Closing the door to Yusei's garage behind her, Mikhaela made her way to the Duelist's Sanctuary, a combination card store, dueling arena, and dormitory. She showed her I.D. to the doorman and he let her in, holding the door open for her. She thanked him and walked inside.
From the outside, the Duelist's Sanctuary looked like a small, homey building, but inside, a Duelist would enter a different world. The Duelist's Sanctuary, or DuelSanc as the residents fondly called it, didn't really look like much as you walked in. A large desk, at which a friendly receptionist sat, was where you registered. Another large desk barred the way to a moving walkway, which would transport them underground. A Duelist staying in the dormitory section had a special I.D. card that allowed them unlimited access to the different facets of the underground world, but a visitor had to pay to receive access to the high-tech duel arenas. Flashing her card at the receptionist, she walked up a set of wide white stairs and entered the dormitories.
"Hey, Mikhaela!" A teenage boy with auburn hair greeted her. He was her next-door neighbor, an outgoing Duelist who loved to tag battle. He said it was so he could see the relationship between a Duelist and their deck, but Mikhaela knew it was so if he ever had to face them in the future, he could cleverly devise a plan to bring them down.
"Hey, Jaden, how've you been?" she asked. Jaden was well known as perhaps the most powerful Duelist that Duel Academy had ever seen. He had heard about New Domino City's reputation for strong duelists and high-speed turbo duels, and had traveled with his best friend Syrus to compete. Syrus had left two weeks ago to teach a class of younger duelists how to play strategically, and Jaden had stayed behind.
"Not bad, not bad at all. Hey, I was to tell you that someone wanted to duel against you. They're waiting in the arena."
"Huh. I guess I should go." She dug out her dorm key, and twisted it in the lock. She fetched her duel disk and her deck and hastily shut the door. She rushed down the stairs, and halting at the reception desk, panting and out of breath.
"H-hi," she gasped. "Jaden told me that someone wanted to duel me?" The receptionist looked up and nodded, typing furiously on her computer for a moment.
"Hmmmm…let's see here…ah, yes. Your friend was quite correct. There is a Duelist waiting for you. She is on arena number eleven. She pressed a button and the gate leading to the walkway swung open.
"Thanks," Mikhaela said breathlessly. She walked through the gate, and onto the walkway.
Several LED screens displayed the various features of the DuelSanc, from the latest technology and turbo track, to the card store stacked to the roof with almost any card you could imagine. Mikhaela ignored all of this. She had been living here for as long as she could remember, the weekly bills delivered to her room always stamped with a "PAID IN FULL" She fidgeted on one foot, while an automated voice warned Duelists about the dangers of turbo dueling until the walkway abruptly ended. She stepped off of it and into a bright light.
When she could see again, she was greeted by a host of bright lamps and the telltale rainbow hue of the holographic systems. Swiping her card at the entrance, it beeped cheerfully and granted her access to the Duel Arenas. Sixteen different arenas occupied the center, with comfortable seats encircling the sides, allowing visitors and enthusiasts to watch the duel from a safe distance. A bridge led to these arenas, as three different turbo tracks followed a circuit around the central arena. Right now, a turbo duel was in progress, and the bridges were clogged with people. Hmmm… I guess someone popular is dueling today. Pushing her way through the crowd of people, she scanned a screen listing all the combatants of the arenas. She spotted her name, next to that of a girl named… Oh, no, you have got to be kidding me.
"Hey! Mikhaela, over here," shouted the loud voice. It was Sakura, the same girl who had put an end to her Runner's fragile state of repair. Mikhaela gritted her teeth. No matter how mad she may be at her, she would not lose her temper. She'd take out whatever anger she had during a duel.
"Hi, are you ready to duel?" Sakura nodded, and inserted her deck into a slot. The slot actually contained a fast processor, which would record every card in her deck, provide her with a virtual copy, and make sure she was within the rules. In addition, the slot removed any trace marks or scents on the deck, so a duelist couldn't cheat.
"Yep, I'm all set." Mikhaela nodded and sent her deck through the slot. The machine, satisfied that she wasn't about to cheat, beeped and ejected her deck.
The two opponents walked onto opposite platforms, and the circuits started up, emitting a low humming sound. A large screen powered on and the names of the two Duelists lit up the screen. Several people watching the turbo duel turned around and walked over. I guess I have a fan base.
"Are you ready?" called Sakura.
"Oh, yeah!" she replied. A red life point counter glowed underneath each Duelist's name, counting 4000 life points.
"DUEL!"