CRASH! Thunder and lightning danced and banged around the dark sky above. Mizudo, a young 16-year-old boy with short, untidy blond hair, faced his opponent with an unblinking angry stare. Nothing else in the world mattered more to him than mercilessly destroying the man before him. It took many sacrifices to face him and he would make sure it wasn't for nothing.
Mizudo immediately declared the attack of his monster. It leapt forward but a dark, clawed arm was thrown through it. An explosion resulted in the destruction of Mizudo's monster. He fell to his knees, clasping his chest in pain.
"So this is the best you've got?" the man taunted and laughed maliciously. "You might as well stay down and surrender." His vile voice rang laughter of evil as he disappeared into the darkness.
Light flooded his sight as he opened his eyes. Mizudo gasped as he shot out of bed. He placed his left hand on his forehead, wet with sweat, and leaned on his right.
"That dream," he thought. "It seemed so real. I could feel the pain. Could it have been more than a dream?"
While his thoughts swam in his memories of the dream that had haunted him the previous night, he turned his head toward the alarm clock. The lights flashed 8:25 AM. It was early morning in the city of Domino. There was a calendar posted above the desk where the clock sat.
Mizudo smiled as he picked up his pen and crossed off the square that represented that day, October 1st. A small drawing on the square displayed a large dome behind a skyscraper. Today was the day he was going to take the entrance exam to get into Kaiba Corporation's Duel Academy.
He grabbed the handle of the top drawer of the desk and pulled it out. A piece of notepaper taped to the drawer labeled it as "Duel Monsters". Inside the drawer were four items; a small cardboard box, a smaller plastic one, cards sprawled in an untidy pile face-down, and two slips of paper.
Mizudo withdrew the two pieces of paper. One of them displayed a train embedded with the "Domino Express" logo. The other had two large, bold letters, a red "K" and a blue "C". They were his ticket onto the train that passes the Kaiba Corporation building and the ticket to prove he passed his written exams and qualified for the practical exam, which he would need to pass in order to become a student.
According to the train ticket, he was to get to the train station by 9:00. With only about half an hour to go, he quickly leapt out of bed and exchanged his pajamas for a gray shirt and blue jeans and dashed out the door with a piece of half eaten toast in his mouth.
"Attention, civilians please board the Domino Express in the next five minutes," the announcement blared through the station. "Repeat. The Domino Express takes off in five minutes."
"Boy was I cutting it close. Okay, five minutes. Here we go!" Mizudo picked up speed after hearing the announcement. "Car 5… 4… ah, here we are! Car 3!" Reviewing the ticket, he learned he was to ride car 3. He ran up to the car where a man was closing the door. "Hold it!"
The man looked up, shocked by Mizudo's sudden shout. "Do you want to board?"
"Yes. Here's my ticket." He flashed the ticket in front of the man. After reading the piece of paper, the man nodded, allowing Mizudo to enter the train. He walked down the isle until he saw a familiar face; a girl about an age older than him with shoulder-length dark red hair tied into a single tail. She wore a white jacket with blue trimmings. "Hey Oran," he said, sitting down next to her.
"You couldn't resist your usual late entrance, could you?" Oran teased.
"No, I guess not."
Nothing of interest or worth writing happened on the train ride to Kaiba Corporation. Basically, Mizudo and Oran exchanged Duel Monster strategies and Oran talked of her experiences at Duel Academy. She was now a second year student there.
The Domino Express soon came to a halt before the massive building. The majority of the passengers got off here. A man in a Kaiba Corp. uniform greeted them and led them through marble hallways and staircases to a large gymnasium filled with Duel Monster arenas.
"This place is incredible!" Mizudo exclaimed, observing the several duels going on.
"It's nothing special," Oran said. Of course, it would probably be because she's seen it before. Mizudo guessed this was her same reaction to it last year when she was a new student.
"Welcome to Duel Academy, new students," said the announcer's voice. "And welcome back, old students. We hope you will enjoy this year at Duel Academy. Of course, you will have to pass your entrance exams, first. Good luck!"
The announcer himself wasn't there. He was at Duel Academy at his office, talking through a phone. The receiver of the phone he had called was facing the microphone so that he could communicate with the students from where he was.
"Kaiba Corp.'s virtual reality systems are amazing," Mizudo said, continuing to watch the duels. He had never seen a duel played by Duel Disks before. "The monsters look very real."
"Well, you're quite the enthusiastic first year," a voice sneered behind Mizudo and Oran. They turned around to see a boy about Oran's age with short, spiky brown hair and a sneer on his face. He wore a blue jacket with white trimmings, opposite of Oran's jacket. "Oran, I don't see why you hang out with him."
"Leave him alone, Akira," Oran replied. "I'd bet you were like that once."
"The past doesn't matter," Akira hissed. "Listen, kid, I'm the best duelist of Duel Academy. I can tell you're just not cut out for dueling." With that, he left.
"Don't listen to him, Mizudo," Oran said. "That's his usual introduction to anyone."
"Don't worry," Mizudo replied.
The two of them took seats in the bleachers to watch the duels. Mizudo was amazed by pretty much everything, even the simplest. They paid certain attention to a duel. The examiner was a duelist with one of the highest test scores, Rigen. He had light orange hair that was rather untidy at the forehead and combed neatly around the back.
"Here I go!" Rigen said. "Draw! I sacrifice my three monsters as tribute. King's Knight, Queen's Knight, Jack's Knight! Offer your lives in order to summon the mighty Gilford the Lightning! When he's successfully tribute summoned by the sacrifice of three monsters, it destroys all of your monsters!"
The warrior raised its sword into the air. The blade lit with lightning and it slashed through the tester's monsters. At Rigen's command Gilford struck the tester and reduced his life points to 0.
"That guy looks pretty good," Mizudo noted.
"I'm not surprised," Oran said. "He's said to be one of the best of the new students this year."
"Mizudo, please report to your designated arena for your exam," the announcer said.
"Alright, it's my turn."
"Good luck," Oran said, bidding him farewell.
Mizudo walked onto the arena. Some of the audience applauded him, to his surprise. He waved to whoever he could tell wave clapping for him. On the other end was a man in a Kaiba Corporation uniform and duel coat faced him. He wore a pair of thin rimmed glasses and had short, black hair combed neatly around his head.
"My, aren't we enthusiastic?" he said. "Greetings, Mizudo. My name is Professor Nikkai."
"Let's see how he does," Akira said, watching from the audience.
At the shouts of "duel", both of them drew five cards and activated their duel disks. The Life Point counters flashed to 4000.
"I'll go first," Mizudo declared. "I set a monster in defense mode and that'll do it." In front of him, the hologram of a face down card appeared.
"Here I come, Mizudo," Nikkai said. "I summon Enraged Battle Ox (1700/1000) in attack position. Initiate Battle Phase now, Battle Ox!" The ax-wielding beast warrior lunged forward and slashed through Mizudo's defense monster. However, as soon as it did, Battle Ox disappeared from the field. "What's going on?"
"My monster, Kelbek's (1500/1800), ability," Mizudo explained. "When it's attacked, the monster that's attacking is returned to your hand. And since it has 100 more defense than your monster's attack, you take that as damage."
"Not bad," Nikkai replied. "I'll set a card face down and end my turn." In place of Battle Ox, a face down card appeared.
"Okay, my turn," Mizudo said. "Draw!"
"Stop right there," Nikkai said. "I reveal my face down card, Ring of Destruction. It destroys your monster and we both lose life points equal to that monster's attack points."
A ring equipped with bombs attached to Kelbek. At the explosion, Nikkai's life points decreased to 2400 and Mizudo's to 2500.
"Fine," Mizudo replied. "Then I summon Mudora (1500/1800) in attack mode. It gains 200 attack points for each Fairy in my graveyard, so it now has 1700. Attack directly!" Mizudo's monster dashed forward and with one swift slash, Nikkai's life points decreased to 700 and Mizudo declared the end of his turn.
"Draw Phase initiate!" Nikkai said. "I activate Cost Down! If I discard a card from my hand, I can decrease the level of the cards in my hand by 2. So, I can summon Enraged Muka Muka (1200/400). It may seem a little weak at first but it gains 400 attack points for each card in my hand."
"Okay, let's see," Mizudo said. "That's 1200 attack points plus 400 for each of your cards."
"Making 2400 attack points," Nikkai said. "Muka Muka, attack Mudora now!" The Rock monster clamped its claw through Mudora's neck and snapped its head off instantaneously and decreased Mizudo's life points to 1800. "I'll end my turn at that."
"Draw!" Mizudo said. "I don't have anything to fight that Muka Muka with so I'll summon Zolga (1700/1200) in defense mode and play one card face down."
"My attack won't hurt you if your monster's in defense mode," Nikkai said. "So, I'll summon another to take care of it. Obnoxious Celtic Guard (1400/1200) attacks Zolga!" The elven swordsman lunged forward and slashed its sword down toward Mizudo's monster.
"Not so fast," Mizudo interrupted. "I activate Negate Attack! This card negates your attack and ends your battle phase." A swirling vortex appeared and sent Celtic Guardian flying back to Nikkai's side of the field.
"Well, I have nothing else to do," Nikkai said. "I set a card face down and end my turn."
"Okay, here goes," Mizudo said. "Zolga, I sacrifice you to summon Majestic Mech – Ohka (2400/1400)!" Zolga disappeared and in its place stood a beast of light, growling fiercely at Mizudo's opponent.
"He has a Majestic Mech monster?" Akira said.
"Those are some of the newest rare cards," Rigen added.
As Ohka took its place on Mizudo's field, Mizudo's life points increased to 3800. "By the way," he explained. "Zolga gives me 2000 life points if I offer it to summon a monster."
"Impressive," Nikkai replied. "You summon a stronger monster and gain 2000 life points in the process. But, Ohka has the same attack points as Muka Muka and Celtic Guardian can't be destroyed in battle."
"Yeah, I know," Mizudo said. "But Obnoxious Celtic Guardian has one hole in its effect. You still lose life points. The 1000 point difference is a little over your 700 if I'm not mistaken. Ohka, attack Celtic Guardian!"
"Not so fast! I activate my face down card. Spirit Barrier! This card protects me from any battle damage as long as I have a monster on the field." As the light beast leapt forward to attack, a shimmering shield blocked it and sent it flying back to Mizudo's field.
"So, you had something to fill in the hole of Celtic Guardian's effect," Mizudo replied. "Fine, I set two cards face down and end my turn." Behind Ohka appeared as two face-down cards as Mizudo ended his turn. "And now that it's your turn, I'll activate one of my face-down cards. Time Seal! This card stops your draw phase so Muka Muka won't gain 400 attack points this turn." Chains shot out of the hologram of the card and wrapped around Nikkai's wrist, preventing him from drawing his card.
"You forget my Celtic Guardian," Nikkai replied. "If I get Ohka off the field, it'll attack you directly. Muka Muka, destroy Ohka!" Muka Muka clamps onto Ohka and Ohka bites Nikkai's monster, both destroying each other. "Now, Celtic Guardian, finish the job!"
"I won't let that happen," Mizudo said. "I activate Rope of Life! This card forces me to discard my hand but in exchange, my monster is regenerated with 800 extra attack points!" A shining rope appeared and sank into the ground. When it started pulling upward, it had Majestic Mech – Ohka attached to it and blocked Obnoxious Celtic Guardian.
"Well, at least I still have Spirit Barrier protecting me," Nikkai said. "I end my turn."
"What a combo," Rigen said. "Nikkai has unbeatable monster and a barrier protecting his life points where his monster couldn't."
"Come on, Mizudo," Oran thought. "You can beat him!"
Mizudo drew his card but didn't look at it. "Well, this duel all comes down to this card," he said. "So let's see if it can do the trick!" He inserted the card into his duel disk.
"You're playing a card without looking at it?" Nikkai asked. Suddenly, a high wind picked up on the field. "What's going on?"
"Mystical Space Typhoon," Mizudo replied. "It wipes out any magic or trap card on the field. And your Spirit Barrier is right in its path!" The wind destroyed Nikkai's shield as Ohka leapt forward. "Majestic Mech – Ohka attacks! It may not destroy your guardian but you'll still lose life points." Ohka dashed forward and slammed its head into Celtic Guardian, sending it into Nikkai's body.
As Nikkai's life points decreased to 0, the crowd started standing up and clapping. Mizudo waved back to them. "Yes! I did it!"
"Way to go, Mizudo!" Oran cheered.
"That was a great finish," Rigen noted.
Nikkai deactivated his duel disk and the holograms disappeared as he walked across the arena to Mizudo's side. "Congratulations, you pass," he said, extending a hand which Mizudo accepted. "Welcome to Duel Academy, Mizudo." Mizudo winked and smiled back.
To Be Continued…
Mizudo: Wow. So, I made the cut and now I'm a student at Duel Academy!
Oran: Congratulations, Mizudo! Oh, by the way, you'd better get ready for the Star Opening Match.
Mizudo: The Star Opening Match?
Oran: Yeah. Each year, the school holds a duel between two new students who have the highest grades.
Mizudo: Neat! So, who's my opponent?
Oran: Rigen. Next, "Star Opening Match! Mizudo vs. Rigen". Good luck, Mizudo!
Mizudo: I won't need it! Prepare to duel, Rigen!