The high school has undergone renovations since it originally opened its doors to the public. The headmaster has gone to great lengths to ensure the great quality of the school grounds for the students and faculty alike.
Except for one room.
Yukio and Leonard sit in a darkened-out room. The only light coming from the one above casts a spotlight on the pair as they sit at a table with a couple of old fold-out chairs.
"Interesting place we got here," Leonard remarks.
"I was told of this room a while back. Used to be a boiler room, but now it's considered a blank space, making it perfect for a private match. No interruptions, just us, and this," Yukio pulls out his deck, and sets it down on the table.
Leonard does the same, pulling out a deck of cards of his own. He adjusts his glasses before setting things up on his end. "So we know the stakes, but what's the game?"
"A regular game of Duel Monsters. We both start with 2000 life points each, and the first to reach 0 loses," he gestures to the game field, "This map will be what we use for the duel. It has terrain suitable for nearly every monster type. Forest, desert, ocean, wasteland, mountain, graveyard, you name it."
Leonard smiles as he draws himself an opening hand, the same as Yukio. "I guess there's no need to delay any longer. Let's start."
Yukio 2000LP
VS
Leonard 2000LP
"Since you challenged me, I'll make the first turn, if you don't mind." Leonard goes over the cards in his hand. He makes a big show of him making his mind up before choosing a monster. "I will play this card facedown, and then attack with this, the Insect Monster Basic Insect." [500/700] Leonard places the insect monster in the forest area of the game map. "Because my monster is in the forest, it raises its attack to double." [1000/700] "I think I will end my turn there."
Yukio isn't keen on their play. The facedown card caught them off guard as opposed to the monster they played. Thinking more strategically, he sets down a card of his own before moving on. "With this facedown, I will attack your Basic Insect with the Warrior monster, Moon Envoy." [1100/1000] Yukio places his card on the game board and moves on to battle.
Leonard smiles as he springs his trap. "I activate my magic card, Firearms-Attached Insect Armor. This magic card equips an insect monster and raises its attack by 700. Making my monster more than enough to destroy Moon Envoy in battle." [1700/700] Leonard puts his magic card on top of Basic Insect, combining the cards. When the two monsters clash, Leonard is made the victory, forcing Yukio to put his monster in the discard pile. [Yukio 1400]
"For my turn again, I will play another insect in the forest. Here, Big Ant." [1200/1500] He puts the monster down beside his powered-up monster. "And like before, my monster gains an extra power bonus from the forest field." [2400/1500]
"My turn again." Yukio draws from his deck and examines his hand. "In the forest, I will attack with this, Elf Swordsman." [1400/1200] He plays another warrior down on the board. "I'll also combine my Elf with a magic card, Elf's Light. This magic card combines with either Light or Elf monsters. So my Swordsman fits the bill." [1800/1000]
Yukio's newly summoned monster has become stronger than Leonard's Basic Insect. In a head-to-head battle, Yukio's Elf destroys the Insect. Leonard puts both the Insect and the magic card in the discard pile. [Leonard 1900]
Leonard brushes it off. "A loss like that barely scratches me. I still have more life points, and a monster with more attack points." He starts his turn. "Big Ant still has more attack points than your Elf, so with just one more attack, you'll be down another monster." Leonard moves straight into the battle phase of the turn.
"Maybe you should get new glasses. You would have seen this coming if they actually worked." Yukio flips over the set magic card. "Burning Land. This magic card will set a blaze in the forest. Usually, I'm against deforestation, but if it means dealing with fewer bugs, I'll do my bite this one time."
Leonard's eyes bulge out of his face upon seeing Yukio's magic card. "Burning Land?! That destroys the forest zones!"
"Exactly. With my magic card, I destroy the forests and reduce them to wasteland. Without the forest, your insects lose their power bonus. Big Ant has now been cut down to proper size." [1200/1500] The battle continues. Yukio's Swordsman easily defeats Leonard's Ant. [Leonard 1300]
Leonard is unnerved by the counterplay that puts him at a disadvantage. No monsters, his main zone was destroyed, and he had fewer life points than Yukio. "I'll defend with this in the wasteland, Roachball" [1200/1400] He places the monster sideways on the map.
"My turn to attack again. I will also defend with this, Griffore." [1200/1500] He plays a card on the field at random. "I'll play this card facedown too, and then attack Roachball." Yukio's Elf cuts down the roach monster. Because it was defending, Leonard took no battle damage.
Leonard grits his teeth, clenching his fist under the table in frustration. Looking over his hand, he barely has anything to overcome the Elf Swordsman now. Drawing his next card, his demeanor changes, and he smiles. "I'll attack with this, Heracles Beetle." [1500/2000] He slams the big bug on the gameboard, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Next I use this, the magic card Shield & Sword. This switches the attack points of all monsters on the field with their defense until the end of the turn."
The sudden turn puts Elf Swordsman in the vulnerable position of being weakened by the magic card. Leonard wastes no time in having their monster destroy Yukio's. He moves the card into the pile as he takes damage. [Yukio 600]
"There, now you're back where you should be. On the foot end of losing," Leonard is too cocky. He's in the right position to be taken down.
"I'll end my turn there," Yukio lets the turn go, leaving just his singular monster as his only defense. "Griffore's defense is equal to your Beetle's attack. You can't overpower it alone."
Leonard draws. "We'll see. I'll play this monster first. Stag Beetle Alpha." [1250/1000] "Then I play this, Fusion. I fuse my two insects into one. I summon Stagger Heracles." [1900/1700] "My monster is more than enough to destroy yours." Leonard's demonstration of fusion impresses Yukio, but it also gives him an opening.
"I use my magic card," he flips over his magic card. "Breath of God." Despite using the magic card, the attack continues, destroying his monster.
"What was the point in that? Breath of God is only good at destroying Rock monsters, not insects. It was useless."
"Was it? Breath of God does fill the field with a life-giving breath that corrodes Rock monsters. But it also fills the field with a combustive gas that needs the right spark to ignite." Yukio draws from his deck. He smiles upon seeing his new card. "Tri-Horn Dragon. This monster fights using fire attacks, enough to ignite the gas, destroying whatever is caught in the range." [2850/2350]
"Tri...Tri...Tri...Tri...Tri-Horn Dragon?! You have such a powerful card this whole time?"
"That's what happens when you underestimate your opponent," Yukio puts down his dragon on the board. The lingering effect of the magic card enhances the Dragon's attack. [3850/2350] With just one fireball attack, the dragon ignites the gas, blowing Leonard's monster up in one shot. [Leonard 0]
Leonard is at a loss for words. He never anticipated that he would lose in such a manner as this. Gathering their cards, Yukio pockets his deck into his jacket pocket and stands up from the table.
"The bracelet," he holds his hand out, expecting Leonard to hold up his end.
The loser duelist just stares at their outstretched hand and does nothing. Shaking their head, they pretend like they don't understand what they're after. Not wanting to waste more time on them, Yukio just breathed a heavy sigh before throwing his arm under the table. He pulls Leonard's bag out from where he hid it.
The bag is already open. From how he pulled it, the contents spilled out onto the table. Books, pieces of paper, pens, and half a dozen stolen items. He tosses the bag aside and rummages through the pile. He finds the bracelet, going by the description given to him, he recognizes it from the small blue gems that circle the ring.
Yukio pockets the bracelet before grabbing his own bag and walking away, leaving Leonard sitting there dumbfounded twice. He stops walking when he reaches the door. "Tomorrow," he says, keeping his back to the duelist. "You have until tomorrow to return everything else that you stole." He turns his head to glance back at them. "Be more like the insects that you play in your deck. And learn to grow into a better version of yourself." On that last note, he lets himself out, leaving the thief with their thoughts.