YU-GI-OH!
A New Generation of Duelists
Welcome to Duel Island
By Dan Kuhlmeyer
The Stalkers' boat finally made it to Duel Island. They all gathered on the deck as their leader stood before them with Taurus and Scorpio on each side of him.
"My faithful servants," the leader spoke to them. "This tournament will be an excellent opportunity to streghten us. With Scorpio keeping an eye on these Duelists' decks, you shall have no problem finding and defeating your opponents. And the one who defeats Brian and his friends will be rewarded greatly."
The Stalkers began cheering.
After their leader's speech, they began their exploit around the island. One stalker had a determined look in his eyes.
"Rewarded greatly," he snickered. "That reward will be given to me."
"Ha! You defeat Brian?" A harsh voice called out. "You wouldn't last five minutes with him in a Duel, Sagittarius."
The stalker turned around and sneered at the stalker who called him. "And I suppose you would do a better job, Leo?"
"A whole lot better. You're deck only has rare cards. You've got no strategy at all. I don't know why Taurus picked you. You should call yourself 'SAD ittarius."
Sagittarius grew madder. "I will defeat Brian and you will be scrubbing my floor."
Leo laughed. "I'll bring some popcorn with me in case you find him. You dueling him will be very entertaining."
Then he walked away laughing. Sagittarius growled at him.
"I'll show you. You won't be so annoying when I have you cleaning my bathroom."
Sagittarius turned and walked away.
Once the boat made it to the dock, Brian, Derrick, Trevor, and Michelle got off together. Instead of a remote island, the whole island was a large city with skyscrapers.
A voice came through the speakers. "Don't forget to check in at the Duelists' Hotel where you'll be staying. Reservations and food is free to all Duelists."
"FREE FOOD?" Trevor shouted exited. "This is my kind of tournament."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Derrick complained.
"The tournament rules will be announced on the radio in everyone's room in one hour. You'll have that much time to check in and make yourselves at home."
"Well guys," Brian spoke to his friends, "let's go."
They already got their rooms in the Duelists' Hotel. Brian, Derrick, and Trevor were all sharing a room while Michelle had one across from theirs. She was already unpacking when the radio automatically turned on.
"Welcome Duelists to Duel Island," a young girl's voice was heard from the speaker.
Michelle gritted her teeth. "That was the Dark Elf's voice."
"All the best Duelists in the world were invited to this tournament. Meaning the winner of this tournament will have the rarest and most powerful cards ever, for as you know, the winner of each duel will receive the loser's rarest card. But that is not all that you will wager."
A small port suddenly popped opened in Michelle's Card Scanner. There were four slots on it and one had a silver coin with the Millennium Symbol imprinted on it.
"These Silver Coins are the batteries for your Card Scanners. And they don't need charging. You will wager them in each Duel as well as your rarest card. Once you have four silver coins, you can go to the front desk at the Duelists' Hotel and use them to buy a Gold Coin. You must have only four Gold Coins to compete in the finals, not sixteen Silver Coins.
"Most of you should have practiced Dueling with the new rules and tested your Card Scanners. At Duel Island, you won't have to log in your Card Scanners because they've already been logged on. Now get your Decks and Scanners ready and prepare to Duel."
The radio went silent after that. Michelle closed the Coin Port and walked out the door.
Once Alexa finished her announcement, she headed out the door.
"How stupid of me. I forgot to mention I'm going to be Dueling too."
She snickered as she walked out of the room.
Michelle met her friends outside the hotel. Trevor was snacking on a chocolate chip muffin, Brian was still reading the rules for the tournament, while Derrick leaned against the wall looking at nothing.
"Did you guys hear the rules for this?" she asked them.
"Yeb," Trevor said with his mouth full. "En if sund li a piz o caig."
Brian sighed. "What he's trying to say is that it already sounds easy. But I think that the hard part is getting those Gold Coins."
Trevor gulped down what he had in his mouth. "I was going to say that."
Michelle noticed that Derrick was still staring ahead and was not saying a word.
"Hey, Derrick! What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I just have this strange feeling of déjà vu all of a sudden. Like something here seems familiar."
Brian looked back at Michelle. "While we were unpacking, he's mentioned that he doesn't remember much before...you know. Ever since he joined us after our first Duel, he's been slowly getting flashbacks about his past. But there's still a lot he thinks he should remember, but can't."
They all looked at him with pity.
"Hey you!" a voice called out.
They turned and saw black-haired young man in a black robe walk up to them. Brian already recognized the robe. It was exactly like the one Steel was wearing.
"Who are you?" Brian asked him.
"They call me Sagittarius. And I want to Duel each one of you four, starting with you Brian."
He must be one of the Stalkers Ishizu warned me about. I have to beat him.
The Millennium Puzzle glowed and Brian turned into Yami Brian.
"Let's Duel Sagittarius."
They turned on their Card Scanners and unhooked their hover disks from their belts and threw them to each other until they were just a foot away from each other.
Sagittarius: 8000. Brian: 8000.
"I'll go first," Sagittarius said has he pressed his Turn Button. "I'll play one Monster in Defense Mode and one card facedown."
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I'll Attack your hidden Monster with Beta the Magnet Warrior."
Beta the Magnet Warrior (A: 1700) charged at the Monster in Defense Mode. But as the Spirit of the Harp (D: 2000) appeared, Beta was pushed back.
Sagittarius: 8000. Brian: 7700.
"Hah! Didn't expect a Monster with a Defense of 2000, didn't you?" Sagittarius laughed as he pressed his Turn Button. "I'll use Pot of Greed to draw two cards. And now Dark Blade destroys your Magnet."
Dark Blade (A: 2300) slashed its sword and destroyed the Beta the Magnet Warrior.
Sagittarius: 8000. Brian: 7400.
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I'll play one Monster in Defense Mode."
"Good because that's all you can do," Sagittarius mocked him as he pressed his Turn Button. "I'll play two cards facedown and play Maruding Captain in Attack Mode, who by the way gets a power boost from my Earth Field Card. And since now that he's summoned, I'll play Axe Raider in Attack Mode. As long as my Maruding Captain is out, you can't harm any of my Warriors. I'll end my turn by Attack your hidden Monster with Dark Blade and Maruding Captain and Axe Raider will do the rest."
As the Maruding Captain (A: 1700) and the Axe Raider (A: 2200) stood next to the Spirit of the Harp, Dark Blade charged at Brian's hidden Monster. Big Shield Guardna (D: 3100) appeared and Dark Blade was pushed back.
"WHAT?" Sagittarius cried out.
"I should thank you, Sagittarius. Your Earth Card also powered up my Big Shield Guardna."
Sagittarius: 7200. Brian: 7400.
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I'll play Celtic Guardian in Attack Mode and Attack your Maruding Captain."
"Impossible! You can't attack my warriors with him out!"
"Exactly."
Celtic Guardian (1900) appeared and slashed its sword at the Maruding Captain, destroying it.
Sagittarius: 7000. Brian: 7600.
"How's that possible? My Captain was a Warrior, therefore it couldn't be attacked."
"Wrong. With Maruding Captain out, I couldn't attack your other warriors. But I could still attack your Captain."
Sagittarius growled as he pressed his Turn Button. "You'll pay for that, Brian. And to start, I'll have Final Flame inflict 600 points of Damage to your Life Points."
Sagittarius: 7000. Brian: 6800.
"Next I'll have my Axe Raider destroy your Celtic Guardian. And Since your Big Shield Guardna's still out, I'll pass."
Axe Raider sliced its axe at the Celtic Guardian and destroyed it.
Sagittarius: 7000. Brian: 6600.
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I'll play one card facedown and end my turn."
"Fine with me." Saggitarius "I'll just use Goblin's Secret Remedy to increase my Life Points by 600."
Sagittarius: 7600. Brian: 6600.
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I'll also use Pot of Greed to Draw two cards, and place those two cards facedown."
Sagittarius pressed his Turn Button. "I'll play Hyabusa Knight in Attack Mode and do what I should've done earlier. I'll activate a card I had facedown, Change of Heart. Now you're Big Shield Guarna's mine and nothing is protecting you. Now all my Monsters can attack you directly. It's over."
"Wrong!"
As the Dark Blade charged at Brian, he activated Mirror Force and all the Monsters Sagittarius had in Attack Mode were destroyed.
"Curses!"
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "Now that you're turn's over, my Big Shield Guardna is on my side again. And I summon Silver Fang in Attack Mode with Beast Fangs and Attack your Spirit of the Harp."
Silver Fang (A: 2100) destroyed the Spirit of the Harp.
Sagittarius scowled as he pressed his Turn Button. "I'll just play one Monster in Defense Mode."
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "Then I'll destroy it with Silver Fang."
Silver Fang destroyed the hidden Monster and a Fiber Jar appeared as it was destroyed.
"HAH! Now that my Fiber Jar is face-up, we both return our monsters from our hands, the field, and the graveyard to our decks, reshuffle and draw five new cards."
Increasing my chances of getting what I want.
All Monsters disappeared from the field and five new cards took the place of the old ones on the Card Scanners.
"My turn isn't over yet," Yami Brian called out. "And I'll end it by playing one Monster in Defense Mode."
"Very well," Sagittarius said as he pressed his Turn Button. I'll lay two one card facedown and bring back an old friend. My Dark Blade's back will destroy your defense Monster."
Dark Blade came back and destroyed Brian's Giant Soldier of Stone.
Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I'll use Dark Hole to destroy your Dark Blade and play Gamma the Magnet Warrior to Attack you directly."
Dark Blade was destroyed and Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500) charged at Sagittarius.
Sagittarius: 6100. Brian: 6600.
Sagittarius pressed his Turn Button. "I'll use Goblin's Secret Remedy to increase my Life Points."
Sagittarius: 6700. Brian: 6600.
"And I'll Attack you with Spear Dragon."
Spear Dragon (1900) destroyed Gamma the Magnet Warrior.
Sagittarius: 6700. Brian: 6200.
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I'll play Card Destruction to destroy the cards in our hand. And lay one card facedown."
Sagittarius pressed his Turn Button. "I'll play two Cards facedown, Final Flame attacks you directly.
Sagittarius: 6700. Brian: 5600.
"And Opticlops and Spear Dragon attack you directly."
As Opticlops and Spear Dragon charged at Brian, Mirror Force once again destroyed them.
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "Now I play..."
"Not so fast! I activate Lightforce Sword. It will randomly select a card in your hand and put it out of play for three turns."
Brian looked at the Card Screens in horror as the card selected was his Dark Magician. But he was relived that he could still play his other card.
"I'll play Alpha the Magnet Warrior in Attack Mode and Attack you directly."
Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400) charged at Sagittarius.
Sagittarius: 5400. Brian: 5600.
Sagittarius pressed his Turn Button. Yes! My rarest card. I can't summon it now, but I'll wait. "Nothing I can do this turn."
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I will just have Alpha Attack you directly."
Sagittarius: 4000. Brian: 5600.
Sagittarius pressed his Turn Button. "I'll lay one monster in Defense Mode."
Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I'll use Pot of Greed to draw two cards, play Harpy's Brother in Attack Mode and have Alpha attack your hidden Monster."
Alpha charged at the hidden card. Morphing Jar #2 appeared as it was destroyed and Harpy's Brother and Alpha disappeared.
"Now that Morphing Jar #2 is revealed, all monsters on the field are returned to the owner's decks and the decks are reshuffled. Then, since we had two level four monsters on the field before my jar was face-up, we keep drawing until we have two level four or lower monsters in our hands, special summon them in defense mode, and destroy what else we picked up."
As they spoke, two monsters were in defense mode on each side while a few Magic and Trap cards were discarded.
Sagittarius pressed his turn button. "Now I'll sacrifice both my monsters for my rarest card, Buster Blader. I end my turn here."
Both of Sagittarius' Monsters were destroyed and Buster Blader (A: 3100) appeared.
Why did he stop there? What's he up to?
Yami Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I'll Sacrifice my Monsters for my best Monster, Dark Magician."
Both of Brian's Monsters were destroyed and Dark Magician (A: 3000) appeared.
"YES! Now I activate Ring of Destruction. It not only destroys your Dark Magician, but its Attack is inflicted on both our Life Points."
The Dark Magician was destroyed.
Sagittarius: 1000. Brian: 2600.
Sagittarius pressed his Turn Button. "AHA! Now I'll use Monster Reborn to bring back your Dark Magician and use Polymerization to fuse your Magician and my Blader into the Black Paladin."
Both Monsters fused together to form the Dark Paladin(3400).
"Fortunately for you, this monster can't Attack on the turn it was fused. So I'll give you one more turn to surrender."
Brian looked at his card Scanner. What do we do now, Yami?
Trust in yourself, Brian. That's what's special about you. I've known from the day you were born that there was something special and familiar about you. Somehow I knew that long ago you were my son Brayon. And you have the very skills that he possessed. You must believe in those skills.
Brian took a deep breath when he heard his friends cheering for him. He turned and saw Michelle smile at him as the Necklace of Hathor glowed.
And with the Necklace of Hathor guarding you two, you cannot lose. So go for it.
Right. Brian pressed his Turn Button. "I'll lay one card facedown and Mystical Elf in Attack Mode."
The Mystical Elf appeared.
"That's the best you can do? Surrender would be easier but oh well." Sagittarius pressed his Turn Button. "Now I'll have the Dark Paladin destroy your elf and end this Duel."
The Dark Paladin aimed its sword at the elf and fired dark energy. But the Dark energy was caught in one Magic Cylinder and another one fired the Dark Energy at Sagittarius.
Sagittarius: 0. Brian: 2800
Sagittarius looked at Brian and his friends nervously then turned and ran. But Derrick grabbed him before he could go farther.
"Hold on. You have something that now belongs to Brian."
"No! I won't give him anything."
He was about to punch Derrick, but Trevor grabbed his arm first.
"Not so fast, Saggy."
Derrick opened the Coin Deck and took Sagittarius' Silver Coin. Then he opened the Deck slot and took out his deck. He looked through it until he found the Buster Blader.
"Alright, Trevor. You can let him go now."
Trevor pushed the man on the ground. As he went to join his friends, he noticed the rest of the cards that Derrick threw to the ground.
"Hey guys, check this. I don't think he had one common card in his deck."
"You mean he only had rare cards?" Michelle asked him. "Well that's pretty smart. Not all the best cards are the rarest. Some common cards make a rare card stronger."
Sagittarius was suddenly holding his head and gasping. "No, master! Please! I really did try. No! NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
His eyes were suddenly blank and he walked up to the four teenagers with his arms dangling.
"I must congratulate you Pharaoh. You have defeated one of my Stalkers. But he was only the weakest. I have no use for fools so I have sent him to the Shadow Realm, just as I will the four of you."
"What's he talking about?" Derrick asked Brian.
"Someone's controlling him," Brian answered him. "This must be the very same person who was controlling Steel."
"Very perceptive of you Pharaoh. Where are my manners? I never got the chance to introduce myself. This word will mean the demise of all of you: Jakarru!"
"Jakarru?" Trevor repeated.
"How is it you control minds?" Michelle asked him. "Only the Millennium Rod can do that."
"True. But that's the power of the Dagger of Anubis. It can imitate the power of any three Millennium Items I chose. Such as the Mind Reading power of the Millennium Eye, the Brain control power of the Millennium Rod, and the Millennium Ring's ability to seek Millennium Items, which is how my Stalkers will be able to hunt you down and destroy the four of you one by one until I have what I desire."
"And what would that be?" Derrick demanded.
"That is for me to know, Derrick Kaiba, and you to find out. Mark my words, we will meet again and I will have what rightfully belongs to me."
And Sagittarius fell lifelessly to the ground.
Leo watched the whole Duel from the top of a nearby tower.
"Alas, poor Sagittarius. I knew him well. And I hated him."
With that, he turned and laughed.
"Jakarru?" Alexa spoke as she hid in an alley. "So my adversary has a name. A name that will cease to exist once I'm done with him."
She turned around and rushed into the alley.
"Here you go, Brian," Derrick handed him the Buster Blader Card and the Silver Coin. "You earned it."
Brian took them. "Thank you, Derrick." And he inserted the Silver coin in the coin deck and the card in the Deck slot."
"Come on, guys," Michelle said to them. "We've got some Duels to win."
Brian and Trevor followed her but Derrick turned and went the other direction.
"You guys go ahead. I'm going this way."
They all turned and looked at him.
"What?" Trevor asked him. "But Der-Devil, I thought we were a team."
"We are a team. But I'm used to going solo. Besides, there's something I need to take care of. And I need to do it alone."
And he just kept walking. They watched him go and Trevor went another direction.
"I'm going alone too, guys."
Brian and Michelle looked at him puzzled.
"Why, Trevor?" Brian asked him.
"They say I only win if you guys are there to help me. But I want to prove them wrong. I want to show that I'm not just a rookie playing in the big leagues."
He looked back at his friends. "You guys have always been there for me. You guys are the closest thing I've ever had to an older brother and sister. You were always there when I needed you the most. But I'm not a little kid anymore. I shouldn't have to need you all the time."
Michelle smiled. "I know. I just never wanted you to get hurt. But you're right, you can't rely on us all the time. There are some things you have to do on your own."
Trevor smiled back. "I'll root for both of you. And Derrick too."
Brian nodded. "Same here, buddy."
Trevor winked at his friends then walked off.
"What about us?" Michelle asked Brian.
"The two of us should stay together. If we're separated, the Necklace of Hathor won't work for either of us."
They both smiled at one another and walked off together.
Something here feels familiar, Derrick thought. And I'm going to find out what it is.
I'm going to be the best there is, Trevor thought. Look out Jakarru. Me and my pals are going to kick your butt.
To be continued...