It was noon when Fader finally fell out of bed. He stumbled around the
hotel suite he was staying in and grabbed a glass of juice before settling
himself down on the couch. He still couldn't believe the accomidations that
hotels and other service industries had given to duelists. Though with the
collapse of most of society in the last hundred years it was kind of
understandable. The top duelists were held in the same regard as actors and
musicians had been in days past.
Duels gave something for people to think about other than the way things were. Nobody really understood exactly what had happened to make things this bad. It could all really be traced back seventy-five years ago, but records from that era were sketchy at best. Most records only talked about the natural disasters that plagued the land.
For weeks tornadoes ripped through towns and villages, earthquakes shattered cities, tsunamis rocked and flooded the land, volcanoes all over the world errupted to ungodly proportions, spewing forth vast amounts of magma and ashe into the air.
Not even the best scientists could explain what was going on. The only thing that they could all agree on was that it was "nothing natural." Disasters continued to get worse and worse, millions and millions of people died. Everyone believed that it was the end of all things. Just when they had given up all hope, the disasters stopped and the balance of the world was restored.
Fanatics ranted about how we had been saved by a powerful force but that even it was not strong enough to stop the evil completely, only delay it.
Life attempted to return to normal. Cities were rebuilt, fields were resewn, but so much had been lost. Only a tenth of the world's population had survived the disaster. A disaster that simply became known as The End.
It was probably the acts of Kaiba Corp after The End that led to the esteem that duelists appreciated now. Kaiba Corp used it's vast resources and sent aid to areas all over the planet to assist in the restoration process. Maxamillian Pegasus' company, Industrial Illusions, also stepped forward to lend a hand. Seto Kaiba urged Duelists everywhere to do what they could to help those in need, an uncharacteristically sentimental move from Kaiba. And the duelists did step up and help where they could, elevating the public opinion of them in the eyes of everyone.
Over the next twenty-five years things seemed to be returning to normal. Unknown to everyone in the general public every few years a Millennium item was sent to the last great museum in the world. Each was accompanied by a note that read, "Another Guardian lies defeated."
It took twenty-five years, but evetually all seven Millennium Items arrived at the museum in the same way. All except the Millennium Puzzle. Twenty- five years to the day of the conclusion of The End, Yugi Moto arrived at the museum with his Puzzle. he urged the museum to hand over the other six Millennium Items so that they could be sealed away inside their tomb in Egypt so that they would be safe until the next generation of Item Holders were chosen. The museum agreed and the items were returned to their rightful place.
Yugi had not even removed his hand from his Puzzle when the tomb collapsed. His body was never found. Only a piece of the Millennium Puzzle was found along with a cryptic note that read, "The End was, but was not to pass. It will come again." Both were brought back to the museum and sealed away within its vault. A few days later the piece went missing and the world began its search for Yugi Moto's Millnnium Puzzle.
Kaiba Corp had developed a new Duel Disk model by this point that was in wide circulation and was attempting to start another tournament to honor the passing of the King of Games. Days before the tournament was to be announced however, Seto Kaiba was attacked. He was in a coma for a year before he finally died.
Years went by and every so often the news would report an attack made by a duelist in their vain attempts to secure a piece of the Puzzle. As more and more time passed more duelist attacks were reported, except now the duelists were taking anything that they could through these shady games. Dueling became a way of life. If you were no good with cards tehn you could fall victim to an attack. Most people tried to become proficcient with cards while others attempted to not duel at all, so as to stay out of the sights of duelist attackers. Duels were still one of the only forms of entertainment for the public so fortunately a few bad seeds had not spoiled the love of the game.
Fader knew the harsh reality of duelist attacks all too well. His parents had been powerful and respected members of the community. His father had been a great man and excellent Duelist. He had become a leader of his city, Haven, and was well liked by all the inhabitants.
Until he had been killed.
A strange duelist had arrived in town one day demanding Fader's father's deck and control over Haven. Fader's father refused and when he turned to walk away from the man he was stabbed in the back. Fader had seen the whole thing; he had only been twelve.
In a fit of rage Fader challenged the murderer in his father's place, and won. Fader's mother died six years later and the people of Haven asked Fader to take control of the city in his parents place. He accepted. Now he was here in Domino, two years later, in the biggest Duel Monsters competition in one hundred years.
Fader was jolted out of his reminiscence by a knock on the door. He put down his deck that he had been rearranging while he daydreamed and headed for the door. When he opened it he found Serena Kaiba standing there, arms crossed and a stern look on her face.
"You have something of mine," she declared. "And I'm going to win it back. It's time to duel."
Duels gave something for people to think about other than the way things were. Nobody really understood exactly what had happened to make things this bad. It could all really be traced back seventy-five years ago, but records from that era were sketchy at best. Most records only talked about the natural disasters that plagued the land.
For weeks tornadoes ripped through towns and villages, earthquakes shattered cities, tsunamis rocked and flooded the land, volcanoes all over the world errupted to ungodly proportions, spewing forth vast amounts of magma and ashe into the air.
Not even the best scientists could explain what was going on. The only thing that they could all agree on was that it was "nothing natural." Disasters continued to get worse and worse, millions and millions of people died. Everyone believed that it was the end of all things. Just when they had given up all hope, the disasters stopped and the balance of the world was restored.
Fanatics ranted about how we had been saved by a powerful force but that even it was not strong enough to stop the evil completely, only delay it.
Life attempted to return to normal. Cities were rebuilt, fields were resewn, but so much had been lost. Only a tenth of the world's population had survived the disaster. A disaster that simply became known as The End.
It was probably the acts of Kaiba Corp after The End that led to the esteem that duelists appreciated now. Kaiba Corp used it's vast resources and sent aid to areas all over the planet to assist in the restoration process. Maxamillian Pegasus' company, Industrial Illusions, also stepped forward to lend a hand. Seto Kaiba urged Duelists everywhere to do what they could to help those in need, an uncharacteristically sentimental move from Kaiba. And the duelists did step up and help where they could, elevating the public opinion of them in the eyes of everyone.
Over the next twenty-five years things seemed to be returning to normal. Unknown to everyone in the general public every few years a Millennium item was sent to the last great museum in the world. Each was accompanied by a note that read, "Another Guardian lies defeated."
It took twenty-five years, but evetually all seven Millennium Items arrived at the museum in the same way. All except the Millennium Puzzle. Twenty- five years to the day of the conclusion of The End, Yugi Moto arrived at the museum with his Puzzle. he urged the museum to hand over the other six Millennium Items so that they could be sealed away inside their tomb in Egypt so that they would be safe until the next generation of Item Holders were chosen. The museum agreed and the items were returned to their rightful place.
Yugi had not even removed his hand from his Puzzle when the tomb collapsed. His body was never found. Only a piece of the Millennium Puzzle was found along with a cryptic note that read, "The End was, but was not to pass. It will come again." Both were brought back to the museum and sealed away within its vault. A few days later the piece went missing and the world began its search for Yugi Moto's Millnnium Puzzle.
Kaiba Corp had developed a new Duel Disk model by this point that was in wide circulation and was attempting to start another tournament to honor the passing of the King of Games. Days before the tournament was to be announced however, Seto Kaiba was attacked. He was in a coma for a year before he finally died.
Years went by and every so often the news would report an attack made by a duelist in their vain attempts to secure a piece of the Puzzle. As more and more time passed more duelist attacks were reported, except now the duelists were taking anything that they could through these shady games. Dueling became a way of life. If you were no good with cards tehn you could fall victim to an attack. Most people tried to become proficcient with cards while others attempted to not duel at all, so as to stay out of the sights of duelist attackers. Duels were still one of the only forms of entertainment for the public so fortunately a few bad seeds had not spoiled the love of the game.
Fader knew the harsh reality of duelist attacks all too well. His parents had been powerful and respected members of the community. His father had been a great man and excellent Duelist. He had become a leader of his city, Haven, and was well liked by all the inhabitants.
Until he had been killed.
A strange duelist had arrived in town one day demanding Fader's father's deck and control over Haven. Fader's father refused and when he turned to walk away from the man he was stabbed in the back. Fader had seen the whole thing; he had only been twelve.
In a fit of rage Fader challenged the murderer in his father's place, and won. Fader's mother died six years later and the people of Haven asked Fader to take control of the city in his parents place. He accepted. Now he was here in Domino, two years later, in the biggest Duel Monsters competition in one hundred years.
Fader was jolted out of his reminiscence by a knock on the door. He put down his deck that he had been rearranging while he daydreamed and headed for the door. When he opened it he found Serena Kaiba standing there, arms crossed and a stern look on her face.
"You have something of mine," she declared. "And I'm going to win it back. It's time to duel."