Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: Call of Soul

by TheLandMaster

Turns out that when you have too much fun with dueling, you attract the attention of some weirds things. And these weird things end up putting you into some very "special" games. But hey, a duelist's gotta do what a duelist's gotta do! So let's do this! Game set, Duel ready! - Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Self-Insert fic, altered canon!

2. Chapter 2

"Okay… Now just hold it in place… There we go, stay there… Now just the final loop… Tie it up, aaaaaaand… There, finally! Phew…"

I outright collapsed into my chair as I stared into the mirror, both arms aching at how long they had been raised and all the nervous sweat pouring down my face.

Let me tell you… Anime hair isn't easy to maintain. I don't know how it just magically stays perfect, I'm gonna chalk it up to the insane logics and rules of reality of this world, but actually styling the thing into that ponytail I first arrived with? Not fun. At all. It took me almost an entire day to learn how to redo the damn thing, and even then I had to go find a hair stylist to teach me a proper way. I almost buzzed the whole thing off out of frustration and spite.

"… Still… Have to admit it never fails to look cool," I muttered with a smile, running my hand through the black-and-red bangs hanging over my forehead. "Guess there's some perks to having protagonist-level hairdos."

With that grueling task done, I rose from the chair and stepped to the bathroom and quickly turned on the faucet, splashing some fresh and cool water onto my face and washing away some of my lingering drowsiness and sweat, leaving only my good ol' companion from the last few days: maximum anxiety.

Guess it was not just my decks I brought over from my own world…

It had been five months now since I had had my first chat with Pegasus, and just one month ago I had finished the written exam, with results having arrived just last week. Incidentally, I had to constantly repeat to myself that I was an adult once I saw my name next to the sixty-ninth spot on the list, though I did manage to keep my composure long enough to casually walk out of the room and laugh my ass off for it in private.

Still, pretty much what I expected. I was never a good student, but the questions themselves had been simplistic enough that I had passed by mostly well. It helped that it was all high school stuff that I had long since learned.

Now, however, came the second part of the exam: the practical. Aka, the dueling test. And it was gonna happen today.

So here I was, in an apartment complex owned by Industrial Illusions smack in the middle of Domino City, dressed in a blue T-shirt with lightning stamps, a yellow coat tied around my waist, grey cargo pants with some chains hanging from the pockets and white sneakers. Apparently it was meant for employees of their local corporate branch, though a recent expansion had left a few rooms free for use… Like the one I was using.

It was a cozy place, at least: a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and small living room, with a balcony big enough for one chair for me to sit on and watch the vista of the city skyline. Furniture was also basic, just a closet for clothes, two stools in the kitchen to eat on the counter, stove, microwave, small fridge, a bed, a recliner, TV, a bedside table with a chair… The minimum, but all very comfortable and practical, a sign that Pegasus treated his employees well.

Laying atop the table in my room were my 5D Duel Disk, now properly programmed and registered into the Kaiba Corp database, the keys to my bike… And a deck case, with a complete deck inside.

Just like Pegasus promised.

xOx

Two months ago…

"Here it is, Atlas boy. As promised, one retooled deck for your use, fully compatible with modern systems."

Once more I found myself standing across from Pegasus Sr., the man still holding an impeccable charm and poise as my gaze turned from him to the two deck boxes atop the table, both of which I had used for the longest time. It had no markings on the case, just a simple black rectangle with a clasp, the letters SHS/S emblazoned onto the cover.

My Superheavy Samurai Deck.

"Huh… You know, I expected you to adapt some of the simpler decks. You know, ones without new summoning cards," I spoke up, taking the case and carefully looking it over with an appreciative eye. In response, Pegasus simply chuckled, waving his hand in the air dismissively.

"Nonsense, what kind of card designer would I be if I shirked from a challenge such as this?" he replied in mirth as he reached into his coat and withdrew a lone card, turning it to face me.

It was Shuraig the Ominous Omen.

"Though I will be honest, I chose your Samurai deck for one more reason: to discover if we could adapt such exotic cards. And considering it took us four months to properly recreate just this one deck… Well, it was certainly the most fun I've had in creating cards. But that also means that until we find both a proper way to reprint and retool them to an usable form to the game... It will take some time."

"I understand, sir," I replied promptly, taking the Superheavy Samurai case and opening it to look at the deck inside. And lo and behold, the first I saw at the forefront was a changed one: Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyubi.

What was once a Level 9 Synchro Monster that required one Tuner plus one or more Superheavy Samurai monsters was now a Level 9 Effect Monster requiring specifically Superheavy Samurais to be Tribute Summoned, but keeping its original effects.

Carefully, I slid the deck out of its box and checked each card, flipping through them one by one. They felt thicker than what I knew physical ones to be, at least from back home, and the material was certainly more high-grade than paper, most likely to have it survive the more… Shall we say, enthusiastic dueling people here were used to. And finally, the black spiral in the back had been replaced with the simpler dark-brown oval that the anime kept showcasing.

"I… Do have a question for you, Mr. Pegasus," I spoke up after a moment of silence, placing the deck back into the case.

"And what would it be, Atlas boy?" asked the man in return as he poured himself a glass of orange juice from a bottle he took from… Somewhere.

"The new card types… Why didn't you ask to keep them? Or, hell… Why not have me use them so you could apply them to the game? You could make Duel Monsters grow by leaps and bounds… And in a faster way."

It was at the exact second that I finished speaking that Pegasus's demeanor shifted drastically. His posture and look became more solemn, more focused… More professional, overall. Pegasus swirled the juice in his glass, his gaze unfocused and lowered, until finally he looked back up at me with a serene smile. "I suppose you could say… It is my own hubris."

Seeing the confused look in my face, the man rose from his seat and paced around his desk, walking until he stood at the foot of the stone carvings of the Millennium Items. "When I traveled to Egypt, seeking the Items, their power and the mystical tablets the Egyptians wielded… I did so for selfish reasons. I sought them to fulfill my own desire, no matter the cost or sacrifices that would be needed to accomplish my dream… Until one young man brought down everything I had strived for, and laid low the darkness in my heart."

Though he probably did not realize, I could see his gaze lingered longingly on both the Eye and Puzzle carvings as he sipped from his glass. "Yet that defeat allowed me to see that in my greed, I had brought something wonderful to this world. A game that would bridge generations, bring people together in their love and passion for it, become a way of life…" Pegasus then turned back to me, showing that his smile had yet to wane. "If these changes come to Duel Monsters, even if they be after my time, I will be content to know that my creation has shown such growth. But I will allow it to be natural, without influence from future knowledge." And as he spoke his next words, his free hand rose and lightly touched the left side of his face beneath his hair. "After all… What fun is there in a game if you know what is to come?"

xOx

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP

My reminiscing was cut short by the very loud cry of my alarm clock going off. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts properly, I turned to look at the… Time…

-O-

"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT I'M GONNA BE LATE!"

Those were the last words John Harrygood, gatekeeper for Industrial Illusion's Apartment Complex A-5 heard as the massive hawk-like bike drove maniacally out of the building's underground garage, its tires leaving long skid marks onto the ground as the bike and its owner sped away towards the Duel Academy Entrance Test Grounds.

And with a sigh, John shook his head and returned to watching the monitors, catching from the corner of his eye the bike disappearing from view in one of the cameras.

"These youngsters sure need to watch their schedule…"

-O-

"Come on come on COME ON!"

Did I mention I was glad to have taken some time to practice driving this bike?

Because by God, learning to drive this Paradox Duel Tricycle was quite an experience.

I mean sure, it's fast and big enough to act like a car, and the fact it was a tricycle meant that me not knowing how to ride a bicycle didn't come into play. But it also handles like a drunk rhinoceros, the control levers were beyond weird, and that maximum speed had more than once meant I almost drove the thing into the wall.

But now? Now I was thanking my lucky stars that this thing was fast. Because fast was what I needed right now as I burned rubber to the Dueling Center, hoping and praying that I made it in time.

And unlike Jaden, I wouldn't have the reasonable reason of "the trains were late so that cost me time" to cover my mistake.

…

Oh, great, and now the light was red!

With an annoyed growl, I hit the brakes and screeched to a halt just beneath the traffic light, the engine lowering itself from a roar to a low rumbling as the bike stopped. Yet when I looked around, I saw no cars either beside or cruising past me.

… Come to think of it… there wasn't even a police officer to ticket me if I ran the light.

A mischievous grin split my face as I revved the engine to life, taking one last look at my surroundings to make sure that I was completely alone before I started breaking traffic laws. And to my mild disappointment, I could see someone come running out of the park in a hurry. It was a young man with short, messy brown hair, wearing a grey coat and with… A Duel Disk on… His… Arm…

"Come on, come on, come on, gotta hurry!"

And right there, my brain forced itself into a reboot as I realized that right now, barreling like a madman in my direction, was one of the best Duelists in the planet, and the center of the future's wildest happenings. Thankfully, my brain had the decency to be fast in its restart, enough that when the boy was just about to turn away, I rammed my hand into the bike's horn, just barely managing to catch his attention before giving him a wave. "Hey there!" I called out in as forced of a calm tone as I could. "You going to the Entrance Exam too?"

"Huh? Oh, uhh, yeah I am!" he replied somewhat dumbfoundedly, staring at the admittedly weird image that was me sitting on a hawk-like tricycle.

"Well, me too! Hop in, I'll give you a lift!"

"Really?! Thanks, dude, you're a lifesaver!"

And with a big-ass charming grin, the young man ran up to me and leapt into the back of the bike's seat just as the light turned green, gripping the edge of it tightly as I revved the engine back to life.

And for the many years to come, I'd always look back fondly to that day, and how it began all the wild, wild adventures that were to come.

The day that I first met Jaden Yuki.

-O-

Five minutes later, we both plowed our way into the parking lot of the testing ground, with me making extra sure to both park close to the entrance and to rev the engine extra loud so they heard us coming. And indeed, the roaring bike caught the attention of the two Ra Yellow students and the school official that had been waiting at the entrance, the three of them watching dumbfounded as me and Jaden ran up to the entrance with our Duel Disks already on our arms.

"Examinee #110, Jaden Yuki!"

"Examinee #69, Drake Atlas. We still in time, right?"

"Umm… Yes, you are still eligible," said the official, before motioning to the girls behind him. "Please present your documentation and sign the presence sheet."

With a quick flourish of the pen and another moment to allow them to search through Jaden's backpack, we were both allowed to enter the dome, making our way through the hallways in a far more relaxed pace than before.

And just as we left, the school officer pulled his cellphone from inside his suit pocket, hit the "quick dial" button and wait, with only two rings playing before the caller picked up.

"Scusi, Doctor Crowler speaking."

"He's here, doctor."

"… Molto bene. We will make the preparations. Grazie."

-O-

"Man, again, thanks for the ride there," called out Jaden as he paced beside me, a big smile on his face and with hands behind his head as he walked. "I don't even wanna imagine what would have happened if I missed out on this!"

"You and me both, dude," I replied with a smile of my own, hands in my pockets as I stared at the ceiling. "I'd rather lose my spot in a duel then by being late. At least it's more dignified."

"Heheh, guess you're right! But I'm not worried about that, either, cause I don't plan on losing to anyone!"

And hearing that, I couldn't help but chuckle. Turns out the kid's enthusiasm really was borderline radioactive in person too… Though now that I got a good look at him, "kid" wasn't exactly the right word.

I had already grown accustomed to the fact that, apparently, my perception had been "naturalized" for lack of a better word. And yet still, I could see that Jaden was… Different than what I remembered. He was taller, his semblance looked older, his hair was longer… If I had to say, he looked not unlike his appearance at the "Bonds Beyond Time" movie. If I had to hazard a guess? I'd say he was around my age, nineteen or so… Which made sense, if Duel Academy was indeed an university instead of a high school institution. That did mean that everyone else would be older as well… Wow, that would be an awkward school time if that was the case…

It was the third time of the day, however, that my thoughts were interrupted as we exited the tunnel and found ourselves in a balcony high above a wide dueling area, where several dozens of students sat on and watched intently as the new blood showed what they had to offer to the Academy. Obelisk Blue, Slifer Red, Ra Yellow… All present, and all most likely with their own thoughts on what every Duelist could do. And lo and behold, I could see three figures of interest up in the higher stands: one was a young man draped in blue, looking down with no amount of disdain at anyone beneath him. The other two were a young woman in a… Surprisingly more conservative uniform that what I would expect out of the school, with long dark blond hair and hazel eyes, while beside her stood an older man with long blue hair and cold, calculating blue eyes scanning the entrants, a finger slowly tapping his bicep.

And while Chazz did not see me, I caught sight of both Alexis and Zane watching us from above, even if Jaden remained oblivious as he made his way over to the guard rail and stood right beside the little bundle of light-blue mop hair and nervousness that was Syrus Truesdale.

… Seriously, how was he still that short? Did the kid just eject all milk from his body during childhood?

Well, best make the most of this situation, huh?

I turned and stared directly at the two Obelisk Blues, and with a grin, gave them a two-finger salute with the arm my Duel Disk was on, before walking up to join Jaden. And off the corner of my eye, I saw reactions that only made my smile wider: while Alexis stared at me with a mix of surprise and amusement, while Zane's expression had shifted into a stony glare, though whether of annoyance or defiance, I couldn't really tell, but I did know one thing: Zane was gonna be watching my Duel very closely.

"I see you're making new friends already, Jaden," I called out as I leaned over the railing, carefully eyeing the Duels finishing below us. Further into the back I saw Bastion begin his match against his assigned inspector, the two apparently still content on exchanging some polite words to one another. "And here I thought we had something special."

"Hey come on, Drake, you know how it is: the more friends, the merrier!" replied Yuki with a grin as he draped an arm over my shoulders. "The faster we meet our schoolmates the better, right?"

"Heh… Yeah, guess so." I then turned to the boy I already knew and knew the path of, but still looked forward to watching more personally. "So what's your name, buddy?"

I almost cringed when Syrus seemed to curl into himself, looking at the two of us nervously before slightly straightening his posture. "Umm… I-I'm Syrus… Nice to meet you, uhh…?"

"Atlas. Drake Atlas. And this happiness reactor here is—"

"Examinee #110, Jaden Yuki. Please present yourself to Duel Field Four."

"Oop, my turn to shine guys! Cheer for me, will ya?" And with a cheerful wave, Jaden ran down the stairs two steps at a time, already preparing his Duel Disk and Deck as he made his way to the designated arena, where I could already see an awaiting instructor and not Dr. Crowler. Hopefully that would keep the animosity between the two to a minimum, or at least until Jaden started being… Well, Jaden.

A comfortable silence settled between us as we watched Jaden duel against the instructor. Funnily enough, I recognized the deck the faculty was using: it was a Shinato Ritual Deck, like the ones they'd use against you in the GBA game. And Jaden was doing great against it too! So not only would he get the chance to show off his game, but it was also against a pretty tough Deck. And judging by the way the students were turning heads to watch him, Jaden was still gonna end up a hot topic for some time.

"He sure has a lot of confidence…" muttered Syrus beside me as he watched Jaden break through the absolute bullshit of a card that was Gorz, the Emissary of Darkness. "I'm so jealous…"

… Right, I forgot, Syrus started this whole thing as the most absolutely insecure kid ever, and with a high-class Duelist brother in the same school… Well, let's help out with that.

"Hey, think of it this way, kid," I spoke up as I put my hand onto his head and ruffled his hair (And wow, it felt soft. Maybe I should ask about his shampoo). "If you always look down, you won't see the path ahead of ya. You gotta keep your eyes on the horizon you're aiming for, and make sure the world knows you're coming through!" I made sure to cap off the pep talk with an extra boisterous laugh before letting go of Syrus' head, and thankfully rather than looking annoyed by my gesture, the kid actually looked pensive about it… A bit. But hey, small steps, am I right?

Again I peeped at Zane from the corner of my eye, and thankfully he was not staring at me murderously for my gesture at his little brother… Still couldn't make heads or tails of what he was thinking though, dude was sure hard to read.

"Examinee #69, Drake Atlas. Please present yourself to Duel Field One."

"Here we go… My time to shine. See ya later, Syrus, shout for me up here, will ya?" And so, leaving the dumbfounded blue-haired boy as I readied myself for the Duel that would decide my entire future… You know, no pressure at all.

"Hey hey, at least some of us seem ready for the school. He's a credit for us entrants."

Syrus almost jumped when a very youthful voice piped up to the other side of him right as Drake entered the doorway of the arena's access tunnel, that once he turned to stare at the speaker he realized belonged to a boy almost younger than even himself, with light cyan hair tied up into a short ponytail and brilliant emerald eyes, a lollipop stick poking out from between his lips

"Oops. Sorry about the scare there, didn't mean to do that."

"U-Umm… It's fine, no worries. I-I'm Syrus Truesdale."

"Ehh, the Kaiser's little brother, huh? Nice to meet you, Syrus. I'm Sora, Sora Perse."

-O-

I won't lie, I had some maximum anxiety hammering in my chest, and yet… That excited me. It really, really did. This was going to be my first physical Duel in this world, with physical cards and a Duel Disk in my arm. I mean sure, I ran plenty of virtual duels online (a request of Pegasus was that I did not play public duels, to "make your first experience with your new cards all the more exciting and memorable!"), but now I would be standing right across from my opponent, cards in hand and watching my monsters come to life! The absolute dream of every duelist back home, and I was gonna be living it!

And you better believe I was gonna win this.

Taking one last calming breath, I stepped onto the circular platform in front of me, and a moment after it began to rise onto the hole above where my opponent awaited me. I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath… And once I felt the platform stop, I let out the air and opened my eyes to face my opponent.

"Buon giorno!"

…

Shit.

-O-

Industrial Illusions, Pegasus' office…

"Father, are you sure of this?" asked Sigmund as he, his brother and father watched the image of Drake Atlas in the large TV screen as he stood across from his opponent, Dr. Vellian Crowler. "We have yet to confirm his Dueling skills with his own decks, perhaps an instructor would suffice for his exam."

"And that is precisely why he must face a challenge such as this, my son," replied the senior Pegasus, his hands interlaced and resting comfortably on his lap. "Let him prove his passion for the game through a trial by fire, and show that he deserves the loyalty and love his cards show for him."

"And may I remind you, brother, that he has shown his Dueling skills through virtual matches," added Roderick, his expression carefully neutral. "All he must do now is prove the same merit in a true field of battle."

-O-

"Well, signor? It is common courtesy to introduce oneself when someone bids you welcome!" called out the… uniquely looking Dr. Crowler as he readied that massive Duel Disk of his. And judging by his expression, he was not happy to be dueling me. If I had to hazard a guess for the reason? He probably thought me a nobody duelist who was most likely a waste of time. Something I'd enjoy proving him wrong about.

Nevertheless, I allowed myself to smile, and gave the man a polite bow. "Drake Atlas, presenting to the field of battle, professor," I spoke aloud, making sure that my voice carried to the rest of the arena. In response, the teacher let out a short scoff, choosing instead to scrutinize me from top to bottom.

"Hmph. Well, it seems you do have some manners, after all. I am Doctor Vellian Crowler, overseer of Duel Academy's practical training course," he replied proudly as he slotted a Deck (his Deck, most likely) into the dome in his chest. "Allow me to warn you, signor Atlas: Duel Academy is reserved only to the most elite of duelists. Should your performance prove unsatisfactory to me, I will not hesitate to bar you from our hallowed gates, is that clear?"

"Yes, professor, crystal so."

"Hmm. Biene. Then prepare yourself to-"

"However, if I may beforehand, professor Crowler?"

That apparently threw him for a loop, judging by the way he stumbled figuratively and literally on what I assumed was going to be some grandiose threat about our duel. The man then proceeded to give me the mother of all stink-eyes before straightening his posture once more. "And what would that be, signor Atlas?"

"Well, I thought we could at least be honest with each other on some level, professor… If you know what I mean," I continued, still with an innocent tone as I withdrew the metallic casing from my bandolier, a wide smile in my face as I looked at the emblazoned SHS/S in it. "Why not reveal something about our Decks before we start a match? You know, to show something about us?" Unfortunately, it seemed Crowler did not share of the whole "sporting spirit", because the response to my wholly innocent request was a scoff and a wave of hand.

"Signor Atlas, let me remind you that we are a prestigious institution of education, not games. Such distractions are wholly unnecessary, understand?"

"Hmm… Well in that case, I'll do it myself." And in as theatrical a gesture as I could, I withdrew the deck from its case and spread them apart from one another, showing the back of all fifty cards to the professor. "Professor Crowler, this Deck of mine that will beat you… It doesn't hold a single Spell or Trap Card within it. All cards in my hand are Monsters."

Yup, there was the reaction I wanted. Both Crowler and the rest of the people on the seats above us gasped in shock at my declaration, and I could hear muttering from a few asking if I had lost my mind or something.

On the railings, Syrus and Sora stared in shock and amusement respectively, each with their own thoughts on the loud-mouth they had witnessed.

Up in the highest seats, Chazz Princeton sneered, even as his two flunkies kept gaping at the fool standing at the Duel Arena. "Only Monsters? Heh, guess he's some kind of idiot or something," spoke the Obelisk candidate as he put his arms over the chairs on each side of him. "A fool like that has no place in our Academy."

Further above him, however, the reactions were far less hostile, if not any less shocked.

"A deck with no Spells or Traps…" muttered Alexis as she stared in surprise at the boisterous young man below. "How can something like that defeat a faculty member?" Beside her, Zane spoke nothing and his expression betrayed no thoughts, but in his mind the questions ran free.

'This person… Drake Atlas, just what kind of Duelist are you?'

And Crowler? He simply chuckled, throwing his hands in the air and shaking his head. "What madness, only monsters? A Deck as foolishly built as that will never—"

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

-O-

"W-What in the…"

"Mhmhmhm… And there it is, my sons. His Dueling Spirit… It has finally surfaced~"

-O-

The sudden shout of anger made the professor jump, and once more he found himself surprised by the strange young man standing across from him… But this time, it was the expression of unbridled fury in my face that made him recoil.

"This Deck of mine has been by my side for all these years… It has my heart and soul burning brightly in each card!" I almost roared as I placed the Deck onto my Duel Disk. "I won't allow you to speak of it so lightly! Speak with your cards if you want to prove me wrong!" Said Disk's borders glowed in rainbow colors as the arm extended and revealed the entire playfield in it, and an announcer-like voice echoed from within it.

GAME SET. DUEL, READY!

"Duel!"/"Duel!"

DRAKE ATLAS: 4000LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 4000LP

"I'm blazing ahead! Draw!" I shouted, pulling a card from my Deck before looking at my hand… Heh, a solid start right out of the gate. Pity the big guy would need some set-up to summon… Or a good draw.

"Here I come! I summon Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler!"

As soon as I withdrew the card from my hand and near-slammed it onto the Duel Disk, I felt my heart throb as the circuitry glowed in multicolored lights, and a glowing yellow circle sprung to life a few feet ahead from me. And from it, emerged a blue robot-like warrior in large, thick armor with two massive gauntlets around his hands.

The first monster I ever summoned in this world, in my first official duel… Rising from the ground came Superheavy Samurai Blue Brawler (ATK 0 /DEF 2000)

"C-Cosa?! What is that card, I've never heard of it before!" shouted Crowler in shock as he recoiled, a reaction shared by the rest of the attending students.

"Wouldn't you like to know, professor," I replied with a smirk as I crossed my arms. "I told you before: this Deck is my soul! You won't find an easy victory against me!"

To his credit, Crowler quickly recovered from the surprise, and that proudful, condescending expression returned to his face. "You may talk all you want, but your decision is still poor in the end!" he shouted, pointing an accusatory finger to Blue Brawler. "With 0 Attack points, you still place him in Attack Mode?"

"Not so fast, teach! Blue Brawler's effect activates when he's summoned to the field, allowing me to change him to Defense Mode!" And indeed, as soon as I finished speaking, Brawler knelt onto the ground and pressed his gauntlets together, like a wall between me and Crowler. "And with that, I end my turn. Now come at me, Vellian Crowler!"

"Tch… Very well then. Allow me to show you what a true Deck can do! My turn, draw!" shouted back the professor, running a hand next to his Duel Coat as a card flew out automatically into his grasp. Crowler regarded it for a moment before replacing it with another from his hand. "I activate a Spell Card, Ancient Gear Castle!"

From the ground behind him, a large castle adorned with weapons, tools and gears rose into existence, making the Duel arena shake and tremble. "Next, I summon Ancient Gear Soldier! Come forth!" This time, a circle of light appeared in front of the professor, bringing to life a tall knight-like robot made of gears and metal plates, with a gear-like rifle in place of its right hand (ATK 1300/DEF 1300). "Finally, I equip my Soldier with the Equip Spell Card, Ancient Gear Tank!" Next to the robot appeared a bike-like machine with a cannon at the front and a metal cover over the single seat in it, into which the robot quickly sat onto. "Ancient Gear Tank increases the Attack Points of my Soldier by 600! Furthermore, Ancient Gear Castle increases it further by another 300! A counter is also added to my castle due to the summoning of an Ancient Gear monster while it was on the field!" (ATK 1300 - 2200).

"That card… I've never heard of these 'Superheavy Samurais' before," said Alexis, her eyes shifting their gaze between both Duelists. "And those Ancient Gear cards…"

"They're not part of any instructor Deck," spoke up Zane, his eyes transfixed on the Duel. "Those are cards from his personal Deck… And that means we may witness a very rare card being played, should he last long enough against it."

With a malevolent grin, Crowler pointed at my Samurai, who remained unmoving and impassive in the face of the stronger monster in front of it. "Ancient Gear Soldier, show this boy what true Dueling is! Heavy Bombardment!" With the command issued, the tank-riding machine aimed its gun right at Blue Brawler, and a moment later fired it against my monster. A cannonball the size of my head impacted against Brawler's gauntlets, kicking up a massive cloud of smoke that enveloped both him and me and sending a blast wave that nearly kicked me off my feet. "Ohohohohoho! Bene! It seems all your talk was indeed nothing but that!"

"You might want to rethink that, professor."

As the dust cleared, I took not a small amount of pleasure at seeing Crowler stumble in his gloating when the sight of both me and Blue Brawler being completely unharmed, with the Superheavy Samurai even slamming his gauntlets together as a taunt.

"Ma come?!" nearly shrieked the man in response, waving his arms frantically. "Ancient Gear Soldier is stronger than your monster! He should have turned into scrap metal!"

"And that's where you're wrong!" I shouted back with a sweep of my arm. "Blue Brawler's effect means he can't be destroyed by battle! Doesn't matter what attack you throw at it, he won't give an inch away!"

"Ghgh… I end my turn."

"Here I come then! My turn, DRAW!... Heh. This wall's about to become even fiercer, professor! I summon Superheavy Samurai Swordsman!" Beside Blue Brawler another robot samurai rose, this one with deep-red colored armor, a naginata in one hand and a hammerhead on the other (ATK 1000/DEF 1800). "And just like Blue Brawler, his effect allows me to change him to Defense position once he's summoned! With that, I end my turn."

"Hmph… It seems for all your bravado, all you can do is defend… Then allow me to take charge of the offense! It is my turn! Draw!"

-O-

On the far-side of the arena, two young women watched the duel with differing types of excitement. One, a shorter girl with shockingly pink short hair, golden eyes and a massive cylinder strapped to her back, was sitting atop the rail and was filled with joyful excitement. The other, a taller girl with long silver hair and bright golden eyes, stood beside the first girl with her arms crossed under her chest, and felt an exhilarating curiosity at seeing the young man duel the teacher.

"That guy ain't half bad, huh?" asked the pinkette as she swung her legs. "A bit too defensive for my taste, but I can respect it." The older girl chuckled in response, running a hand through her hair and tilting her head slightly.

"Yes, and such wondrous passion… He will be a most wonderful opponent, indeed."

"Hehe, that is if he beats up the doc!"

Chazz, however, could hardly believe what was happening. This… No name whoever was actually standing his ground against Crowler! And his cards… Chazz was well-versed in the world of Duel Monsters, and his brothers' connections gave him easy access to information on almost every card that existed, and yet he had never seen or heard of cards like those before… Could he actually be someone to watch out for… No, that was unthinkable! He would win, always, because that's what he needed to do! And no one would stand in his path, no matter who!

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Syrus and Sora found themselves joined once more by Jaden, who was followed closely by Bastion Misawa. "Hey Syrus!... Oh hi, guess you got a new friend huh?" The young man swiftly walked up to Sora and offered him his hand. "Hey there, name's Jaden Yuki!"

"Sora Perse," replied the shorter boy as he took Jaden's offered hand and shook it with surprising strength. "I saw you fighting that Shinato Deck down there. You got some sweet moves, bud." Sora then pulled the lollipop from his mouth and waved it towards Bastion with a playful smirk. "You too, Number Two. Good thinking with that Ring of Destruction."

"Thank you for the praise," replied Misawa calmly, offering a smile of his own before his expression shifted to confusion. "… Wait, Number Two?"

"Well yeah, obviously. After all, I'm the Number One around here~"

"Hey now, hold on!" called out Jaden with a grin, pointing at himself with his thumb. "How can you say that when the true Number One is standing right here?"

"Uhh… Guys, how about we focus on the Duels and… Decide who's first later?" spoke up Syrus shyly as he pointed at the dueling field below them, which thankfully did draw the attention of the three Duelists back to the battle between the teacher and the boastful applicant.

And it seemed the heat was only rising between them.

-O-

"Well then, signor, allow me to give you a proper taste of the power of my Ancient Gear monsters!" shouted Crowler as he took the card ejected by his Deck, an evil smirk splitting his face as he showed it to me. "I tribute Ancient Gear Soldier, and summon in its place Ancient Gear Beast!"

The metal robot had its body enveloped by a bright light that flashed beside the tank and shaped itself from a humanoid to a quadruped form. And where once stood a soldier, now stood a large wolf-like robot, with a single glowing yellow eye on its head (ATK 2000 - 2300/DEF 2000) "And of course, let us not forget my Spell Cards! Another counter is added to my Castle! But most importantly… Since Ancient Gear Tank is sent to the Graveyard, you take 600 points of damage!"

As soon as the words finished exiting his mouth, the abandoned vehicle's engine sprung to life and sped forward towards me as it began to crack and light poured through said cracks. Just as I braced, the tank exploded, sending a blast wave over me that for a holographic construct felt a bit too real, though luckily I managed to stand my ground.

DRAKE ATLAS: 3400 LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 4000

"Next, I'll equip Ancient Gear Beast with Ancient Gear Fist!" And to my surprise, said fist did materialize onto the wolf… Only it was mounted on the machine's chest, like a weird fist-shaped missile. "Now, let us be rid of that meddlesome blue wall! Ancient Gear Beast, attack his Blue Brawler!" With an air-splitting howl, the wolf obeyed the command and dashed towards Blue Brawler, who once more raised his gauntlets defiantly. But this time, I knew it was useless, something Crowler was quick to pile on when he saw my grimace. "And judging by the look on your face, you're aware of what's about to happen to your monster! Any monster that stays on the field after being attacked by an Ancient Gear monster equipped with Ancient Gear Fist is destroyed after battle!"

The Beast leapt into the air and fired the fist-missile right between Blue Brawler's raised gauntlets, striking the robot square in the head. Lightning erupted from the point of impact, and a second later Blue Brawler vanished in an explosion that once more whipped up gales around us. "Ghg… Fine then, I activate Swordsman effect! When one of your monsters battles one of my Superheavy Samurais, your monster's Attack and Defense points become zero after calculation!"

Swordsman's eyes flashed brightly as it brought its hammer arm down onto the ground, sending a shockwave of energy towards the Ancient Gear Beast as it landed. When the ability connected, the mechanical wolf let out a garbled electronic howl, its posture slackening before laying onto the ground (ATK 2300 - 300/DEF 2000 - 0). Crowler looked at his monster indignantly before turning back to me with a thoroughly annoyed expression, and I could tell the man's patience was running thin. "Cazzo… I end my turn."

"Mind your mouth, teacher, there's students watching," I taunted with a grin, pulling another card from my Deck as I watched a few extra veins pop up on his forehead. A quick glance at my latest draw showed that my main hitter wouldn't yet be hitting the field… So I suppose it was time for some accessorizing. "How about I go on the offensive, then? Time to show you how my Samurais grow stronger! First, I switch Swordsman to Attack Mode!" And at my command, the warrior took a more open stance, readying his weapons for combat. But he wouldn't be using that naginata so soon, not when I had something better for him. "Next, I'll equip him with Superheavy Samurai Soulpiercer!" I slotted the card into a Spell/Trap Zone, and in response a large blue crossbow materialized onto Swordsman's right arm, replacing his naginata. "Battle time! Swordsman, attack his Ancient Gear Beast with Soul Arrow!"

The samurai complied with my command and aimed its newly acquired weapon, a bright yellow bolt forming into an ethereal arrow that was now aimed directly at the prone metallic wolf. And with an all-mighty BANG, the arrow shot from the crossbow and tore a hole through the Ancient Gear Beast, with the wolf exploding not a moment later.

DRAKE ATLAS: 3400 LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 3300 LP

"And that's it for my turn."

This time, Crowler said nothing. He simply took another card from his deck—

… That smile did not look good for me.

-O-

"Here it comes."

Zane's hands tightened around his arms as he saw Crowler grin at the card he had just drawn, a card he could faintly see with a small squint of his eyes. Alexis, however, instead looked at her childhood friend in abject confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Dr. Crowler's ace monster, and one of his rarest cards… We are all about to witness it."

-O-

"Let us see how you face this challenge, Atlas boy."

-O-

"Prepare yourself, Mister Atlas! For you are about to face might beyond that of your paltry monsters!" shouted Crowler as he readied the card he had just drawn dramatically. My only response was to grit my teeth and growl in anger, both at whatever he had planned, and for yet another insult at my cards. "Since Ancient Gear Castle has two counters upon it, I can use it as a replacement for the two tributes needed to summon this card onto the field!"

The castle behind Crowler crumbled into pieces, debris smoke enveloping both him and his side of the field, obscuring everything from view. Suddenly, a single piercing red light lit up amidst the grey clouds that began to rise… And rise…

And when the dust began to clear, I realized that I had given Jaden too little credit when he stared down this thing. Because right now, I was staring at an absolute colossus of a mech, all aged metal and gears… And a cruel red eye gazing down at me and my Swordsman.

"I Tribute Summon Ancient Gear Golem!" (ATK 3000/DEF 3000). Crowler cackled loudly as his monster took a step forward, again somehow making the entire arena shake and almost making me fall to the ground. "I believe now is the time that you shall see that no defense lasts in the face of this monster, signor Atlas! Now, Ancient Gear Golem, attack his Swordsman! Ultimate Pound!"

I watched in dreadful preparation as the colossus reared its arm back, aimed squarely at the far-smaller Swordsman, who to his credit braced himself for the impact just as Blue Brawler had done before him. And just as before, when the Golem threw its fist forward, the defense mattered not. The impact felt and was like a bomb going off right in front of me, the resulting shockwave sweeping me from my feet and throwing me against the far back wall like a rag doll. The impact I suffered was far more real, unfortunately, and I felt the pain flare in my back when I hit the heavy metal wall behind me. Goddammit, how could holograms do this?!

DRAKE ATLAS: 1400 LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 3300 LP

"Ohohohohoh! It seems your spirit is as weak as your cards, signor Atlas! I end my turn. Though of course, things shall be finished come my next one!"

… That… Did it.

-O-

"Wow, teach isn't slacking off at all."

"Oh man… Isn't there anything he can do?!"

"Unfortunately not," replied Bastion to Syrus, his expression stony and a calculating spark in his eyes. "Even if he places his monster in Defense Mode, Ancient Gear Golem can inflict piercing damage to any monster with lower defense than its attack points. And with an empty field, I doubt he can bring forth a monster strong enough to challenge it… His situation is grim."

"Heh… You got it wrong there, Second."

The three turned towards Sora, and were surprised to see the boy with a wide, almost evil grin in his face, his gaze split between the gloating teacher and what he knew was a powder keg about to blow. "See, teach might have just gone a little bit too far there." And with a loud crunch, Sora turned the lollipop in his mouth into fine dust, before pulling the stick and pointing to Atlas. "And he's about to get a taste of humble pie force fed to him~"

-O-

"Oi oi, the rookie looks pissed!"

"Yes... And I believe fate will show it's hand."

-O-

"… I told you before, didn't I, professor…"

Now I'll admit, my temper slips… Kinda easy when I'm passionate about something. It got me in trouble more than once in my younger years, and at least once that I remember, it turned physical. After I got out of school and stopped having a lot of social contact, that wasn't really a problem.

Unfortunately for all of us, Crowler made the mistake of… Well, less pushing my buttons and more slamming them with a hammer. The results were, of course…

"NEVER LOOK DOWN ON MY CARDS!"

Predictable.

"I activate Soulpiercer's effect!" I almost roared as I stepped forward, almost ripping the Deck out of my Duel Disk. "When it is sent to the Graveyard, I can add one Superheavy monster to my hand! And the monster I choose is Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji!" Once I placed the Deck back into the slot, I vaguely noticed the auto-shuffler firing up and quickly re-shuffling my Deck, but I was too busy being ABSOLUTELY LIVID to really care. Plus, my whole "stream acting" bit was starting to pick up steam, and I can only really focus on a couple of things at once, so rage and dueling it'll be. "Vellian Crowler… You said you'll finish this on your next turn, but you're wrong! Because YOU WON'T HAVE A NEXT TURN! I DRAW!"

It was clear that the teacher did not expect my outburst, going by the way he once more recoiled, but right now I couldn't really care. Because right now, Crowler's attitude against "non-elites" could use a little early trimming. And with the card I had just drawn, things were set to be finished. "Since I have no Spells or Traps in the grave, I can Special Summon the card I added to my hand! Come forth, Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji!" Once more a monster joined my field, this one appearing in a blue flash: a metal robot shaped like two sandals pressed together (ATK 800/DEF 1800). "And just like that castle of yours, he can count as two tributes to summon a Machine-type Monster!"

"WHAT?!"

A pillar of light erupted from the ground and enveloped Waraji right as the robot disappeared into light motes, before growing bigger… And bigger… And bigger.

"Unyielding sentinel who stands above all warriors, clad in steel and born of fire! Rise, and become a fortress unmatched by any!"

And from within the light… A titan rose.

"COME FORTH! SUPERHEAVY SAMURAI BIG BENKEI!"

-O-

In the office of one of the most prolific companies of the whole world, as he watched the Duel unfold, a king smiled.

-O-

All gathered students watched in awe as my summoned monster rose from the light, standing as tall as Crowler's Ancient Gear Golem. But whereas the golem was an aged, skeletal construct, this giant was smooth, clad in heavy armor and had the appearance of a stout warrior with exhaust pipes on his shoulders, a gas mask and a pronged naginata.

Standing watch over me, the unbreakable iron fortress: Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei (ATK 1000/DEF 3500).

"T… Thirty-five hundred Defense Points?!" shrieked Crowler as he looked up at the robot warrior that stood at the ready between us. "There is no way! A normal monster can't be this strong!"

"And he's about to get even stronger! First, Big Benkei's effect switches him to Defense Mode when he's summoned!" The massive warrior shifted his stance, holding his naginata across from his body in a guarded stance, yet he did not kneel. "Then, I take both Superheavy Samurai Soulshield Wall and Superheavy Samurai Soulhorns and equip them onto Benkei!"

Just as before, I placed both Soul cards onto the Spell/Trap slots, materializing onto the field a gargantuan green shield with scale patterns, and a massive white helmet with two large blue horns. In a spew of flames, the shield flew towards Benkei and slammed onto his left arm, while the helmet split in half and slotted itself onto the samurai's shoulders. If before he had been a metaphorical fortress, now Benkei certainly looked the part, dwarfing Ancient Gear Golem by sheer mass. "Now let me tell you a secret about my samurais, professor… All of them, to the last, are the greatest shields I wield. They do not waver, no matter what tries to strike them down," and as if to mark my words, Benkei slammed his shield onto the ground, rumbling what felt like the entire dome.

And when I opened my eyes, to this day Jaden swore he saw fire inside them. "But when they are given these souls… They become truly unbreakable! Soulshield Wall increases Benkei's Defense points by 1200!" (DEF 3500 - 4700). "Now, LET'S BATTLE!"

"Battle?! What are you talking about, your monster is in Defense Mode!"

"The greatest defense is also the mightiest offense, Crowler! When Big Benkei is in Defense Mode, I can battle using his Defense points for calculation!"

The gasps of surprise and shock from the crowd were as one, a howl of sound in response to my declaration, yet I barely noticed. My blood boiled, my heart raced… My soul was aflame. This… This was Dueling!

"N-Non può essere!"

"It ends here, Vellian Crowler! Go, Big Benkei! Strike down his Golem with Greater Heat Impact!"

With a blast of steam and a flash of red in his eyes, Benkei blasted forward, rearing his shield arm back as the two boosters in the weapon came alight and trailed bright flames behind the machine warrior. The Golem remained immobile, simply staring at the encroaching attack… And when the shield slammed onto the ancient machine, it tore the golem into pieces, catapulting its demolished body back like a bullet. The resulting shockwave fluttered the clothes of all present, not the least of which Crowler himself, who was almost sent flying by the blow, but managed to stay his feet.

DRAKE ATLAS: 1400 LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 1600 LP

"C-Curses—"

"NOT OVER YET! WHILE SOULSHIELD INCREASES BENKEI'S DEFENSE POINTS, SOULHORN INSTEAD ALLOWS HIS TO ATTACK TWICE EACH TURN!"

-O-

"It's over."

"Wow…"

"Impossible!"

-O-

"Hell yeah, finish it!"

"Strike him down!"

-O-

"Great Scott…"

"N-No way!"

"Game over, teach~"

"Yeah, you go, Drake!"

-O-

It was at that moment that Crowler looked up in nervous fear, and was met with the unflinching stare of the titan standing over him. The professor barely had time to swallow the dry lump on his throat before he found himself staring down the twin engines of the Soulshield Wall… That were slowly coming alight once more.

"IRON FLAME PUNISHER!"

And as the giant pillar of fire consumed Crowler…

It was over.

DRAKE ATLAS: 1400 LP -/- DR. CROWLER: 0 LP

DUEL END! VICTORY!

-O-

Inside Pegasus' office, none of the three occupants moved, simply staring with a hurricane of emotions at the screen as holographic monsters vanished, and the shape of Drake Atlas began pacing towards the prone teacher. Yet all three Pegasi had a contented smile on their faces, foremost of them Maximillion Pegasus himself. It seemed that in the end, his gamble had been correct… What a most pleasant resolution.

Funny Bunny, Funny Bunny, better watch out! Here comes Ruff Ruff to take you down—

In one fluid motion, Pegasus withdrew his cellphone from his pocket, hit the call button on it and placed it against his ear. "Well, what did you think?"

"…"

"Oh don't lie, you most certainly enjoyed the show."

"…"

"Yes, I suppose he does showboat a bit too excessively. But then again…"

-O-

"Let me tell you one last advice, professor…" I spoke far more calmly now, as I stood over the prone form of Vellian Crowler. "You may have thought of me as a nobody… But that's where you're wrong."

And with the arm holding my Duel Disk held high, I turned my gaze to the seats above, to the panel of teachers and examiners.

"THERE'S ONLY ONE KING IN THIS WORLD! AND HIS NAME'S DRAKE ATLAS!"

-O-

"What is a good duel without some theatricals?~"

~O~

*bursts through the walls Kool-Aid Man style*

I MADE IT, I MADE IT IN TIME, Y'ALL CAN'T LYNCH ME!

For those outside of SpaceBattles unaware of what I'm saying, I promised there that the chapter would come out at latest on Tuesday. It's still Tuesday, so I win.

This honestly ended up extending a lot more than I expected an introduction day/Duel written by me to go for, but I started getting waaaaaaaaaaaay into the theatricals… Probably doesn't help that I do take acting classes in a theater school, and we're choosing a play that requires being real hammy… So yeah, one thing led to another.

I can also confirm that yes, I'd be that hammy when dueling. I tend to get a bit too much into some stuff.

But ye, here we go! Apologies for the delay, everyone.

Next time, on TheLandMaster… Charge the Heavens! Until then!