"Oh man. If I don't hurry, I'm going to be late." Ichigo said. He was running through the streets, He was in hurry or else he was going to be late for school. "I just had to spend all night preparing my deck for when I duel Kugo." Ichigo wasn't slowing down and that caused him to run into Uryu when he stepped out in front of Ichigo. It caused Uryu to drop his cards everywhere.

"Watch where you're going, Ichigo." Uryu said as he tried to pick up all his cards.

"Sorry, Uryu." Ichigo said as he tried to help him out.

"Here, let me help you." An older man with dark blue hair stopped by and helped with the cards and handed them all over to Uryu.

"Thank you, Mister….?" Uryu said as he tried to ask for a name.

"Ken. Ken Ichijoji."

"Uryu, we better get going or we'll be late." Ichigo said as they got moving.

"What? If we're late, I blame you." Uryu said as both of them got running to school. Ken looked down and saw Uryu forgot a card and it was his best one, Quincy Quattro.

…..

The School

"What kept you two?" Rukia said. Ichigo and Uryu were able to make it to school, but just barely.

"It was Ichigo's fault." Uryu said. "I was on my way until he ran into me. I had to stop and pick up all of my cards."

"I said I was sorry." Ichigo said.

"I don't have time for foolishness, Ichigo." Uryu said as he got to work on his schoolwork. "I have studying to do, homework to get done, and I'm in charge of some activities. As the class president, I have much to do."

"Uryu, you need to chill." Renji said.

"Renji's right. You've been working yourself so hard that you don't have time for us anymore." Orihime said. "After all, we're all friends here."

"I'm sorry, but I just don't have the time." Uryu said as he got straight to work. While that was going on, Ken was watching them from the windows and he had his eyes on Uryu. During his free time, Uryu was spending every moment he could on his work. Even during lunch while everyone was eating on the roof. Ichigo, Chad, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Renji were finding it hard to believe.

"Uryu, you need to relax." Ichigo said.

"Seriously. If lunch was for studying, we be in the library." Keigo said.

"Unlike you slackers, I care about my future." Uryu said.

"What?! Are you saying we don't care?!" Ichigo said as he was getting frustrated.

"Chill, Ichigo." Renji said as he placed his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "There's no reason to get so worked up."

"Your friends are right here." All of them looked to the door and saw Ken arrived.

"It's you again!" Ichigo said.

"Mr. Ichijoji!" Uryu said.

"Nice to see the two of you again." Ken said. "I came because you forgot to grab this." Ken handed over Uryu's card and he was surprised.

"Oh man. I was in such a hurry that I didn't even noticed it." Uryu said as he took his card. "This card is my best. I can't afford to lose it."

"Who is this guy again?" Mizuiro asked.

"His name is Ken. He helped me and Uryu out on our way to school." Ichigo said.

"Ken? Ken Ichijoji? Where have I heard that name before?" Renji said as he tried to think of it.

"I might not be a famous duelist like my best friend, but I can still hold my own with some cards." Ken said.

"Oh! I've heard of you." Mizuiro said. "You're claimed to be best friends with the famous duelist, Davis Motomiya. On top of that, you are a real genius all the way in Tamachi."

"Yep. That's me." Ken said.

"Wow! I can't believe it!" Ichigo said.

"So what are you doing here?" Keigo asked.

"I'm actually here to help out at the museum." Ken said. "In case you haven't heard, Davis' deck will be on display for a while there. He asked me to make sure everything is going well here."

"That's awesome." Chad said. Ken looked over to Uryu.

"Your name is Uryu, right?" Ken said.

"Yes. Why?" Uryu asked.

"I was wondering if you would like to have a duel with me." Ken said.

"A duel? What for?" Uryu said.

"It's been a long time since I've had one." Ken said. "There's just something about you that remind me of myself. So what do you say?"

"I don't know. I have a lot to do." Uryu said.

"Come on, Uryu. There's always time for a duel." Ichigo said.

"Your friend is right. What do you say?" Ken said. Uryu thought about it and figured he had time for just one.

"Alright, but we'll have to make it fast." Uryu said. Both of them took their positions and activated their duel disks.

"Let's duel!" Both of them said with a full 4000LP.

"I'll make the first move." Uryu said. "I summon Blue Archer to the field in attack mode." A blue dressed archer came on the field with 1300atk poins. "I use Blue Archer's special ability to deal 300 points of direct damage." His archer fired an arrow and hit Ken with it with his points dropping to 3700. "I place two cards facedown and end my turn."

"My turn." Ken said as he drew his card. "I'll start by summoning Mystic Knight." A white armored knight came on the field and drew his sword with 1400atk points. "Then, I activate Demise Burial. So when a monster leaves the field this turn, it will count as a destruction."

"Why would he play a card like that?" Ichigo said.

"Only one reason. He's going to sacrifice that knight." Renji said.

"I activate Tribute Doll. Now, I sacrifice my knight to summon a stronger monster." Ken said. The knight was surrounded in dark aura and was destroyed. "I summon Ultra Chimera." A feathered wing dark chimera with the head of a goat, lion, and tiger came on the field with 2600atk points. "There's more. Since my spell counted my knight's sacrifice as a destruction, his ability activates. You lose 500 life points." Uryu was surrounded in a white aura and his points dropped 3500.

"This guy has got skill." Ichigo said.

"No kidding. He's already got a strong monster out and he's not done yet." Keigo said.

"I activate my Ultra Chimera's ability. If I send the top card in my deck to the grave, I can destroy one card on your field." Ken said as he did just that. "Go, Triple Ultra Roar." The chimera unleashed a roar and destroyed Uryu's archer. "I place this facedown and end my turn."

"Hold on. Why didn't he attack?" Keigo said.

"Did you skip that class?" Renji said. "When a monster is summoned with Tribute Doll, that monster is unable to attack this turn."

"He might also be cautious of his two face-downs." Keigo said.

"It's my turn." Uryu said as he drew his next. "I'll start by activating by trap. It's known as Assaultive of Arrows." Hundreds of arrows rained down and impaled the chimera and the card. "Thanks to this trap, you can't attack or use your monster's special ability. You also can't use your face-down."

"Awesome. Uryu just incapacitated his monster. So he should be safe for a while as long as that trap remains on the field." Renji said.

"Next, I use my other trap, Threads of Life." Uryu said. "This trap brings back the last monster that was destroyed. Since my Blue Archer was the last monster destroyed, he's coming back." Threads reached don a dark hole and his archer came back. "Blue Archer, fire away with your special ability." His archer fired and struck Ken again with his life points dropping to 3400. "Next, I sacrifice my Blue Archer to summon Quincy Ancient." His archer vanished and another one appeared with white and blue clothing and wore a metal bow on his wrist and also had 2000atk points. "I'll end my turn."

"That's it? I thought he had more." Keigo said.

"He's got to have some sort of plan." Ichigo said.

"What's going on? I thought you wanted to end this quickly?" Ken said.

"I have my reasons." Uryu said. 'I just need to hold out on my next turn. During my standby phase, Quincy Ancient will gain 400atk points. If I'm also able to bring out Quincy Quattro, my win is guaranteed.' He thought.

"It's my turn." Ken said as he drew his next card. "I summon Lone Star Warrior in attack mode." A gladiator holding a spear and shield with a star on it came up with 1600atk points. "Next, I'm activating the effects of Spore Imp in my graveyard. It's the card I discarded earlier." A little imp appeared on Ken's shoulder with spores being released. "It allows me to draw an extra card if I remove him from play. I think I'll use it right now. I activate Show Kindness. This spell gives all the attack points of a monster I discard to another. I'll send my Forest Dragon to the grave. That will give my Lone Star Warrior 1500atk points." His gladiator's points went up to 3100.

"Uh oh!" Uryu said.

"Uh oh is right. Lone Star Warrior, attack Quincy Ancient with Star Spear!" Ken ordered. His warrior threw the spear and it took off like a shooting star and struck through it and destroyed it with Uryu's life points dropping to 2400. "His special ability now activates. I gain life points equal to the damage you took." His life points rose to 4500. "Such a shame right. You put up all that work and effort and it all comes crashing down."

"What are you talking about?" Uryu asked.

"Uryu, I think you're putting too much of yourself out there." Ken said. "I've been keeping my eye on you. You're putting too much effort into your work and ignore what's around you."

"I have not." Uryu said.

"Yes you have. You were doing work every time you have free time." Ken said. "I was once the same way myself and I lost sight of what was important."

"Important?" Uryu wondered as to what he meant. Ken motioned his head and Uryu saw he was referring to Ichigo and the others.

"Putting effort into your work is a good thing so you don't fall behind, but it's important not to forget what you have in your life that is important." Ken said. "After all, if you do that and all that work and effort ends up being for nothing, you'll have nothing."

"I think I get it. Don't shut out the people I consider my friends." Uryu said and he smiled with an adjustment of his glasses. "I see your point."

"Better hurry or we're going to be late for class." Keigo said.

"I'm not too worried about that. Let's end this." Uryu said.

"It's your turn and since it's my end of my turn, my warrior loses it's extra power." Ken said as his gladiator returned to normal. Uryu drew his next card.

"I summon my Quincy Blade Arrow in attack mode." Uryu said. He summoned another archer with it hold a bow and a blade and had 1800atk points. "Next, I activate Justification of the Quincy. Now, my Quincy Blade Arrow can be treated as two monsters." His monster was copied I now unite my two level four, light attribute Quincy Blade Arrows." The two copies became yellow energy that merged together. "I unite summon Quincy Quattro." His archer was dressed in blue and white and his bow was made from energy. He also had 3000atk points.

"That is quite the impressive monster." Ken complimented.

"I activate his special ability. By using one unite unit, I'm able to destroy one monster on the field." Uryu said. One unit entered the bow and he was preparing to fire. "I'll take out your Ultra Chimera." He fired the arrow and the chimera was destroyed. "I can only use that ability once a turn, but that's fine. Attack with Soul Slicing Arrow." His archer fired off a large arrow and destroyed Lone Star Warrior and Ken's life points dropped down to 2900.

"Not bad." Ken said.

"That's the end of my turn." Uryu said.

"My move." Ken said. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon."

"Mystical Space Typhoon! That means he can destroy any spell or trap." Ichigo said. A tornado blew in and destroyed Uryu's Assaultive of Arrows and freed his card.

"I activate my trap. Overthrow the Empeor." Ken said. "Since I have more life points, it allows me to draw two more cards, but there's more. I am able to summon a monster that has attack points equal or less than my life points. I summon my ace monster, Stingmon." A green human insect came on the field and had 2400atk points.

"An impressive monster, but it can't beat mine." Uryu said.

"That doesn't matter." Ken said. "I activate Electric Whip. My whip gives him an extra 700atk points." Stingmon was given a whip with electricity running through it and his points rose to 3100. "Attack!" Stingmon lashed at the whip and it struck Quincy Quattro with Uryu's life points dropping to 2300.

"Nice try, but only a unite monster can destroy another unite monster." Uryu said.

"I know. That's why I'm activating the spell card known as Diversionary Strike." Ken said. "When I fail to destroy a monster, this spell allows my monster to strike you directly." Stingmon lashed the whip and Uryu got hit and electrocuted with all of his life points dropping to nothing.

"Unreal. Uryu lost!" Chad said as none of them believed it. Ken walked over and helped Uryu up.

"Seems like I got through to you." Ken said.

"You're right. Thank you for reminding me my friends are just as important as my work." Uryu said.

"That was a great duel, but we better hurry or we'll be late." Keigo said and they got running.

"You guys never change. I'll take care of it" Uryu said as he learned to been more relaxed and remembered to be there for his friends.