This story is based off the Yugioh Zexal dubbed anime. I created this to help explain where the other Numbers that weren't featured in the anime came from. Please note, this is strictly based off the anime, so things will almost definitely not line up with the manga. As new Numbers get released into the TCG, I'll be sure to update and add on to the story. With that in mind, please enjoy.


The sun was shining over Heartland High School, as the annual school-wide duel tournament was reaching its conclusion. The stands were packed, as students of all year levels were on the edges of their seats. The tournament had featured many of the school's top duelists, yet now only has two.

Elsworth Jewell came in as the underdog. Next year would be his last at the school, and he was hoping to make a solid statement at this tournament. He had on his school uniform, his third-year status causing him to wear a dark green tunic over his white shirt, with black pants. He kept his brown hair short, making his steel gaze that much more intimidating

His final opponent was a fourth year student, Claybourne, widely revered as the top duelist in the whole school. A very tall and muscular student, Claybourne was at the gym when he wasn't practicing dueling. He had on a blue tunic due to him being a fourth-year student. His mastery of Blue-Eyes made him a powerful duelist, with aspirations of going pro after graduation. This tournament would be the perfect way to exit his student life.

The duel, up to that point, had gone quite evenly. He had his Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field, 3000 attack points in full force. He was down 2500 life points to 4000, but that was about to change. Elsworth had no cards on the field, and was wide open for a direct attack.

"And now," Claybourne said, pointing at Elsworth, "My Blue-Eyes attacks you directly! Go, White Lightning!"

Blue-Eyes opened its mouth, and a stream of brilliant white light escaped. It headed straight at Elsworth, who shielded his face and dropped to one knee. As the light receded, he slowly stood back up, his life points now at 1000.

"I place one card face down and end my turn." Claybourne threw a card into the back slot of his duel disc, and the hologram appeared behind his dragon.

The crowd erupted in cheer. With that attack, Claybourne had thrown the duel right back into his favour. Elsworth could only stare at his deck as the roar of the fans bellowed around him. He waited for a moment, the sound of the crowd cheering for his opponent was unusual. Regardless, he had to win somehow.

"It's my turn," Elsworth said. "Draw!"

He looked at the card he drew, and a smile appeared on his face. Perfect.

"Are you smiling?" Claybourne asked. "There's nothing that can stop my dragon now."

Elsworth ignored the question. "From my graveyard, I activate the effect of my Arkbrave Dragon." His graveyard began to glow. "Because it was sent there last turn, I can resurrect a dragon during my standby phase."

The crowd murmured, not sure what to expect. Claybourne cocked an eyebrow, waiting for the card to come out.

"I summon my Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand!" Elsworth exclaimed, placing the card onto his duel disc.

A dark circle appeared on the ground, and the dragon began to rise from it. Its black wings curled tightly around it, the dragon spiraled around Elsworth, the eyes of the beast looking straight at Claybourne. Its wings suddenly unfurled, and the dragon let out a roar that caused multiple people to cover their ears. The silver and gold plated dragon floated around Elsworth, possessing 2800 attack points.

"Nice card," Claybourne noted, "But it's not strong enough to battle my Blue-Eyes."

"That's why I'm activating its special ability!" Elsworth pointed at Blue-Eyes as Felgrand began to glow. "Because it was special summoned from the graveyard, it banishes a face-up monster on the field, then gains 200 attack points for each of its levels!"

"What?" Claybourne had never heard of this card, and was taken aback by that ability.

He could only watch as a gold mist came out of Felgrand's mouth. It engulfed Blue-Eyes, and the dragon quickly vanished in the fog. When it cleared, the dragon was gone, and Elsworth's dragon stood at a mighty 4400 attack points.

"Now, Felgrand att-" Elsworth paused, remembering Claybourne's face down card. He couldn't afford to recklessly attack into it. He needed another play, and he knew just the one.

"From my hand, I activate Return of the Dragon Lords!" He placed the spell card down on his disc. "This allows me to summon a Dragon-type monster from my graveyard."

The dark circle appeared yet again, but a new dragon rose. Its blue body was broken up only by a brighter blue on its chest, and some red patches along the wings. As the circle closed and the dragon touched down, it reared its head back and let out a powerful roar. The bright blue area on its body shone bright, as the beast's roar sent shivers down everyone's spines.

"Appear, Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!" Elsworth exclaimed.

The dragon fixed its gaze on Claybourne, the swirling galaxy in its eyes making it a very spectacular monster. It stood at 3000 attack points.

That's it, just attack me, Claybourne thought. Walk right into my trap.

Elsworth let out another smile. "And now," he calmly said, "This duel ends."

"You think so, huh?" Claybourne asked. "Attack me and find out."

"Oh I will," Elsworth said, looking Claybourne right in the eye. "Right after this."

"After what?" Claybourne asked, still confused.

Elsworth raised his arm. "I overlay my level 8 Felgrand and Galaxy-Eyes!"

The monsters lost all their features, and their forms became a bright yellow light. The lights raced high, as a vortex appeared in front of Elsworth. The two balls of light shot down into the vortex, their trails following behind them as they disappeared. Soon after, the vortex glowed a magnificent gold.

"With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" He paused, before yelling again. "I XYZ summon Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand!"

Another silver and gold plated figure appeared, but this one took the shape of a human. The body armour wrapped around him, and the knight drew two swords from his scabbards. He held 2800 attack points.

"And now," Elsworth said, "Knight Felgrand attacks you directly!"

The knight gripped his swords and pointed them at Claybourne. He raised them over his head as he charged forwards.

"I activate the Storming Mirror Force trap card!" Claybourne exclaimed, the hologram flipping over. "Now every attacking monster is returned to your hand."

A brown tornado shot out of the card, and was headed straight for the charging Felgrand. Elsworth, however, had saw this coming, and had prepared a countermeasure.

"I activate Felgrand's ability!" Elsworth had so much confidence in his voice, it surprised everyone watching. "By removing an overlay unit, Felgrand is unaffected by card effects this turn."

"No way," Claybourne muttered, knowing he had lost.

Felgrand temporarily stopped running, as he slashed at one of his overlay units with his sword. The tornado flew past Felgrand as the knight continued his charge. He dropped both swords down on Claybourne, and he fell to his knees as the hologram passed through him, his life points now at 0.

As the augmented reality vanished, the headmaster walked out from his chair. "In a come-from-behind victory, it looks like our winner is Elsworth!" He grabbed his arm and raised it to the ceiling, the crowd erupting in cheer like never before. After a minute it died down. "Alright everyone, you're free to go." The headmaster barely finished the sentence as students started rushing out of the building.

Claybourne and Elsworth stayed behind to talk. They shook hands as Claybourne stood up.

"Man, I didn't see that coming," Claybourne said, shaking his head. "Guess I've still got some stuff to learn before I hit the circuit."

Elsworth shrugged. "I'm sure you'll do great, you're an amazing duelist."

Claybourne smiled, and they shook hands again. "Thanks man, you are too."


Elsworth made his way home after the tournament. Accepting congratulations and handshakes from the spectators he passed, he felt a sense of accomplishment. He made it home with a smile he's never had before.

"Mom, I'm home," he called as he entered the house. No reply.

He dropped his bag off at the door and made his way to the kitchen. He saw his older brother with his head in his hands, his mother next to him.

"I can't do it, the pressure's too much," he heard his brother muttering.

"What's going on?" Elsworth asked.

His mother turned to face him. "Your brother's career as a pro duelist isn't going so well." She shook her head. "If he doesn't win his upcoming duel, he'll be kicked out of the majors."

Elsworth's brother was three years older, and like Claybourne, the top duelist at the school. His long blue hair was messily scattered on his head, some of it dropping in front of his face. He had on his signature purple tank top, with blue jeans. Right after graduating, he went pro, and was in the major league for the past year. Losing that would be devastating.

"It'll take a miracle…" his brother could barely finish the sentence. Elsworth couldn't stand to hear his brother like this.

"Come on," Elsworth said. "Let's take a walk, give your mind a break."

His brother looked up at their mother, who nodded. He stood up, and they left together. Seeing as he learned how to duel from his older brother, there was no way Elsworth could sit around and do nothing. He also knew just how much his brother loved getting out and enjoying some fresh air, so hopefully this would help him ease his mind.


There was a park nearby with a heavily forested area, so that's where they headed. It was full of tress to climb on, and small ponds and creeks to wade around in. The two had often come here to discuss dueling, so it made sense that Elsworth would take his brother here. It didn't take them long to find a nice secluded area.

"I don't get it," Elsworth said, taking a seat on a stump. "You're the best duelist I know. How could you possibly lose?"

His brother shook his head. "I guess my head hasn't been in the right place."

Elsworth looked at him. "Your career means everything to you. You have to start thinking straight, and do whatever you can to protect it."

"I know that," his brother said, not meeting his gaze. "I just need to get something off my chest."

"Tell me," Elsworth said, standing up. "Let me help you."

His brother stood up as well. "Alright then, follow me."

They walked further into the bush. Elsworth had never been this deep, and quickly lost his bearings. His brother seemed to know exactly where they were going, so he followed closely.

They pushed through a final group of trees, and came out into a small clearing. It seemed unnatural. A small pond was off to one side, the water flowing in from the forest. The sun seemed to shine especially bright, making the place look almost like an illusion. A lone rock stood in the center, and it caught Elsworth's eye.

"Where are we?" he asked, looking at his brother.

"You asked what was on my mind, so here we are." He pointed at the rock. "Take a look over there."

They walked over to it, and Elsworth discovered that there were actually two cards on the rock. They were XYZ monsters, but he couldn't tell which ones. As he got closer, he could feel a bunch of negative emotions running through him.

"What are these?" Elsworth asked.

"These are what's been keeping me distracted." His brother's gaze fixated on the cards. "Number cards."

"Number cards?" Elsworth was still confused. "What are Number cards?"

"From what I can tell, they are XYZ monsters with incredible powers." His brother picked them up. "I only have a limited amount of info, but it seems that nobody else in the pro circuit really knows about them."

Elsworth was equally as entranced by the cards as his brother. Powerful cards that the pro circuit didn't know about? Such cards couldn't possibly exist, which would explain his brother's very distracted state of mind.

"Here," his brother said, holding out one of the cards. "You could use this more than me."

Elsworth took the card, staring at it. He had no idea what to think. The card was unknown to him, and he couldn't make out the stats or the ability. All he knew is this card was unlike any he'd ever experienced.

"Come on," his brother said. "Let's go back. I want to rest before the big duel."

They made their way back, more questions than answers flying through Elsworth's brain.


The tv was turned on, and Elsworth and his mother prepared to watch the duel. He was beyond excited, his first chance to see a Number in action. He could hardly wait.

"Welcome duel fans!" the announcer's voice was as full of energy as ever. "As you all know, this is a very critical match. The winner of the duel gets to compete in the majors, while the loser is stuck in the minors. There's a lot riding on this duel, so let's jump into the action!"

Everyone recognized Elsworth's brother as he walked out. His rise to the majors was quite an explosive one, and he had developed a large following because of it. Even during this long losing streak, some still stayed loyal to him.

His opponent wasn't as known, though there were still some cheers from the crowd. He was obviously a big shot in the minors, but this was probably his first televised duel. He visibly trembled, his nerves on full display as he activated his duel disc.

"Alright duelists, it's time to duel!" the announcer yelled into his microphone.

"Duel!" both duelists yelled together.

As the duel continued, Elsworth wondered how his brother had sunk so low. He was dueling at the top of his game, and had successfully drawn out the duel long enough to have a trio of level four monsters on the field unopposed. His brother's dueling abilities never failed to impress him.

"With three level four monsters on the field, expect a strong XYZ summon here," the announcer spoke into his microphone very slowly. "This card could change the course of the whole duel."

Elsworth smiled, and saw his brother smiling as well. His was a different smile though; it seemed like a very sinister smile. It was as if he knew his opponent was finished, and was savouring the moment.

"I build the overlay network with these three monsters!" His brother raised an arm in the air as he shouted. Elsworth was on the edge of his seat.

"Here it comes," he muttered under his breath.

"Here comes what?" his mother asked.

The three figures of energy swirled as they entered the portal, as they did during an XYZ summon. A prism shot out of the vortex, and it flew high above the heads of the duelists. The camera panned back to Elsworth's brother, and he noticed a feint purple glow emitting from him. He also saw the number 16 glowing on his right hand.

He held up his hand, and the number flashed. "I XYZ summon Number 16: Shock Master!"

Energy poured out of the prism as it unfolded, twisting and shaping itself to form the beast. Its head shot out of a long neck that extended out of its body, and the number 16 was visible on its right side. As it roared, it let out a power that Elsworth had never seen before.

"Oh my," the announcer said, stunned. "I don't think any of us have ever seen such a monster."

"W-what is that?" his opponent asked.

"The end of the duel!" The glow around his brother was more visible, and Elsworth could only watch as his brother seemed to grow angrier. "Shock Master, attack!"

The monster let loose a stream of light from the horn on its head, and it knocked his opponent back as it hit. The duel ended, his opponent left on the ground as Elsworth's brother turned to leave. The crowd was silent; such a beast had never been seen before.

Elsworth turned off the tv. He didn't care about what the announcer had to say about that duel, he had seen enough. All the info he needed would be from his brother when he got home.

"What was that card?" his mother asked. "I don't remember seeing that one before."

Elsworth shook his head. "I have no idea," he lied. He stood up to leave.

All I know is that card is more powerful than even I thought. Elsworth frowned, still trying to figure out the change in his brother's demeanor at the end of that duel. There's still more questions I need answered, so let's hope my brother knows what happened.


Elsworth pulled his Number out of his deck, trying to wrap his head around everything. Was it the number that made my brother look and act like that? The thought troubled him. Maybe I don't want to get involved in this after all. It was then that the door opened.

"Hey Elsworth," his brother called as he entered.

"Hey, great win man," Elsworth said smiling. "No way anyone saw that coming."

His brother chuckled. "Yup, I bet that card got them all scared."

"Speaking of emotions, you seemed to get pretty angry near the end," Elsworth commented. "Was that due to the Number?"

"I'm not sure if it was the Number or just adrenaline," his brother admitted. "I don't know enough about the numbers yet. However, I found someone who does."

"Really?" Elsworth asked. "Who?"

"A man who called himself Fortuno came to me after the duel. He said that he had info on the Numbers," he explained. "He gave me his address, so I was going to go see him tonight."

Elsworth was stunned. "Someone who knows about the Numbers? Let me come, I want to know this stuff too."

His brother smiled. "Absolutely. We should both learn some stuff if these Numbers turn out to be more than just cards."

Elsworth nodded. Tonight was going to be an interesting night, one way or another.


The two made their way to the address just after the sun started to go down. The house was covered in moss, with windows all across the front. There was a large gate, which the two stood in front of. As they were staring at the large house, the gates opened on their own. A mist appeared, and out of it walked a very tall and skinny man. He had a cloak on, the hood over his head. A pendant of red and green stones hung from his neck.

"Hello Fortuno," Elsworth's brother said.

So this is the person he talked to. Elsworth thought. He seems creepy.

"Ah, I see you took up my offer. Brought your kid brother with you." The brother nodded. "Very well, I delight in sharing my knowledge with anyone who is willing to learn. Please, come in, and I will show you the enlightenment you seek."

Fortuno turned around and walked into the house. They followed him as he walked through a series of long hallways, pictures decorating the walls. The passageway seemed to go on forever. Elsworth shuddered as he looked around, the unease he felt growing with each step. Fortuno didn't once turn around, simply walking ahead and showing them the way.

They finally made their way into a room. It was circular, with a strangle pattern in the center. The walls in here were blank, no pictures or windows in sight. A staircase led up at the back, and someone seemed to be at the top, sitting down on a chair. Elsworth couldn't make out who it was, all he could see were two glowing blue eyes. He stopped walking, Fortuno and his brother standing on the center pattern.

"So what do you know about the numbers?" Elsworth's brother asked.

Fortuno turned around. "Numbers are a strange XYZ monster variety, that amplify and feed off the negative emotions of the duelists that wield them." Fortuno looked directly at the brother. "Your Number did the same thing to you, as you probably noticed during your duel."

Elsworth's brother nodded. "I did feel myself growing angrier near the end of the duel."

"Exactly," Fortuno said. "The Number was trying to influence your emotions, and I'd say it nearly worked."

"So tell me," the brother asked again. "How did you learn this stuff about Numbers? Do you have one?"

Fortuno smiled. "Not only do I have one, but I collect them!"

As he spoke, a wall of light appeared on the border of the inner circle pattern. It started to expand further out, pushing Elsworth back against the wall. He could only watch in horror as Fortuno pulled out a duel disc from under his cloak.

"Your Number will make an excellent addition to my collection!" Fortuno yelled.

"That's not happening," Elsworth's brother said, activating his duel disc. "Let's duel!"

At that moment, Elsworth felt himself growing tired. He tried to keep his attention on the duel, but he kept spacing out. Is this Fortuno's work? he tried to think clearly, but the duel quickly turned into a blur. He stood there, watching the faded figures go back and forth. He remembered nothing until he saw his brother go flying backwards into the floor.

"Oh no," Elsworth said to himself.

"Your fate has been sealed," Fortuno said. "It is useless to try and rewrite what was already written in the stars many years ago."

"What is he talking about?" Elsworth asked.

"You believed that you would achieve greatness," he continued. "But you're nothing more than a pawn in a game beyond your comprehension."

His brother shuddered as Fortuno stared right at him.

"And now you will give me what I seek." He pointed directly at Elsworth's brother.

"This... isn't over," he said as he stood up. The purple aura appeared around him, and the number 16 was visible on his hand again. "Number 16: Shock Master! Attack!"

The beast charged at Fortuno, and suddenly everything was a blue for Elsworth again. No! He couldn't lose focus now, he needed to be there for his brother. When everything cleared, he found himself outside. Putting on his duel gazer, he was able to see through his brother's eyes. The duel was over, and he was lying on the ground. Suddenly, a glowing hand shot out of Fortuno, and it struck his brother right in the chest. As it withdrew, Elsworth saw his brother's number in the hand, before the connection cut off.

"Oh no..." Elsworth muttered.