Centuries ago, dark forces plagued our world. They were stopped thanks to the power of eight magical items. These eight items are known as the Mystic Artifacts. Now, the eight artifacts have been scattered across the world. In the wrong hands, these items could bring great harm to the world.
Some time has passed since Ichika and the mysterious spirit in his charm has defeated Peggrin and became a well-known duelist. Since his time on that island, the mysteries of his Mystic Charm and the seven other Mystic Artifacts.
"Hey, doofus! Hurry up or you're going to be late for school!" Chifuyu called.
"Coming!" Ichika said as he's getting himself ready for the day. He was adding some finishing touches to it and stared down at the charm on his wrist. There's so much he wants to know and so much that needs to know. 'It's been some time since the tournament. Peggrin went through a lot of trouble to get his hands on it. I wish I knew what kind of powers this charm has, but the spirit inside has no memories.' He thought.
"I appreciate your concern, Ichika." The spirit told him as the two of them were capable of speaking with each other. "I too wish to know about who I am, where I came from, and what powers do I have that Peggrin would want. What also concerns me is that there are others out there."
"You really think there are others?" Ichika questioned.
"Possibly. Peggrin told us there were a told of eight artifacts out there." The spirit reminded. "Remember what happened with Ryu. We still don't know the whereabouts of the other items, or even who might have a hold of them. That's why we must be on guard."
"You certainly have a point." Ichika said as he remembered all that happened on the island and how he hated his older sister was in danger. "Chifuyu was held hostage and was in real danger. If we hadn't beaten Peggrin, who knows what might have happened. We can't allow something like that to happen again." As a duelist, Ichika wants to improve his game, get stronger, all so he can protect those precious to him.
"Didn't you hear me?!" Chifuyu called as she busted the door open and gave Ichika a good scare. "Get going or you're going to be late!"
"Sorry!" Ichika said as he hurried on out. Does Chifuyu really need protection?
...
Knights Inc.
Meanwhile, another duelist was working on some improvements himself: Conner Knight. Conner desired to be the greatest duelist in the world, already being the regional champ. He desired to do that by defeating Chifuyu, who was once a great duelist herself, but ended up facing Ichika and lost. After that, he desires to defeat Ichika now and regain the pride he lost. He might be the head of a dueling company, but it doesn't matter as much as beating Ichika.
"I'm coming in, Conner." Enter his younger sister, Mila Knight. "Hey, bro. I got some great news. We managed to get back every bit that Peggrin managed to take from us. Knights Inc. is back under our control."
"Good. Now I can focus on more important things." Conner said as he did some work on his computer.
"Let me guess. You're thinking of ways for you to take down Ichika, right?" Mila said as she knew her brother. "Conner, I support you, but Ichika did help us. Plus, didn't you already beat him?"
"Our last duel didn't count. I practically had to force him to submit. If I hadn't, he would have won." Conner said. "That's why when I do beat him, I'll regain what I lost to him." Conner is a persistent man. While he is capable of running a successful company, he tends to focus on what he doesn't have. He looked over his computer and brought up everything he has on Ichika Orimura. 'Ichika, a duelist who is only known as the younger brother of a pro. How is it that he was able to defeat the likes of me? Well, I will find some way to defeat you. I just need to figure out how?'
...
Ichika
"Why is she complaining to me about being late? I'm leaving before her and she's the school teacher." Ichika complained. Ichika hurried down the streets and was hurrying to school.
"Ichika! Good morning!" Ichika looked behind him and saw one of his friends, Charlotte.
"Morning, Charlotte." Ichika said.
"So, how are you this morning?" Charlotte asked as the two of them walked together.
"I'm doing fine." Ichika claimed. "Although, I have been doing some thinking." He said as he held out his charm. "I was thinking how important my Mystic Charm is. When I first got it, I thought it was just a piece of gold or something, but it's worth a lot more than I thought. I just wish I knew more about where it might have came from."
"Why so interested?" Charlotte questioned. "Does it have something to do with what happened with Peggrin and such?"
"Exactly." Ichika said.
"If it's answers you seek, I might be able to help you." Ichika looked to the side and saw someone in a black cloak and appeared to be a fortune teller. "I can see the past and the future. I can uncover all the answers that you desire."
"Really?" Ichika said as he found that hard to believe.
"I can. For example, I see something now." The fortune teller said. "I see the past, the past of you connected to an ancient spirit. Someone with great and mysterious power." That certainly got Ichika's attention as that sounded just like the spirit in his charm. "I also see darkness, a darkness in the future."
"Darkness?" Ichika questioned.
"Ichika, we should get going." Charlotte said.
"Hold on, Charlotte. This sounds like it could help." Ichika said. "What else do you see?"
"To help with my visions, I need something personal of yours." The fortune teller claimed. "That bracelet your wearing will do." Ichika wasn't so sure about taking it off, especially being told he had to keep his guard up. "Please. It will only be a moment."
"Well... Okay..." Ichika said as he wanted to find answers. He removed the charm and handed it over to him.
"I see. I see something great."
"What? What do you see?" Ichika questioned as he really wants to know.
"That this charm...belongs to me!" That was when the fortune teller kicked the table and took off in an alleyway.
"My charm!" Ichika called. "Get back here!" He called as he chased after him.
"Ichika, wait!" Charlotte called.
"There's no time to wait! I'm gonna go after him and try to get my charm back!" Ichika called.
"All right! I'm going to go and get help!" Charlotte said as she hurried off down the street.
"I can't believe I was stupid enough to give him my charm." Ichika said as he felt like a fool for doing that. He chased after the thief, but he noticed something. He saw the thief stop for a second, looked back, and ran again. "Hold on. Does he want me to follow him?" Ichika could see that there's something not quite right about this. It was like the thief wanted Ichika to follow him. Ichika kept on his trail until he saw him ducked inside a warehouse. "Get back here!" He called as he went in after him, but couldn't see him.
"I'm so glad you followed me, Ichika Orimura."
"You know my name?" Ichika questioned. "Who are you?! Where's my charm?!"
"It's right here!" A light shined down and saw his charm was chained down. Ichika hurried over to it and tried to take it back, but it was chained down good. He needs the key in order to get it free. "You want it back? You'll have to duel me for it!"
"Say what?" Ichika said.
"That's right!" The thief said as the lights shined on and he showed himself. "I have the key right here." He claimed as he showed the key. "The only way you're getting out of here with your charm is if you can actually defeat me in a duel."
"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Ichika said.
"That's not important right now. All you need to know is that you don't have a choice." Ichika was in a tough situation here, but he can't just leave his charm.
'What do I do? I can't duel without the spirit to help me. Maybe he still can.' Ichika hoped.
'I can barely here you, Ichika.' The spirit claimed with whatever strength he could. 'Our bond is weakened while we're separated like this. I'm afraid you'll have to handle this alone.'
'What?! I don't know if I can.' Ichika thought, but he had no choice. Especially since he couldn't hear the spirit anymore. A duel is the only way out, but he'll have to do it without the spirit to help him. "Okay, mystery man. Let's duel!"
"Good, and when I beat you, that charm will be mine!" The two of them reached for their duel disks and got themselves ready for what's about to come.
"Let's duel!" They started their duel with them having 4000LP.
"I'll start this duel." Ichika said as he reached for his first card. "I'll start by summoning my Stratos Warrior to the field!" He summoned out his space warrior with it flying out at 1400atk points. "Next, I place one card facedown to end my turn." 'Now, if he attacks, I can activate Mirror Shatter to stop his attack, destroy his monsters, and deal damage to him. That will leave him open for an attack.'
"It's my turn!" The thief drew his first card and already appeared ready. "I'll start by activating my Nobleman of Extermination spell! This spell will get rid of your face-down!" A dark aura came around Ichika's trap and destroyed it and it was really his only line of defense. "Next, I'm going to summon Battleship Explosive!" He summoned out a small ship with it carrying explosives on it and had only 800atk points.
"I've seen that before!" Ichika said.
"Next, I activate Explosive's ability! I tribute it to deal 800points of damage to you!" The ship was sacrificed and the explosives were launched at Ichika. They exploded against him and his life points dropped to 3200. "With that done, I'm activating the Double Summon spell. This spell allows me to summon twice this turn. So, I'm summoning out Battleship Falconfly!" He summoned out a flying aerodynamic ship with it having 1700atk points.
"I've seen that before too." Ichika said as he was starting to get an idea as to who he really was.
"Falconfly, take out his monster!" The ship unleashed a series of attacks and blasted Ichika's warrior with it. His warrior ended up destroyed with Ichika's life points dropping to 2900. "I think I'll place one card facedown and end my turn."
'I think I know who this guy really is, but it might not matter if I can't think of some way to win this and save the spirit!' Ichika thought as he was in real trouble here.
...
The School
"Hurry! Ichika might need our help!" Charlotte said. She made it to the school and told Houki, Cecilia, Laura, and Rin on what was going on.
"We're hurrying. Just take us to the last place you saw Ichika." Houki said.
"Yeah. Anyone who messes with Ichika has to mess with us!" Rin said.
"All for one and one for all." Cecilia said.
"Let us moveout!" Laura said. All of them hurried out of the school so that they could go and help Ichika.
"Where are all of you going?" They all felt busted when they spotted Chifuyu and it seemed like she was going to stop him. "Playing hooky or something? You know I can't allow that."
"It's not like that, Miss Orimura." Charlotte claimed. "Someone swiped Ichika's special charm and he went after the thief. He could be in real trouble. We must go and help him."
"That's a job for the police." Chifuyu said as it seemed like she wasn't going to let them go. "Of course, it won't do much good if they don't know where he is." Understanding what she's implying, they were all grateful and hurried to help Ichika. She and the others just hope they aren't too late to do anything.
...
The Warehouse
"It's my turn!" Ichika drew his next card to take his next turn. He just hopes he can draw something to turn this whole duel around or else. "I'll start by summoning Infinite Stratos Blue Tears!" Ichika summoned out Blue Tears with her flying out with 1600atk points. "Next, I'm going to activate my Rocket Boost equip spell! This will give Blue Tears an extra 500atk points." His spell gave Blue Tears extra power as her attack points rose to 2100. "I'm also going to use her ability to deal 400points of damage!" Blue Tears unleashed some drones to fire away at the thief with his life points dropping to 3600. "Now, take out his Falconfly with Blue Pierce!" Blue Tears pulled out a rifle and took aim with it.
"I activate Battleship Armor! This trap increases Falconfly's power by 500!" The thief activated his trap with the ship's power increasing to 2200, stronger than Blue Tears. Since that was the case, it fired a barrage of lasers at Blue Tears and took her out instead with Ichika's life points dropping down 2800.
"These cards... It has to be him." Ichika said as he was sure as to who it was. "Show your face already, Bane!" The thief removed his hood and showed that it really was Bane, the same Bane that Ichika and his friends faced back at Peggrin's tournament, but there was something off. There was a blank look in his eyes. "It is you! I don't get it, Bane. Why do you want my charm?"
"You fool, I am not Bane. I am simply controlling him." Bane claimed.
"Control? What are you talking about?" Ichika questioned as he found this strange.
"It's quite simple. We found the poor fool washing around in the middle of the ocean. My men found him and brought him to me." Bane, or whoever it was that was talking through him, claimed.
"This sounds nuts. Who are you?" Ichika questioned.
"All that you need to know is that you won't be getting out of here." Bane claimed. Ichika could be in real trouble with this one.
...
Meanwhile, the person that was controlling Bane had the power to control him from afar. He sat in a throne like some sort of prince and wore a cloak with a series of other cloak figures standing with him like his humble servants.
"I finally found the Mystical Charm, and now that I have, I won't let it go so easily." The man said. "Thanks to the power of my own artifact, Bane is a mere pawn in my scheme." Whoever this man truly did had an artifact of his own. It was a metal glove that was black and gold that fit right on his right hand with the same circle mark right in the palm. "I have you right where I want you, Ichika Orimura, and there is no escape. Soon, the power shall be mine!" Another evil is after Ichika and the power his charm possesses. Without the spirit to help him in this duel, how can he get out of this one?
To Be Continued...
