Centuries ago, dark forces plagued our world. They were stopped thanks to the power of eight magical items. These eight items are known as the Mystic Artifacts. Now, the eight artifacts have been scattered across the world. In the wrong hands, these items could bring great harm to the world.

"Ichika! Hurry up! We're going to be late!"

"I'm coming, Houki!" Two people were running as fast as they could to get to school, a boy and a girl. "This young man is Ichika Orimura.

"How could you not be ready go by the time we got there?" Houki asked.

"Sorry, but I had to make sure I didn't lose duel disk or this." Ichika said as he held out a gold bracelet with a round piece on his wrist. What Ichika doesn't know is that his destiny, and the destiny of his friends, are going to change forever.

...

The Airport

A private jet landed down in the Airport of the city known as Stratos City. Two people left the jet. One was a young girl with long brown hair tied back. She wore a red blouse with jeans. The other was a young man, about the same age as Ichika. He had blonde hair in a scissor-cut hairstyle. He wore a long white jacket with a black shirt and black leather pants. He also carried a briefcase with him.

"Are you sure about this, Conner? We have more important matters to attend to?" The girl asked.

"I am Mila." Conner said. "I've actually been wanting to challenge her for a while, but I never knew where she was...until now. I might actually find someone who can give me a challenge."

...

Stratos High

Ichika and Houki were able to make it to their school, narrowly escaping being late. They were able to meet up with the rest of their friends and went on with a normal day at school. During a free period, Houki and Ichika were playing Duel Monsters on their desks.

"Come on, Ichika. Make a move." Houki said as she was getting impatient.

"I'm thinking here." Ichika said.

"Come on. A real duelist doesn't usually take this long." Houki said. 'That moron still has a long way to go. Still, seeing him working his brain like that makes him a little cute.'

"Come on, Ichika! Take her down already!" Some of Ichika's friends were watching the duel and one with pigtails was cheering him.

"Now, Rin, please keep your loudmouth quiet." A blonde girl said. "Ichika is trying to concentrate."

"I'm trying to cheer him on, Cecilia." Rin said.

"How about both of you be quiet? You're distracting me too." Houki said. She turned to a blonde and a platinum. "Charlotte? Laura? Is there anything you two can do to keep those two quiet?"

"They're just trying to support Ichika." Charlotte said.

"And it's actually good for the mind to try and block all the noise." Laura said.

"Ichika! Just make a move already!" Rin said.

"I would if you all just keep quiet for a moment." Ichika said.

"Silence, all of you!" They're duel was put on hold as an older woman came over. "You're starting to disturb the other students."

"Sorry, Chifuyu." Ichika said. That caused him to get his head shoved against the desks.

"I've told you a hundred times to call me Miss Orimura at school." Chifuyu said. "This is called silent study hall for a reason. You're suppose to be silent."

"Sorry, Miss Orimura." Ichika said. The female students found it a little charming, but the male students laughed at him.

"He's so pathetic."

"What is it about him the girls even like?"

"It's only because Miss Orimura is his older sister." Ichika heard all of it and it had him thinking about his big sister.

'Chifuyu, always looking out for me.' Ichika thought as he raised his head. 'Chifuyu was a skilled duelist, but she walked away from the life of being a pro to take care of me, and ended up being a high school teacher. I'm trying my best to be a skilled duelist like her so she doesn't have to worry about me. Still, it's not easy. I've got a long way to go. She even gave me this bracelet called the Mystic Charm.' He looked down at the bracelet around his wrist. 'She won it in the last tournament she entered and gave it to me. It's weird. It's just some gold bracelet, but I can feel some great power coming from it." Ichika admires his big sister a lot and the charm makes him feel like a part of her is with him, but he could also feel there's something more to it.

...

Later

Once Ichika got another free chance, he went up to the roof of his school. Ichika's really just a simple high-schooler. He enjoys a good duel and just goes on with a normal life. Little did he know that his life will actually change.

"There you are, Ichika." Ichika turned around and was met with Charlotte.

"Hey, Charle. What are you doing here?" Ichika said.

"I... I just thought you could use someone to talk to." Charlotte said. "You looked like there was something bothering you earlier." 'This was also a good opportunity for me to try and be alone with him, comfort him.' She told herself.

"Actually, there is a little." Ichika said. "It's about Chifuyu."

"Miss Orimura?" Charlotte questioned.

"Yeah. Sometimes I feel like I'm holding her back. She's always looking out for me, like I can't seem to take care of myself." Ichika said. "She had to drop from being a pro in order to help me."

"Ichika, I'm sure your sister cares deeply about you and doesn't see it like that." Charlotte said.

"I know, but it doesn't exactly make me feel better." Ichika said. "Just once I wish I could do something to help her."

"Chifuyu Orimura, I know you're there!" Charlotte and Ichika looked down and saw Conner and his sister has arrived at the school.

"Who is that?" Ichika asked.

"Wait a moment. I believe that is Conner Knight." Charlotte said. She pulled out her phone and pulled out an article of him. "Here it is. He's a regional duel champion and he's the head of the largest dueling company in the world."

"Come out here! I'm challenging you to a duel!" Conner called out.

"He's what?" Ichika said. He didn't get what was going on, but he hurried down there as fast as he could. Chifuyu was able to make it outside and came out to face him.

"Young man, you happen to be disturbing classes." Chifuyu said. "Wait. You're Conner Knight. What would a regional champ and the head of Knights Inc. want with a teacher like me."

"I actually came to challenge you to a duel." Conner said.

"You came all this way just because you want to duel me?" Chifuyu said.

"That's right." Conner said. "I actually am a busy man. You should be glad I found a place in my schedule to do this. You see, I desire to be the best duelist in the world. To be the best, I need to challenge the best. People say you were an amazing duelist. I want to see that for myself."

"I'm sorry, but I retired for a simpler life." Chifuyu said.

"Chifuyu! What's going on?!" Ichika called as he and his friends ran out.

"What's this about?" Rin asked.

"Just some rich kid who wants to duel me." Chifuyu said.

"Look, I cam here for a duel. As a fellow duelist, surely you can understand." Conner said. "Unless you're not really as great as people say you are and you're really just a coward."

"Hey! You don't know my sister!" Ichika said as he stepped forward to defend her. Chifuyu looked and saw this was a great opportunity for Ichika to really grow.

"Okay. You want a duel, you got one." Chifuyu said as she placed her hand on Ichika's shoulder. "You'll duel my brother."

"What?!" Ichika said.

"Ichika?!" All the girls said as all of them were shocked.

"Ichika can't duel him. He'll get crushed." Laura said.

"That's not nice, Laura. No matter how true it might be." Cecilia said.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Conner said.

"Your brother wouldn't stand a chance against my brother." Mila said.

"You want to duel me, you duel my brother first. That's my deal." Chifuyu said as she pulled out a deck. "Ichika, take this deck and use it."

"Hold on. What are you trying to do?" Ichika said.

"Just take it." Chifuyu said. Ichika didn't understand what was going on, but he figured it was Chifuyu's way of helping him again. Ichika went with it and took the deck. He pulled out his duel disk, a small device that fits around his wrist. It opened up and spread into a wing. He placed the deck in and was ready.

"Ichika, you don't have to do this." Houki said.

"Seriously, you'll get crushed." Rin said. "Conner holds a ultra rare and powerful card. He never loses a duel because of that card."

"Conner, you don't need to waste your time with him." Mila said.

"This shouldn't take long." Conner said as he ignored his sister. He activated his own duel disk and they both readied themselves. "Don't get upset with me if you don't know how to play this game."

"Play time is over." Ichika said. That was when his charm glowed and Ichika was going through some sort of change. His school jacket opened and showed his black shirt underneath with his black hair standing up and had streaks of white in him and his body seemed more broad. Ichika seemed more confident, like someone else.

"What the?!" Conner said.

"Now, Conner, shall we begin?" Ichika said. He even sounded different. It really is like he's someone else.

'What just happened? He's acting like a different person from just a second ago.' Conner wondered. Conner shook it all out of him and focused on the match.

"Let's duel!" Both of them said as they started with 4000LP.

"I'll start. I won't even need to use my best cards." Conner said. "I summon Cave Beast in attack mode." He summoned a cyclops-like creature and it came on the field with 1200atk points. "I think that will do. Let's see if you even have any skill."

"Very well." Ichika said as he drew his card. "I'll start by summoning Infinite Stratos Blue Tears!" He summoned a lady wearing blue flight armor and flew around in the air like a jet with her having 1600atk points.

"Infinite Stratos?" Conner questioned.

"That's right. A deck that can sore straight to the stratosphere." Ichika said. "I now activate her special ability. She can deal 400points of damage for every Infinite Stratos monster on my field." Blue Tears released small drones and each one fired a laser with Conner getting hit and his life points dropped to 3600.

"Conner!" Mila called as she was concerned.

"I'm fine. I can spare a few life points." Conner said.

"Is that so? Blue Tears, attack with Blue Pierce!" Ichika said. Blue Tears took out a laser and fired it. Conner's monster got destroyed and his life points dropped again to 3200. "I think that's all I'll do for this turn."

"Yes! He's taken an early lead!" Cecilia said.

"Maybe, but I don't think it's going to last very long." Houki said.

"You're friends are right. It's my turn!" Conner said as he drew his card. "I summon Peten the Fiend Clown!" Conner summoned out a dark dressed clown, but it had only 900atk points.

"Why summon that?" Ichika questioned.

"It's so I can use the continuous spell: Dark Matter Converge! As long as this stays on the field, any dark monster with a thousand or less attack points has it's strength doubled." Conner said/ Peten's strength grew all the way to 1800. "Attack!" Peten formed a dark orb and tossed it at Blue Tears. Blue Tears got caught in it and ended up destroyed with Ichika's life points dropping to 1800. "I place one card facedown to end my turn."

"Here goes!" Ichika said. "I summon Infinite Stratos Shenlong!" Ichika summoned out another female pilot with her armor magenta and black. She also had 1500atk points. "She won't be fighting alone either. I activate Stratos Takeoff! This spell allows an Infinite Stratos to fly onto the field from my hand or graveyard, and the monster I choose is Blue Tears!" Blue Tears flew back onto the field. "Now, I use her special ability. With there being two, you take 800 points of damage this time!" Blue Tears attacked again and Conner's life points dropped down to 2400.

'Okay, he might be slightly better than I thought.' Conner thought.

"Next, I activate Shenlong's ability. For every Infinite Stratos, I can look at one face-down on your field." Ichika said. Shenlong fired energy blasts from her shoulders and it revealed Conner's trap. 'That trap could be a problem if I attack, but I must take it.' "I activate the equip spell: Rocket Boost! This will give Blue Tears an extra 500atk points!" Rocket thrusters were added on to Blue Tears and her attack points rose to 2100. "Attack now!" Blue Tears attacked the clown and blasted the clown. It ended up destroyed and Conner's life points dropped to 2100. "Shenlong, your turn with Impact Cannon!" Shenlong fired energy blasts and blasted Conner with his life points dropping to 600.

"Conner!" Mila called. Everyone who was watching was impressed with what they were seeing. Ichika might actually win.

"It's fine because I play my trap: Chains of Phantasm!" Conner said. "Since you attacked, all the monsters you attacked with lose all their attack points." Chains wrapped around Ichika's monsters and their attack points dropped all the way to zero.

"I place one card facedown to end my turn." Ichika said.

"My turn!" Conner said. "I didn't think I would have to use this, but this has gone on long enough. Chains of Phantasm also allow me to use your monsters to tribute summon."

"Is it your famous card?" Ichika said.

"That's right. Here it comes!" Conner said. "A direct descendent of another mighty dragon! I summon White-Eyes Silver Dragon!" Conner released both of Ichika's monsters to summoned a mighty dragon as it flew on the field with a powerful roar at 3000atk points.

"So that's his mighty beast!" Ichika said as they were all amazed by this.

"You're done for!" Conner said. "White-Eyes, attack with Lightning Burst Blast!" His dragon unleashed a mighty blast and hit Ichika with it as his life points dropped all the way to 800.

"Ichika!" Houki called as they were all scared of him losing. It wasn't looking good at all.

"It's over. No one has ever been able to beat this card and no one ever will." Conner said.

'This isn't looking good.' Ichika thought. 'I've never faced something as powerful as this. I'm not sure if I can win.'

'No, Ichika. Don't lose faith. We must stay strong if we want to win. There must be a way. Just look at our your friends.' Ichika looked behind him and met the eyes of his friends. While they were all concern, they all held a strong belief in him. 'They believe in us. We've got to believe in our deck.' Ichika knew he couldn't give up. So, he drew his card and it was just what he needed.

"Play your last pathetic card so I can end this." Conner said.

"My deck has no pathetic card, Conner. Just watch." Ichika said. "I play Salvaged Parts! By banishing two Infinite Stratos monsters from my graveyard, I can summon a more powerful one. I summon Infinite Stratos Byakushiki!" Ichika brought out a male fighter in white mecha armor and it had 2500atk points. "This duel is over. Byakushiki, attack his dragon with Ignition Boost!"

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Conner said. His monster pulled out an energy sword and went on the attack. "Are you trying to lose?!"

"Wrong. I play Shield Deflect!" Ichika said as he played his trap. "If I take damage when an Infinite Stratos monster is attacking, you take the damage and it's doubled!"

"What?! No!" Conner said. Byakushiki slashed it's sword against the dragon and it caused an energy surge that damaged Conner and he lost all his life points. Ichika won and everyone was surprised, but his friends were so cheerful for him.

"This can't be! My brother never loses!" Mila said.

"Impossible! How can this be?!" Conner questioned as he never lost before.

"Conner, you focused only on power and underestimated your opponent." Ichika said. "When you battle with heart and respect, there's nothing you can't do." Conner couldn't believe that he really lost to a nobody. Ichika turned to his sister and she was quite pleased with what he did. This is only the beginning. Much more awaits Ichika and his friends.