Chapter 002
After bidding my roommate farewell, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. My vision grew hazy as my consciousness faded. Not long after, I awoke in a familiar place. It was a misty landscape that I had visited before, though the mist seemed thinner than before.
'Am I dreaming again?' I thought to myself.
Suddenly, I heard a sound in the distance, a soft whooshing that grew louder with each passing moment. It was the sound of air being displaced, as if something large was tunneling through the mist. As the sound drew closer, I saw a creature approaching. It was a white dragon with a bluish flame aura - [Divine Dragon – Excelion] - and following behind it was another dragon, [Divine Dragon Ragnarok].
"Is there something you need from me?" I asked.
"My purpose is to commend you for your ability to utilize me in battle during the previous duel. In light of that, I would like to give you this." Excelion handed me a blue gem.
"What is this?" I asked.
"It is a token of acknowledgement. If you manage to collect the other gem, then a gate will open," Excelion said cryptically.
"A gate? What gate?" I asked, feeling confused and slightly anxious.
"That is for you to discover," Ragnarok interrupted, his tone tinged with disappointment.
"Did I do something wrong?" I asked, worried.
"Hahaha… Don't worry, Ragnarok is just feeling a bit sullen because he was the first to approach you among the three of us, yet you didn't even call him during your debut duel," Excelion said, laughing.
"I'm sorry, I just thought that summoning you wasn't the best move when combined with the other cards I had," I informed him regretfully.
"Please don't be discouraged. Though it was a shame that it wasn't my time to come, I don't bear any grudge. Hopefully, I will have my chance later on," Ragnarok paused for a moment. "I also have some good news that you might like to hear."
"Good news? What kind of good news?" I asked curiously.
"There are some Spellcaster-type monsters that wish to cooperate with us. They are mostly related to dragons and I think they will be beneficial for both you and us to a certain extent." The dragon then put his hand forward and handed me three cards. "Their spirits have not fully acknowledged you, but they are willing to give you support in the form of cards."
'Hmm, so I got [Lord of D.], [Flute of Summoning Dragon], and [Lady of D.]. These are all good cards.'
"Is there anything else you need from me?"
"No, our business here is finished. Rest your body. Though, a word of advice - please do more exercise. You lack stamina as it is."
'Ugh, to think that I would be reprimanded for my lack of exercise by a dragon of all things.'
"I'll keep that in mind." With that my consciousness fade again.
Morning came and the sunlight shone brightly. I still felt sore, but overall, much better than usual.
'This might be the first time I've slept for more than five hours. Then again, in my previous world, night meant overtime or gaming night.'
I looked at my desk and saw a piece of paper weighed down by my mouse. It was a note with something written on it.
"There is a written test today. Sorry, we tried to wake you up, but you looked so content that we decided to let you rest. Hopefully, you'll make it to the test.
Tanaka Natsuo
P.S.: If you don't feel well, we'll try to vouch for you so you can be given another time to take the test."
'I'm sure they were trying to be considerate, but it's a goddamn test!'
I quickly got changed and ran outside, even forgoing breakfast just to try to get to the classroom as soon as possible.
As I ran with all my might, I saw another figure wearing a Slifer Red's jacket. The young man was also running desperately, though unlike me, he wasn't short of breath.
"Good morning, Jaden. Did you wake up late too?" I asked as we ran.
"Yeah, kinda missed the alarm. You too, huh?" he asked.
"Regrettably, yes I did," I answered with a wry smile.
As we ran along, we saw an old lady pushing her van up a steep slope. In an instant, Jaden, who was leading in front of me, came to a sudden halt and turned back to help the old lady and her van, while I caught up with them from behind.
"I guess I'm a sucker for this kind of thing," Jaden shrugged and started pushing the van.
'If I were still the old me, I would be torn between leaving them or prioritizing the test. I guess being transported to a new world means having the opportunity to do better,' I thought inwardly.
"Let me help too," I said as I positioned myself to push the van from behind.
"Both of you will be late for the test, you know," the old lady warned us.
"Who cares if I'm late? I can't just leave an old lady in trouble like this," Jaden replied.
"I feel the same way. I don't want to have trouble sleeping due to regret for not helping," I added.
"Sorry to bother you like this." The old lady said.
"Come on I know you would do same for me." Jaden shrug.
Meanwhile I was smiling, 'This kind of thing is not bad once in a while.'
After that we both push the van together. What do they say two is better than one.
Both of us arrived in class, obviously late. Thankfully, we were still allowed to take the test, albeit with a time penalty for our tardiness. The test proctor for the written test was Professor Lyman Banner. Many people looked at us with negativity, either disappointed or sneering.
'I can't complain if they have a negative impression of us. After all, we did arrive late.'
From where I stood, I could see Syrus sleeping, probably exhausted either from the test itself or from staying up late preparing for it. And, as carefree as ever, Jaden approached Syrus and woke him up with a quite audible voice - in the middle of the test room where everyone was trying to concentrate on their tests.
Such an action only provoked more negativity from the other students, with Alexis and Bastion looking at Jaden with dismay. Meanwhile, Chazz straight up got up from his chair and yelled at Jaden. Thankfully, Professor Banner intervened before things escalated and prompted us to take our tests.
After the test was finished, it seemed like everyone was in a hurry to go somewhere, except for a few like Jaden and Syrus, who had fallen asleep, and Bastion, who didn't seem that interested.
"Oi, wake up! The test is already over," Bastion said as he tried to wake up Syrus.
Syrus woke up with a gasp. "I'm done for. I'm pretty sure my score is bad. And I pulled an all-nighter for the test too," he complained.
"Well, the real test is the practical one in the afternoon, so don't sweat it," Jaden said with a shrug.
"So where is everyone?" Syrus addressed the biggest elephant in the room.
"Not sure, everyone just ran off as if there was a special sale or something," I replied.
"Well, you're not far off. Everyone was going to the card shop. Today there's a big shipment and everyone is trying to get their hands on a rare card," Bastion explained.
"Heeh, there's a new shipment today?!" Syrus jumped in surprise.
"I see. How about you? You don't seem to share their enthusiasm," I asked Bastion.
"I have faith in my deck, so I don't need any new cards," Bastion answered confidently. "How about you? Do you have an equal amount of faith in your deck?" he asked curiously.
"I was just uninformed. It's not that I don't have faith in my deck, but having new options for strategy wouldn't hurt," I replied as I started to leave for the shop. "Are you two in?"
"Bro, are you in?" Syrus asked Jaden with a hopeful look.
"I'm interested too," Jaden said with enthusiasm.
And with that, we left for the shop.
As we rushed to the shop, mostly due to Jaden's enthusiasm, we ran through the hallway and barely saw anyone as we passed. Meanwhile, Syrus and I weren't as good as Jaden when it came to short-distance burst running, which resulted in both of us huffing while trying to catch up with Jaden's pace.
'Not many people in sight despite the great volume of students pouring in can mean many things. They probably finished shopping already, which also means that the products are probably sold out,' I deduced as I observed our surroundings while we ran.
As we arrived, we saw that the place was already empty, with the booster pack rack completely empty. There were probably only non-card items remaining. As predicted, we were already too late.
'Well, they say the early bird gets the worm,' I mentally noted as my enthusiasm dwindled a bit.
Jaden rushed to the clerk, mistaking the young lady's apparent age and earning himself a glare, which he immediately corrected.
"So, miss, about the new cards?" Jaden asked worriedly.
"Unfortunately, a student bought most of the cards. This is the only one left," the young clerk said as she put forward the last remaining booster pack.
"Figures," I said in a disappointed tone as my shoulders slumped a bit.
"What should I do, Bro? I bombed the written test and was hoping to strengthen my deck," Syrus panicked.
"Well, I'm fine if you buy the pack, but there's another person who might also want it, right?" Jaden eyed me.
"I'm fine. As I said, I feel my deck is good enough," I replied.
"Are you both sure? We might end up as enemies though," Syrus said hesitantly.
"Enemies? What do you mean?" Jaden replied, confused.
"I think Syrus meant facing each other as opponents or natural competitors for grades," I tried to explain.
"Yes…" Syrus said, looking down a bit.
"Well, that kind of thing is expected in a competitive environment like this Academy. I mean, will you have hard feelings if you must face Jaden?" I asked. "There might be times when fellow students compete with each other, but being competitors is not the same as being enemies. After all, Yugi Muto and Joey Wheeler competed as duelists but didn't end up as enemies," I explained to reassure Syrus.
"Yes, Syrus. There's no need for hard feelings if you and I must compete. After all, dueling is supposed to be fun," Jaden reassured him.
Not long after our conversation, the old lady that Jaden and I had helped earlier appeared before us.
"The old lady from this morning," Jaden exclaimed.
"It's Dorothy. Just call me Dorothy," the older woman replied.
"So, you run the shop?" Jaden asked.
"Yes, I do," Ms. Dorothy answered. "Anyway, just come in. I have some good stuff to sell inside," she urged us.
'Am I the only one who thinks there's something off about that phrasing?' I questioned it in my mind.
We arrived at the gymnasium, more precisely at the Duel facility, only to have Doctor Crowler look at us with a nasty smirk. He called Jaden and announced that he would duel Chazz, an Obelisk Blue student. Normally, it was unprecedented for a student to duel another from a different dorm. The explanation given by Doctor Crowler was that Jaden's excellence far surpassed that of his peers, so he was given the honor of facing an elite.
The duel was given priority and shown as an exhibition, with many other students watching it. Syrus and I got front-row views of Jaden's duel against Chazz. Bastion came near us and accompanied us during the duel.
"So, who do you think will win the duel?" Bastion asked us.
"I'm sure Bro will win," Syrus answered.
"Jaden has beaten Doctor Crowler in a match. If it were a normal Slifer Red vs Obelisk Blue duel, then the Obelisk Blue student might have the upper hand. However, Jaden already has credentials for winning against a lecturer," I answered and explained my reasoning.
"Fair enough," Bastion accepted my reasoning. "I'm glad you also provided logical reasoning for your answer," he smiled.
The duel went on with Jaden's victory. Many students clapped and some were forced to acknowledge Jaden's worth - to acknowledge that his dueling result was not a fluke. Unfortunately, it was clear that many Obelisk Blue students were still in denial or looked down on Jaden's skill.
"How was your impression of the duel?" Bastion asked me again.
"Frankly speaking, Chazz was too hasty," I gave my honest impression.
"Elaborate."
"Chazz himself said he could banish [Winged Kuriboh], but instead he went for the attack. If he had banished [Winged Kuriboh], he might have lasted another turn."
"Even if Chazz had banished [Winged Kuriboh], Jaden had [Transcendent Wing] to chain to that. The same would have happened if he had tried to banish the face-down [Transcendent Wing]," Bastion argued.
"Indeed, [Winged Kuriboh LV10] was inevitable. However, if he had forced [Winged Kuriboh LV10] to appear, he could have just skipped his battle phase and waited until the next turn rather than recklessly attacking and bearing the full brunt of the counterattack," I explained.
"I see, so you think Chazz made a fatal decision right there?" Bastion wanted to confirm.
"Yes, that being said, Jaden's counterattack by baiting his opponent into falling for his trick was indeed nasty," I replied.
In the center of the gym, one could clearly see Chazz kneeling and seething with frustration, directing his glare towards Jaden. Syrus ran towards Jaden and gave him a celebratory hug.
After our short review session, Principal Sheppard gave a speech acknowledging Jaden's victory and promoted him to Ra Yellow - a decision that shook most Slifer Red students. Jaden was also given a warm handshake by Bastion to commemorate his promotion to Ra Yellow.
After our short review session, Principal Sheppard gave a speech acknowledging Jaden's victory and promoted him to Ra Yellow - a decision that shook most Slifer Red students. Jaden was also given a warm handshake by Bastion to commemorate his promotion to Ra Yellow.
After the small celebration, our own trial began. The practical exam was held with us paired to duel fellow duelists from the same dorm in a 1 vs 1 duel.
"Well, good luck you two," I said to Bastion and Syrus as I walked to take my own number lot.
After drawing my lot, I met my opponent - my own roommate, Ryouta Katou. The black-haired young man waved at me and showed me his lot number.
"To think, I'll be the one facing you," he sighed. "Sorry about this morning. I was just trying to be considerate," he apologized.
"Well, no harm done, so there's no need to dwell on it," I shrugged. 'There were many times when I woke up late because my parents or others near me were concerned about my lack of sleep. I can't blame them for showing concern.'
"Well, let's duel then," we said in unison. "Duel!"
Turn 1: Erde's turn
(Erde's LP: 4000)
"I'll take the first turn, draw!"
I look at my hand, all of my six cards are: [Divine Dragon Ragnarok], [Super Rejuvenation], [Divine Dragon - Excelion], [Chain Destruction], [Monster Reborn], [Rising Energy]
"I'll normal summon [Divine Dragon Ragnarok] in Attack Mode (Dragon - LIGHT - Lv: 4 - ATK/DEF:1500/1000). Then I set 2 card Face-Down. I end my turn."
Turn 2: Ryota's turn
(Ryota's LP: 4000)
"My turn, Draw!"
"I activate [Card Destruction] to discard all of card on each player's hand." Ryota Smile confidently.
'Tsk, If I know I should set the [Monster Reborn] and [Super Rejuvenation].' I cursed inward as I send everything else and draw 3 cards. [Lord of D.], [Lady of D.], [Riryoku] that 3 card was the card that I manage to draw.'
"Then I activate from my hand [Hand Destruction], with this we both lost 2 more card from hand." Ryota once again send card from his hand.
I also must send two cards. 'Sending [Lord of D.] seems obvious, but what another card that I must choose. [Lady of D.] can be my next defensive wall while set up graveyard, [Riryoku] however enable me to counter attack if I draw a summonable monster or my [Divine Dragon Ragnarok] survive.'
Ragnarok gave a glance at me to put my trust in him. Entrusting my gut instinct, I choose to comply. Sending both [Lord of D.] and [Lady of D.] to the Graveyard. I draw two more cards [Dragon's Rage] and [Divine Dragon - Excellion]
"You seem nervous. I guess your card is not that good huh?" Ryouta said, gaining more confidence in his move.
"Well, then I activate [Tri-Wight] come my skeletal minion [Skull Servant] x3 in Attack position (Zombie - Dark - Lv: 1 - ATK/DEF:300/200)." As Ryota declared three fragile looking skeletons wearing a purple cape rise up from grave. They are staring at me despite having nothing in their eye socket. The projection from Solid Vision makes them look creepier.
"I also activate [Triangle Power] to buff them (ATK:300 - 2300) x3." A powerful swirl of energy seep to the skeleton producing bone rattling sound that reverberate through the air. "don't be frightened yet. I'll let you know what come next. I activate from my hand [Pride of the Weak] and set 1 card."
'He was planning to increase his draw power even more using [Pride of the Weak], which means I have no other recourse other than use my set card.' I thought to myself.
"Battle! attack [Divine Dragon Ragnarok]." The empowered skeleton lunged to grab a hold of my dragon. Restraining it and trying to smother it to death.
"I activate my set card [Rising Energy], by discarding 1 card." I responded. I discard [Dragon's Rage]. (ATK:1500-3000)
'If I take a hit I will be defeated in that moment.' I noted mentally
A swirling energy also seeped through [Divine Dragon Ragnarok] granting him necessary power to overwhelm the skeleton. The white dragon soar as it escaped the clutch and launch a counter attack. A bolt of energized lightning strikes the [Skull Servant] and shatter it to pieces. The shockwave from the lightning also send spark to Ryota
(Ryota's LP: 4000 - 3300)
"Kuh, so you survive onslaught of my monster attack." Ryota grit his teeth a bit and seem disappointed. However, he still maintains his confidence.
"I am barely hanging on here." I replied. "However, due to effect of [Triangle Power] all of your monster will be destroyed." I reminded.
"I end my turn." Ryota declared.
Turn 3: Erde's turn
"My turn, Draw!"
I look at the card that I draw. It was [Masked Dragon]. 'I guess I still can make play. My LP is still 4000 and I can establish a defensive board for a while. It is unfortunate that Ryota have no powerful monster that I can use [Riryoku] on'. I thought
"I summon [Masked Dragon] (Dragon - FIRE - Lv: 4 - ATK/DEF: 1400/1100) in attack mode." A red dragon adorned with mask appear before me.
"Battle [Masked Dragon], [Divine Dragon Ragnarok] attack directly." Two dragons of white and red strike at Ryota. A lightning strike combined with fireball assault his body. However, he did not falter.
(Ryota's LP: 3300 - 400)
"Turn End" I simply declared.
Turn 4: Ryota's turn
"My turn, Draw!"
Ryota smirks, "Guess it's over then. For you."
I feel a wave of panic wash over me. 'Ok, that smirk was bad news,' I think to myself.
"I activate [Book of Life], by banishing your [Divine Dragon – Excelion] then I summon my ace monster." Ryota proclaimed.
"From the depth of underworld king who rule over the lesser wight shall rise now, be reborn [King of the Skull Servant] (Zombie - Dark - Lv: 1 - ATK/DEF: ?/ 0)." A fragile looking skeleton that wore same purple cloth appear, however true to his name a powerful aura emanated from its body.
"[King of Skull Servant] original attack equal to all copies of [Skull Servant] and [King of Skull Servant]." He proudly declared. A stream of energy gathers like a whirlpool around the monster's feet. ([King of Skull Servant]'s ATK: ? - 4000).
"What the?!" I gasp in surprise as I see the 4000 ATK monster on the field. 'Don't panic,' I desperately assure myself, 'I still have two monsters that can protect me.'
"I activate my set card [Opti-Camouflage Armor] and equip it to my [King of Skull Servant]." As soon as he declared the image of [King of Skull Servant] become blur. "With this effect my [King of Skull Servant] can bypass your monster and attack directly." He proclaims.
"Battle [King of Skull Servant]! Direct attack!" he commanded. [King of Skull Servant] become invisible and slip past through my dragons. The king of the wight now stand before me.
'Damn, so this is the end.' I murmur to myself just before [King of Skull Servant] deliver a powerful blow to my gut and bring me to my knee. That final blow managed to deplete all of my LP.
(Erde's LP: 4000 - 0)
Duel End.
I try to get up and approach Ryota. "Nice duel," I offer him a handshake.
"Yeah, you too," he replies. "Still, man, I was going all out with my best hand and you still managed to stop it. If not for the fact that my last draw gave me a chance to come back." He continues.
"Yeah, I guess I'm not attuned enough to my deck to produce that kind of miraculous result," I reply.
With the practical test over, I watch my placement on the current test. My name is apparently still good enough to reach the top 10, mostly because my written exam scores are actually quite high. Unfortunately, Syrus and Natsuo didn't get the result they hoped for, though they still passed. With that, Syrus immediately storms off to the dorm before I can call out to him.
Both Ryota and I approach Natsuo. Unexpectedly, he's talking with a girl - an Obelisk Blue student. I can't hear what they're talking about as the current arena is still loud, but it's apparent that it's not a pleasant subject for either of them.
"Are you okay?" I ask Natsuo.
"Yeah, just a bit of a spat," he answers in a non-committal manner.
"Your sister sure is a handful," Ryota says. "Did she come to berate you again?" he asks with concern.
"Yeah, just regular stuff. Can't blame her if she's upset, but it sure stings," Natsuo answers, clearly feeling a bit hurt from his previous encounter with his sister. "I guess being an older sibling has its own downsides," he sighs resignedly.
'You have my sympathy,' I inwardly agree. 'Being an older sibling means you must be level-headed and serve as a role model.'
"Well, rather than staying gloomy, let's go back to the dorm and think about dinner," Ryota tries to change the subject. "If we stay too long, it can be dangerous at night. The best time for a walk is before dark."
As we start to leave the premises, we pass Alexis' group. The two girls are waiting for Mindy. As we pass by, Jasmine gives me an arrogant look as if judging me. I can guess that in her mind she's already validating her loss as a fluke with my loss to a fellow Slifer Red.
'Not going to deal with that one,' I mutter internally.
With that, today is finished and we head back to our dorm.
Chapter END
Author Note : Thanks to guest reviewer that remind me to put OC in character tag.