Staying in the Background
Prologue - Trial by Fire
"Ren! Wake up or you're going to be late!"
"Uh… I'm up, I'm up…"
Unceremoniously, I threw aside my sheets as I rose from my bed. As I made my way to the bathroom to freshen up, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. In the last ten years, I had grown a fair bit. Gone was the rounded youth of my face in place of the more angular features of a teenager. I swept my messy brown hair to the side. As the years went by, I realized why my childlike body had been familiar. Now as a 15-year-old, I bore a strong resemblance to the default player character of Yu-Gi-Oh Spirit Caller. Admittedly, I had also tried wearing a red cap to see if I looked like the Tag Force protagonist, but the look just wasn't complete without the Slifer uniform. I was a bit trimmer in this universe than my old one. Considering this was my second life, I'd tried to be a bit healthier. While I didn't have an excess of muscle, I was comfortably lean.
After a proper wash, I returned to my room where I changed into the clothes laid out on the suitcases by the desk. They weren't anything special, just the uniform of the school I was attending. A simple grey suit with a high collar. Finally, I put on the belt that had my deck box attached.
It was still early morning. The examination wouldn't be for another hour or so. There was still time to go through one last time. I took my seat at the desk and took out my cards, all nicely protected in black sleeves. Over the years, most of my funds went towards gathering new cards. I'd become quite the collector, acquiring quite a few of my favourite staples to go alongside my Buster Blader.
Also, I'd come to find there were what I considered modern cards within this universe. A year after regaining my memory, media stations were abuzz detailing events that I recognized as being part of the Dark Side of Dimensions movie. During that time, there was a phenomenon where everyone in the city was suddenly overcome by a wave of unconsciousness. Even I had been affected. One moment I was opening card packs, and the next I was lying on the floor. Had to say, I was panicking a bit until my father told me about the news. I had thought that I'd been overcome by some kind of illness.
Of course, this also meant that the third-generation duel disk was on the market. Not that anyone had one. Due to its features, it was way too expensive for almost anyone to afford. It had caused a small drop in the Kaiba Corporation stocks due to the backlash. Fortunately for them, they managed to save face by updating all the old duel disks with new software that improved their performance, although not to the level of the sleeker third-generation ones. In fact, it was around that time that the Kaiba Corporation announced it was opening schools to train future duellists. Quite interesting to see how the academy started. I suppose it was just in Kaiba's character to turn a loss into several opportunities for his company to gain. He probably made another mint through tuition costs.
Although, since the events of the movie were supposed to be a continuation of the original manga, it did make me question if I was in the anime or manga verse. Guess I'd find it out at the academy.
Satisfied with my current setup, I slipped my cards into my deck box and started taking my suitcases downstairs. Today was finally the day after all. The day of the Duel Academy entrance exams! I had managed to pass the written exam with relative ease. Knowledge from my former life really helped with that. I was comfortably in the top quarter of applicants. Not noticeable next to stars like Bastion. Perfect for a background character like me. Now all that was left was the test duel.
Once everything was neatly by the door, I headed to the kitchen where the heavenly, smoked scent of bacon was wafting. There, my father was sat at the table, reading the newspaper. I'd learned early on that he worked at Industrial Illusions, the company that developed Duel Monsters in this universe. Nothing too flashy, just a simple low-level office job. However, the perks did mean that he got free cards to bring home.
As I entered, my father smiled and put down what he was reading. Over the years, he'd put on a little more weight. Considering a lack of exercise and what I knew was an uneven diet, an office job would do that to you. Nonetheless, he greeted me with joy. "There he is! You feel ready for today?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," I said, taking my usual seat across from him.
"Oh really?" he said with a smug smirk. "I thought you were still missing some cards."
A small groan escaped me as I tried to hide my embarrassment. Every time I opened a new pack, I'd been rather vocal if I didn't find what I wanted. My father had always enjoyed teasing me when he caught me sulking over a bad draw. "Well, there's nothing I can do about it now. Not a lot of shops will be open this early in the morning."
"I suppose so." With a grin, my father reached into his suit pocket, produced a small green packet and slid it over to me.
"What's this?" I asked, taking the packet.
"A good luck present," he said before returning to his paper.
Curious, I opened the pack and took out the cards inside. There were only three cards inside, two fusions and one vanilla but nonetheless my eyes bulged.
"These are…"
"That's what you wanted, right?" my father said slyly, eyeing me from over his paper.
"But these… these cost a fortune! How did you get them?" I asked, still in shock.
"A friend at work owed me a big favour. Don't ask what it was," he said cryptically.
"Well, either way, thank you!" I got up and gave the man a hug. He'd always been supportive of my duelling and now he'd gone above and beyond. I thought I'd never get these cards. I looked forward to being able to use them soon.
I'd only just finished putting my new cards in protective sleeves when my mother came in with two plates of a full English. The years had been kinder to her than my father. There were a few crow's feet, but she was still very pretty. She had come in with a smile but the moment she saw me with my new cards, her expression fell. "Awh… I wanted to see him open them."
"Sorry, I couldn't wait any longer," my father replied with a laugh.
"Well then you should have more than enough patience to wait a little longer for your breakfast," she quipped, holding his plate away from him before placing the other in front of me.
Immediately, my father's expression fell as he looked pleadingly at my mother. "No! Please! I'm so hungry!"
"No, I don't think so."
As my father continued to appease my mother, I couldn't help but laugh at the scene. It had taken a while, but I had finally come to see them as family. Of course, I still missed my old one. During the early days, I'd been sad a lot when I thought of what my former parents must have gone through after my death. No one should have to lose a child, especially so suddenly. But they still had my brother, so hopefully, he'd been able to help them get through.
Still, it was during that time that I realised just how painful remembering a past life could be. While you remembered all those important to you, it came with the shocking loneliness that you would never see those people again. More than one night, tears had been shed for what had been left behind.
I shook off the sad thoughts and focused my efforts on scoffing down my breakfast. The sausage and bacon were fantastic! I was always grateful to have been reborn into a family with a decent cook.
My father had to go to work early so my mother would have to drive me to the Kaiba Dome for the examination. If all went well, I wouldn't be coming back for a while. Apparently, those who passed the test would be swept off to the academy immediately, with no time to pack. That was why I already had my stuff ready.
"Is your duel disk charged?" my father asked once he'd managed to wrestle his breakfast away from my mother. "We don't want a repeat of the junior tournament."
"You forget to do something once and you never let me forget it," I groaned, slumping at the table. Yeah, I didn't know duel disks in this universe needed to be charged regularly. Sue me. I hadn't become a native yet.
"It's your only piece of equipment! You don't see a tennis player without his racket!" he went on explaining the importance of keeping a sportsman's kit in order, but I zoned him out. It was a classic 'dad talk' that I'd heard several times before. I had something more important to worry about. Like finishing my breakfast.
The drive to the Kaiba Dome was short but sweet. My new family lived in the centre of Domino City so everything was fairly close by. I admit that when I was old enough to go out alone, I'd done a lot of sightseeing to find the locations from the original show. I'd never gone to Yugi's house though. Every time I thought about finding it, I realised how creepy it was to go out with the sole purpose of meeting a stranger. Despite that, the city was beautiful. Tall buildings rose towards the skyline, reflecting the sun's rays in a way that made them sparkle.
On the way, my mother and I made idle chat about the new adventure I was about to embark on. Obviously, she was a bit emotional. Her only son was leaving home for the first time and going far away. For me, it all had a level of nostalgia. I'd gone through all this before in my prior life when I went to university. It brought back a few painful memories of my original parents, but I pushed them down. I had to be focused. Today could mark the start of my new life at Duel Academy. I just had to win one duel.
Ten minutes later, we arrived at the gates of the Kaiba Corporation Headquarters. It was a tall building lined with glass panels with a strange, red, circular structure on top. Statues of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon stood like sentinels around the building. A testament to the power Seto Kaiba possessed at his fingertips.
We'd passed through the gates easily enough when I showed the suit-wearing guards my letter of invitation. We were quickly told to pass on to a winding path up to a hill where a gigantic white dome stood. I easily recognised it as one of the many Kaiba Domes where duelling tournaments and events took place. It was also the location of the duel between Kaiba and Yugi during the original movie. In the film, it had been destroyed by the Egyptian sorcerer, Anubis. If that event had happened in this reality, the repair work was exquisite. There was no sign that there had been any damage!
As the path got steeper, it made me glad we were in a car. It made a lot of sense that Jaden would be late for the exams if he had to run up this hill. It was honestly a surprise he made it at all. At the top of the hill was a small car park where my mother let me out. She helped me take out my bags before wrapping me in a big hug.
"I'm going to miss you, Renny," she said, tears in the corners of her eyes.
I returned the hug, holding on just as tightly. "I'm going to miss you too," I said with absolute sincerity.
We stayed like that for a few more seconds before Maria let go and dried her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she put on a brave smile. "Remember to write. Oh, and I expect a call every week with news about your exploits."
"Well, maybe not every week but I promise I'll message every chance I get," I said with a laugh.
My mother returned it with a smile before getting back in the car. Rolling down the window, she gave me one last glance. "Knock 'em dead," she said cheerily before driving away. I watched her go, descending the hill and disappearing before I collected my things and headed towards the entrance of the dome.
Sat at a table by the doors were two women in a yellow variation of the girls' academy uniform, one with long brown hair and the other short blonde. They were probably volunteering students looking to earn some extra cash. They were accompanied by a man in a suit and sunglasses. The man's hair almost made me do a double-take. It had been slicked back but the ends stuck out towards each side like rocket fins. Thankfully, I managed to stop myself from laughing. The man said nothing as I approached, merely motioning for me to go to the girls.
"Excuse me, I'm here for the examination," I said, handing my pass over to the woman with long hair. She looked it over uninterestedly before scouring through the list of names in front of her.
"Ren Cambell…. Hmm… Ah, here you are. You're a bit early, aren't you? They're still finishing setting up in there. You must be eager."
"What can I say, it's better than having test anxiety all day."
"I suppose that's one way to look at it," the woman said exasperatedly, stifling a yawn. "I'd have used the time to sleep in." Nonetheless, she put a tick next to my name. "Please head inside. There's an area for your luggage in a room to the left of the door. If you leave it with the men in there, they will look after it. In the event you fail your exam, it will be available to collect immediately. If not, it will be shipped to your room at the academy ready for your arrival. If you pass, please do not leave the premises. Wait in the stands as buses will come once all exams are complete to take successful applicants to the airport. Do you understand?"
"Yep."
"Excellent. Before you go in if you would show your deck to my colleague. We need to check that it meets the Kaiba Corp standard limit list."
"Of course." I handed the second woman my deck and she quickly skimmed through it.
One of the things I had learned since coming to this world was that unlike our own, there wasn't really a ban list. Duellists seemed free to use whatever cards they wanted. There were a few that were banned from official tournaments due to the power of their effects, but they were rare. The main thing to watch out for were the number of certain cards a person had in their possession. For example, each piece of Exodia was limited to one, as well as most treasure cards that allowed players to draw. On that note, some cards, like Card of Sanctity, possessed their anime effects. I suppose they made duels more exciting that way. It added an element of unpredictability.
"You've got some pretty rare cards here," the second woman observed before handing them back to me. "You've also got a lot of drawing support. Compensating for something?"
"I don't have the best luck," I said with a nervous laugh, strangely feeling a bit inadequate. "Figured they might give me an edge, y' know?
"It's not looking great for your exam then, is it?" She smiled but her words were more like a slap to the face. Her professional etiquette needed a lot of work.
"I suppose not," I said through gritted teeth. "Thank you very much for your time."
"Good luck." The two women said before sharing a giggle.
Only once I was inside did I let out a groan. "I guess the hazing has already started. For attendants, they were surprisingly bitchy." I shook my head, banishing the thoughts. "C'mon, focus. Keep your head in the game. First things first; suitcases."
With my mass production KC Duel Disk attached to my arm, I entered the main atrium of the dome. I was instantly taken aback by just how big it was on the inside. Lines and lines of seats encircled a wide-open space that had been split off into several smaller pitches by large, brown partitions. I noticed that a few men in long, greyish blue coats were helping to set up the last few partitions, bringing them in on trolleys from a hallway at the right of the arena.
Looking around, it seemed the stands had been split into two sections. Those for applicants yet to be placed, and those for returning students, graduates of duel prep school or kids who had gotten in through connections. Large banners had been put up, highlighting each section. There were a few other applicants in my section, probably early risers or people who actually did suffer from their nerves. I didn't recognise any of them. They must have been background characters like me who either didn't show up in the series or just briefly appeared. However, as I looked across the higher seats, I did spot one series regular.
Bastion Misawa was sat near the top row, his head in a book. He was easily recognisable from his neat black hair that had been flushed towards the back of his head. His white school uniform had been ironed pristinely. He looked the proper image of a model student. This was my first time encountering anyone that I knew from the Yu-Gi-Oh universe. It was surreal seeing someone who I had always considered fiction to be so close.
It did make me wonder if he shared any elements from his game counterparts. Would I forget he was there as soon as I turned my head? The thought made me chuckle. For a moment, I wanted to go and talk to him. Invade early the group that would form when Jaden arrived for his exam. I took a step forward, then headed to the other side of the stands.
As much as it would be cool to meet my prior life's childhood heroes, I needed to remember that I was just a mob. A background character. If I were to meet them, it should be in passing. They had their lives, their own happy ending to look forward to. I had my own.
For the last ten years, I'd been trying to live my best life. I'd entered competitions, gone to a duel camp for a summer (because that was a thing in this universe), I even got into watching the pro circuit so that I would have something to talk about with my new friends at school. When it came to duelling, I will admit I lost a lot at first when using the duel disk. I wasn't prepared for just how quick monster attacks were. Unlike in my former universe, no one waited for you to activate your traps. If you didn't do it in the moment, you lost. It was a thrill rush living in the moment like that. I could see why Jaden loved the game so much. It was like constantly living on the edge.
When I finally got used to the fast-paced action, I entered a Junior Tournament. Not to toot my own horn, but I did pretty well, even managing to reach the finals. The only thing that stopped me from winning the whole thing was when my father told me there were scouts in the audience looking to give kids entry to a duel prep school in Domino. When I heard that, I knew I couldn't risk it. Zane, Alexis and Chazz all went to a prep school before going to Duel Academy. For all I knew, they were a part of the school being scouted for. If I wanted to live my peaceful life of obscurity in the background, I couldn't risk running into them. For that reason, I'm ashamed to say I threw the match. It wasn't my proudest moment, but it meant I got to keep my dream. In my books, that's a win.
Due to that loss, I hoped there wouldn't be anyone at the academy who would know my name. One of the cruel aspects of this world was that people flocked to the winners but if you lost once, you were yesterday's garbage. I was confident no one would recognise me.
"Hey, you're Ren Cambell!"
Fucking dammit!
I wheeled around to see someone else I recognised. Only he wasn't a main character. Before me, his Yugi-like hair on full display, was none other than the copycat duellist, Dimitri. I didn't know his last name.
My mouth hung open. Never did I imagine that I would be talking to one of the side characters of the show this early! I couldn't find any words. Actually, It's probably more accurate to say they came out all at once.
"OhheyomanomehRen…"
"What?"
"Sorry," I said, shaking off my surprise. "It's still too early for me. Haven't had my coffee, y'know? Yeah, I'm Ren. Who are you?"
Thankfully, Dimitri shrugged off my strange drawl and flashed me a grin. "The name's Dimitri. You better remember it because I'm gonna be the next King of Games!"
"Oh really?" I said, holding in my urge to laugh. "I'm humbled you would take the time to talk to me then. Um… how do you know me by the way?"
"We were in a tournament together a few years ago," he explained. "I mean, I lost in the first round, but I stuck around to see the other matches. You were pretty good. Too bad about the last match though."
"Umm… thanks. Yeah, that was a shame. It's nice to meet you, Dimitri."
"You too!" Without asking, Dimitri sat down next to me, placing his backpack at his feet.
'No. please. Do take a seat. I wanted the company,' I thought sarcastically, a little irritated by the teen's forwardness.
Dimitri seemed oblivious to my annoyance though. He merely turned to me with a large grin."Say, we still have some time before the exams, wanna hang out?"
"Uhh… I can't think of a reason why not." Seriously, I couldn't think of a reason why not. Dear Slifer, I couldn't think of a reason why.
Despite my inner turmoil, we ended up chatting for a while. Much to my surprise, the dude was a lot more chipper than his initial appearance in the show. Maybe it was because he hadn't yet gone through all his crushing defeats at the academy. He still had his hope. His attitude reminded me a little of Jaden. He had so much optimism. I honestly wondered if he was the same guy from the anime.
When you got to know him, Dimitri was pretty chill. He knew a lot about the current pro duellists in the world. It was clear he idolised them and knew all about their strategies. He was a walking encyclopaedia on the subject. In fairness, if he were born in my universe, his knowledge may have allowed him to build a decent deck. Unfortunately, in this world, he was cursed to lose so that he could be a steppingstone for Jaden's character development as the main character.
Speaking of the main characters, I took notice that he was wearing the same school uniform Yugi had back in his day. Had he gone to the same school? If Dimitri was imitating the decks of famous duellists already, he was probably going to be emulating either Yugi himself or Joey Wheeler. Most likely the latter. He didn't consider copying the current King of Games until he got to the academy.
We also talked about a few other things; our hobbies, goals and hopes for the academy. As it turned out, Dimitri was a big fan of the theatre, which explained his talent in copying the mannerisms of the people whose decks he emulated. While we were talking, a few more people shuffled into the arena. I also noticed a few blue and white coats appearing in the stands across from us. I tried to spot some of the other main cast but couldn't. They probably weren't here yet. Shame. Would have been cool to at least see them in the flesh.
Before long, they began calling the names of applicants for their examinations. Unsurprisingly, both me and Dimitri were called down at the same time.
"Best of luck," the copycat king said as we made our way down. "Let's meet up after our duels."
With a wry smile, I nodded. "Sure. I certainly don't mind. I'll see you in a bit." I gave him a two-fingered salute before heading over to the partition where I would be having my exam. My proctor was already waiting for me. I didn't recognise him from the show so he must have been a teacher who didn't get screen time. Much like the other proctors, he wore a greyish-blue long coat and a pair of grey trousers. Had to say, I liked how his grey tinged dark hair had been swept stylishly to the side. Much like the guy outside, he looked at me from behind a pair of sunglasses. Attached to his arm was the academy duel disk that would soon become the mainstream disk for duellists in this universe.
The thing that surprised me was just how well built the guy was. The size of his biceps was causing his coat to bulge uncomfortably. It looked like it would tear at any second. He had to have been the P.E teacher. No, that was Nurse Fontaine if my memory served. Maybe the assistant then?
I took my place across from him and he finally spoke. "You Ren Cambell?" His voice was very deep but cut to the point like a knife. He seemed like a very no-nonsense type of guy.
"Yes sir. Thank you for this opportunity," I replied, giving a small bow.
"Respectful. I like that. I am Professor Caden. Should you pass this exam, I will be your math teacher in the halls of Duel Academy."
'This guy is the math teacher! He looks more like a professional boxer!'
"Is something wrong, applicant?" Caden asked, noticing my momentary silence. I quickly shook my surprise.
"No sir. It's nothing." I didn't want to get on his bad side. I knew I wouldn't be getting into Obelisk Blue immediately due to my lack of connections and prior school experiences, but I was still hoping to get into Ra Yellow. If this guy was like Dr Crowler, if I got on his bad side he'd throw me down into the pits of Slifer. That wasn't exactly bad, but I didn't want to run the risk of being dragged into canon events. Ra was the safest bet to live as a mob.
"Very well," Caden continued. "From what I recall, you did decently on the written portion of the exam. However, there is much more to this game than theory. In this duel, I will be evaluating your knowledge and strategies within Duel Monsters to place you in appropriate accommodations. In the event you lose the duel, you will fail and must wait until next year to apply again. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir," I replied, prepping my duel disk. The two parts of the disk slid around connecting with a satisfying click. Seeing my eagerness, Caden gave a nod of approval.
"We'll get along just fine, applicant," he said, prepping his own disk. "You will be taking the first move. This examination has begun."
"Alright! Let's do this!" I cried as we both drew our opening hands.
"DUEL!" (Ren: 4000LP/Caden:4000LP)
After drawing my sixth card, a small smile tugged at my lips. "To start this off, I'll be summoning one of my favourites. Come forth, Lancer Lindwurm (1800/1200) in attack mode!" As I placed the card on the disk, a green dragon flew onto the field. It wore golden armour over its body and long neck whilst a pair of golden gauntlets adorned his arms. In its talons was a large, shining javelin. Spreading its wings wide, my dragon let out a low growl showing its readiness for battle. It always amazed me just how lifelike these holograms were. It made the game that much more exciting.
Caden, however, seemed less than impressed with my monster. "You're a dragon guy, huh?" he asked in boredom.
"Yes," I replied, somewhat offended by his at his dismissal of my monster. "Anything wrong with that?"
"They're just overplayed. Kids use them for their easy power, or just play them because they look cool. It would be nice to see people make their decks with a bit more originality."
"Well… that is true," I begrudgingly admitted. While dragon cards did play a part in my strategies, I couldn't deny their appearances didn't play a part in me choosing to continue to play them. Either way, now wasn't the time to evaluate my life choices. "Sorry, that didn't impress you. Maybe these two face downs will. With that, I'll call it a turn." Two set cards appeared at my feet as Caden drew his sixth card.
"Okay applicant, that was a satisfactory opening move. Let's see how you handle this. I begin by summoning my Darkfire Soldier #1 (1700/1150) in attack mode." A plume of fire suddenly burst from the ground. From it emerged a shirtless man with long blonde hair. The only armour he wore was a pair of shoulder guards and leather bracers. As he appeared, he gave a wave of the hooked blade in his hand. Flickering flames engulfed his lower body, adding to his intimidating image. Even still, he was weaker than my dragon.
"I'm sure you're thinking that this guy is weaker than your monster," Caden said, nailing my thoughts. "Well lesson one, attack points aren't everything. I'll play the equip spell, Axe of Despair, granting my soldier an extra 1000 attack points." A devilish wooden axe appeared on the field. His soldier took it in his spare hand and gave a roar as his attack power soared (2700/1150). "Furthermore, I'll activate another spell; Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face down on the left."
I grimaced as a torrential blast of wind blew onto my side of the field, destroying my set Magic Cylinder. "Good move," I growled. 'Damn, I was relying on that to do massive damage.'
A small smile crossed Caden's face before he threw out his arm, engaging in some duellist pageantry. "With that, I'll have my Darkfire soldier attack your dragon!"
His monster leapt into the air; his weapons primed to cut my monster into two. However, I merely smirked. "Don't forget, I had two face downs! I activate my trap, Kunai with Chain!"
My set card rose and suddenly a coiled chain attached to a three-pronged blade appeared around my dragon's arm. With expert precision, Lander Lindwurm threw out his new weapon towards the encroaching soldier. The chain latched itself around his body, stopping it from moving causing him to fall unceremoniously to the ground.
"As I'm sure you know, when my trap is activated, I'm allowed to not only boost my dragon's attack by 500 but also change your monster to defence mode," I said, taking joy in the scowl on my proctor's face. My dragon let a screech of victory as its own attack points bolstered. (2300/1200)
"That was a clever move, applicant," he said reluctantly. "Unfortunately, I have nothing else to play this round so I must end my turn."
"Then it seems it's my turn to go on the offensive!" I said, drawing my next card.
"Hmm…"
Standing on the balcony overlooking the whole arena, Zane Truesdale stood dispassionately with his arms crossed. He had arrived early to see the skills that the academy's new blood possessed but at present he was far from impressed. His fellow Obelisks on the balcony, both returning and freshmen, were giving him space, none daring to approach the Kaiser of Duel Academy. Well except one. Zane was momentarily taken aback when a white Styrofoam cup filled with what smelled like coffee was held in front of his face.
"You're up surprisingly early," Alexis Rhodes said before taking a sip from her own cup. "Are you really that interested in the new freshmen?"
"If they're going to join the academy, it's best to know their talents," Zane said matter-of-factly as he took the cup Alexis offered him. He was still feeling tired from his early start after all. He'd never admit it, but he was glad she had joined him. Having gone to a duelling prep school, Alexis didn't have to show her skill in a practical examination. She already wore the white and blue accented Obelisk girls' uniform over her slender but tall frame.
"Their skill? Or your brother's? He's trying out today, isn't he?"
She was teasing him. One of the few people he allowed to do so. He had known Alexis since they were children. She had been the brother of his best friend and as such, they were quite close. Ever since Atticus…
Zane shook his head, banishing the thought. Now was not the time for such times. "Syrus will be here, but not until later," he said. "For now, I want to see how the others fare."
Alexis gave him a questioning look as she pushed a lock of her sandy blonde hair from her face. "Oh? And has anyone caught your interest so far?"
"No one of true note. The exams have only just begun. I suppose the one with Lancer Lindwurm on his field is doing the best out of those currently duelling."
Alexis turned to look down towards where the match between the applicant and Professor Caden was happening. "The professor could be in trouble with Lindwurm's effect," she mused. Zane noticed her eyes narrow when she saw the kid duelling. Her lips pursed and she seemed confused.
"Something wrong?"
"No," she said a little quickly. "He just looks familiar. Do you know who he is?"
"I've been up here all this time. How would I know?"
"I suppose you're right," she said quietly, but she kept her eyes on the match. Seeing that she had taken interest in the duel, Zane decided to focus more on it as well. He supposed it could prove to be a little more entertaining.
My hand wasn't great, but it was workable. I'd used the last of my traps in the first round thinking I'd still have one to defend. In the anime, it was said the proctors used test decks that weren't too strong. However, I'd underestimated just what cards they had. They were designed to test applicants under pressure. And Caden, he was no slouch. He knew how to duel. It really made me question just how Crowler had managed to rise so high in the academy with his own lacklustre duelling skill. That said, maybe when he wasn't duelling main cast members, he was a lot better. Another thing to think about later. Time to focus.
"I'll summon my Masked Dragon (1400/1100) in attack mode," I said as a white and red-toned dragon took its place next to my other monster. "Next, I'll have my Lindwurm finish what you started. Go! Attack Darkfire Soldier!" At my command, my stronger monster threw its javelin towards my opponent's captive monster. It not only skewered the monster but continued to sail through the air and struck Caden's shoulder and causing the man to wince in pain. "Oh, and let's not forget, when Lindwurm destroys a monster in defence mode, you take the difference as damage."
Caden grimaced as his life point counter dropped (Caden: 2850LP). However, I wasn't done. "Masked Dragon, attack him as well!" Opening its maw, Masked Dragon unleashed a torrent of flame, engulfing Caden and bringing him closer to defeat (Caden: 1450LP). "I'll throw down one more facedown and call it a turn. It's your move."
There was a small smile on Professor Caden's face as he drew his next card. "That was a good move," he admitted. "I may have my own hang-ups on dragons but when used effectively, they do have their strengths. It seems I underestimated you as well. So how about we take this duel to the next level?"
It seemed despite this being an exam, Caden was enjoying himself. I'd awakened his fighting spirit and for some reason, that made me worried.
"Let's start by activating Pot of Greed!" he said.
"Pot of Greed? What does it do?" I cried in mock surprise. The opportunity was too good to miss. Surprisingly, Caden actually laughed.
"No one knows. But I'll draw two cards regardless," he said, bringing his hand back to five. "Excellent. I play the spell card, Brain Control!"
"Shit!"
"Language applicant," the professor snapped before continuing. "By paying 800 life points, I'll be taking control of your Lindwurm until the end of the turn (Caden: 650LP). My dragon struggled for a moment, clutching its head before going limp and flying over to Caden's field.
"Now, I'll summon Darkfire soldier #2 (1700/1100)." There was another burst of flame before a red-skinned monster appeared on the field wearing a robe made of flames. He wielded two katanas that were wrapped in flame. For all that bravado, it was still only as strong as his first monster.
"You going to use another equip spell?" I asked in anticipation, knowing this turn was going to hurt.
"Not quite. First, I'll be removing my first dark fire soldier to special summon Inferno! (1100/1900)"
Caden's new monster appeared merely as a torrent of flames. Amid the fire, I was able to make out a face, two eyes and a mouth that contained the charred remains of hundreds of skulls. A shiver ran down my spine as I looked at the horrible sight. Unlike his prior monsters, I knew this one had an effect. However, I couldn't remember what it was. Hey, there are hundreds of cards in this game. I can't be expected to remember them all.
"Battle!" Caden declared, breaking me from my thoughts. "Darkfire soldier! Attack his Masked Dragon!"
The flaming samurai rushed forth, decapitating my beast with deadly swiftness. (Ren: 3700LP)
"Masked Dragon's effect activates!" I cried. "When he's destroyed, I get to call another dragon from my deck, as long as it has 1500 attack or less." Another Masked Dragon appeared on my field, also in attack mode."
"Why did he summon it in attack mode?" Alexis mused up above.
"Because he would have taken more damage if it were in defence," Zane replied, his eyes narrowing.
"Lancer Lindwurm! Attack the second Masked Dragon!" My mind-controlled beast did as commanded, throwing its javelin and destroying my dragon. (Ren: 2800LP)
This time, no other dragon appeared. Caden waited a second before cocking his head in confusion. "Unfortunately, there isn't another dragon in my deck that matches Masked Dragon's requirements," I growled.
"It seems you are ill-prepared then. Inferno, attack him directly!" The sentient flames howled preparing to spit out a flaming skull at me.
"Reveal facedown!" I cried. "Go, Scapegoat!" Four small, sleeping sheep tokens of different colours suddenly appeared on my field (0/0), each floating peacefully in the air. "My life points are safe."
"Not quite. You've actually just hurt yourself more!" Caden cried. "When Inferno destroys a monster by battle, you take 1500 points of damage."
"What?" I cried.
"Inferno, destroy the blue sheep token!" His monster spat one of the skulls in its mouth. It collided with my token in a great explosion sent out a shockwave of solid vision wind that caused my hair to be swept back. "And now for my monster's effect," Caden said with some satisfaction. Before I could do anything, his monster was upon me, engulfing me in its body and burning away my life point meter. (Ren: 1300LP)
When the monster finished, it retreated to its owner's field, leaving me to fall to one knee. "That… that all you got?" I asked cockily. "Next turn I'll have my Lindwurm again and with less than 700 life points, I think I've passed this test."
"Not quite," Caden said, making my spirit sink. "To finish off, I'll be activating my Double Summon spell card, allowing me to summon again. So, I sacrifice your Lindwurm to summon my Twinheaded Beast! (1700/1900). My dragon disappeared into a plume of smoke before a more intense pillar of flame engulfed his field. From it appeared a centaur-like creature with two flaming lion heads. As it looked at me, flames ignited menacingly in the palm of its hands.
"Unfortunately, it looks like I will be failing my first applicant," Caden said, sounding like a typical anime villain. "We are grateful you took the time to apply today."
"I've still got at least one more turn," I said, getting back to my feet. "This game isn't over until the last card is played."
"You've got spirit, I'll give you that," Caden said, nodding his head. "Very well, let's see if you can turn things around. I end my turn."
I gave a sigh of relief. I'd made some misplays but had managed to make it through. That said, I was in trouble. Scapegoat tokens couldn't be tributed for normal summons so even if I drew a strong monster, I couldn't play it. Not to mention the only two cards in my hand were Polymerization and my own copy of Mystical Space Typhoon. As cliché as it was, everything relied on this last draw.
I held my breath, drawing what would be my final card of the game. At first, I dared not look. When I finally did peak, I had a somewhat mixed reaction. The card I drew was Monster Gate. While it allowed me to summon a monster, I had to randomly draw from my deck and the first monster would be summoned, regardless of whether I wanted it or not. It was a risk. If I drew a weak monster, I was screwed. If I drew something that couldn't be normal summoned, I was screwed. I needed one, powerful monster. Just one chance for the game.
But then again, in this universe, it was these kinds of things that people loved. I was on the razor edge of victory. It all rode on this. My heart quickened; my resolve tightened. This was it.
"I play Monster Gate!" I cried with as much flare as possible. "I tribute one sheep token, to draw from my deck until I can summon a monster."
Caden's smile fell. "Putting this all down to chance? You must be out of options."
"I believe in my deck, I know it'll come through for me," I said, feeling a little ill at how much like a protagonist I sounded. 'I am not a cliché, I am not a cliché, I am not a cliché,' I mentally chanted as one of my tokens disappeared and I drew my first card. It was a spell, United We Stand. It went to the graveyard, and I drew again. Another spell. I drew once more. Yet another spell. My anticipation grew. I drew my final card, and my face lit up with joy.
Behind me, a magic circle burst to life. It began to spin around and around, creating a portal to a dimension beyond. For the first time, I felt like engaging in my own bit of pageantry.
"Warrior who bares the bane of dragons, descend upon this game and slay all who stand against you. Come forth, Buster Blader (2600/2300)!"
As I finished my chant, the black armoured swordsman burst from the portal, leaping onto my field. It swung its sword twice before allowing it to rest on its shoulder. I noticed that his appearance on the battlefield caused Caden's monsters to shudder. I was always in awe whenever I got to summon my blader onto the field. Even now, as the lights from the arena shone off his armour, I still couldn't believe my luck in possessing such a powerful monster. He'd been my ace ever since I'd awakened in this world, and he was here for me now when I needed him.
Was this the Heart of the Cards, or had I just got lucky? For the sake of my existence as a mob, I'm going to say luck. I knew that while Buster Blader was a card famous for being used by Yugi, it also wasn't exclusively used by him. I'm pretty sure that there was a random kid who used it in the original anime once. So, despite the fact it was rare, it shouldn't draw too much attention. It was the perfect ace for me.
"That's an impressive card," Caden said, a little in awe. "Where did you get such a legendary card?"
"H-he's not that legendary," I tried to say, rubbing the back of my head nervously. Huh? Was it just my imagination or did Buster Blader look a little annoyed with me? Either way, it was time for my victory lap. "Buster Blader, finish this duel by attacking that beast!" I cried, pointing towards the monster that had so rudely used my Lindwurm to summon itself. "Destruction Sword Flash!"
With a fearsome cry, my Blader rushed across the field and leapt into the air, bringing his oversized sword down upon Caden's two-headed beast. He split him down the middle in such a way, it would have made Thanos (or Ultron) proud. The perfectly balanced sides of Caden's monster fell to the floor before disappearing in a burst of pixels, taking away the last of the professor's life points. (Caden: 0LP. Ren Wins)
As our monsters faded and duel disks deactivated, Caden briefly looked disappointed before a small smile appeared on his face. "Congratulation's applicant. You have successfully completed your practical examination. Welcome to the academy."
"Thank you, sir," I said, giving another bow.
"I look forward to seeing you in class. When all duels have been completed, please pick up your uniform and PDA. That will be all." He gave me a nod before gesturing for me to leave. Seeing that there was nothing else to be said, I exited the small arena and made my way back to my seat.
"Well, that was a surprise," Zane said. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting him to win with a Buster Blader. Whoever he is, he's certainly made his way into the halls of the Yellow Dorm.
"Cambell," Alexis said, her tone was dark and dripping with simmering anger, something that once again surprised the cyber duellist. "His name is Ren Cambell."
"You know him?" Zane asked, his brow raised.
"Not personally," Alexis growled, her eyes watching the kid as he returned to the stands. "But he deserved to lose that duel."
Was there a history between Alexis and this Cambell person? For once, Zane could say he was intrigued. The only time he'd seen this kind of emotion from Alexis was when she told him about an old classmate who had stolen her mother's scarf. What could Cambell have done to invoke the same emotion?
When I got back to my seat, I noticed that more applicants had arrived. Dimitri hadn't finished his own exam yet, so I had some time for myself. I once again tried to spot some canon characters and this time I was more successful. Across the stadium, I was able to make out the spiky hair of Chazz Princeton sitting among his cronies looking down on the other applicants. Syrus Truesdale had also arrived, sitting nervously alone a few rows away from me looking feverishly through his cards. It probably wouldn't be until Jaden arrived that he spoke to anyone. Poor guy was just too socially awkward to try and make friends. Thankfully, his time at the academy would allow him to flourish.
Bastion was still in his seat but now he was watching the other applicants like a hawk. I took it that he was trying to analyse his competition for number one freshman. By the smile on his face, he was probably satisfied that his skills outmatched those of his peers.
Up top on the balcony, I finally managed to spot Alexis and Zane. The older Truesdale was standing stoically, looking down on the duels like a king over his subjects. Like Bastion, he was probably evaluating the new blood. I wondered if I would ever get the chance to duel him. It would certainly be a challenge. I wasn't expecting my proctor to be as good as he was. It all just proved to me that I was going to have to revamp my deck. Again.
Alexis on the other hand was leaning over the railing with her chin resting on her hand. I'd thought she was pretty in the anime but seeing her in real life just proved how stunning she really was. It was a shame I'd never get the chance to talk to her. If I wanted to maintain my mob status, no getting involved with canon events. Ever. While Zane was a bit detached from the main group, making him an exception in my book, Alexis was closely affiliated with the core cast. She was off-limits. Still, from where I was sitting, she looked rather peeved about something. I wondered what it was.
Turning my attention back to the duels, I was able to catch the ending of Dimitri's duel as he finished off his opponent with an attack by a Red-Eyes Black Chick of all things.
'Definitely imitating Joey,' I thought to myself.
A couple of minutes later, the copycat duellist was back in the stands. "Congrats on the win," I said as he sat down.
"Aw, it was no problem, Nyeah," Dimitri replied, doing his best to imitate a Brooklyn accent, which just served to make me laugh. "Why are you laughing, Nyeah?"
"That voice. What are you doing?"
Dimitri's cheeks flushed as he looked away. "I sometimes get caught up in the performance," he said shyly in his normal voice. "I can't help it."
"Performance?"
"Oh, I haven't really found my own style of duelling yet. I've been trying to copy other duellists to find something that sticks."
"And that works?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
"Not really," Dimitri admitted. "I barely made it through my duel."
"You should have more confidence in yourself," I said, leaning back into my seat. "Try making your own deck. You've got so much knowledge on the best strategies, try incorporating them into your own. See where it takes you."
"Hmm… maybe your right…" he said before going quiet. It suddenly occurred to me that I might have just changed a canon event. If Dmitri built his own deck rather than continuing to copy others, he wouldn't convince himself to steal Yugi's deck. My teeth grit with worry but overall, it wasn't the worst thing. That duel served the purpose of fan service, so fans could see Jaden's monsters fight Yugi's. If it didn't happen, Jaden wouldn't lose anything character-wise. Either way, I'd have to be more careful in future.
With Dimitri lost in his own thoughts, I turned my attention back to the duels. The matches went on for another hour and a half. Some were exciting, others weren't. There was an equal amount of people returning to their seats as there were leaving with their shoulders slumped. I knew the exams were coming to an end when I saw Syrus and Bastion take the field.
Bastion's match was more exciting than Syrus's. The younger Truesdale's match wasn't seen in the anime, but he managed to scrape a victory with his Steam Gyroid. Sure enough, when he returned to the stands, he was quickly greeted by a breathless Jaden Yuki, who had finally arrived. Just like in the anime, he wore a grey uniform over a red top. His Kuriboh-like hair and youthful expression set him apart from all the other examinees.
It was weird seeing him in real life. Despite the fact he was a little away from me, his smile practically oozed positivity. Once again, I was hit by the urge to go and say hello, but I quickly pushed it back down.
'I'm a background character. No talking to him,' I reminded myself before turning back to the matches.
Bastion won his duel spectacularly just as in canon before heading back to the stands. I resisted the urge to watch him interact with Jaden and Syrus. It wasn't long after that when Jaden's name was called for his duel with Crowler.
The man in question was just as I remembered him. Dressed pompously with extremely long blonde hair tied up into a ponytail. His appearance had made me laugh when I was a child, however, I was very much aware now that if Yu-Gi-Oh GX had been aired in 2021, it would have been demonetised for presenting an effeminate man in such a humorous and derivative way. In fairness, I had always liked Crowler. Okay, maybe not at first, but when it came to his character's journey, it was admirable. He learned the true ideals of being an educator. Sure, he had his quirks, but deep down, he truly cared for his students. Still, I made a mental note to avoid him for the first couple of years.
The duel went a little different than the way I remembered. Winged Kuriboh didn't make an appearance in the duel. Instead, Elemental Hero Clayman did, leaving Jaden with 1000 points before the end of the game. Jaden had used Hero Signal after Clayman had been destroyed by Crowler's Ancient Gear Golem to summon Burstinatrix and then summoned the Elemental Hero Flame Wingman on his next turn. He did pause momentarily at one point to look at his cards so maybe Kuriboh was in his hand but nonetheless he wasn't summoned. Probably a good thing since as far as I had seen, most cards followed their TCG effects. Meaning if Golem attacked it, Jaden would have lost the duel.
Either way, it was so exciting to see these famous monsters appear. I'll admit, I cheered when the Wingman destroyed Crowler's Golem. I got a few weird looks, but I didn't care. My childhood hero just won a duel. I'm gonna cheer.
After his victory, Jaden ran back up into the stands where Bastion and Syrus congratulated him on his victory. I couldn't hear what was being said, but I assumed they were showering him with praise for his success over Dr Crowler.
Either way, Jaden's win meant the end of the exams. It was time to move on to the academy. However, as I got up to leave, Dimitri grabbed my arm. "Where are you going? It looks like there's another duel."
I froze.
My body refused to move, and a sudden chill ran down my spine. Jaden was the last examinee. This should be over.
"What?"
Mechanically, I turned to look back to where Jaden had been duelling just moments before. Sure enough, another duelist was striding out onto the court, an indignant Crowler facing him.
"What the fuck?" It was all I could think of to say.
Dr Crowler watched as his new examinee entered the duel arena. He was livid. His duel with that Jaden boy was supposed to show off his power to his new students, earning him their respect. Now, he was going to be a laughingstock! This boy, the one waiting to duel, was his ticket to show his loss had been a fluke. A small mistake on his otherwise spotless record.
He had to show them he was still to be respected. As he re-readied his deck, he took stock of the boy in front of him. Unlike most of the applicants, he wore casual clothing. Black jeans and shirt under a white leather jacket. His hair was tinged just the slightest blue and parted down the middle so that his sharp brown eyes were on full display. As he took his spot across from the good doctor, the boy gave him a polite smile.
"So, you're Dr Crowler. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir," the boy began, Crowler immediately liking him more than the last boy for his respectful attitude.
"Er hem. Yes, indeed I am. And what is your name, my boy?" Crowler said, once again putting on a more professional attitude.
"I am Logan Evans. I look forward to this opportunity."
"Oh… yes. It is good to meet you." It was a shame really. So polite and proper. However, Crowler had to defeat him. Perhaps he could give the boy the opportunity to transfer in a month or so. Take pity on a fallen foe. Still, his tardiness was an issue.
"If you don't mind me asking, why were you so late?" Crowler asked.
"Unfortunately, my parent's car had a puncture. It took a while to fix," the boy explained. A simple reason and very understandable. It was sad he was late, but this boy certainly deserved more opportunity than the dropout boy.
"Very well. I assume you know the rules of this exam?" Crowler asked.
"Of course," Logan replied, placing his deck into his disk.
"Very well, then we shall begin." (Crowler: 4000 LP/ Logan 4000 LP)
Placing his hand on the machine on his coat, Crowler activated his duel coat and took his first five cards. "It is your move, son."
"No, please sir, after you," the boy said. "I would be honoured if you would take the first move."
Crowler beamed. It may have been against the rules of the exam but the student himself had given permission. Who was he to refuse?"
"Very well, if you're sure then. My draw!" Crowler took his sixth card and couldn't believe his luck.
"I shall begin by activating Double Summon so I can summon twice this move. Then I shall call upon The Trojan Horse! (1600/1200)" Upon Crowler's field appeared a wooden horse reminiscent of the one used during the Trojan War. "When summoning an earth attribute monster, this card counts as two tributes!" Crowler explained, his smile ever beaming. "Now I sacrifice my horse to summon the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon (3000/2000)!" From the ground burst a dragon entirely composed of rusted gears and metal. It dwarfed the arena they were playing in and was forced to hover above the partitions. Its glowing red eye glared down at Logan as it let out a menacing roar that shook the entire arena. Under the creaking of its gears, the students could be heard muttering about how Crowler owned not just one but two legendary rare cards.
Crowler ate it up, loving the attention he was getting. With his dragon, he would not be made a fool of again. "I shall end with two face downs. It is your turn, my boy." Crowler smirked. His face downs were Limiter Removal and Mirror Force. Even in the event this boy possessed a monster whose strength was comparable to his dragon; it would be destroyed when it attacked. And then Crowler could double his dragon's attack to end the game.
He felt a little bad to ruin this boy's dreams, but it was a sacrifice in order to maintain his respect among the students.
Admirably, the boy, Logan, did not falter. He looked up at the dragon with a smile on his face. "That was a very good move, Dr Crowler," he said. "I don't know what I could do against a beast like that."
"Have faith in yourself, my boy," Crowler said, maintaining his image as a respectable teacher. "I would not use my true deck if I did not think you could handle it."
"It is an honour," Logan said with a respectful bow before drawing his own card. For a moment, the boy's smile seemed a little more demonic. Like he was looking forward to something that Crowler couldn't perceive. But, when Crowler blinked, the look was gone. He must have imagined it.
"I shall start by activating Solar Recharge," he said. "By discarding a Lightsworn monster, I can draw two cards, but then the top two cards of my deck go the graveyard." As he added his new cards to his hand, his grin grew. While Crowler couldn't see exactly what he discarded but he was sure all the cards he sent to the graveyard were monster cards. Also, what were Lightsworn cards? Was it a new archetype that had just come out? Admittedly, the good doctor wasn't completely up to date with the new cards coming out from Industrial Illusions.
"Now, I play Dark Core! I discard one card to remove a monster from play. Say goodbye to your dragon!" He sent another monster card to the graveyard to activate his spell.
"What?" Crowler gaped as his dragon disappeared into a dark void, removing it from the game. He began to panic. In one move, one of his most powerful monster had been wiped from the game. But there was still hope. He still had Mirror Force. He could survive this turn and then mount a counterattack next move. He could still win.
"Now," Logan continued, "with four Lightsworn monsters in my graveyard, I can call forth my ultimate creature! Descend from the heavens and cascade true judgement upon all of us foolish mortals. I call upon you, Judgment Dragon (3000/2600)!"
From the ceiling, a pillar of light crashed into the earth, blinding all. Suddenly, two grey feathered wings burst from the light. With a single flap, there was a shockwave that dispersed the light, revealing a feather-covered dragon with red talons. Small wisps of steam blew from its mouth as it glared down at the panicking Crowler.
'Where on earth did he get a card like that?' he mentally screamed. 'No, I can't panic. I still have my face down. I can survive this.'
"I use my dragon's effect!" Logan cried, throwing out his hand. "By paying 1000 life points, I can destroy every other card on the field!" (Logan: 3000 LP)
"You can do what?" Crowler gasped.
It was too late though. With a roar, Judgment Dragon emitted a blast of light. It crossed the field, disintegrating both of Crowler's face-down cards. "No! I needed those to win!" Crowler cried in desperation.
"I'm sorry Doctor Crowler, but I have already won," Logan said. "I summon Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner (1000/1000) in attack mode." A beautiful, short-haired blonde woman in a long white robe rose on the field. Two long tarps of white silk hung from her back like a cape. As she appeared on the field, she smirked at Crowler. "I attack with both my monsters!" Logan cried. Lumina struck first, summoning a small, purple magic circle in her hand that cast out white lighting that struck Crowler in the chest. (Crowler: 3000LP)
Judgment Dragon attacked next. As it opened its maw, particles of light began to coalesce in its mouth before it shot out a beam of energy, completely enveloping Crowler as he cried out in fear. (Crowler: 0LP. Logan wins)
'No! Not again!' Crowler thought, mourning his fallen reputation.
As Crowler's life points fell to zero, so did the good doctor fall to his knees in utter disbelief. The crowd was silent. While Jaden's victory was a surprise, this was unprecedented. A one-turn kill against an academy professor should be unheard of. Slowly, people began to clap. Clap until most of the audience was cheering for the kid's victory.
However, I remained stock still, my blood ran cold. I knew better. I knew what should have happened. Jaden should have won. The exams ended and everyone go on their merry way. This… This was an aberration. That kid, standing there, bowing towards his loving public, I knew what he was. He'd chosen to interfere. He was using cards that were overpowered and the way he was acting reminded me of every single overpowered character I'd read about. Polite and yet confident.
Yes, I knew just what he was. He was like me, only he'd chosen to be the cliché I avoided. There was no doubt. If he'd existed in canon, he would have been chosen to guard a Spirit Gate Key. He too must have reincarnated into this universe. And now he was a problem. For if his actions changed the canon, the whole world could be in danger. And it would be the end of my peaceful life.
In that moment, as I looked down at that kid, I knew that if I were to continue my life as a background character, I had to confront him.
So yeah, I've taken the Yu-Gi-Oh Isekai trope in another direction. On the one hand, we have Ren, who doesn't want to follow the cliche of getting involved with the main plot so that he can live his peaceful life. On the other is Logan. I won't reveal too much about him now but you can probably tell he is based on the op characters you normally see in other oc fanfics. Obviously, Logan's involvement is going to derail all of Ren's plans but in just what way? You'll have to keep reading to find out. I'll be updating every now and again but don't exactly plan on doing this religiously as I did with my last story. Unfortunately, I've got to earn money now, ugh. I feel so old.
Ironically, I've already planned out all the big points in the story I want to cover and now just need to think about the smaller things. One thing I am interested in though is whether you guys would like to see more modern cards be included in the story, like XYZ and Synchro. I know it's done in other stories so before I make a commitment, I would love to hear your thoughts. I'll put a poll up on my page.
Also, before I go, I want to say a massive thank you to Yung Warrior who gave me advice when it came to writing my duels. If you haven't already, please check out his story, State of the Meta. It is absolutely fantastic! I cannot tell you how many times I've read it. His storytelling is honestly some of the best I've seen on the site.
*Added 17/01/2022: To anyone who may be annoyed by the way Logan won his duel, I just want to say that Logan has been written by design to annoy the reader as the typical, cliche, isekai protagonist who is overpowered from the start. If you hate him, then that is exactly the effect he should have on you. Before making any final decisions, I recommend reading further. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Either way, thank you for giving the story a try :)*
Please don't forget to fav, follow and review. Would love to hear your opinions on the story, good and bad. Nothing is improved without criticism after all. Hope you all have a good day and remember to stay safe.