AN: Alright, I'm mostly making this because I've seen about two or so fanfictions in the Shadowverse section, which makes me disappointed that no one is releasing whatever story they have for Shadowverse. But I suppose it's relatively niche and even though the Shadowverse Reddit and Discord love the story of Shadowverse, it appears that love isn't strong enough to make good fanfiction. Then again, they've posted some cringey or lackluster fanfiction elsewhere on Reddit before, but I won't be doing that. Yet. I ain't above posting anything that comes off as cringey or tropey.
I will be making a story that is loosely based on the official anime, though I was doing this in an RP session with my friend a few months ago in the middle of 2019. I'll be digging through the discord of our RP and mostly revising the story we have up to that point. All criticisms and suggestions are welcome. Expect if you're a guest because I don't think following the advice of someone who either is too lazy to log in or lacks the courage to receive a response on a comment they left is better left forgotten in my book. No offense, but I'd rather not deal with that shit. Plus I've seen reviews other guests have made on other fanfictions and they're... less than positive. However, I am a believer in exceptions, so I might not follow through on that if the guest review is positive and helpful enough to listen to.
Now for the usual disclaimer; I own nothing but my original characters and not the product in question. Shadowverse is owned by Cygames. Any other works that appear are owned by their respective company/owner.
AN: Just fixed up some grammar issues with Grammarly. Tanor's name has been respelled to Tannor.
Welcome to Shadowverse!
The cheers of the crowd grow louder by the minute as they watch the battle unfold. Two duelists locked in intense combat with the other, using every ounce of their might to defeat the other. The combatants breathed heavily, sweat dripped down their faces, their clothes clinging to their skin, and their muscles tensed and ready to make a move against one another.
The first combatant was a young teenager no older than fifteen. The bangs of his brown hair were sticking to his forehead as his brown eyes glared intensely at his foe. The boy was average in appearance and even wore average clothing consisting of a black long-sleeve shirt under a white sleeveless hoodie vest with black borders and interior, dark grey trousers, a dark leather belt with belt pouches and a silver buckle, and dark-grey suede shoes with white accents.
The second combatant was glaring back at the teenager around the same age as the first with the same intensity present in their own eyes. He has short red hair with bangs peeking out of his black and gray beanie hat, fair skin that was drenched in sweat like his opponent, and wore a black tee shirt underneath black and red plaid overshirt, regular denim blue jeans, three black, red, and gray wristbands on his right wrist, a dark elastic belt with belt pouches and an automatic buckle, and black shoes with gray linings.
One thing they both have in common is the device strapped to their left wrists. The device itself resembled a wristband with a gem in the center. The device extended out into a mandible-like casing with a blue-gray port that held a smartphone in the center of the device. There were differences in the device between the two which would be obvious. The brunette's wristband was colored black with gold linings along the railing and a gold-colored gem. The redhead's wristband was black with blood-red linings and a crimson gem in the center of the wrist.
The two combatants continued to breathe heavily for a bit longer, their eyes never leaving the other as they glared down at one another with great intensity as they stood with a tired slouch in their posture. After a moment of silence between them, their exhaustion slowly dissipated as they stood up with a straight posture. The silence between the two continued for a slight moment until the redhead chuckled.
"I'll admit... I didn't expect you to last this long. Normally, a Sword like you would be down on the ground in defeat. I have to say despite how much I didn't want to; I'm honestly impressed and I feel a slight bit of respect toward your persistence." The brunette only continued to glare at him in defiance, which made the redhead smile a bit. "Someone's silent. Well, that's not my problem. With the card in my hand, I can safely say that you only have a turn left... Make it count." The redhead mockingly sneered, to which the brunette responded with narrowed eyes.
"Alright, my turn. I draw!" The brunette's index and middle fingers swiped across the surface of the phone's screen, mimicking a card draw. A card materialized from the air, joining five other cards in midair that were positioned in front of him, mimicking a hand of cards. He looked at his hand and formed his options, furiously thinking of a perfect way to come back. He was on his last legs and he needed a way to retaliate. Going through his hand, his comeback slowly came to him as he looked back and forth between the redhead's board state and his own. After a few moments, the brunette decided it was time to act as at this moment, it was now or never and the clock was ticking.
"Time to make this chance count." He murmured to himself. With a deep breath, his gaze homed in on the redhead and he deployed his counterattack. "I play-!"
Two months ago,
Time: 11:56 AM
Three teenagers no older than fifteen sat together at the table in the empty computer lab of their high school with each of them wearing typical everyday attire. It was the middle of lunch break, so they decided to hang out at the computer lab until it was time for class. What mattered most was their conversation, or rather, what was the main topic of that conversation.
"Shadowverse? You mean the card game?" One of the two girls asked. The girl who repeated the name has a delicate appearance, which consisted of a gentle face and a somewhat frail-looking physique, making her look like a stereotypical person who wouldn't harm a fly. She has long brown hair that reached mid-back, fair skin, and gray eyes. She wore a white and gray plaid white collared dress under a gray blazer, black thigh-high socks, a white wool scarf wrapped around their shoulders, and black loafers. She also wore a brown shoulder-sling bag that carried her notes and textbook for classes.
"Yeah, Tannor and I have been playing for the past few years. I kind of forgot how long it's been since I started playing, but it's really fun, Laura!" The other girl told Laura. This girl had raven black hair with light brown highlights that stopped at her shoulders, green-gray eyes, and a fairly athletic physique. She wore a white long-sleeve shirt with denim ankle jeans, a black and white hooded bomber jacket with a gray and white Chinese dragon embroidered on the back, and a pair of Celeste-blue canvas shoes. She carried a white and light brown leather backpack.
"I see. So why is it that you haven't told me about it then, Riley?" Laura asked the other girl innocently with a head tilt. Laura has been friends with Riley and Tannor for the past seven years, so she would often get recommended games that they think would suit her whether it would be a tabletop game or a simple board game, or even a video game.
Laura's grandpa naturally didn't have a gaming console or a laptop of any kind, so she took it upon herself to start saving up for one. The plan was derailed a few weeks later when the at-the-time ten-year girl saw her grandpa returning home with a used laptop and game system for her, saying that a friend of his was kind enough to give them away since they had no use of them, mostly because a relative using them had passed away a short while ago. This gave the items an aura of melancholy that she feels even to this day.
She had used the game system from time to time playing recommended games while the laptop was mostly used for school work. She later got a smartphone when she enrolled in middle school because Laura was a good girl. However she didn't play that many games since she was mostly boxed in her usual daily schedule; wake up, get ready for class, study, help out at the store after school, eat dinner and go to bed after a bath. This was her schedule for the past three months or so, leaving little time to play games. Nowadays, she's getting more and more free time since she doesn't have to help out at the store as much.
"I, uh... Well, about that." Riley started, attempting to find a perfect excuse for her short memory. However, someone else stepped in her stead.
"Riley forgot to tell you since she's been busy with the Grand Prix tournaments and all that. You know Riley is like a dragon when it comes to in-game rewards." The only boy, Tannor, of the trio, spoke up. He had brown hair with matching brown eyes. He is adorned in attire consisting of a black long-sleeve shirt under a white sleeveless hoodie vest with black borders and interior, dark grey trousers, a dark leather belt with belt pouches and a silver buckle, and dark-grey suede shoes with white accents. He also has an average physique expected of a fifteen year. "I was busy with schoolwork since I was asking you for help with biology."
"Oh yeah, that's right. Riley was typing away on her laptop and phone at times doing something. But I couldn't tell since she always had her headphones on." The brunette female commented as she looked back at her memory. "And you did ask me a few times to help you with biology."
"Well, to be honest, I'm not interested in the subject and you're always willing to help me out with schoolwork," Tannor replied.
"Hey, I was in an intense match with some toxic Rune players! Bastards were even BMing me like they already won!" Riley growled at the memories of facing those players.
"...B...M? What does that mean?" Laura asked with a confused expression. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to say that rows of question marks were hovering behind her.
"Bad Manners. It means he was being rude." Tannor explained. Laura made an 'o' face at that information.
"What was the point of being rude? It's just a game, right?" The brunette girl inquired.
"Yeah, but there are some who take it too far and think their lives are on the line." Riley huffed. "Bunch of losers if you ask me..."
Laura merely stared at Riley's laptop, her curiosity peaking as she wondered what the game was about. The possibilities filled her head. Was it a game about a grand adventure? Could the game give her a pleasant experience? Was the game expensive? Did you have to pay for a subscription? These types of thoughts filled her head as she looked at Riley's laptop, her gaze becoming more and more clouded.
It didn't take long for Tannor to see the look of curiosity on her face and he knew what to do; introduce Laura to the world of Shadowverse. He didn't want to, but he wouldn't be a friend if he didn't at least show her the game.
"How old are your laptop and smartphone?" He asked the other brunette, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked at him briefly before looking back in her memory bank. After a few seconds of looking back, Laura answered, "About five or so years old. I have enough money to purchase a new laptop and I have a Galaxy Phone that's good even for current-day standards from what Mariko said."
"That's cool. So, how much money do you have on you if you don't mind me asking?" Tannor offhandedly said with his tone being casual and easy-going which didn't hide his curiosity. Normally, he would let money be someone else's business as he didn't hear Riley or Laura ask him unless they were buying at a fast food restaurant. He would only ask people about their money if they mention that they were buying. Laura brought up buying at this moment and thus he naturally asked.
"Last I counted, I had about 900 or so in my account." Laura nonchalantly replied. Tannor's eyes instantly widened before he blinked a few times as his mind slowly comprehended the information. Riley, who had been listening but was oddly silent, was drinking some soda that she was now choking on the moment she heard about Laura's current finances.
Laura Eisenburg was a good girl. She always did her homework on time. She was the favorite student of her teachers. She was kind and respectful to others. She wasn't afraid of helping people with their schoolwork. She listens to her parents and always did her chores even when they're away. She helped out with her grandfather with his antique store, which earned her a larger allowance due to how well a business can get at times. This portion was the main reason for her finances. Whenever her grandpa would get a good deal with his sales, he would give Laura a small portion of the total earned income. She last remembered the increase of her funds had ranged to at least an extra 50 to 100. Then again, her memory wasn't perfect.
"Oh, nice! You could buy a new laptop and smartphone!" The male brunette spoke, recovering from his shock.
"You think so?" Laura asked him, unsure of whether or not either purchase would be worth it.
"Seriously, you have enough in your funds to get a better laptop or smartphone if you feel that your current ones aren't cutting it," Tannor suggested.
"Hmm, I think my phone and laptop are good enough, but I keep the suggestion in mind should something come up."
"I'm surprised that you have the much money under your belt!" Riley exclaimed as she recovered from her shock.
"I was surprised myself when I found out I had about 500 dollars the first time I reached there a year ago," Laura admitted.
"Laura's finances aside..." Tannor started, catching said girl's attention. "First up, download the game from the website."
Naturally, Laura blinked as she didn't consider the idea that it had a website, but decided to follow Tannor's instructions. She pulled out her phone, which to Tannor and Riley's surprise, had an indigo phone case featuring a certain witch on it along with the craft's symbol.
"Is that the Dimensional Witch Daria as your phone case?" Tannor asked as he examined the case from his position. Laura turned her phone around to look at the case in response to Tannor's words. Lo and behold, it was indeed the Dimensional Witch on Laura's phone case.
"I thought her name was Dorothy?" Riley expressed her confusion, referring to her name in the Japanese version.
"So that's who she is," Laura mumbled as she looked at the witch on the phone case. She had only gotten the case a few days ago from her grandfather and she did look up who the witch was, but she didn't have much to go on and only got generic witches.
"Yeah and she's pretty infamous in Shadowverse. She's probably one of the, if not the, most hated card in the game." Tannor added, which earned Laura's curiosity. What about this witch made her so despised by many people? Feeling her curiosity, Tannor answered in a somewhat vague summary. "Her spellboost was brutal back in the day and most decks didn't have a solid comeback against it until recently."
"It was a pain in the ass to deal with. Instant board flood, card advantage, free removal, you named it. When it starts popping off, you're pretty much done for." Riley's face narrowed just thinking about all the times she faced that deck.
"Moving on from the Dark Ages of Shadowverse; Laura, download the app," Tannor instructed, switching from the topic to a more relevant one. They can talk about meta games passed another time, but right now there was a friend who wanted to try it out.
Laura's mouth opened slightly, almost as if she wanted to say something, but it was just her remembering the topic. She unlocked her phone and looked up the website. She found it with ease, though she did pause a little to look at the characters on the main page. She saw three blondes consisting of a bow-wielding elf girl, a nun in an extravagant robe, and a little girl with a plushie. She didn't fail to notice the two skeletons behind her. She then noticed the two tall men, one clad in black and gold armor and wielding a spear while the other had pale hair and skin with blood-red eyes with a confident smirk. Laura then took note of the black-haired woman in a maid uniform and the hooded man. Her attention then finally came to the final female with long purple hair and two white strands.
"Now scroll just below the video and there should be a link to download."
She did as Tannor said saw three options for the download; Phone, Tablet, and PC was the best way to summarize them. Naturally, she chose the phone option, and soon enough, the app was already downloading after a couple of pop-ups asking her for permission, to which she said yes. When the download was complete, she tapped on the app that appeared on her homepage. Her screen turned black for a few seconds, making her worried that she forgot the charge the battery in the meantime until the company's name and logo popped up. She let out a sigh of relief knowing her phone was okay.
"Alright, now just tap on the screen and set yourself up for the game," Tannor instructed as the title screen theme played in the background. Tannor thought back to when he first heard the theme. It was slow and ominous, but he also felt calm within the music, which blended well together. The melody was a mix of calm yet ominous, though he felt it signified the mystery of the Morning Star in the first half of the early story mode. It truly captured the feeling of something hanging above your head that you don't know much about, whether it be its origins or if it had connections to a higher being.
"This music is making me a little worried," Laura commented as she watched the game download all of its current files. Tannor snorted while Riley giggled as they both felt the same when they first heard the theme.
"I don't blame you. Even I was unsure when I heard it." Riley agreed with her friend. Laura smiled a little at the fact she wasn't alone in that feeling. Suddenly a loud thong was heard from her phone, which cause Laura to jump as she wasn't expecting the sound to be that loud. Even Riley and Tannor jumped at the sound. How they didn't realize her volume was almost maxed out remains a mystery to them.
"Looks like someone has their volume near max~," Riley said teasingly to which Laura reacted with her face turning as pink as a peach.
"Well, the game's downloaded. Now we can-." Tannor started before the sound of a bell rang in the speakers throughout the school. Lunch break was almost over and the next bell will be the tardy bell. "Well, we can do that after school to save time. The Genesis Stadium will be a good place to pick this up."
"I see," Laura muttered as she was feeling a bit disappointed. Tannor looked at her with an unreadable expression, seemingly in thought about something before he picked up his stuff and lead the girls to their next class. As they made their way to class, Tannor decided to cheer her up, if slightly. "Don't worry about it, Laura. You'll get a chance to play. The school period will be over in a couple of hours and we'll be off into summer break not too long after."
That was the truth. Summer break is at least two weeks away, which means that Laura will have more time to play Shadowverse on her own time. It would also give Tannor and Riley plenty of time to help Laura in getting herself set up in-game. Mostly stuff like her main Craft and her preferred play style. They can do a bit of it after school before they have to head home.
This did work in cheering Laura up and she started leading the trio with a spring in her step. Tannor looked back at Riley, who just gave a shrug and a smirk, before he did the same himself and followed along. The sooner they were done with class, the better.
Time: 4:25 PM
After the bell marking the end of school rang, every student got out of their classes and went their separate ways; most went home, others to a nearby store or place to hang out, and a few stayed to attend extracurricular activities. The trio was in the middle as they head over to the stadium from the school grounds. Laura was kind enough to inform their parents where they would be for the time being before their next class started.
They grabbed a bus to get to the stadium faster as it was a good hour or two away from the school by foot. You could slim it down to around half the time by jogging, though you would rather be tired and sweaty if you didn't exercise often. But that was minor in the grand scheme of things.
The Genesis Stadium is a standard elliptical building that is the hub for many players of the CCG genre, particularly Shadowverse. Many other games were allowed to be played as it would attract more customers. On the billboard screens placed around the building, above each entrance of the stadium, many advertisements of many cards were shown with Shadowverse taking most of the spotlight.
The trio walked inside as the glass doors automatically opened for them. Laura looked around as she had passed by this place more than once when her grandfather was driving, though she never saw the inside of it. The walls inside were painted teal as many rectangular ceiling lights commonly seen in offices illuminating the interior. The floor has bleached white tiles with a steel blue circle painted around an indoor garden, which was a large bush. Benches were placed against the walls and around the garden along with an office nearby, which Laura concluded was mostly a waiting room.
A look of awe was present on her face as she observed her surroundings and noted that it was so clean. There was neither a speck of dirt nor a randomly discarded piece of trash, whether it would be a candy wrapper or an empty water bottle on the ground. Whoever was in charge of the establishment must have been adamant about keeping the place clean and presentable.
The trio walked to the front office, catching the eye of one of the receptionists at a computer, a young woman with a brown bob with blunt bangs, dark brown eyes, and a normal skin complexion. The receptionist wore a small white hat with a small red arrow on the side, a white long-sleeve zip-up dress with a black lower end where the skirt would be and on the end of the right sleeve, and as well as red sliders and pull-on the zipper, a gray rectangular skirt pocket on the side, black pantyhose and dark high heels. Laura concluded that the normal work attire for a receptionist as she looked at the other receptionists at the office in the same wear on similar computers. Amid her observation, the receptionist spoke up with a subtle smile.
"Hello there, Tannor and Riley. Welcome back to Genesis Stadium. How can I help you?" She asked politely as the two walked over to her portion of the desk.
"Hey there, Eina. We're here for the usual." Riley replied.
Tannor stepped in with his reply soon after. "We also would like to introduce a friend of ours to the game. She only just fully downloaded the game, so we thought this place was good enough to help her."
Eina then turned to Tannor's left and noticed Laura, who seemed to be looking around the room as she followed her friends. As her friends were talking, she was currently watching a match of Shadowverse between Runecraft and Forestcraft, two of the classes in the game. Seeing the brightness and intrigue in her eyes as she looked around the room and watching the match made the receptionist smile even further. She always loved it when someone wasn't afraid to hide their intrigue about something, especially from someone at Laura's age. Naturally, she placed attention on Laura, which snapped her out of her thoughts at the sound of her voice.
"Hello there, miss. I am Eina Wells and I will be your receptionist here in the Stadium. I do look forward to working with you." With a charming and professional smile, the receptionist greeted the young girl, who just stood there looking somewhat flustered as she was caught in her thoughts.
"A-ah, hello there Miss Eina. I'm... Laura Eisenberg. I hope I won't be a bother." A faint blush was present on her face, which to Eina just emphasized her embarrassment.
"Oh, don't worry about that. I have a feeling you'll be a fine customer here. Especially since you're friends with these two." Eina motioned a hand gesture over Tannor and Riley's direction. The two just nodded in confirmation with Riley giving a bright pearly smile while Tannor just smirked for a bit.
"You know them that well?" Laura inquired. If her friends had been playing Shadowverse, they naturally must have been here for the past couple of years or so since they started playing.
"Why, yes. They have been quite pleasant individuals since the day they came in." Eina chimed cheerfully. "I have many pleasant moments with them during their time here. I may have also experienced some irritating moments from these two for the past three years."
Laura raised an eyebrow at that. She could see Riley as irritating at times. She wasn't exactly the brightest tool in the shed and that can turn into a headache of a day for Laura. She still has Vietnam-styled flashbacks of trying to explain the basics of Math and Chemistry to her from Middle School a couple of years ago. Even still, she would eventually become well-versed enough in them to earn a C- in those classes.
Tannor, however, was someone she could never imagine being irritating. Sure, he does have a temper and can come off as a bit pushy at times, but overall, he's been one of the most well-behaved friends she's ever had. He wasn't afraid of asking her for help on school subjects and, thankfully, he was able of getting a fair idea of what she was saying when explaining the basics of Algebra and Science. Good enough for solid Cs and Bs.
"We couldn't have been that bad." Riley pouted with crossed arms, looking like an upset elementary school student when they don't get their way. Tannor just sighed and muttered something under his breath. Laura just looked at them, wondering what they'd done in the past.
"Well, pleasantries aside, do you wish to sign up at the stadium? I just need to see your phone quickly." Eina spoke, deciding to move on to the main subject. Laura turned to her and nodded, snapping out of her mental questioning. The teen moved up to Eina and gave her cell phone to her. Gently, Eina picked it up and plugged it into her computer. After a minute of typing, she gave Laura back her cell phone, but she also gave Laura a wrist bangle with a gray gem.
"I've registered your device into the memory bank of the Stadium, so you'll be good to go. I've even linked your device to the Genesis-Vambrace, the latest technological means of battling in Shadowverse. You simply strap it onto your wrist, place your phone on it and that's all. You are capable of participating in a game of Shadowverse."
"Genesis-Vambrace..." Laura repeated the wristband's name as she inspected it.
"Everyone else either prefers to call it the Shadow-Bracer, the Shadowverse Gauntlet, or the Duel Disk for short. I can't say that I don't see the similarity." Tannor informed her, who just looked back at him with a confused expression. Eina decided to take over once more.
"If you have any questions, do not be afraid to ask me. I did register you under my name, so as your receptionist and adviser, I will do my best to take care of you."
"Oh, okay. Thank you, Ms. Eina." Laura gave a bow in response.
"Alright, Ms. Eina. We'll leave the important stuff to you. Tannor and I can handle the fluffy stuff like the game basics." Riley piped up. Tannor just sighed and looked at Laura before saying, "Don't be afraid to ask Eina any questions. I assure you that she can be helpful when you're stumped. I know I was."
"I see. I'll do that."
"Alright, let's get this show on the road!" Riley cheered loudly before she charged into the depths of the building, earning a few stares from the other people present. Laura looked around awkwardly in response to the stares, Eina sighed and Tannor just facepalmed. Riley tended to be hyperactive at times, so anyone who happens to be friends with her better kiss that normal public image goodbye. Don't even get them started when Riley gets some sugar in her veins.
Ten minutes later...
Tannor and Laura went in not too long after Riley's typical hyperactive charge and caught up with her in time. They walked down a hallway leading straight to the arena, where the gameplay for Shadowverse was usually held.
Laura's eyes immediately wandered around the arena, taking in as much detail as she can. The arena was a large room with three fields accompanied by what Laura could at best guess to be some sort of screen that provide a sort of overview of the field. There were benches placed along the walls, three entrances from both sides of the arena, for many players of Shadowverse to rest after a tense game. Hanging over the stadium were four scoreboards placed together like a box, each screen facing four directions as the stadium lights illuminated the area. There was even an upper floor for spectators to watch the card battle take place.
Her gray eyes looked upon the place in wonder and curiosity. She has never seen much of Shadowverse outside of the gameplay from the screens around the Genesis Stadium. From what she watched, it appeared to be on the phone which made her wonder; what was the purpose of this room? Thankfully, her friends were more than willing to answer it as soon as she reached the tutorial, which they recommended skipping so she could play.
"Alright then, Laura. There should be items in the crate. I want you to accept them all since they have card packs to help you buy cards to build a deck." Tannor advised.
Laura did as Tannor instructed and got all of her packs.
"Now go over to the shop and choose open packs." Once again, she did as Tannor said.
"Okay then, open those packs, and let's see what you got." Laura nodded at his words and proceed to open her packs.
-Thirty minutes later-
"...Holy crap," Riley mumbled as she looked at the cards Laura got from all of her packs.
"Beginner's luck would be an understatement..." Tannor stared in shock at Laura's stash and made a checklist.
3 of Daria, Infinity Witch - Check
2 of Runie, Resolute Diviner - Check
2 of animated Kyoka leader cards - Check
3 of animated Apex Elemental - Check
3 of Riley, Hydroshaman - Check
3 of Kuon, Founder of Onmyodo - Check
3 of Adamantite Golem - Check
3 of Chaos Wielder - Check
2 of Forbidden Darkmage - Check
3 of Karyl, Catty Sorceress - Check
3 of Sorcery in Solidarity - Check
and finally, 1 of Medea, Ritual Sorceress
Laura essentially got almost every Gold and Legendary in Runecraft from her packs. She did also get some from Haven, Sword, and Dragon such as Kagemitsu, Tsubaki, Sarissa, Diamond Paladin, and Shipsbane Plesiosaurus to name a few. She had the perfect definition of beginner's luck. By that, Tannor meant absolute bullshit levels of luck. This would be the type of luck that would be salt-inducing with several glares and threatening gestures to back them up.
"Well, you can thank Cygames for being so generous. I don't think even my beginner's luck was that good." Riley said as soon as her shock wore off.
"Cygames? Who are they?" Laura inquired. She had seen the name pop up when she started up the app and a few times in the building on some advertisements, but she generally didn't have an idea about them if they were a company or a publisher of Shadowverse. While her two companions had an eyebrow raised, they shrugged as they figured that Laura was that clueless about Shadowverse.
"They're the company behind the game Shadowverse. Genesis is the company behind the technology of the Shadowverse Gauntlet." Riley informed the brunette newbie. "About a year ago, Genesis approached Cygames with their technology to make Shadowverse more immersive for the player base. No one knows what got Genesis to walk over to Cygames, but it happened and I'm glad it did. At least, that's the story that's been thrown about."
"I see..." Laura mumbled to herself.
"Since you got a lot of Runecraft cards, you can safely make a decent Rune deck."
"I'll look up some deck lists. Laura might be missing some cards." Tannor stepped up in the conversation, pulling out his cell phone to search for decks. Thankful he has an app on his phone that helped him search for decks and he knew that this won't take too long to find a few good Rune decks for Laura.
-Five Minutes later-
"And there we go! A good Runecraft deck right off the bat!" Riley exclaimed proudly, clapping her hands as if she has done a great deed. Laura smiled and looked over her cards, reading their effects one by one. She even reread the effects to make sure she had a fair understanding of what was what; terms like Spellboost, Last Words, Choose, Evolve Effects and the list seems to go on. Laura even looked at the effects of other cards like mentioned Tsubaki, Kagemitsu, and Shipsbane Plesiosaurus.
"We were missing some cards, but Laura got about all of them from pack pulling. Getting all three of Kuon and Runie saved time and vials." Tannor commented. It did save time for them as they would have to go within a couple of hours or so. Now there was another subject at hand; who was going to battle Laura to test out her deck.
"So... Who do you want to battle?" Tannor asked. The question brought Laura out of her reading. Gray eyes looked between her friends, seemingly curious about the question before there was a shine in her eyes that implied she comprehended the question.
"Um... You want to battle me?" She repeated.
"Hell yeah! The sooner we get you started on playing, the better." Riley leaped in response. "I've always wanted to battle you. I've even thought about what deck or class you would use when that day comes. I just can't help but get fired up about it."
"I'll admit I'm excited at the idea of battling you, though I prefer if it was after you have a couple of matches under your belt. I don't mind going easy on you if it helps you learn the game easier." Tannor replied as he scratched his cheek.
At that moment, Laura's mouth partially opened. To anyone who show it, it was a subtle sign that she was in thought. Her mouth closed as her eyes wandered up to the ceiling. She had barely done anything in the game, so she wasn't sure if she was ready to battle with any of her friends. They have the obvious lead by almost three years at this point from what Eina said. At that time, the Starforged Legends expansion was out at the point. This is currently the Storm Over Rivayle mini-expansion. Laura wasn't sure if she could manage the deck she had on her. Anxiety was easily creeping into her systems and she was not certain about the idea of battling her friends, though it did have its upsides.
She could learn the game faster that way, though she felt it come at the cost of being too reliant on them. She didn't mind the idea of being in their care since she was new to this game, but she knew that being reliant on them wouldn't help her develop any significant skill at Shadowverse. Then her mature or rational part of mind spoke up; advising her to take up their offer and duel either of them.
There was a problem with that though; Tannor or Riley? Riley is a hyperactive person and would probably go all out her before she could pick up on the mechanics. This did have an upside as it help her learn faster, though she could still miss some important details. Tannor was, thankfully, more down-to-earth and would do his best to help her learn the game. This was a slower method, but she felt the most comfortable with Tannor as a choice partner. But seeing Riley's face was making her think twice. Seeing that wide smile that gave away her excitement, her body bouncing up and down as she waited for her word, and the flare in her eyes that showed how pumped up she is... It was winning her over a bit.
However, Tannor seemed to be the most optimal choice, even if that would kill Riley's excitement. Going would mean that she would possibly just lose a lot. She didn't mind the idea of losing as she knew that failures can teach you more about winning than winning. Winning is more a result of taking your losses and building upon them.
"Victory is a mindset. Like with any mindset, there are good mindsets and bad mindsets." Laura remembered the words her grandfather told her. It was a good set of words that helped her with studying. It lead to her being a good student and the reliable study partner her friends knew her to be. From Riley's dazed expression of attempting to understand a subject to Tannor's humility in admitting if there wasn't anything he understood, Laura knew they relied on her and still do at times, especially for something as small as studying. Putting that aside...
"Tannor, what kind of decks do you play?" The gray-eyed teen asked. She at least should allow herself to rely on her friends. They've done the same for her, so she might as do the same for them. It was only fair she did that much. Riley deflated a bit hearing the question while Tannor perked up before he answered.
"I mostly play Swordcraft decks. I also dabble a little with Dragoncraft and Runecraft and on rare occasions, Bloodcraft."
"Well, can I battle you with your best craft?"
Tannor was caught off-guard by Laura's request and blinked twice in response. Riley followed Tannor's example and opened her mouth to say something. Tannor would undoubtedly use one of his lesser-played crafts against Laura not only to help her learn Shadowverse easily but to also help himself grow more accustomed to a different class that wasn't Swordcraft. Tannor knew the bonus of being able to play a different craft as it helps him become more versatile both as a player and as a strategist. Knowing the cards of a different craft is vital if you are playing a craft that is at a disadvantage as it can increase your odds of winning the poor matchup.
"Are you sure?" Tannor's uncertainty was clear in his voice. His sudden outburst did stop Riley before she could say a word. Sure the matchup between Swordcraft and Runecraft in his experience is usually fifty-fifty, he felt that Swordcraft had the advantage over the Rune as they just rush down Rune to zero health before they get their big plays going. Rune can also do the same to Sword if they get the proper cards in hand to counter what's on their opponent's field.
"I'm certain. I believe it's the best way for me to learn." Laura replied with a poised input. Once more, Tannor blinked. For a moment, Laura sounded like a proud wizard. He had heard a fair number of voice lines from Runecraft followers and Laura almost sounded like she was one of them. He never heard Laura speak like that before. She would often respond curtly and politely, but never sounded like she was a proud and rising prodigy.
"...I'm sure it's fine," Riley spoke up which effectively snapped Tannor out of his thoughts. His pure brown eyes met with Riley's greenish gray as she continued. "If Laura wants you at your best, why not go ahead and do it? She probably wants you to have fun as well."
The male of the trio shifted his gaze to Laura.
He could see Laura responding with a nod and a steadiness in her gray eyes. Her face appeared neutral, but even that shared her resolve. She wanted Tannor to take this practice battle seriously. It was necessary that he took it seriously.
Tannor was still adamant about going easy on Laura, but seeing her gaze made him think otherwise. Letting out a sigh, the teen then replied with certainty and trust in his friend.
"Alright... I'll do what I can."
-Shortly after-
Tannor and Laura stood at opposite ends of the arena, standing on top of the large central circles. Riley stood by the benches, watching the up-and-coming with a feral grin on her face. While she was disappointed she didn't get the chance to battle Laura, that didn't mean that Laura was going to turn her down next time. For now, she had a wonderful show with her friends to watch.
The two combatants looked at each from across the field, each holding a steady gaze toward the other. Tannor released a breath he was holding through his nostrils. This was going to be Laura's first battle. Even if it was technically just practice, she didn't want him to hold back. He was still hesitant at the idea, mostly because he was afraid he might turn her off from the game entirely if he played too much at his best.
"I want to make sure; Do you really want this?"
"More than anything. I feel it has to be like this."
The brunette boy didn't have an expression at Laura's response. He was considering the upside that she could learn the game better this way, but he felt there was a downside as well. Whatever it was, Tannor decided that would come once that bridge is crossed. Right now, there was a friend who wanted his help and for him to be at his best.
"Alright, let's do this."
Tannor raised his arm and Laura saw what was possibly the most surprising thing she has seen. The Shadow Gauntlet extended in a pair of mandibles with a small tray-like port sliding underneath them. Tannor then pulled out his smartphone and placed it into the jaws of the device. The mandibles perfectly secured the device in place of the port and wrapped it around the edges of the phone. The smartphone's screen lit up as it was hooking both the phone and app to the arena.
The Shadowverse logo appeared not too long after before it shifted to the private lobby Tannor had set up for this match. Stunned at how the gauntlet works, Laura dumbly followed Tannor's example and watch as it did the same before she found herself in the private lobby. It was quite surprising to see it happen so close to her that she couldn't help but jump a bit when her smartphone was secured in place.
"I know. It's a real shocker that technology is getting so far." Tannor smirked. Laura couldn't stop her cheeks from getting red when she realized both her friends saw her reaction. "No need to feel bad for responding like that. A few of my previous opponents reacted the same way when they tried out the Gauntlet."
A wave of reassurance overcame Laura as she reviewed Tannor's words. Brushing off the imaginary dust of her clothes, she straightened herself and prepared for the battle ahead.
"Moving on... You know the words, right?" Laura gave a nod at those words. "Alright then..."
With a deep breath, both combatants with all their heart and their voices at their highest declared, "Battle... Shadowverse!"
It's finally done! After the past seven to five months, this is finally finished! The worse part, this is only chapter one, but I feel I can manage to the next chapter. I decided to make a Shadowverse fanfiction since I hadn't done a lot on my fanfiction account and Shadowverse didn't have a lot of fanfics. Pretty simple reasons.
I've also been watching the Shadowverse anime and I enjoyed it, even if I understand why others don't. The anime isn't good in terms of being a card game anime, relying too much on tropes and putting any substance in them. Plus, the main protagonist isn't that interesting or multi-dimensional, which drags the show further down. I'm also not a fan that Kazuki, the representative of Swordcraft, being the butt of the joke. It honestly irked me as a Swordcraft main and felt like the show was written by someone in on the Sword circlejerk on Reddit. I was also hoping that the game cast (Arisa, Erika, Rowen, etc) would have a bigger role than just handing over the protagonist their card.
Thankfully, the anime did have its shining moments. Amulet cards like Arthurian Light can be equipped on the leader as armor, which was awesome. You can have tag battles in Shadowverse, which I'm surprised they didn't implement in the game itself. Luna and Mimori's friendship was a cute development as well with how different yet similar they are. The cards get their wallpaper-worthy entrance frames like Cynthia and Moon Al-Mi'raj. I even love the remixed and touched-up versions of the in-game music. I was fanboying so far when I heard the remix of the Swordcraft theme during Hiro and Miyabi's duel.
I do wish to continue this and hope I don't lose the energy to do so. Sorry, I had to end it on a semi-cliffhanger, but I need to play out the duel between Sword and Rune for the next chapter. I'll even watch a few games of Shadowverse on YouTube for ideas of their strategies. I also felt like I was just dragging out the chapter for too long. I'll be editing the chapter when I find minor or major mistakes in the story.
Leave any suggestions, constructive criticisms, private messages, and your thoughts to help further improve the story. With that, I wish you all a good night and Happy Holidays!