Ok, I will start on my second chapter now. Make sure to read the previous chapter before continuing with this one.
Chapter 1: Яevelation of the White Dragon
The moment Byakuro touched the trial deck, the world around him melted into darkness. He looked around in fear for a moment, before he recognized the scene. "This is my dream…" He spun, looking around, genuine excitement passing over his face. "Hey, sub-manager, this is some pretty cool special effects! How're you doing this? Does everyone see something like this when they pick a deck?" He frowned when he got no reply. "Sub-manager?" Nothing. He frowned; of course this couldn't be the sub-manager's doing; there was no way to simulate sensory depravation with special effects.
"But if this is my dream…" Byakuro slowly turned around to see the red rings, circling the black orb. Then, the red light intensified, and for the first time, he clearly saw the white dragon that had begun to reveal itself to him before. A malicious grin was on its face, and Byakuro could only stare in disbelief.
"Come here, boy, don't be afraid. This is your destiny, Byakuro," said the mysterious white dragon. Its grin seemed to widen, stretching wider than any smile had the right to stretch.
Byakuro tried to respond, but couldn't manage an words; the shock of meeting a dragon had scrambled his wits for a moment. Slowly, but surely, though, he managed to regain composure. "…You have to be a hologram or something. Logically, you can't exist right now."
The dragon laughed for a moment. "What you are seeing now is not a hologram or virtual image, foolish human. What you are seeing now is one of the top commanders of Link Joker, an agent of Void, ascended to power in order to end existence! I am Star-Vader, Imaginary Plane Dragon!" The dragon lowered its head and narrowed its gaze. "And you, Byakuro, are mine. You have been chosen to wield the power of void, of Link Joker!"
The dragon raised its head proudly, not taking its eyes off the silent boy, and it continued. "You will be given true power of Lock, far beyond the false versions offered by the card game, and the power of reverse as well. You will become the new agent of Void on Earth. Command our foot soldiers, act as our black hand, and follow me to victory, the annihilation of planet Earth!" The beast, Imaginary Plane Dragon, finished with a grand gesture, and looked expectantly at Byakuro.
Byakuro thought for a moment, thinking about what he should do. "So basically, by choosing the Link Joker trial deck, I was given the power to command all Link Joker units and use them to take over earth." He paused, before scoffing. "You must be joking. This sounds more like a silly dream than reality." When the dragon remained silent, as if to mock his disbelief, Byakuro felt a sharp spike of irrational anger, and decided to mock him in return. "Your name is Imaginary Plane Dragon, right? So your initials are IPD?" He grinned an inflammatory grin. "I think I'll call you Pid, for short. Makes you seem more like the Joker you are. Now, cut out the jokes and let me out of here so I can try this card game."
Imaginary Plane Dragon—or Pid, as he was now christened—looked indignant. "This is more than just a card game, Byakuro. By wielding a deck and becoming a vanguard player, you wield the fate of a planet named Cray, a planet very similar to Earth. It is our secondary target for destruction. You may call me…Pid… Or whatever name you like, as you are my equal, but you will not mock our objective. You will become a great agent in seizing this planet. And you will extinguish every last bit of hope. That should alleviate the boredom, should it not?" asked Pid, with a satisfied look taking over its face.
Byakuro frowned for a moment and looked down at his feet. This was too incredible to believe. Five minutes ago, he was mocking the card game. It was childish, it was a waste of time, and there was no chance that he could take interest in it. Now—if he were to suspend his disbelief for a moment—he was being offered a position that more or less amounted to being the harbinger of destruction. He didn't want to destroy the Earth, but the idea that he COULD, if he wanted to… If he ever got angry, or if he ever slipped or lost control… It was… alluring. As Byakuro looked up, his eyes, which up until now had still been partially lidded, opened wide with excitement. "Alright, I accept."
No sooner had he spoken did a bright red aura with black wisps surround him. He felt the power, flowing through him. It faded quickly, but there were small differences that were immediately apparent. Although it wasn't too helpful in the darkness, his senses were heightened, and the overwhelming blackness didn't seem so oppressive anymore.
"So now I have the power of Void or Link Joker or something, huh?" He asked, looking down at his hand. "Interesting, but I will not do as you wish." He clenched that hand into a fist and looked the dragon square in the eye. "You think I will wield this power for you or anyone else? Are you an idiot? I now finally have something that can kill this endless boredom! It will make my life SO much more interesting! I won't become your pawn for taking over the Earth. I don't care what will happen to this planet, but it's still my home, and I need to be alive to enjoy this power of mine." Byakuro could feel the power surging through him, and fought to keep his exhilaration under control, lest he look like a madman. He sighed. "And you, Pid, will let me keep this power, won't you." It wasn't a question. "Even though I refuse to work under you, I'll still keep this… amazing feeling."
The dragon laughed. "There is no worry. You will become my pawn sooner or later, whether you like it or not. All you need to do now is use your power to lock and reverse others, and most importantly, let your thoughts imagine a world where everything is locked!" The dragon faded into the darkness, leaving Byakuro alone with the red rings.
"Making me your pawn, who do you think you are?" He muttered. "I swear, will definitely make all of you and your Link Joker power mine, remember that!" declared Byakuro. "Now I will go and try this card game that can grant me power and learn how to master it. That'll be my first step to escaping this everlasting boredom."
And just like that, the world returned to normal. Byakuro squinted slightly at the transition, but frowned as he looked at the counter. The sub-manager was still rummaging for the rulebook, and the manager was still napping on the register. "Was it all… A dream?" Byakuro asked himself. He shook his head and looked at his hand, trying to grasp that feeling from before, and was rewarded with a red and black aura that surrounded his hand for just a moment before fading. "No… Just because it happened in my head doesn't mean it wasn't real. I can still use it."
The sub-manager chose that moment to hand over the rulebook, and Byakuro sat down to read it. 'I WILL learn how to master Link Joker!' He thought.
Meanwhile, Ken was watching another match. "Go Honest Seeker, Egbert and Full Bloom Seeker, Cedric! Do a legion attack on his vanguard!" One of the participants exclaimed.
"Damage trigger check, please be a heal trigger..." The other person sighed. "Nothing there. I lost again." He chuckled slightly. "You are as strong as ever Ginta," he said.
Ken nodded; he had seen that end coming since grade two. Too much early guarding, especially in a deck that didn't use Legion while facing a Seekers deck, was fatal. He turned around to see Byakuro closing a book and standing from his chair. "Finish reading the rulebook?" he asked. "I found an ok player for you to duel as your first match, if you're up for it."
"Wow, you actually were doing some scouting, I thought you were just enjoying the matches here." said Byakuro, a little annoyed at his best friend for leaving him to learn the game by himself. His eyes had returned to their lidded state, the shock of the Void having left him. "Ken, if the opponent you found also used a trial deck, I wont fight him," he added.
"It's fine. I know that you like challenging things so I was searching for someone who's a beginner but isn't using a trial deck, and luckily, I found one, " replied Ken. "You should thank me. The things I do for you…" He added dramatically.
Byakuro nodded. "I know that I can't beat anyone who's not a beginner, not unless I get a better deck, so I thank you. I think that you know me better than I do," he said, before following Ken to find his opponent.
"Hey, Ginta is your name, isn't it?" Ken called.
Ginta looked up. He had short, black spiky hair and a black shirt, and Byakuro nearly scoffed at the English writing that said "BRING IT ON" in bold, white letters, plastered on his chest. 'At least it's grammatically correct,' he thought. There were too many shirts out there that said completely ridiculous things, but people still wore them because they were 'cool.'
"Yeah, that's me," Ginta said. "You want a fight?"
Ken shook his head and jerked a finger at Byakuro. "Not me. My friend here want to fight you for his first match."
Ginta nodded and turned to Byakuro. "Alright, nice to meet you! My name's Ginta!"
Byakuro's lidded eyes grew cold, and in an arrogant voice he said, "I don't need to know the name of the weakling that I'm going to defeat. I've never even played before, but I can tell that you're nothing but a stepping stone."
"What did you say?!" Ginta said, taken aback by the rudeness.
Ken put an exasperated hand to his head, raking through his hair. "Geez, Byakuro, I thought you might have been a little nicer to the guy. I mean, you don't even know him."
Byakuro ignored his friend and continued to stare directly at Ginta, not blinking or changing his expression. "Do your ears work correctly? I said it right to your face; so I'm not going to repeat myself. I'll only remember your name if you can beat me." Byakuro's nasty streak was acting up again, and he couldn't help himself from adding on, "How about this: loser has to be the winner's personal servant for a week, and even miss school to follow them around."
Ken put a hand on Byakuro's shoulder. "Ok man, I think that's far eno—" he cut himself off when Byakuro glanced back. His eyes were filled with fire, and although they were still lidded, they definitely radiated a passionate spirit. 'It's been a long time since I last seen you with those eyes, Byakuro,' Ken thought.
Ginta growled. "Fine, but you better not chicken out, you loser!" he shouted.
"I have no intention of losing," replied Byakuro with a grin on his face to match the fire in his eyes.
Both player placed their deck and starters to their respective zone and yelled in unison: "Stand up! Vanguard!"
"Quantum," said Byakuro, simply.
"Composed Seeker, Lucius," said Ginta.
Byakuro's turn: "Winners go first. Draw. Then, I ride Thorium. Quantum moves to the back left corner. Over to you."
Byakuro-Ginta
5-hand-5
0/0-damage-0/0
0-soul-0
0-drop-0
Quantum, empty-empty, empty
empty, Thorium-Lucius, empty
empty, empty-empty, empty
Ginta's turn: "Draw. Ride, Seeker of the Right Path, Gangalen! Lucius moves to the back right corner. I call Good Faith Seeker, Cynric to the left. Cynric attacks your vanguard! With its skill, it gains 3000 if I have a Seeker vanguard (10000 to 7000)."
"I guard with my Molybdenum," said Byakuro. (10000 to 12000)
"Fine, I attack you with my vanguard." (7000 to 7000)
"No guard," said Byakuro.
"Drive trigger check, Cerdic, nothing there."
"Damage trigger check, Graviton, nothing there," said Byakuro, imitating Ginta.
Ginta growled at the mockery. "Turn end."
Byakuro-Ginta
4-hand-5
0/1-damage-0/0
0-soul-0
1-drop-0
Quantum, empty-empty, Lucius
empty, Thorium-Gangalen, empty
empty, empty-Cynric, empty
Byakuro's turn: "Draw. I ride Magnesium. I call Radon to right. Radon attacks your vanguard. It has the same skill as your Cynric, but for Star-Vaders instead of Seekers (12000 to 7000)."
"I don't guard. Damage trigger check… Seeker, Loving Healer! There's nothing for me to heal, but the power goes to my vanguard," said Ginta. (7000+5000=12000)
Byakuro was unimpressed. "Magnesium attacks your vanguard!"
"I don't guard," said Ginta. "You need a trigger to get through anyways."
Byakuro flipped the card. "Drive trigger check, and what do you know? A stand trigger." He tapped his vanguard with a pleased expression. "The power goes to Magnesium (15000 to 12000), and Radon stands back up."
Ginta cursed his bad luck. "Damage trigger check… Seeker, Rune Eagle, nothing there," he said.
"Radon attacks your vanguard again, with its skill attack +3000," (12000 to 12000)
"I guard with Messenger Seeker," said Ginta.(12000 to 17000)
"Turn End,"
Byakuro-Ginta
4-hand-4
0/1-damage-0/2
1-soul-0
1-drop-1
Quantum, empty-empty, Lucius
empty, Magnesium-Gangalen, empty
empty, Radon-Cynric, empty
Ginta's turn: "Stand and Draw. I ride Combined Strength Seeker, Locrinus and call Vladgal Seeker to right. I also call Seeker of the Right Path Gangalen to the back of my vanguard,"
"Shouldn't you call it to the right?" asked Byakuro. Ginta ignored him.
"I attack you with Vladgal, boosted by Lucius. Lucius gains 3000 power due to its skill," (16000 to 10000)
"I guard with Gamma Dile," said Byakuro (16000 to 20000).
"I attack with my Vanguard, boosted by Gangalen," (16000 to 10000)
"I don't guard," said Byakuro.
"Drive Trigger check, Certain Kill Seeker, Modron! The crit goes to my vanguard while power goes to Cynric (7000+5000=12000)!"
Byakuro was entirely unconcerned, and to Ginta's irritation, let out a loud, long yawn. "Check the damage. Draw trigger. Power goes to my Vanguard, (10000+5000=15000), and I draw. Second check, heal trigger. Power to my vanguard, and I'll take back that third damage."
Ginta growled, "Cynric, attack Radon (15000 to 9000)!"
"I don't guard!" declared Byakuro, moving the card to the drop zone.
"Turn end."
Byakuro-Ginta
4-hand-4
0/2-damage-0/2
1-soul-1
3-drop-1
Quantum, empty-Vladgal, Lucius
empty, Magnesium-Locrinus, Gangalen
empty, empty-Cynric, empty
Byakuro turn:
"My turn." He grinned an evil grin. "I ride Garnet Star," As he placed the unit on the vanguard circle, an image briefly filled Byakuro's head, an image of Garnet Star, standing in the center of a ring of Royal Paladins. Each one of them held a weapon upright, but their fear was palpable, and Garnet Star was radiating an evil power, and it let out an almighty roar.
Just as quickly as it had come, the vision left, and Byakuro blinked, shaking his head to get back in the game. "Call Stronghold to left and a Gravitron to right. My Stronghold attacks your Vladgal with a boost from Quantum." (13000 to 8000)
"No guard," said Ginta, moving the unit off the field.
"Gravitron attacks your Cynric. I activate his skill. Counterblast one to give it an extra three thousand power!"(13000 to 7000)
"No guard, again, " said Ginta, glancing nervously at his hand.
Byakuro continued. "I attack with my vanguard, using its skill to give an extra two thousand." (13000 to 9000)
"I guard with Modron and a Rune Eagle," said Ginta. (13000 to 24000) "Even double triggers won't help you there."
"Twin Drive. First check, Berkelium. Second check, Neon. Nothing there." Byakuro added the cards to his hand, unfazed by the lack of triggers. "Turn end."
Byakuro-Ginta
4-hand-2
1/2-damage-0/2
2-soul-1
3-drop-5
Quantum, Stronghold-empty, Lucius
empty, Garnet Star-Locrinus, Gangalen
empty, Gravitron-empty, empty
Ginta's turn: "I stand and draw. Then, I ride Splitting Seeker, Brutus. Using his skill, I counterblast one to search the deck and superior call: Locrinus! I call Cedric to the right."
Ginta held his empty hand over his vanguard. "Now, knights of nobility, stand at attention and aid your brothers. Answer the call to arms and take down your opponents: Seek mate!" Ginta put four cards back into his deck and retrieved a copy of Locrinus. "Legion!" He placed the card next to Brutus and lined up the artwork perfectly, shifting it slightly to make room for both cards on one circle.
Byakuro's eyes narrowed slightly. "So this is that Legion that the book talked about…"
"Brutus and Locrinus, Legion attack on Garnet Star!" Ginta smiled. "Legion Skill activated. I counterblast one to give plus 3000 to my entire front row." (26000 to 11000)
"No guard," said Byakuro.
"Twin Drive, first check, Guardian Law Seeker. Second check, critical trigger! crit to Brutus, power to Cedric,"
"Damage check, first check: Crumble Mare. Second check… Heal trigger. I heal a damage, and the power goes to my vanguard (11000+5000=16000)." Byakuro was very pleased; it was almost as if the cards and triggers were responding to his will, showing up at the exactly right times… As if he was their commander.
But there was no time to be awed, and the pressure was still very much high as Ginta continued his assault. "Locrinus attacks your stronghold!" (16000 to 8000)
"No guard," said Byakuro. Wasting ten thousand points of shield to guard a unit with 8000 power was useless.
Ginta turned his final two cards sideways. "Cedric attacks your VG with a boost from Lucius. He gains 3000 power from Lucius's effect!" (23000 to 11000)
"No guard," said Byakuro, a bead of sweat gathering at his temple. "Damage check… Eagle. Nothing there…"
"Turn End."
Byakuro-Ginta
4-hand-2
1/4-damage-2/2
2-soul-2
4-drop-1
Quantum, empty-Cedric, Lucius
empty, Garnet Star-Brutus+Locrinus, Gangalen
empty, Gravitron-Locrinus, empty
Byakuro gritted his teeth. 'That synergy…' He thought. 'Each skill gives power to the entire field, and bumps up the amount I need to guard with. Not by much, but with every unit contributing, it makes it a lot worse on me. If I don't do something to change the pace of the game, I'm gonna lose!'
Chapter 1: End