"I summon Bolmeteus Steel Dragon!"

The crowd went wild as a dragon physically manifested in the arena. White leathery wings battered air then stretched wide; the overhead lights glinted off the blue steel armor. It unleashed a shaking roar that drowned out the applause for a few seconds.


DUEL MASTERS: AVATARS

Chapter 1: Unity Dojo in Alcadeia City!


"Aaaand here's Bolmeteus!" The announcer's voice echoed above the audience. "A definite fan favorite!"

A spinning logo in the corner identified the broadcast as the Kaijudo channel. Giant posters hung from the high ceiling, depicting Shobu or Kokujo with the catchphrase 'Own the zone!'.

The summoner paused to push the glasses up his nose then he pointed.

"Aqua Hulcus, break his shield! Ike!"

There were wet padding noises as the smaller water creature ran over air, springing up and throwing itself into a blue panel. Glass breaking made the audience all the more excited. A new card briefly flashed as it appeared in the opponent's hand, but he scowled at the lack of trigger.

"I end my turn."

"Still not attacking with all those creatures?" The opponent barked. He was called Jerry the Giant, a muscly kind of fat guy with tan skin. His row of upside-down cards straightened, as if by magic. He reached for his deck and drew a card. "Well now you're gonna be sorry…" Five mana cards turned themselves sideways and he revealed a spell. "Searing Wave will destroy your Aqua Hulcus, those two Emerals and that Corile!"

A lava wave as wide as the stadium swelled then swept across, burning away the small army. Only Bolmeteus remained, beating its wings as the lava dispersed.

Four cards popped off the table, one after the other, landing in the discard pile. Light reflected off his glasses, the other duelist frowned a little. He was a shorter and slim Asian man.

"That spell costs me a shield," Jerry explained after another panel dissolved, for the sake of the viewers.

"What a devastating turn of events, folks! Michael has lost all his weaker creatures before he could go for a swarm!" The annunciator cried.

"That's what you get for waiting!" Jerry continued. "I summon Pyrofighter Magnus!" An armored lizard-guy raced in out of nowhere. "Nocturnal Giant triple breaks your shields! Ike!" The biggest creature in play loomed over - a shadowy figure with glowing circles around it. It threw a curved punch that smashed three shields and sent air buffering through the hair of the one known as Michael. Glass fragments paused in midair before rewinding, Michael raised his arm as they formed two cards in his grip.

"Two Terror Pits. I send Pyrofighter Magnus and La Ura Giga, Sky Guardian straight to your graveyard!" A multitude of pale hands pulled the lizard-guy and a silver jet down, then they exploded brightly. Two cards bounced off Jerry's table and landed in a stack by his deck.

"That's what you get for rushing ahead." Michael smirked.

"Why you…" Jerry's teeth grated.

"Incredible turnaround yet again with two shield triggers! Michael's not out yet!" The announcer bellowed.

A row of cheerleaders were jumping, all bouncy with their pom poms swinging.

There were now only two creatures in play: Bolmeteus squaring off against Nocturnal Giant.

"My turn then, I take it?" Michael drew. "I summon Bazagazeal Dragon!" Another dragon even bigger than the last made the hype go through the roof. It was blue with four arms wielding double-ended swords. "He's a speed attacker that returns to my hand at the end of the turn! Attack Nocturnal Giant, ike!" It flew out at once, its hands caught by Nocturnal and they struggled before it was eviscerated with a few quick swipes. The giant shone brightly before vanishing in a blast wave that rocketed outwards.

"Excuse me, Sir."

"-Now Bolmeteus attacks, but he burns two of your shields straight to the graveyard!"

Zeke paused the vid on his iPhone. He extracted his earpods and looked up at the pretty flight attendant in the walkway.

"Yeah?"

"We're about to land. You need to fold up your table and put your seatbelt on."

"Okay, sorry."

He watched her smile and go. Then he watched her walk away before straightening up in his chair, powering off his phone and twisting to get it in his jeans.

Two hours flying from home to Alcadeia city. There were movies among the in-flight entertainment, but Zeke had been getting back up to speed with Duel Masters ever since he decided to go live with his Dad.

Moving was just a smart choice. Zeke's parents had divorced when he was three, and older brother six. Mr Russel had been a non-abusive but serious drinker and as a result Zeke and his brother grew up mostly without a father figure. But the man had been sober going on eight years now, and even ran his own software development company that was making decent money through a business partnership. Zeke's brother had left for the army, but even with just him it was a struggle for his Mom, working as a chef, to afford the rent for their flat. Prices kept going up and her boss kept being an asshole. Well Alcadeia had a good business college, so why not make the move? Give connecting with his father another try and give his Mom some room to breathe.

As a nice coincidence, Zeke had an online friend who lived in Alcadeia. Shaun and him used to be crazy into Duel Masters, and while that interest had waned for Zeke it never did for Shaun, who was probably good enough to go pro if he wanted. Shaun acted aloof until you got to know the excitable guy underneath. They were both sixteen, so would be juniors at Alcadeia High. Shaun had gushed about them finally meeting in person, and promised to be his guide at school, around the city and even to the dueling dojo he frequented most days.

If there was one thing Zeke knew about them for sure, it was that they were highly competitive. In the three months it took to arrange the move he'd procured himself a deck, studied the meta ferociously and even rewatched the tournament finals for the last three years. When he and Shaun finally had their duel Zeke meant to win.

Last Zeke had checked out his rectangle window, the sun was bright and close, sky dark blue above with a floor of clouds far below. Now they dropped through puffs of white. Winding streets and dotted houses got bigger until Zeke could see the landing strip. He worked his jaw to make his ears pop. Soon he felt the bounce as they touched down.

Then it was time to disembark. Some more lines and showing his ticket and passport to people. Taking his wheeled luggage bag from the conveyor belt. Then he was walking as he switched his phone off flight mode and checked his messages.

Mr Russell got up from a waiting chair and smiled. They looked similar enough: blue eyed, average height and lighter brown hair. Both were adequately handsome though Mr Russel's hairline was receding and he had stubble on his face. He was also wearing jeans but a flannel buttoned shirt in contrast to Zeke's green hoodie.

"Hi, Dad."

"Heyyy Zeke!"

He looked truly happy to see his son. He went in for a hug then hesitated. There was a moment of intense awkwardness before they settled on a handshake. His eyes crinkled with his smile. "Good to see you, dude."

"Good to see you too, Dad."

They left the building for the parking lot, immediately starting the small talk and catching up. Mr Russel loaded the luggage in the backseat even though Zeke was fully capable. Then they got in the SUV and began the forty minute drive to the apartment where his Dad lived. The radio was on softly so they could talk, but also so it wouldn't be awkward if they fell into a silence. When they did Mr Russel started humming along and tapping the steering wheel. Zeke had to face out the window.

"So did you have a girlfriend back home?"

"Nah." Zeke answered.

"Well maybe you'll have more luck here."

"Probably. Alcadeia's a much bigger city."

After another ten minutes the radio was turned up louder.

The transition to Alcadeia proper was noticeable. The buildings became towered over by pillars of glass, shining brightly like sapphire or emeralds under the sun. Modern architecture, a winding monorail and billboards - one of them for Duel Masters, depicting Hakuoh.

They drove down a cement ramp to a sub-level. After getting out Zeke had to insist on carrying his bag. The wheels grated across the parking lot as they walked to the elevator. It took them up and they got off on one of the higher floors then walked by walls painted murky green, with blue painted doors. A few residents came out and walked by, jingling their keys in the locks. Overall it was nice if a little dingy, but when his Dad unlocked their door it was better than Zeke expected.

Spacious with a clean kitchenette, he could see a good low-ground coffee table in sight by a shelf of books and magazines. The carpeted living room led to a few others, with lots of natural light and a good view of the harbor from the wide windows. It was all very tidy and Zeke could easily imagine his father living here alone, fighting to keep himself and the place clean as he scrubbed all surfaces.

"The cupboards are pretty empty but I got food for us both." Mr Russel indicated to the various cabinets.

"This place is great." Zeke confessed.

"The business has been doing good lately." He bobbed his head. "I'll show you your room, it's right by the bathroom."

That awkwardness was creeping back. It was obvious how much his Dad had been looking forward to being a Dad, and redeeming himself for his absence. In Zeke's room was a brand new computer for school on an alcove in the corner. It looked pricey. Zeke had a decent closet. There was a lock fixed to the door - handy should he want to web surf for porn. The bathroom was stocked. Everything was ready for him.

Mr Russel lingered, uncertainly.

"Well… I'll let you unpack."

Zeke nodded in appreciation and his Dad left him. It was barely one o'clock and his Dad had obviously taken the day off work. There was no way Zeke could subject himself to more awkwardness like in the car ride over. Moving had just been about better prospects and making things easier on his Mom. He didn't realize how grateful his Dad would be for what was essentially a second chance. Obviously neither male was skilled at expressing their emotions. Zeke didn't care if it was insensitive - he had to get out of the apartment, even if just until dinner.

He threw his clothes hastily into drawers, then checked his messages. Shaun had sent raising hand emojis once Zeke told him he'd landed. He'd since sent another message.

you've done a lot of travel so I understand if you wanna hang with your Dad and meet up tomorrow?

Zeke texted back.

No I'm good. Let's meet

He got a sunglasses emoji back.

excellent

Mr Russel was surprised but understanding when Zeke said he'd been looking forward to meeting his friend in person all summer. With a promise to be back by dinner he left the apartment for the street. Stepping out amidst pedestrians and looking up at the dizzying skyscrapers. He found a bus stop with the help of a map app and in under ten minutes got off at a park, walking along until seeing Shaun stand up from a bench.

Both boys were grinning as they approached.

"Hey, dude," Zeke said.

"Good to finally see you, man!" Shaun had his hand out and they slapped skin then pulled a little.

"You're taller than I thought you'd be," Zeke confessed.

"Grew to five eleven over the summer break," Shaun stated proudly.

"Me and my plebeian five seven."

Shaun was dressed mostly in black, as expected. A black hooded tracksuit and white sneakers, with a pair of white headphones around his neck. While Zeke kept his hair short and styled, shorn at the sides and a bit longer on top, Shaun's hair was longer and black, silky even, like a well-kept mane. They strolled off together.

"Man, I have so much to show you! This city is awesome. Not just all the places and food - and there's a few good restaurants, Huang's Chinese, you gotta try that - But I can show you all my games too. This is gonna be great!" The excitement was oozing out of him.

"It's quite the funny coincidence. My Dad moves cities for his business and gets a place here. Then things line up and I move over too and we can finally meet."

"I know dude!" His dark eyes were bright. They stopped at the street corner. "So where do you wanna go first?"

"Suppose I better check out this dojo you keep talking about."

Shaun squeezed his fists, "I was hoping you were gonna say that!"

The entrance was a single door wedged amidst a line of shops. If it hadn't been pointed out, Zeke wouldn't have even seen it.

"Here it is! Unity Dojo!" Shaun announced after some walking.

There was no wording anywhere. Just a small, metal, eagle-shaped plaque at the top. A little bell jingled as Shaun stepped in, the space was narrow, right by the foot of stairs and they started trekking up.

"Hey… that eagle matches the badge on your sleeve!" Zeke realized when they were halfway up. He'd just assumed it'd been a reference to an obscure metal band.

Shaun looked back to smile as they climbed. Then the narrow space opened to a wide and wooden room. Shaun stretched his arms in a presenting manner, meaning there were others up there.

"It's your turn to sweep," a girl said.

"Never mind that, I'll do it later. Look who's here! I got us a new recruit!"

Zeke peered around. The room was wide with three dueling tables spaced far apart. The walls, floors, ceiling and pillars were all wooden. The girl Shaun was speaking to was a pretty brunette their age, her hair tied back in a scrunchy. She was wearing a white skirt with a cute, floral patterned black top, thin straps showing off her shoulders. Aside from her there was a pair of younger boys at the far end of the room, freshmen by the looks of them, sitting on a step and huddled over a game.

"Hi…" Zeke greeted.

"Hey. New recruit?" The girl arched an eyebrow.

Zeke had never actually said he wanted to join, Shaun probably just assumed. He didn't want to upset his friend, this clearly meant a lot to him.

"Yep, I am."

"Zeke, this is Phoebe. Phoebe, meet Zeke," Shaun introduced them with a wave of his hand. Then he turned, "Boys! Say 'hi' to Zeke!"

They both looked up for a fraction of a second.

"Hey." "Hi."

"This isn't everyone I hope?" Zeke asked.

"No way! We got more," Shaun insisted. "You haven't even met Master Tamashi yet. With you our numbers are an even dozen," he looked proud of this.

"You actually call him Master?" Zeke asked.

"Well, it's a Japanese thing… cause the game came from Japan," he was embarrassed that they took it all so seriously.

"I got it, I got it."

"So, Zeke," Phoebe was smiling friendly as she stepped up. She was one of those girls you could smell from down the hall if she walked past you. Zeke was slammed by a breeze of cocoa butter, vanilla and possibly peach. He didn't mind it. "How good of a duelist are you?"

"Well…" Zeke glanced at Shaun, not wanting to tip his hand early. Shaun definitely remembered how competitive he was.

"Can you do this?" Phoebe lifted her arm, a silver bracelet sliding down her thin wrist. She opened her hand and it ignited with a ghostly kaijudo flame. Zeke was transfixed by the colors. Yellow, blue and purple trailed up until she weaved her fingers into a fist, extinguishing it.

It was the first time Zeke had seen kaijudo magic in person, not just from videos online.

"You're one of those rare duelists that can physically summon creatures?" Zeke realized.

"Mmhm. Shaun is too," Phoebe answered. "Can you?"

Zeke hesitated.

Shaun came to his friend's defense, "Hey, Zeke's never played in a tournament before. He mostly played online."

"Alright. Well how about you show us what you can do?" Phoebe asked.

It was gonna happen sometime. Zeke sighed as he pulled out his deck, but secretly he was excited to put all his training to practice and duel his friend. Shaun was wordless as he walked to a table, but Zeke could sense his eagerness too. Phoebe clapped her hands together in excitement and stood in the middle to spectate. The table was smooth and bare, aside from the two white lines at either end that separated the mana, shield and battle zones.

"I got a few decks. Any preference about what you want to play?" Shaun asked.

"Your main deck, I suppose," Zeke was already shuffling.

"Grash it is then," Shaun started shuffling too.

They set their decks down and started laying out shields, one at a time until they had five face-down cards in the middle row with their deck.

"You know what cards go where, so that's a start," Phoebe joked.

"I think that you - that both of you, are going to be surprised…" Zeke said, finally revealing his confidence as he drew his hand.

"Show me what you got," Shaun replied and motioned for Zeke to make the first move.

Phoebe could sense the tension immediately as the boys grew determined.

She looked between them, "...You know, Shaun is the best member of Unity Dojo, and probably the school. I'm not one to complement another duelist, but he's the only guy here who beats me over half the time."

"I'll check that for myself," Zeke examined his starting hand: two Poisonous Mushrooms, Aqua Surfer, Energy Stream and Apocalypse Vise. He took Aqua Surfer and placed it upside-down, under the bottom line for mana. "End turn."

Shaun drew then charged a fire-darkness rainbow creature: Phantomach, the Gigatrooper. It was placed 'tapped', i.e. sideways.

"Turn end."

Zeke drew Bronze-Arm Tribe; he was already getting an idea of what to expect. He charged one of the mushrooms then turned both cards.

"I summon Poisonous Mushroom. I can charge an extra mana this turn, so…" Zeke put down Apocalypse Vise. "Turn end."

"Water, nature and fire," Shaun observed as he drew.

"Mmhm."

Shaun charged with a darkness spell, Zombie Carnival before ending his turn.

Zeke unturned his mana cards. He drew Twin-Cannon Skyterror and immediately charged it. He had to make a choice between replenishing his hand or boosting his mana. Getting board presence was paramount and he needed to get to seven mana as quickly as possible.

"I summon Bronze-Arm Tribe. I add the top card of my deck to mana…" he revealed Essence Elf and charged with it. "Poisonous Mushroom breaks a shield. Ike…" Zeke turned the card and pointed.

"No trigger," Shaun clarified after picking up the face-down card.

"I end."

Shaun charged Mongrel Man then cast, "Cloned Nightmare. Discard, please."

There went Zeke's last card. He dropped Energy Stream before he could cast it. The turn was passed and he drew, turning Cryptic Totem into his sixth mana.

"Poisonous Mushroom, ike," as Zeke turned it and pointed, Shaun picked up another card.

"Bronze-Arm Tribe, ike," and again.

"No triggers…"

"Right. Your turn."

Shaun untapped his mana before drawing. Still calm from all his experience, no doubt. He had eight cards in his hand now. He charged Smash Warrior Stagrandu then dropped Rothus the Traveler onto the table.

"Ooo…" Phoebe was leaning close, about as into it as they were.

"We each choose a creature of ours to destroy." Shaun moved the armoloid to his discard pile as Zeke got rid of his balloon mushroom. "Turn end."

"No charge this turn. I summon Wind Axe, the Warrior Savage," it was a fire-nature rainbow creature. "It can destroy a blocker but you don't have one. It also lets me boost a card to mana," Zeke flipped over Apocalypse Vise from his deck. He allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. He'd got to seven mana, all he needed now was his trump card and victory was all but certain.

"Bronze-Arm Tribe breaks a shield."

"No trigger," and finally Shaun's façade slipped and his disappointment grew evident. He started to panic. He drew for his turn then charged his fifth mana with another Mongrel Man. Once more he played Rothus and this time Zeke dropped his Bronze-Arm Tribe in the graveyard.

Phoebe was now serious as Zeke started his next turn.

He hoped for Bombazar, but instead drew Aqua Hulcus.

"I summon Aqua Hulcus and draw one," it was another Aqua Hulcus, but he couldn't play it with only one water card among his mana. He internally shrugged and moved on to his attack phase, "Wind Axe breaks your last shield."

"No trigger. I got no triggers at all. Alright, that's game. I fold," Shaun bit back his disappointment.

"You give up?" Phoebe was shocked.

"I can't get out of this. Was hoping he'd hit Terror Pit or one of my other triggers, but the shuffle gods weren't on my side today," then he looked over to Zeke, "Good game."

"Good game."

Zeke felt strong satisfaction at winning. The odds probably were against him, Shaun had always been the slightly better player even when they were both at their highpoint of involvement in the game a few years ago. That fact and Phoebe's shocked face was more than enough enjoyment for the moment.

A few more games and Shaun was bound to start kicking his butt. It just goes to show that no matter how good a player was, losses still happened, and they were all bound by the chance factor as well.

"Gonna throw in some anti-rush meta?" Zeke asked as Shaun slid his deck together.

"Nope. This deck is actually my strongest and very balanced. I can't risk throwing that off by putting other stuff in. The odd loss is gonna happen."

"It's not like I could alter my deck if I wanted. This is all I got."

"You only have one deck?" Phoebe asked and Zeke nodded. "Nonono, we can't have a skilled member of our dojo unprepared," he noticed the tiny eagle on her necklace, "We gotta get you to a card shop."

"Buy cards?" Zeke looked at Shaun.

"Yeah!" Phoebe chirped, "There's a great one three blocks away."

So the three of them left together. Shaun called out for the boys to lock up if they leave, seeing as Master Tamashi still wasn't in. Phoebe took her handbag from a chair and slung the thin strap over her shoulder, then led them as they traipsed downstairs. The smell of her sweet lotions filled Zeke's nose.

They came out onto the street and went, talking about school, then the various conventions Alcadeia held. It truly was more bright and lively than Zeke had expected.

"Here it is!" Phoebe announced eagerly and hopped in.

There were outdoor tables with customers drinking coffee. Inside were a series of booths by the window-wall and various kids were dueling.

"So it doubles as a café? That's odd…" Zeke paused to gaze through the windowfront, then followed after Shaun.

Foil cards sat on display in rows under the glass counter. There was a barista machine, glass jars of cookies and muffins, and two young men in black aprons.

"Jonathan, the delivery guy just dropped off the wrong blend," a black-haired man in his twenties set a box down tiredly then fixed his glasses, "Did you get the order wrong?"

"I'm sure I didn't. Was it you?"

"I ordered last month. Maybe you pressed the wrong option by mistake?"

"Good grief. We got more customers," then the white-haired Jonathan turned to another pair of young people. It was quite busy.

"Hi Michael ~" Phoebe hopped up against the counter. "You know I don't really care about the blend. So long as it's coffee I'll drink it."

"Hello, Phoebe. That's what makes you a good customer," he smiled and stood by the register, ready to take their orders.

Zeke suddenly recognized the man.

"Hey you're that kaijudo duelist, Michael!" Zeke blurted and pointed, "You were a pro-league duelist in Asia before coming to the West! I was just watching your tournament duel earlier today!"

"Nice to be recognized," the other man commented after getting to work on some orders.

"And are you…? Yes, you're Jonathan, from the overseas pro-leagues too!" Zeke shifted his pointing to the other fellow.

"We both dipped our feet in professional play over here, so to speak. Now we just serve coffee. And sell cards," Michael said.

Shaun was amused by his friend's geeking but Zeke didn't care at that moment.

"I didn't get to see the end of your match against Jerry the Giant. Did you win?"

Michael clicked his tongue, "...I placed third. So, no."

"Still impressive to get that far in a professional tournament," Phoebe praised.

"But still not gold, sadly. So were you looking for cards or coffee?"

"Cards!" she declared. "For Zeke here-"

Zeke missed the rest of what she said, cause he saw Shaun whirl around and heard the tinkle of the bell.

"Well, well, well. Look who I found: the Unity no-hopers," the guy was taller than Shaun, so six-foot something, and a year or so older too. Probably a senior. His blonde had feathered tips, a flip of hair from the top that reached just above his eyes. The black leather jacket and fact he was chewing gum made him look like he was trying out for Grease Lightning. Then Zeke noticed a similar badge to Shaun's but it was a pegasus.

A rival dojo?

"Ugh, get lost Vince," Phoebe said.

"Now, now…" Michael ducked down and used a key around his neck to get into the glass display. He straightened back up and held out a package, "Vince is just here to pick up an order."

"Thank you," the guy said and stepped over, getting closer than Zeke liked but nobody budged for him so much as an inch. He stepped back again and slipped the cards into his jacket.

"Wait till you rejects see my new deck in action when it's done. It'll mop the floor with ya!"

"Yeah yeah…" Phoebe said skeptically.

Vince raised his eyebrows up and down while chewing obnoxiously. Then he strode away.

"Okay… I have questions…" Zeke began slowly.

Phoebe turned back to Michael and clasped her hands together, "Pleaseee tell me what cards he ordered."

Michael chuckled, "No can do. The Duel Masters Café isn't affiliated with the Unity Dojo or any of the others."

"It's just good business," Jonathan chimed in after handing over two coffees.

"I knew it! There are other dojos! What is this, like a gang war situation? How many kaijudo dojos are in Alcadeia?" Zeke asked.

Shaun sighed, "...Michael, make that three cappuccinos for now." The man nodded and jotted it down. Shaun looked at Zeke, Phoebe did too, "We got to sit down and explain a few things."


That night a short old man was sitting in a garden. Master Tamashi puffed on his long pipe while peering up at the stars. They twinkled below, seeming to make shapes among the constellations. Duel Masters creatures - he could see a phoenix, a fire bird and a dragon. The man inhaled deeply before puffing out a cloud of smoke.

"Another duelist has come to complete the pair… The one I've been searching for…"

A cool breeze rustled the flowers and clacked a wooden chime.

Suddenly the man frowned, then spoke louder, "I know you are there. Come out."

A dark chuckle came from a shadow within the trees, "The other dojo masters are better at sensing my presence than I expected…"

"You ought to know well the kaijudo powers of us older masters, being one of us, Master Ankoku," he sucked on his pipe, gaze still on the stars.

The shadow stepped closer, not fully revealing itself but there were small details. He was tall and slender, had a long black ponytail and a kimono of sorts.

"If it's true you found the special student you were looking for, congratulations are in order."

Master Tamashi finished his tobacco with a few more puffs and began rifling through his satchel for more, "...You've been acting sneakier than usual. Why are you all of a sudden spying on the rest of us now?"

"It's nothing to be concerned about…" The shadowy figure began walking backwards, "After all, us masters will allow our students to prove which dojo is supreme, no?"

Master Tamashi sensed the other man vanish. There was a chill that had little to do with the night air.


Author's Note.

Chapter Author: Zoicite23

Decks -

Jerry the Giant: "Disposable Heroes" by AZN Muffin (L. Merida) in The Future is GRY, found from Pojo's Duel Masters Tourney Reports.

Zeke: Bombazar Blue from the Duel Masters Wiki.

Michael & Shaun: Bolmeteus Control & Grash Mana Burn built by acumashindorballomu.

Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Kevin Ho's Duel Masters TCG Strategy and Deckbuilding, as well as Pojo's website for the helpful deck lists and information.