It has been a little over an hour since school wrapped up for the day. Lucas stands outside the local game shop in town, waiting. He stopped at home before coming, changing out of his uniform to put on some smart jeans, a white dress shirt, and a dark blue, baggy hoodie.

He looks around, checking both sides of the road as he grows more impatient, waiting for his friend to the point of his leg rapidly bouncing off the floor. "Come on, come on! Yuki-bro, where art thou?" He turns his head again to see a familiar shape coming his way. On the horizon, he can tell from the style of the hair. He sees Yukio coming his way.

Like Lucas, Yukio also stopped off at home to put on something more comfortable to wear to hang out in. He's changed into a black long-sleeved shirt, with a gray sleeveless vest over it, a pair of dark blue pants, and some black shoes.

"Yo! Yukio! Where you been buddy?" He meets his friend halfway, patting them on the back.

Yukio feigns a smile for their friend, "Sorry. I had to talk to a teacher about an assignment due. I also had to stop off at Aiko's on the way."

"Aiko? Why, did something happen?"

"I'll tell you inside," Yukio walks with Lucas into the card shop. He explains what happened.

"No way, you found her bracelet?" Lucas is shocked to the point of yelling his words, to which he is promptly hushed by the other customers. "Sorry! You found it?"

"Yeah. Another student picked it up, so I challenged them for it and won. Hopefully, they'd think twice next time."

"Damn, to think someone would...wait, you said challenged them?" Lucas gets excited again. "You mean, you beat them in a game of Duel Monsters?" Yukio gives them a subtle nod. "Aww, hell yeah! This means you're totally hocked. It also means I don't need to go easy on you."

Yukio gives him a genuine smile, "Is that a challenge? I best warn you. I've never lost a game, yet."

"We'll see about that, hot shot. Grab a seat, I'll get us a map to use."

Yukio takes a seat at one of the empty game tables and waits for Lucas to grab them a game board. While he waits, he goes over his deck, flicking through his cards, and seeing the various monsters and magic cards he has to use.

Lucas returns holding a standard game board, and sets it down on the table. "Sorry bud, they didn't have any maps, so we'll just have to play regular rules until one becomes free, that cool with you?"

"It's fine. Makes it less confusing." Yukio puts his deck down beside the game board.

"Exactly. No field advantage, just regular monsters and magics to power them up. Nothing more to it." Lucas pulls out his deck and does the same. Both players build up their hand from the top cards of their deck before starting their game. "Let's duel."

Lucas 2000LP

VS

Yukio 2000LP

"I'll attack with Gargoyle," Lucas puts down his first monster, a demon-like creature with a statue appearance. [1000/500]

Yukio takes his turn next. "Devil Dragon will attack." [1500/1200] Yukio summons a purple demonic dragon. Yukio's dragon has more attack points than Lucas's Garoyle. [Lucas 1500]

"Not bad, not bad. You seem to have the hang of the game. But I've still got more than just that. Behold," Lucas draws his next card. He puts a card facedown before summoning a new monster, "Tiger Axe. I'll attack with this, but not yet." [1300/1100]

Yukio is suspicious of the facedown. Regardless, he plans on springing the trap. "First I'll set a card as well. Then, I summon a monster, Silver Fang." [1200/800] Yukio's new monster is a wolf with beautiful silver fur. "I'll attack Tiger Axe with Devil Dragon."

Lucas smiles as he flips over his set card. "Sorry buddy, but I have this set. Chain-Attached Boomerang. This little beauty wraps your monster in a chain, while mine gets a new weapon." [1800/1100] Lucas's Tiger Axe destroys Devil Dragon, but Yukio takes no damage.

"I guess I fell for that one, right?" Yukio rolls with the punch, sticking to his current board.

"It happens to us all." Lucas draws his card and chooses a new monster. "Here, Demon Hunter. I'll attack Silver Fang." [1500/1200]

Yukio does an impression of Lucas, "Sorry buddy." He flips over the Darkness magic card. "Darkness. This magic card covers the field in a thick layer of darkness. Usually, it increases the attack of demons and spellcasters. However, Silver Fang being a wolf thrives in the dark." The darkness field raises Silver Fang's attack points, making it stronger than both of Lucas's warriors. [2200/1800] Silver Fang counters Demon Hunter, destroying it from behind. [Lucas 800]

"Ouch. I'll put Tiger Axe into defense mode to protect my life points then."

Yukio draws for his turn, and to his shock, he pulls his Tri-Horn Dragon. "I activate the Magic "Defense" Sealing to force your monster back into attack mode." Yukio reaches for his dragon but hesitates. "I equip my Silver Fang with this, Full Moon. This raises my beast by 500 more attack points. And combined with Darkness, Silver Fang has become the ultimate hunter." [2700/1800]

Yukio's monster attacks the powered-up Tiger Axe, taking it out in one swoop, defeating it, and the rest of Lucas's life points. [Lucas 0]

Lucas falls back in his seat. He's speechless at first, unsure of what to say, or how to react. "Damn..." He looks over at his friend and smiles. "That wasn't half bad. Even for a rookie, you seem to have a grasp of the game already. Congrats."

"Thank you. That means a lot."

"Yeah, I mean it. It's just a shame I never got to see that cool dragon of yours. Where was that anyway?"

"Probably still in the deck," Yukio grabs his cards and looks through through the deck. He subtly puts Tri-Horn Dragon from his hand onto the bottom of his cards. He lets out a fake laugh and smiles, "He was right here the whole time. Bottom of the deck."

"For real? Oh well, maybe he'll show up in the next game. Come on, rematch, two out of three, let's do this!"

The pair set up their decks, putting back what was lost before putting them down again for another game.

"I won't go as easy on you this time, bud. Let's duel."