Author's Note: Here is the first chapter of the newly revised Yu-Gi-Oh! Champions saga! Before we begin I want to thank my friend ABOOKS117 for being a source of support, alongside my friends JD and Jared for providing me with a few ideas that I'm going to use. If you've played Yu-Gi-Oh! Reshef of Destruction, I'm aiming to give you a story in that vein – only without all the broken rules. And I hope you grow to love Cole Yeager as a protagonist.

Without further ado, let the games begin!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Champions: Rise of Reshef

Chapter 1: 'A Champion Rises'

Long ago, when the pyramids were still young, ancient Egyptian kings played games of great and terrible power. But these Shadow Games caused a war which threatened to destroy the entire world, until a brave young Pharaoh named Atem sealed the magic away within the seven mystical Millennium Items.

3000 years later, Yugi Muto solved the Millennium Puzzle and was infused with Atem's spirit. Together the two battled multiple threats, protecting the world from darkness until Atem went to his final rest after being defeated in a duel with Yugi.

However, the universe is full of champions like Yugi Muto.

And the time has come for one of them to step up…

The Realm of Godai.

Light flickered as a torch flared to life. A tall sallow man, clad from head to toe in purple and gold robes, held the torch aloft as he stared at carvings in the wall. And judging from the sinister smile that crossed his face, those carvings held the answer to whatever he sought. "As I thought…the Dark Being can be awakened by this ritual. And there are plenty of worlds, with plenty of souls to feed him…but one world has what I need." He raised his other hand, which held a black scepter emblazoned with the Eye of Wadjet, and snickered.

"Soon…soon I will be a god!"

Another World.

Avalon City.

Cole Yeager jerked awake. He placed his face in his hands, feeling the sweat on his mahogany brown skin.

This was the third time he'd had this nightmare. Every time, he stood in a circle of flames and rubble as a massive gold titan rose into the sky. It turned its head, its cold, unblinking glare staring at him…and he screamed in pain as the flames rushed to envelop him. "That's it. No more nachos before bedtime." He walked to the bathroom and splashed water on his face, staring at his reflection in the mirror. Deep brown eyes, tinged with worry, looked back at him. He picked up a comb and ran it through his short black hair, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Well since I'm up…might as well take a look at my deck."

Walking to his desk, Cole pulled open a drawer that contained a deck box. He picked it up, flipping open the lid and pulling out his own personal deck of Duel Monsters cards. One caught his eye and caused a smile to tug at the corners of his mouth. "With you by my side, there's no way I can lose a duel," he said, as much to the card as to himself.

Another man's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Cole! Breakfast!"

Cole snapped out of his reverie, shoving his deck back into its box. "Coming Dad!"

Ten minutes later, Cole bounded down the steps in his dark blue jacket and jeans. A red T-shirt and blue and red shoes completed the look. Tied to his backpack was a duel disk. As he rounded the corner, he came face to face with a man that looked like an older version of him - although the other man sported a neatly trimmed beard and greying temples.

Robert Yeager set a plate in front of his son. "Eat up Cole…I know how big today is."

"Don't I know it!" Cole replied, taking a hearty bite out of a slice of French toast. "Today's the day to register for the Excelsior Cup! Man, I've been waiting for this tournament all year - and I'm definitely gonna clean house."

Robert could only smile and shake his head at his son's enthusiasm. "That's the spirit son. Now make sure you and your friends give it your all. And don't worry - your old man will be in the audience every step of the way."

As if on cue, there was a knock on the front door. Robert crossed to the door and opened it, revealing three figures Cole's age. One was a tall girl in a green sports jacket and shorts, her long brown hair pulled into a ponytail. The second was a boy who only came up to Robert's waist, identifiable by his dark green vest and horn-rimmed glasses. The third was a petite girl with bright pink hair, a pink-and-white blouse, and a matching skirt.

Cole poked his head out and a smile crossed his face. "Eleanor! Eli! Hana! Y'all ready to do this?"

"Duh," Eleanor Weston replied, rolling her eyes. "You think we were gonna let you have all the fun dude?"

"Well keep in mind Eleanor, there are duelists flying in from around the world - and they have really great decks," her brother Eli responded, pushing up his glasses. "We could be in for some competition."

"There's no competition - Cole can totally win!" Hana Hikari replied, her crystal blue eyes sparkling as much as the wing-shaped clips in her hair. "He has been practicing, right Mr. Yeager?"

"Every night - I wouldn't be the Ace of Cards if I didn't help my son to be the best he could, would I?" As Cole grabbed his backpack and went to meet his friends, Robert clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck son."

"Thanks, Dad." Cole said, returning his father's gesture. He turned to Eleanor, Ell, and Hana. "Let's kick it guys!"

The four headed toward Avalon Stadium, where registration for the Cup was taking place…

Meanwhile.

The Realm of Godai.

The doors to the Godai palace burst open in a haze of smoke and fire, as the man with the bronze scepter strolled through. Armored guards rushed at him - but they may as well have been attempting to stop the rise of the tides. A mere flick of his scepter sent them flying, as he stopped at the foot of the throne room.

On that throne sat a man in dark blue armor, and a jet-black medallion that hung around his neck. His amber eyes were narrowed in fury. "What is the meaning of this assault, Heishin?"

A wicked smile crossed Heishin's face. "Simple, Lord Yasuke. I intend to reshape the universe in my image. And that image has no place for you…or those who follow you."

At Yasuke's side, a beautiful woman in flowing white robes stood up. "This is an outrage! How dare you speak to the king that way!"

"How dare I, Lady Natsu? HOW DARE I?!" In fury, Heishin swung his scepter around - and a blast of golden energy flew towards the woman. Yasuke quickly darted to her side, drawing a sword with a golden blade, and deflecting the blast upwards.

"You were a fool to help Atem seal Reshef! You could have used the Dark Being's power to become a god - and you threw it away! I deserve that power! I've toiled under you for YEARS, you fool, and I deserve better. I WILL have better." Heishin raised his scepter, the eye crackling with energy. Yasuke held his sword in a defensive position.

"Don't do this," the armored warrior said quietly. "You know I'm more than a match for you."

"You're right. Two Century Items would result in a stalemate…"

Suddenly, golden beams of light raced toward Yasuke! He deflected one, then two…then yelled in pain as the others struck him, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Luckily, I have more than two," Heishin snickered as four other figures strolled up behind him. The first was a massively tall man clad in a sea blue robe, with golden armor resembling a lion's. Around his neck was a jet-black key. The second was a man in blood red robes, a mask covering his face and a collar made of spiked points to accentuate his angular chin. He held a black ring like artifact with five points. The third was a rotund man in bright green robes, who tittered with amusement as he held a black orb with the eye of Wadjat. And finally, a man in sand-colored robes, with a mask covering his face, clutched a pair of black scales.

"Secmeton! Atenza! Kepura! Marthis!" Yasuke shouted in anger. "How could you serve this dog?!"

Secmeton, the mage in blue, spoke in a deep voice that resounded across the castle. "Simple, 'my lord'. We saw the light."

Kepura, the mage in green, was the next to speak. "Lord Heishin promised that we would have a place in the new world…once Reshef awakens and tears this one down! Ohoho, what fun we'll have!"

Next was Atenza, the mage in red. "You always thought yourself better than us, Yasuke. Your travels to other worlds…your skill in magic…pride before the fall, my 'friend'."

And finally, Marthis - the masked mage - stood forward, holding his scales. "Let the Century Scales decide your fate," he said, his voice as scratchy as the sands of the desert. But Yasuke's judgment would never come.

For the king swung his sword upward, knocking Marthis' scales out of his hands! He then turned and held out his hands. Golden fire shot out, striking the other mages and forcing them to drop their Century Items. Before they could react, Yasuke grabbed the items and raced to Natsu. Without a word, she took the ebony necklace around her throat and handed it to him. "Yasuke…"

"This is the only way, my love. As I was chosen as Champion of this realm, I will find Champions to help us against Heishin." He pressed his lips to hers and then slashed at the air with his sword. A rip opened up, revealing the vast expanse of space…and Yasuke hurled the collected items into the gap. "NO!" Heishin roared, firing another golden beam.

Too late. The beam passed through empty air and struck a wall.

Incensed, Heshin strode toward Yasuke and Isis. "Where did you send them?!" he snarled. Yasuke simply glared at the mad mage, incensing him further. In a fury, Heishin swung his Century Rod at the king's head, sending him to the ground. He then turned to Atenza and Kepura. "Take them to the dungeons! Secmeton, Marthis, it's time for the second part of our plan."

"As you command, Lord Heishin," Secmeton bowed. Marthis bowed as well, and the two vanished in a flash of light.

Meanwhile.

Avalon City.

Cole scribbled on a piece of paper. "Cole Yeager…17 years old…Duelist Level 5…and boom! There we go." He walked over to where his friends were standing. Eleanor leaned against the wall while Eli shuffled through his deck and Hana pulled out food for everyone.

"Yo, Cee, you all set?" Eleanor said, popping a stick of gum in her mouth.

"Yeah," Cole said. He pulled out his deck and looked at it. "Funny, after all this time I'll finally get a chance to face my dad in a duel."

Hana couldn't help but smile as she handed Cole a sandwich. "You have a month to prepare for this tournament Cole. Your dad will be waiting for you."

As Cole bit into his sandwich, he noticed his friends staring at him. "What?" he said, turning around. Then he noticed a boy who had walked over from the signup tables, staring at him. He wore a long black trench coat over a white shirt, with jet black pants and white and black sneakers. Even his hair kept the same tone, as it was jet black with a shock of white in the front.

"What's up, dude?" Cole asked cautiously. Suddenly, he felt an elbow in his ribs. He looked down and glared at Eli. "What?!"

"Don't you know who that is? That's Simon Kaiser!"

"Kaiser…Kaiser…" Suddenly recognition dawned on Cole's face. "Isn't your dad the guy who sponsors the Excelsior Cup? And built our Duel Disk technology?"

"He also used to be the Duel Monsters world champion," Simon said in a low voice. "Which is why I've been looking for you...Cole Yeager."

"Well, you found me...I'm guessing you want to duel?"

"You guessed right. Your father is the Ace of Cards…the greatest duelist in the world. And I want to see if you have even a fraction of his strength." Simon leveled a finger at Cole. "Meet me in the stadium in ten minutes!" With that he strode off, his black coat billowing in the wind.

"Just as I was eating..." Cole muttered, staring at his half-eaten sandwich. "And it was a good sandwich, too."

"Tell you what," Hana interjected, taking the sandwich and putting it back in the bright pink cooler she'd brought. "You can finish it after you beat him. Sound fair?"

"Sounds more than fair." Cole gave her the thumbs up.

Ten Minutes Later.

Avalon City Stadium.

News that the son of tech magnate Will Kaiser was dueling against the son of the Ace of Cards spread like wildfire. Pretty soon, the stadium started to fill up with spectators, including Hana and the Weston siblings. Cole stood on the right side of the stadium, adjusting his Duel Disk.

"So, Eli, is it true this guy's undefeated?" Eleanor asked her brother. "I mean, there's gotta be more to him than being hot?"

"Eleanor!" squeaked Eli. "Didn't need to hear that!"

"Ellie!" yelled Hana.

"Hey, I'm not blind."

Eli took a deep breath, shuddering before continuing. "Simon has apparently been making the rounds on the pro duelist circuit overseas. The world is that he has a super-powerful card in his deck."

"Kid's right," a gruff voice added.

The three friends whipped around to see a trio of figures sitting behind them. The first was a young man in a blue jean vest covering a black shirt and ripped blue jeans, his long black hair flaring out in spiked sections. The second was a man dressed in an impeccably pressed three-piece suit, a cold look in his eyes. The third was a girl around Cole's age, wearing a red vest and skirt covering a black top and matching knee-high boots, all of it showing off her shapely figure.

The boy in the vest continued, "Richie Rich kicked my ass in five turns. Didn't even get a chance to bust out my best cards."

"His deck is constructed to overpower any opponent," the man in the suit said in a flat tone. Your friend's chances of survival in this duel are highly unlikely."

Eleanor spun around. "Hey, who asked you, Wall Street?"

"I am simply stating the facts."

"Oh, don't mind Wesley, he's too serious for his own good," the girl in red and blue said, tossing back her long black hair. "Oh! Where are my manners, I'm Britney Blaze."

"Britney Blaze?!" Eli yelped. "Tag Force champion Britney Blaze? World Cup silver medalist Britney Blaze?!"

"Always nice to meet a fan," Britney smiled. "This is Lucas Greendale" - she pointed to the boy in the vest - "and you've already met Wesley Steele."

"Charmed," Wesley said stiffly.

"'Sup, little dude?" Lucas said, throwing up the sign of the horns.

"So that's your friend, huh?" Britney said, her crimson eyes glancing over Cole. "He's cute...wonder if he's as good a Duelist as his dad."

"Hey!" another Duelist yelled. "Simon Kaiser is here!"

Indeed, Simon was striding into the arena, his trench coat billowing behind him. Immediately the stadium was overcome with talk.

"We're gonna get to see the Pro Circuit champ duel in person!"

"But he's fighting Robert Yeager's kid."

"The Ace of Cards? So, he's gotta be good as his dad right?"

"Bet the Yeager kid folds in five turns."

Cole's eye twitched. "Thanks for the support folks," he muttered.

"SCREW THESE ASSHOLES, CEE!" Eleanor shouted. "YOU GOT THIS!"

"You can beat him!" Hana added. "We believe in you!"

"Good luck!" Eli called, giving a thumbs up to the older boy. "Like you told me…a real duelist takes on any challenge!"

Simon looked up at the trio, a small smirk crossing his face. "So, you have a fan club," he remarked. "Hope they won't take your loss too easily."

"I'm not going down that easily," Cole remarked. He took out his deck, weighing it in his hand. "Ask you a question?"

"Make it fast."

"Why did you want to be a Duelist?"

Simon stopped, staring at his opponent. "What?"

"Why did you want to be a Duelist?" Cole repeated. "What drives you to pick up your deck?"

The other boy ran a hand through his two-toned hair, clearly flustered by the question. "Well...I..." Then he looked up, his silver eyes hardening. "What does it matter?"

"It matters because a true Duelist has a reason to fight. Something that keeps them going, even in their darkest hour," Cole said, staring at his deck. "For me, it's my dad. All my life, people expected me to be just as good as him. And that kind of pressure got to me...Until I met my friends." He turned and looked up at the three people sitting in the stands. "They didn't see the son of the Ace of Cards...they just saw me. That's when I decided that if I was going to be a Duelist, I'd be one who made his own legend."

In the audience, Eleanor blushed. "Aw what a softie," she said bashfully. Eli wiped at tears, while Hana simply said nothing - letting the smile that crossed her face speak for her.

"Pretty words," Simon said, triggering his Duel Disk into the active position. "But it won't stop me from winning."

"First time for everything," Cole responded, activating his own disk.

Both boys shouted in unison, "LET'S DUEL!"

Cole: 4000 LP / Simon: 4000 LP

"I'll go first," Simon said, drawing one card from his deck. "I summon Assault Wyvern in attack mode!" A blue and purple dragon appeared, with blades in place of wings. (Level 4/Dragon/Light/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1000) "Then I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"My turn!" Cole drew a card, and a slight smirk crossed his face. "First I place two cards face down on the field." As two facedown cards appeared in front of him, he selected another card and slapped it on his duel disk. "Then I normal summon Evocator Chevalier!" A knight appeared on his side of the field, sporting armor that had the shape of flames. (Level 4/Warrior/Gemini/Fire/ATK: 1900/DEF: 900).

"Chevalier, slay his Wyvern with your Blazing Blade of Justice!"

The Chevalier drew his sword, which erupted in flames. He then charged at the Wyvern...

…until Simon shouted, "I don't think so! Reveal face down card - Tag Out!"

Tag-Out (Trap Card)

Only activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Select one of your monsters and return it to your hand, then Special Summon a monster that has the same level.

"This lets me take one monster on my field and replace it with a monster of the same level! And I choose…The Rare Metal Dragon!"

Assault Wyvern disappeared, and in its place rose a massive reptilian beast covered from head to toe in shining razor-sharp armor. (Level 4/Dragon/Dark/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1200) "Damn…" Cole grumbled as the Chevalier sheathed his sword. "My turn's done."

"And it's my turn once again," Simon said. He drew a new card and smirked. "Time to take things to the next level. I re-summon Assault Wyvern!" Assault Wyvern reappeared, flexing its bladed wings. "Now Rare Metal Dragon, attack his Chevalier!"

Rare Metal Dragon swung its spiked tail at the Chevalier, ripping through the flame-armored samurai and shattering it into pieces.

Cole: 3500 LP/ Simon: 4000 LP

"Now Assault Wyvern, attack!" The blade-winged dragon soared toward Cole at supersonic speed...

...until Cole shouted, "I activate my trap card! Defense Draw!"

The Assault Wyvern bounced off of an invisible barrier, stumbling back to Simon's side of the field. "When Defense Draw is triggered, I reduce the battle damage I take from one attack to zero," Cole explained. "Plus I get to draw a new card from my deck." He added a new card to his hand, for a total of five cards.

"Hmph," Simon snorted, plucking another card from his hand. "You aren't getting off that easily. I activate Stamping Destruction! Now I get to destroy one spell or trap on your field and cause 500 points of damage to you since I have a dragon out!"

Rare Metal Dragon lifted its foot and stomped hard, sending shockwaves blasting across the field and shattering one of Cole's facedowns into pieces. Suddenly, a whirlwind erupted, sending the massive beast flying into the wall past Simon and shattering. "WHAT THE HELL!?" the silver-eyed boy exclaimed.

"Oh I see you found out what my Wild Tornado does," Cole smirked, holding up his trap card. "When it's destroyed while set, I can select one face-up card on the field and blow it up. And since your Dragon did the honors I only found it fitting."

Cole: 3000 LP/Simon: 4000 LP

"...I end my turn." Simon glanced over at his hand, specifically the card on the far right. Next turn...the kid gloves are off, Cole Yeager. And you'll see why I'm the Pro Circuit champion.

"It's my move!" Cole drew. "Want to take things to the next level, Simon? I'm ready for you. I summon Marauding Captain in attack mode!" A new knight appeared on his field, this one having dual swords and dark blonde hair. "And due to his ability, I can summon another warrior! Come on out, Noble Knight Artorigus!" Another knight appeared, this one a young brunette clad in shining silver armor. (Level 4/Warrior/Light/ATK: 1800/ DEF: 1800)

Simon smirked. "Hmph...by summoning Marauding Captain, you've made it so that I can't take out your Noble Knight. But he and my Wyvern are tied, so they'd kill each other."

"Yeah…that's why I have this," Cole said, slotting a new card into his disk. "Noble Arms - Caliburn!" A massive sword embedded in a stone appeared in front of Artorigus, who drew the blade and held it aloft...and his attack points jumped! (ATK: 1800- ATK: 2300)

The smirk left Simon's face. "What!?"

"Artorigus, attack his Wyvern!" Artorigus lifted his sword and dashed forward, cutting the Assault Wyvern in half. "Now Maurading Captain, attack!" Marauding Captain dashed forward, slashing at Simon with his swords.

Cole: 3000 LP/Simon: 2300 LP


"This is incredible!" Eli gushed, hopping up and down. "Cole always told us about his knight deck, but this is the first time we're seeing it in action!"

"Hell yeah, little man!" Lucas shouted, slapping the younger boy on his deck. "Your boy's about to give the Duke of Dragons a smackdown!"

"Duke of Dragons, huh?" Eleanor said, raising an eyebrow.

"Indeed," Wesley said. "His deck is built around summoning high powered dragons, with spells and traps to clear his opponent's field. And it doubles as a reference to his strongest monster... a creature that has a reputation as one of the deadliest beings in Duel Monsters."


So he has some skill, Simon thought as he drew his next card. No matter. This ends now. "I activate Card Destruction! This will force us to discard our entire hand and draw the same number of cards."

Cole growled as he slotted his hand in his graveyard, with both he and Simon drawing four new cards from their decks. "Next, I activate Offerings to the Doomed! By discarding one card from my hand, I'll destroy Artorigus!" Bandages wrapped around Artorigus, pulling the Noble Knight into the ground "And finally, I summon Decoy Dragon in attack mode!" (Level 2/Dragon/FIRE/ATK: 300/DEF: 200)

A small bright blue dragon sat on Simon's side of the field, cooing happily.

Cole sweat dropped. "Uh…"


"All the powerful dragons in the game and he plays…that?" Eli muttered, then turned and saw Eleanor with a rather… starry-eyed look on her face. He then turned to the others. "Guys?"

"Awww…" Britney cooed.

"It's so cute!" Hana squealed.

Eli sweat dropped. "Forget I asked."


Cole drew another card, staring at the Decoy Dragon. That's gotta have an effect…I'll make sure I have a backup plan. "I summon Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode!" (Level 3/Rock/EARTH/ATK: 1300/DEF: 2000)" A massive golem made of rock appeared and knelt protectively in front of Cole. "Marauding Captain, attack Decoy Dragon!"

Marauding Captain drew his swords and charged at the small dragon…

…and a smirk crossed Simon's face. "That was a bad move, Cole. You just triggered Decoy Dragon's effect! Whenever it's attacked, I get to summon a Level 7 or higher Dragon-type from my graveyard to the field - and you HAVE to attack it."

Cole blanched. "Crap!"

A card flew out of Simon's graveyard, which he held aloft. "Behold, Cole Yeager, my greatest monster, and the key to my victory! Rise up... TYPHON, THE TERROR OF DRAGONS!"

Shadows fell across the entire stadium, causing everyone to look up. Cole peered up, and his jaw dropped.

Hovering over him was a massive dragon, its jet-black wings extending over the dueling field. Its burning red eyes glared at the Marauding Captain, whose swords broke over its scales. The dragon reached down and grabbed the knight in one hand, squeezing until it shattered into pieces.

Typhon, The Terror of Dragons

(Level 8/Dragon/Dark/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500)

If this card destroys a non-Dragon monster in battle, it can make an additional attack in a row. If this monster would be targeted by the effect of a Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster, you can remove one Dragon-type monster from play to negate the effect and destroy the card that targeted it.

Cole: 1700 LP/ Simon: 2300 LP


"That…" Eleanor began. "Is a very, very, VERY big dragon."

"But Cole can beat it right?" Hana said.

She turned...and saw doubt etched on the other Duelists' faces. "He can, right?" she repeated.

Lucas slowly spoke. "All I know is once he pulled that out, it was game over for me."

"Every time Kaiser has summoned this monster, it's won him the duel," Wesley added, folding his arms. "I calculate that Yeager has…a 0.01 percent chance of winning."

Hana turned back to the duel, worry etched into her face. "Cole…"


"Typhon! Titan's Inferno! Destroy his Stone Soldier!" Simon shouted.

Typhon opened its mouth and unleashed a torrent of jet-black flames. The inferno slammed into the Stone Soldier, reducing it to ash and causing Cole to close his eyes. "And there's more," Simon added with a smirk. "If I destroy a non-Dragon monster, Typhon can make another attack!"

Once again, Typhon unleashed a stream of flames that raced towards Cole…

…until the knight duelist shouted, "I activate the effect of Ankuriboh!"

He slotted a card in his graveyard, and a furry creature marked with golden symbols flew around him, cooing with excitement. Then it zipped into Simon's graveyard and before the Duke of Dragons could react, plucked a card from it! "Ankuriboh lets me select a monster from either graveyard and special summon it," Cole said, as Ankuriboh flew back to his graveyard with a card. "So I pick...your Rare Metal Dragon in defense mode!" The Rare Metal Dragon appeared, crouching in front of Cole, and was blasted into oblivion. "And since you said Typhon can only make additional attacks if it kills a non dragon, I'm safe right?"

Simon's teeth ground together. "No! Every time I summoned Typhon I've won the duel! Every! Time!"

"Like I told you," Cole replied, folding his arms. "First time for everything."


"I can't believe it," Britney remarked, looking at the field with awe. "He survived Typhon! No one's been able to do that."

"HA!" shouted Eleanor, jumping up and pointing at Wesley. "Where's your math now? Cole pulled a miracle!"

"Perhaps I was wrong…I now recalculate his success…"

"That's what I'm talking about."

"...to 1 percent."

Eleanor toppled over. "Oh, come on!"


"I end my turn," Simon said, a dark smile crossing his face. "But I'll tell you this: No one has ever beaten Typhon."

"Watch me."

This threw Simon for a loop. "What?!"

"My dad taught me a lot about this game. I promised him that I'd give every duel my all, always play fair, and never give up. No matter what, I'm gonna fight to the end. And as for Typhon…I have the card to beat him in my deck."


Gasps erupted among the audience.

"This kid is crazy!"

"Pressure got to him."

"Bet he's talking s***."

Hana's eyes sparkled. "Come on Cole…you can draw it!" she cheered.

Britney's eyes grew wide. He couldn't…she thought. He couldn't have that card in his deck, could he?


Cole drew. "My turn!" He stared at the card he held in his hand and smiled.

"Simon…this is the end."

Once more, gasps echoed across the stadium.

"Impossible," Simon scoffed.

"Impossible's my middle name bud…or at least it should be." Cole placed a card into his Duel Disk. "I activate Ancient Rules! This lets me special summon one Level 5 or higher monster without sacrificing, and I'm gonna summon my own ace card! The greatest swordsman in Duel Monsters!" He slapped another card on his disk, and a new monster rose.

It was a seven-foot-tall warrior, clad from head to toe in navy blue armor with golden accents. Strapped to its back was a massive, curved sword. Its red eyes glared at Typhon.

"Meet the BUSTER BLADER!" (Level 7/Warrior/Earth/ATK: 2600/DEF: 2300)


"HE DID IT!" Hana shouted, leaping to her feet. "He's going to win!"

"DUDE!" Lucas shouted. "Talk about a comeback move!"

Britney smiled. I knew it, she thought to herself. I'll have to keep an eye on you, Cole Yeager.


"The Buster Blader?!" Simon gasped. The one card that could beat me…and HE HAS IT?!

"Buster Blader's effect kicks in! Now he gets 500 extra attack points for every Dragon-type monster on your field and in the graveyard! And last I checked, you have a lot of dragons…"

"Typhon…my Assault Wyvern, Decoy Dragon, and Rare Metal Dragon…plus the Shield Wing and Dragon Knight of Creation I discarded with Card Destruction…" Simon's face was nearly as white as the streaks in his hair. "That's 3000 extra attack points!" (ATK: 2600 - ATK: 5600)

"And more than enough to wipe you out!" Cole shouted triumphantly. "Buster Blader, attack Typhon! Destruction Sword Flash!"

Buster Blader drew his sword and leapt up into the air, charging at Typhon. There was a massive white flash of light, forcing every one to cover their eyes. Soon, the dragon hunter landed in a kneeling position. Two seconds later, Typhon's head crashed to the ground. Its body plummeted into the ground and then shattered into pieces.

Cole: 1700 LP/ Simon: 0 LP

There was a moment of silence.

Then Hana, Eleanor, and Eli rose up, shouting out their friend's name. "Cole! Cole! Cole!"

Soon, others in the audience followed their lead.

"Cole! Cole! Cole! Cole!"

Cole looked up at the stands, a slight smile crossing his face, and gave the thumbs-up sign to a roaring round of applause. He then deactivated his Duel Disk, walking over and offering a hand to Simon. "Good game, man. You gave me a run for my money."

Simon grasped his hand and shook it. "I underestimated you, Cole. You truly have what it takes to be as good…if not better…than your father." He fixed Cole with a steely glare. "But make no mistake. The next time we duel, I will win. So be prepared." He turned and strode out, his trench coat billowing behind him.

"Jeez that guy's intense," Cole muttered, rubbing his head. Suddenly a blur of pink tackled him to the ground. "You won!" Hana shouted. "You won! And you finally got to use your favorite card!"

"Hana, my ribs-!"

"Sorry."

Cole got up as the rest of the spectators surrounded him. Eleanor gave him a hi-five. "Way to go Cee."

"Yeah!" Eli added. "Your Buster Blader really turned the duel around!"

"Heh..." Cole said, pulling the Buster Blader card from his deck. "This was the first card I ever pulled out of a pack…it spoke to me you know? That's why I built my deck around Knights."

"Totally get it, man," Lucas said, walking over to the Knight Duelist. "Sometimes a card just grooves with ya."

"Thanks." Cole held out his hand. "I'm Cole Yeager."

"Lucas Greendale!" Before Cole could react, Lucas pulled him into a hug. "Love dueling and rocking out, hope we can hang one day."

"Congratulations, Mr. Yeager," Wesley said, slipping on his coat and turning to leave. "No duelist has ever beaten my calculations, but as you said there's a first time for everything."

"Uh…thanks I guess?"

"For the record: You are one of the few Duelists who's impressed me."

"He's not the only one." Britney walked over to Cole, placing a hand on his arm. "That was some impressive dueling, Cole. I'm guessing I'll see you at the Excelsior Cup?"

"Uh…yeah…" Cole stammered.

A smile crossed Britney's face. "Fun! I like a Duelist who's worth a challenge...and isn't that bad looking." She winked at Cole, then turned and walked off. "See you at the Cup, hot stuff."

A blush spread through Cole's cheeks. "Oh…uh...yeah!" He turned to his friends. "Hang on, I'll be RIGHT back." He turned and raced out of the building.


Britney was walking to her car when Cole caught up to her. "Hey, Britney...I know we just met, but...would you want to hang out sometime?"

The raven-haired beauty turned, smiling at him. "I'd like that." She handed him a piece of paper. "There's my number. Don't be a stranger, Mr. Yeager."

"Mister Yeager's my dad, call me Cole," Cole jokingly said. Inwardly, he pumped his fist. Today's going great! I won a duel and talked to a cute girl!

Then something hit him on the head.

He turned and saw a strange object lying on the ground. It was a medallion that appeared to be crafted from a pure obsidian metal, with a golden Eye of Wadjet emblazoned on it.

Another Earth.

Two boys walked home from school. One was tall, with shaggy blonde hair and warm brown eyes. The other stood a good foot shorter than his companion but was easily identifiable by his tri-colored hair: red starlike points framed by golden lightning-shaped bangs.

"I'm tellin' ya, Yugi, this summer's gonna be great!" Joey Wheeler said, cheerfully cracking open a can of soda. "Tea's flying back home from her fancy dance practice...an' Serenity's coming back too!" Yugi Muto smiled, clearly feeling his friend's infectious energy. "Definitely looking forward to it, Joey! Glad Pegasus gave me the summer off," he replied.

"Yeah, who thought we'd be livin' the dream?" Joey said, taking a sip of soda. "Ya get to design games - even if Pegasus is just sayin' "Sorry I snatched your grandpa's soul", I got my mechanic job, Tea's dancing and Tristan signed up for that exchange program."

"And it's relatively peaceful," Yugi smiled...right before something clattered at his feet!

The two boys looked down at the jet-black key that laid at Yugi's feet. Yugi reached out and picked it up, shock dawning across his face. "This looks like...Shadi's Millenium Key!"

"Ya had to jinx us, didn't ya Yuge?" Joey groaned.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Next Episode: 'Chaos On Two Earths'

Cole deals with the mysterious medallion that fell into his life, as well as his growing attraction to Britney. Meanwhile, Heishin's fellow mages resurrect old enemies to deal with Yugi and Joey. And where are the rest of the Century Items?