schoolgirl Mami Tomoe" to my hand. Then I summon 'Schoolgirl Madoka Kaname' to the field."
CARD DATA:
Schoolgirl Madoka Kaname
Level 3
ATK 1000
DEF 1000
LIGHT
Spellcaster
Desc: A girl who isn't quite sure what to do with her life. Unbeknownst to her, she is exceedingly powerful.
"Then, I activate 'Taking Attendance', a Spell card, from my hand."
CARD DATA:
Taking Attendance
SPELL
Effect: If you control a "Schoolgirl" monster, Special Summon another "Schoolgirl" monster from your hand.
"I Special Summon 'Schoolgirl Sayaka Miki' to the field in Attack Position. I set one card facedown. Then, I end my turn."
CARD DATA:
Schoolgirl Sayaka Miki
Level 3
ATK 1300
DEF 700
LIGHT
Spellcaster
Desc: A dark girl who would do anything for those she loves.
"What are those cards, Yuzu? I've never heard a whisper about them. Which wouldn't be odd if my father weren't head of Kaiba Corp, which now owns Industrial Illusions. Maybe it has something to do with this weird place we're in."
"Highly likely that it has something to do with this place," I agree. "It's your turn, by the way."
"Oh, right. You aren't the only one with strange cards, Yuzu. Seems this place has affected my Deck as well. Due to your control of 2 or more Schoolgirl monsters, I can Special Summon this card from my habit. Come on out, Kyuubey!"
CARD DATA:
Kyuubey
Level 10
ATK 0
DEF 3500
DARK
Fiend/Effect
Effect: If your opponent controls 2 or more "Schoolgirl" monsters, you may Special Summon this card from your hand in face up Defense position. This card cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects. This card's battle position cannot be changed, except by card effect.
"Then, I set two cards face down. I end my turn."
That 3500 DEF monster is going to be a big problem. None of the Schoolgirl monsters has that kind of power, and they're all Normal Monsters as well. Time for my next turn. I draw a card: It's "Mami's Wish". Maybe I can make something out of this.
" I activate Ordinary Middle School's effect. I add 'Schoolgirl Mami Tomoe' to my hand. Then, I summon Schoolgirl Mami Tomoe in Attack Position. Next I activate 'Mami's Wish'. It can only be activated while 'Kyuubey' is on the field. This card allows me to summon 'Magical Girl Mami Tomoe from my Deck by sacrificing the 'Schoolgirl' version. Here she comes, Ribbon Mistress Mami Tomoe!"
CARD DATA:
Schoolgirl Mami Tomoe
Level 4
ATK 1500
DEF 1400
LIGHT
Spellcaster
Desc: An older girl who fills a mentor role for Madoka and Sayaka.
Mami's Wish
SPELL
Effect: This card cannot be activated unless "Kyuubey" is on the field. Sacrifice one "Schoolgirl Mami Tomoe". Special Summon 1 "Magical Girl Mami Tomoe" from your Deck or hand to your side of the field. Destroy all other monsters you control.
Magical Girl Mami Tomoe
Level 5
ATK 2000
DEF 1900
EARTH
Warrior/Effect
Effect: Can only be summoned if "Kyuubey" is on the field.
"Unfortunately, as a side effect of Mami's Wish, all my other monsters get destroyed. Or they would, but I activate my facedown card, Homura's Wish! This card allows me to target one 'Madoka Kaname' monster and prevent its destruction. Only Sayaka is sent to the Graveyard. Neither of my monsters can do anything about Kyuubey, so I end my turn."
CARD DATA:
Homura's Wish
TRAP
Continuous
Effect: Target 1 "Madoka Kaname" monster on your side of the field. As long as this card remains on the field, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects. It also cannot be banished or returned to the hand by card effects.
"Very well, it's my turn again. I set one card facedown. I end my turn."
Awfully suspicious, that single card. Better not take any risks this turn. I draw: Monster Reincarnation. Quite convenient, actually. I have a feeling Sayaka will be of more help than Hitomi.
"I activate 'Monster Reincarnation'. By discarding 'Schoolgirl Hitomi Shizuki', I can add Sayaka back to my hand. Then, I activate the effect of Ordinary Middle School to add 'Schoolgirl Homura Akemi' to my hand. I summon Sayaka in Attack position again. I end my turn."
Seishi draws. I see a smile cross her face. She sets another card facedown and ends her turn.
I draw: 'Sayaka's Wish'. There it is. I knew something was going to happen.
"I activate 'Sayaka's Wish'. I sacrifice 'Schoolgirl Sayaka Miki' to summon 'Magical Girl Sayaka Miki."
CARD DATA:
Sayaka's Wish
SPELL
Effect: This card cannot be activated unless "Kyuubey" is on the field. Sacrifice one "Schoolgirl Sayaka Miki". Special Summon 1 "Magical Girl Sayaka Miki" from your Deck or hand to your side of the field.
Magical Girl Sayaka Miki
Level 4
ATK 1800
DEF 1200
EARTH
Warrior/Effect
Effect: Can only be summoned if "Kyuubey" is on the field.
"Still can't get through to Kyuubey though. I end my turn."
Seishi draws her card.
"I've got you right where I want you," she says. "I activate 'Beginning of Witch'. This card allows me to summon 'Witch' Monsters without Tributing monsters. I summon 'Charlotte- Dessert Witch' from my hand."
CARD DATA:
Beginning of Witch
SPELL
Continuous
Effect: You may Normal Summon non-Ritual 'Witch' Monsters from your hand without Tributing.
Charlotte- Dessert Witch
Level 5
ATK 2000
DEF 1500
DARK
Fiend/Effect
Effect: This card gains 100 ATK if it battles 'Magical Girl Mami Tomoe'. This card cannot attack any other cards besides 'Magical Girl Mami Tomoe'.
"Battle Phase! Charlotte, attack Mami! Surprisingly Sweet Shock!"
"But they're equal in ATK power!"
"Not when she battles 'Mami' specifically. Then, she gains an extra 100 ATK."
It's like our Decks oppose each other. For everything I do, she overpowers it. I'm down to 7900 Life Points after Mami's destruction.
"Your turn," Seishi says.
I draw a card: Kyoko's Wish. Hmmm, this one doesn't require a sacrifice.
"I activate 'Kyoko's Wish' so that I can summon 'Magical Girl Kyoko Sakura' from my Deck. I also summon 'Schoolgirl Homura Akemi' in ATK position."
CARD DATA:
Magical Girl Kyoko Sakura
Level 4
ATK 1900
DEF 1600
EARTH
Warrior/Effect
Effect: Can only be summoned if "Kyuubey" is on the field. As long as this card is on the field, "Magical Girl Madoka Kaname" cannot be Summoned.
Schoolgirl Homura Akemi
Level 2
ATK 1200
DEF 1200
LIGHT
Spellcaster
Desc: A mysterious girl who appeared out of nowhere. She seems to be obsessed with Madoka Kaname
Kyoko's Wish
SPELL
Effect: This card cannot be activated unless "Kyuubey" is on the field. Special Summon 1 "Magical Girl Kyoko Sakura" from your Deck or hand to your side of the field.
"Bah, Charlotte is still the most powerful card in terms of ATK power. I end my turn."
"Things are starting to get interesting! I activate a Field Spell of my own, 'Corruption Field'. Not only does this card destroy your Field Spell by existing, it hurts your 'Magical Girl' cards too. Charlotte can't attack anymore, so I end my turn."
CARD DATA:
Corruption Field
SPELL
Field
Effect: This card is always treated as a "Witch" card. During each of your End phases, place 1 Corruption counter on every Magical Girl monster your opponent controls. For each Corruption Counter on a card, it gains 250 ATK and loses 500 DEF. If a card's DEF is lowered to 0 by Corruption Counters, destroy it and add 1 "Witch" monster or "Corruption Field" card from your Deck to your hand.
I draw: 'Soul Gem'.
"Luckily, I drew a card that will power up one on my side of the field. I equip 'Soul Gem' to Homura. Then, I sacrifice her and the equipped card to summon her 'Magical Girl' counterpart from my hand or Deck. I summon 'Magical Girl Homura Akemi'. Now with two 'Magical Girls', even 'Corruption Field' can't stop me. I end my turn."
CARD DATA:
Soul Gem
SPELL
Effect: This card is always treated as a "Seed" card. Equip only to a "Schoolgirl" or "Magical Girl" monster. That monster gains 200 ATK and DEF. You may sacrifice a "Schoolgirl" monster equipped with this card during your Main Phase or your opponent's Battle Phase to summon its "Magical Girl" counterpart from your Deck.
Magical Girl Homura Akemi
Level 3
ATK 1700
DEF 1700
EARTH
Warrior/Effect
Effect: Can only be summoned if "Kyuubey" is on the field.
"So naïve, as usual. I've been saving a card for just such an occasion. I activate the Ritual Card 'Incubator's Revelation'. By sacrificing 'Charlotte' and a 'Key Mace #1' card from my hand, I can Ritual Summon 'Walpurgis Nacht'. Its effect allows me to Special Summon as many 'Witch' Monsters from my hand as possible. I only have one other 'Witch' monster right now. Come on out, 'Oktavia von Seckendorff- Mermaid Witch'."
CARD DATA:
Incubator's Revelation
SPELL
Ritual
Effect: This card is used to Ritual Summon "Walpurgis Nacht". This card is always treated as a "Witch" card. You must also sacrifice monsters whose total levels equal 6 or more from your hand or your side of the field.
Walpurgis Nacht
Level 6
ATK 3000
DEF 3000
DARK
Fiend/Ritual/Effect
Effect: This card can only be Ritual Summoned using "Incubator's Revelation". This card is always treated as a "Witch" card. When this card is Ritual Summoned, Special Summon as many "Witch" monsters from your hand as possible. Then, double the ATK of all "Witch" monsters on the field. Also, reduce the ATK of all face up cards your opponent currently controls to 0. 'Witch' monsters cannot attack the turn this card is Summoned
Oktavia von Seckendorff- Mermaid Witch
Level 5
ATK 2200
DEF 700
DARK
Fiend/Effect
Effect: When this card is Summoned, destroy all copies of 'Magical Girl Sayaka Miki' on the field. This card cannot attack during the turn this effect activates.
That much power in one turn is unbelievable. She's essentially neutralized my entire field, and I have nothing to counter it. She has a 6000 ATK monster and a 4400 ATK monster. I have no way of getting rid of either. This is the end of the Duel, I guess. Same as usual, Seishi wins by a landslide.
"Well, the Witches can't attack this turn. But your 'Magical Girl Sayaka Miki' is destroyed, so that's a nice bonus. Plus, you can't do anything with 0 ATK monsters. I end my turn."
This is my last turn. My parents are always going on about the 'heart of the cards' and how it always came through for them. Not that I believed them. Still, now's as good a time as any to hope for a miracle.
I draw: 'Madoka's Wish'. Weird, this car doesn't let me Summon a 'Magical Girl' version. Still, I might as well try it.
"I activate the Spell card, 'Madoka's Wish'. This card allows me to target one 'Schoolgirl- Madoka Kaname' monster on my side of the field. Its Level becomes 5, and it's treated as a Tuner monster. I Tune 'Schoolgirl Madoka Kaname', 'Magical Girl Homura Akemi', and 'Magical Girl Kyoko Sakura'."
CARD DATA:
Madoka's Wish
SPELL
Effect: This card cannot be activated unless "Kyuubey" is on the field. This card's activation cannot be negated. Target one "Schoolgirl Madoka Kaname" monster on your side of the field. Its level becomes 5, and it is treated as a Tuner monster until the end of the turn.
Something has taken over me. I wasn't even aware I had an Extra Deck.
"I Synchro Summon 'Divine Hope Madoka' in Attack Position! When I Synchro Summon this card, all 'Witch' cards on the field are destroyed. In addition, all effects of cards on your side of the field are negated until the end of the turn this card is Summoned. It also has two other effects your about to discover the hard way!"
I'm spouting effects from the card even though I haven't looked at it. Something is definitely wrong with me. But it seems my claims are true, as 'Walpurgis Nacht' and 'Oktavia' have been destroyed, along with 'Corruption Field'.
"I attack Kyuubey with Divine Hope Madoka!"
"Well, that'll leave me with no monsters next turn. This is by far the best you've ever fared against me."
"There will be no next turn, Seishi. I warned you about the other two effects. 'Divine Hope Madoka' gets a 2000 ATK boost for each 'Witch' Monster destroyed by its effect. Walpurgis and Oktavia makes two, so that's a 4000 ATK boost. And its final effect: When this card battles 'Kyuubey', switch that monster to Attack Position."
CARD DATA:
Divine Hope Madoka
Level 12
ATK 4000
DEF 5000
LIGHT
Fairy/Synchro/Effect
Effect: This card can only be summoned by Synchro Summon and cannot be Summoned by other ways. The Synchro Summon of this card cannot be negated.. When this card is Synchro Summoned, destroy all "Witch" cards on the field. For each "Witch" monster destroyed this way, this card gains 2000 ATK. Negate the effects of all cards on your opponent's side of the field until the end of the turn this card is Summoned. If this card battles "Kyuubey", switch that monster to attack position.
"But that's 8000 ATK vs 0 ATK. A straight shot from perfect to nothing."
"Exactly. Divine Hope Madoka, attack! Endless Ray of Hope!"
Kyuubey is burned away by the light. But the hologram looks at me. It says something.
"Complete."
That one word sends a chill down my spine. Seishi's Life Points drop to 0.
"Well done, Yuzu," she says, a faint smile upon her lips. Her eyes are half-closed as she's talking and she's beginning to sway. "You finally managed to win." Seishi collapses to the ground.
I rush over to her. She's still breathing and her pulse is still strong. I shake her gently. She doesn't respond. I notice a glint from the corner of my eye. Her hand is spread over something metallic. I lift the strange object. It seems to be some sort of pyramid. I pocket the object. At this point, I notice the black field retreating from the sky. Soon, I am back in the school's courtyard. It seems like some time has passed, as there are only a few people milling about. Despite Seishi's condition, no one comments on us or offers to help. I decide to take Seishi back to my house. My parents might know something we can do.
We arrive at my house. I've been half-carrying, half-dragging Seishi along the way. No one has seemed to notice her. I bang on the front door of my house. The door opens. My mother stands there, looking at me quizzically.
"Why are you standing like that?" she asks.
"What do you mean? Isn't it obvious? Seishi needs help!"
"Well, where is she?"
"Right here? Can't you see-" I stop talking. Seishi is no longer on my shoulder, or anywhere to be seen. I am confident she was here just a moment ago. I feel something in my hand. The object is still there, its pointed edges digging into my palm a bit.
Calm down, I think to myself. Everything will be alright. Oh, maybe she knows about this.
I open my hand and show my mother the object. It is a golden inverse pyramid with an Egyptian hieroglyphic-styled eye on the front. It seems to be made out of separate pieces as well, because I can see lines dividing the cool metal. My mother's eyes widen. She takes out her phone and dials a number.
I can only hear one half of the very brief conversation.
"Get home now! It's an emergency!"
So, I guess Dad is on his way home then.
"Yuzu, let's sit down somewhere. Tell me everything that happened. We can repeat the story to your father later."
I want to tell her "okay", but I cannot. My vision is beginning to fade. Blackness is encroaching on me from all directions It reminds of that blackness around our Duel. I feel a deep fear within me. Something bad is happening, and I do not know how to stop it. My last vision is of my mother, shouting my name, desperate to keep me away from the blackness. I smile to try and let her know that everything will be fine, and I lose myself to fear and darkness.
ATK 1/DEF 1
Author's Note (the long explanatory first one):
Yeah, yeah. I know this story pretty blatantly ignores canon. That's not really the point. Stories just tend to pop into my head half-formed, and the rest of the forming is more difficult than it seems. In this case, I wanted a "Yu-Gi-Oh!" story that essentially spoiled other stories using Duels. "Madoka" was chosen for the first Duel because of its fame and because it was an easy way to show the story wasn't as lighthearted as it seemed at first. If you're wondering about the "Shi-chan" thing…
Time for a lesson on: Japanese honorifics.! Essentially, there are levels of politeness in Japanese society. "-san" is the default level, equivalent to "Mr." or "Mrs." "-sama" indicates a higher level of respect. Almost everyone has heard of "-sensei" which means "master" and is generally spoken of teachers and mentors and the like. Then there's "-kun" and "-chan". I'm not quite sure of the English equivalent, but they are generally respectively applied to males and females to whom one is close. I don't intend to use them at all, except for this one-off joke obviously. "Shi" can mean "death" in Japanese (and in Seishi's case, it does), so Yuzu is essentially calling her "Death" affectionately, hence why she calls him a necrophiliac. And in case any of that is wrong, here's a link to TvTropes:
h$ttp:/tv$ /pmw$ /Us$efulNotes/Japan$eseHonorifics (remove $'s)
On another note, Seishi's name was chosen the same way Yuzu's was. That is, an amalgamation of the character's names from the actual manga. "Yuzu" is "Yugi" + "Anzu" (aka Téa Gardener). Also, as far as I'm aware that's typically a girl's name, as demonstrated by Yuzu Kurosaki of BLEACH. "Seishi" is "Seto" + "Ishizu". It also just happened to be a completely valid Japanese name by accident, and the name of Masashi Kimimoto's twin brother. Yuzu is the son of Yugi and Anzu. Seishi, on the other hand, is Kaiba's daughter, but "Ishizu" being the other part is due to her name combining nicely. Otherwise, she is not involved with Seishi in anyway. Seishi's Japanese characters, when read, mean "life and death". They are written in the incorrect order, that is, left to right. I just think it looks better that way.
Tl;dr: Yuzu = Yugi + Anzu (Yuzu's parents)
Seishi = Seto + Ishizu (Seto father, but Ishizu not mother)