A friend of mine told me a story once:
"The other day, I met this guy who plays collectible card games. I asked him to teach me how to play and he just said `humpf! Come back once you've collected 10,000 cards! ` I couldn't believe it!"
That story made me mad, but I thought the card collector would make a good character. And that's how Seto Kaiba was born! Everybody be nice when you play card games!
-Kazuki Takahashi, 1999
Over a year ago a war was fought over the power of the king. Mighty gamers from all around the world clashed in astounding contests called Shadow Games. In the final battle the vessel Yugi Mutou defeated the legendary great king Atem in the Rite of Duel.
This day finds a short 11th grade high school boy on his way home from another average day at school. He had big, bright, purple eyes. He wore a blue high school uniform and a black choker. By far his most distinctive feature was his hair. He had dark, almost black, purple hair. It was spiked straight up into five points. From his forehead zigzagged out Gold strands of hair.
This individual was Yugi Mutou. Yugi was headed back to his grandfather's game shop, the Kame Game Shop. On his way, however, he was stopped by a stranger with a particular device on his arm. It was light blue and white. It had an arm plate that had five slots for cards. On the body of the machine was a blank counter and two slots for holding still more cards. The stranger was tall and muscular, like a body builder. He has a shaved head and sunglasses. Yugi sighed heavily. "What do you want?" he asked. Yugi already knew what this guy wanted, but who knew, maybe he only wanted an autograph?
"I challenge you, Yugi Mutou, to a game of Duel Monsters!!" The behemoth said. Yugi sighed again, he was right. Yugi still loved Duel Monsters, but he was sick of fighting weaklings. Every time he played he remembered his other self, who he had lost some time ago. The only people he wanted to fight any more were his rival, Kaiba, and his best friend, Jonouchi (Joey). They were two of only three people he considered true duelists. The only other duelist lost his life a year and a half ago… by his own hand.
Besides, why did everyone always want to play Duel Monsters? There were plenty of other games! He played a lot of Role Playing Games with his friend Bakura, (which were a lot more fun without the whole "trap your souls in figurines" thing) but that was about it. "Fine," he sighed, "let's get this over with." Yugi took off his backpack and removed his own Duel Disk, the machine the challenger had. They placed decks of Duel Monsters cards into the slots in the front of the Duel Disks and the counter lit up. They were ready.
"Duel!"
"You can go first," Yugi said.
"My pleasure, draw!" the challenger looked at his card and smiled,"Ha ha ha ha! Carve the name Haibokusha into your memories, the name of the true winner!" Yugi's temper flared. He didn't know if this guy was trying to emulate Kaiba or if he was just stupid, but nobody had the right to quote that duel, not even Yugi himself. "I summon Jirai Gumo in attack mode!" he continued. A grotesque spider creature appeared from Haibokusha's card. "My first turn and I've already summoned a monster with 2200 attack points! You don't stand a chance!!" Yugi had no passions for this. Haibokusha ended his turn, finally.
"My turn," Yugi said in an exasperated voice. Yugi didn't have anything in his hand that could defeat Jirai Gumo. "I'll play Marshmellon in defense mode, and one card face down. End Turn."
Marshmellon: DEF-500
Haibokusha was in hysterics. "Is that the best the `King of Duelists` can do? You're a joke," he told Yugi. Yugi didn't flinch. "Fine then, it's my turn, draw and attack!" Jirai Gumo lunged at Marsmellon, but when it's claw like legs reached the jelly-monster they just bounced off.
Haibokusha: Life Points-2000"Wha…?"
Yugi Mutou: Life Points-4000"…"
"Why did my Life Points go down? Why is your monster still alive? What the hell happened?!" Haibokusha stuttered. Yugi shook his head in disbelief. This guy knew they were playing Super Expert Rules right?
"Your Dungeon Spider, `Jirai Gumo, ` has a fifty percent chance of stealing half of your Life Points when it attacks. In addition, my Marshmellon can't be destroyed by the spider's attack, only magic can affect it," Yugi explained. He shook his head again, "You're not much of an opponent, are you?" The string of profanities that came from Haibokusha didn't stop until Yugi declared, "My turn! On my Draw Phase I activate my Trap Card, Zero Gravity. This card switches the battle positions of every monster on the board."
Jirai Gumo: DEF-100
Marshmellon: ATK-300
"You can do that?" Haibokusha asked.
Yugi was starting to get a head ache. "Yes! I can do that!" Yugi said angrily, "And now in my Battle Phase I'll summon Silent Swordsman lv 0 in attack position."
Silent Swordsman lv 0: ATK-1000
"That's just another weak monster," Haibokusha said.
"That may be true now, but on every turn my swordsman will `level up` and gain 500 attack points. But first, Marshmellon attacks." Marshmellon chomped down on Jirai Gumo. "Next is Silent Swordsman. Attack!"
Haibokusha: Life Points-1000
"In my End Phase I'll set two cards. End Turn."
"You'll pay for that, you runt. Draw! I play Shallow Grave to revive Jirai Gumo." The spider rose from the ground in defense mode. "Unfortunately for you, he won't stay long. I sacrifice my spider to call out Ryu Kokki, a level 6 zombie with 2400 attack points!" Haibokusha declared. A strange monster made out of skulls appeared. "Next I'll activate Stim Pack to boost Ryu Kokki's power by 700! Attack!!"
Ryu Kokki: ATK-3100
Silent Swordsman lv 1: ATK-1500
"Activate Spell Card; Turn Jump!" Yugi motioned for his card to reveal itself.
Ryu Kokki: ATK-1900
Silent Swordsman lv 4: ATK-3000
"What happened this time??"
"My spell skips time ahead three turns, Turn Jump," Yugi told Haibokusha.
"Bu-but why did Ryu Kokki get weaker?" Haibokusha asked, almost weeping.
"Your Stim Pack lowers your monster's strength by 400 every turn. I used Turn Jump not only to level up Silent Swordsman, but also to give Stim Pack time to weaken Ryu Kokki." Yugi told him calmly. He didn't get the "high" a duelist would get from a worthy opponent. There was simply no question; Haibokusha wasn't worth Yugi's time!
"I already said attack…"
"Silent Swordsman lv 4, counter attack!" The swordsman dashed past Ryu Kokki and split it in half with his enormous sword. "Game over."
Haibokusha: Life Points-0
Haibokusha fell to his knees at his loss. Yugi closed the distance between himself and his "opponent." Haibokusha was much taller than Yugi, but on his knees, he had to look up at the King of Duelists. "Come back and fight me again… when you're a duelist," Yugi told him angrily.
Yugi continued on his way home. He was less than a block away when another man placed himself in Yugi's path. The man wore a turban and robes like those of an Egyptian. He had pale, unmoving eyes. Yugi recognized this person.
"Shadi!" Yugi spoke the man's name in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
"Yugi," the mystic spoke,"I have come before you with a new task you must complete. Another terrible battle is about to ensue and you must be the one to stop it."
"Me?" Yugi asked,"What could I do... Without the other me?"
"Yugi, you are the king now. You proved your worth time and again. You must go now and do your duty," Shadi told him. Shadi held out a golden pyramid attached to a silver chain. In the center of the inverted pyramid was a wadjet eye.
"The Millennium Puzzle!!" Yugi gasped. His greatest tresure, he thought it destroyed.
"This item is yours alone," Shadi told him, "You must take it and use its power as a true Pharaoh would."
"Dose this mean the other me is back?" Yugi asked hopefully.
"No, he is not. You will wield the puzzle's power alone," Shadi told him in his usual monotone. Suddenly, Shadi's face showed a serious expression. It wasn't like Shadi to show any emotion, "I warn you; this journey will take you to places you could never dream of, to face challenges you couldn't possibly imagine. Will you accept the responsibility of the puzzle Yugi Mutou?"
Yugi didn't move. This would, no doubt, change his life forever. "Yes!" he declared proudly. He reached for the puzzle and grabbed the chain tightly. Suddenly Yugi found himself in a swirling grey vortex.
Shadi's voice echoed through the void, "Good luck Yugi Mutou. May the grace of Bast protect you."
Yugi wished he had time to get his friends, but he guessed that that wouldn't have been possible. It couldn't be helped. He was alone this time so he had to be strong. Strong like him.
Shadi: Jagshamesh! Ima Shadi.
Yugi: Oh, great. What do you want this time you anti-semantic prick?
Shadi: I am here to tell little Jew boy that he has to go to Anime rip-off of his own show to save the world by playing a children's card game… again.
Yugi: What? Again?! Can't someone come up with a show about card games without me as the main character?
Shadi: …Ima ghost.
Yugi: I don't care!
