Inspired by the Fifth Factor and some other fanfics I've seen.
Disclaimer 1: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! nor do I own the characters or cards. I only own the custom cards and OC's.
Disclaimer 2: Characters are aged up two years in the fanfic (to make things more convenient since the characters are older than me or around my age).
Spelling/Grammar and other mistakes might be present. I'll also be using a mix of Anime and TCG effects, whichever one fits the story I want to tell (mostly the Anime ones).
Without any further ado, enjoy the first chapter!
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Here's the Character Profile for my OC/MC:
Name: Haruki Yuuji
Age: 16
Hair Color/s: Grey and green
Eye Color: Grey
Likes: Dueling, People who strive for their childish dreams like himself, Good food
Dislikes: Those to take away other's freedom, Losing a duel, Feeling helpless, Sweets
Personality: A bit rough on the exterior, blunt in his speaking patterns. However, under that rough exterior is that of a regular 16-year-old boy who cares deeply for the people who resonate with him.
Goal/s: To become the strongest duelist in the world & to fulfill a promise to an old friend.
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Scale 01: Pendulum of Destiny
A grey-haired youth sat on the ground in the middle of a volcanic arena. Blood dripped out of his mouth and other wounds that were found on his body. His vision blurred as he felt his remaining life slowly slip away from him.
To win.
That was his goal in coming here to Maiami City.
To become the strongest duelist in the world, he challenges the best.
However, in the end, he bit off more than he could. In this underground arena, he would die as nothing more than a forgotten weakling.
A failure destined to die here.
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Earlier…
A tall grey-haired teen wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with a blue-collar, dark blue pants, and brown colored boots, gloves, and belt stepped out of the bus—making sure to thank the bus driver before it drove away.
Wrapped around the young man's neck was a necklace, which had a shiny silver pendant attached to it.
He took a deep breath, taking in the bustling city around him.
"Looks like I'm finally here. Maiami City," Yuuji said with a smile.
The dueling capital of the world, renowned for hosting countless tournaments and thrilling dueling events, is a paradise for duelists. With its vibrant scene and a plethora of prestigious dueling schools scattered throughout the city, it stands as the ultimate haven for aspiring duelists. Yuuji, being one of these aspiring duelists, had come here to prove himself and become the greatest duelist the world had ever seen as a promise to his late father, who had passed a few years back.
What to do first? Yuuji wondered. Maybe I should look around to see if I can find some local tournaments.
Or maybe he should try out some of the delicacies around here. He had enough money to indulge in something nice at least once.
"Well, I can't do either of these things if I don't look around," Yuuji said. "I'll just keep going straight in one direction until I find something interesting."
Was it practical? No. But he was going to do it anyway.
A while later, Yuuji passed by many interesting shops and restaurants, visiting each and every one that he found (even if he didn't end up spending any money at the places). However, nothing really caught his eye as something he just needed to have.
Unknown to Yuuji, he had caught the eye of a shady man, who caught sight of his duel disk which was kept in extremely good condition. Not only that, but the pendulum necklace on his neck looked very valuable as well.
The perfect person to trick…no, convince to take part in the underground arena.
The shady man followed Yuuji from a distance for a few blocks, eventually finding an opportunity to approach the youth when he had decided to take a break by sitting down on a bench.
"Excuse me, young man. Do you have a moment?" The man asked.
"Huh? What's up?" Yuuji replied a bit confused at why a man would just suddenly approach him.
"You seem like a daring young man. Would you be interested in taking a risk?"
"No." Yuuji flat-out said, making the man sweat a bit.
"Ahem," The man cleared his throat. "What I meant was that you look like a talented young duelist. I was curious if you wanted to compete in a little match. You'll be compensated heavily of course."
"Sounds suspicious. What's the catch?"
"There is no catch. We…no, I've just been feeling a little generous today, and—"
"—I pass," Yuuji interrupted. "Sounds like a pain."
"You didn't let me finish," The man said in a slightly annoyed tone. "I've been feeling a little generous today, so I wanted to allow someone to compete for a prize."
"..." Yuuji remained silent, a bit intrigued at the proposal.
"If you happen to win this match against our champion, you would be rewarded with ¥150,000 ($1000 in USD). Along with the cash prize, you would also be given free entry into the Maiami Championships even if you haven't fulfilled the requirements."
Now he was interested.
"When and where?" Yuuji immediately asked.
"Just follow me," The man said. "The match will take place in a secluded area, away from the public eye. We don't want the police to butt in on our fun, right?"
Major Red Flag, though Yuuji just didn't care. The prospect of dueling against strong opponents was the reason he came here in the first place. The stronger the opponent, the more the duel would help him grow as a duelist
If this guy even tries to pull something funny, I'll just knock his lights out. Yuuji thought as he followed the man.
The man brought Yuuji into an alleyway towards a door that a tall security officer guarded. After saying some sort of a secret password, the security officer let them through the door, which led into a massive underground room, with a stadium at its center surrounded by large cage walls.
Above it all was a massive high-tech machine—a Real Solid Vision Projector.
"Just make your way into the arena. Your opponent will be here shortly." The shady man instructed, pointing towards an area that led to one side of the arena.
"Got it," Yuuji nodded.
Following the man's instructions, Yuuji made his way to the arena. As he walked onto the arena, he noticed the countless people streaming into the spectator area just beyond the caged arena.
So many people. Yuuji was surprised. And all of them are here to watch this match.
He couldn't deny that it made him a little hype to have this many people watching him duel, even if they all looked like shady no-lives.
—KRRCH!
Yuuji covered his ears as he heard the static of a microphone.
"Welcome to the Underground Duel Circuit, dudes and dudettes!" An announcer, wearing punk-like clothing greeted the crowd. "I'm your host, MC VampVamp, here to commentate an absolute doozy of a match!"
The ground began to shake around Yuuji.
What the hell?
A massive cloud of smoke soon filled the opposite end of the arena.
"In the right corner, standing at 198 cm (6 feet 6 inches), the Champion of the Underworld who had never lost any of his fifty duels. The one, the only, Black Death!"
The roars of the crowd were deafening as a tall, muscular, tan-skinned man with countless tattoos covering his arms and neck appeared from the smoke.
He looks strong. Yuuji thought as he examined his opponent.
"In the left corner is today's challenger, Haruki Yuuji!" MC VampVamp announced. "Will he be able to finally dethrone the reigning champion, or will he end up falling short just like all of the other challengers before him!?"
"A soft-looking little man like you has some nerve coming into the Underground Arena," Black Death said as he looked down on Yuuji. "You'll end up the same as everyone else who has challenged me."
"Soft looking? I think you need to get your eyes checked, old man," Yuuji confidently smirked. "I'm not just any run of the mill challenger. Don't be surprised when I destroy that streak of yours with this duel."
"Many have said such arrogant lines before," Black Death states. "I'm sure a kid like you has had many duels in the past but…"
Black Death pressed some buttons on his duel disk, which sent out a glowing red wire that wrapped around Yuuji's left arm.
"...this isn't going to be like any duel you've ever had before."
"Huh? What's this?" Yuuji wondered out loud as he tried to rip the red wire off of his arm. "Why can't I take it off?"
"That's a duel anchor, a staple here in the underground," Black Death explained. "It's to make sure naive challengers like you can't flee until the duel concludes."
"It's not like I was planning on running anyway," Yuuji scoffed. "I have no reason to run away from somebody like you."
"That's not the only feature," Black Death replied. "Whenever either of us lose Life Points during this duel, we'll receive an electric shock. The more Life Points lost, the stronger the shock."
"So, it's a way to up the stakes of this duel," Yuuji assessed.
"Correct, you caught on quick," Black Death commented.
"Neat," Yuuji simply replied, seemingly unphased by the supposedly concerning news. "When are we starting? A champion like you should obviously know that you shouldn't keep your crowd waiting too long now."
"We'll begin now," Black Death stated as he snapped his finger.
The Real Solid Vision Machine above them began whirring as the area around them transformed into a volcanic wasteland. Chunks of rocky islands floated right above a giant pit of lava. Countless Action Cards were generated above them before being dispersed all throughout the arena.
"It looks like today's duel will be taking place on the Action Field, Volcanic Hell!" MC VampVamp announced. "Black Death's favorite Action Field!"
Yuuji could feel his body beginning to sweat due to the sudden increase in temperature around him.
That's weird. Is it normal for the temperature to change in an Action Field? Yuuji wondered.
He couldn't think much about it as Black Death spoke.
"You better be prepared, Haruki Yuuji. Or else this duel may be your last."
"That won't be enough to scare me off," Yuuji replied as he activated his duel disk. "I've come too far to back off because of a threat like that."
"Your funeral," Black Death responded as he too activated his own duel disk.
"It looks like the two of them are ready to begin!" MC VampVamp announced. "The duel will begin in three…two…one!"
The two drew their first five cards as the duel began.
[DUEL!] The two shout in unison.
Yuuji — LP: 4000
Black Death — LP: 4000
[Turn 1: Yuuji] [H: 5]
"I'll take the first turn!" Yuuji declared. "I summon Antique Light Bulb (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 3)!"
A floating lightbulb appeared on Yuuji's field.
"I set two cards, and end my turn," Yuuji concluded with two face-downs.
"Summoning a weak monster with 0 ATK and DEF Points against me?" Black Death frowned. "How arrogant."
"If you have that much of a problem with it, why don't you deal with it then, champion?" Yuuji retorted with a sly smirk.
"I'll cut your tongue, worm," Black Death threatened before beginning his turn. "My turn! Draw!"
[Turn 2: Black Death] [H: 6]
"From my hand, I summon Ally of Justice - Core Destroyer (Dark/Machine/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 200/LV: 3)!"
A four-legged yellow machine with a red eye on the center of its head appeared on his field.
"Battle!" Black Death immediately moved into his Battle Phase. "Core Destroyer attacks Antique Light Bulb!"
The red eye of the machine begins to glow as it shoots an energy beam towards Yuuji's monster.
"Core Destroyer's effect activates!" Black Death continued. "When this monster attacks a Light Monster, during the damage step that monster is destroyed!"
The energy beam destroys Yuuji's monster, causing him to wince from the sheer force of the shockwave produced by the attack.
That shouldn't be normal either. Yuuji thought. It's like the Real Solid Vision Machine was cranked up to the max.
To make things worse, Black Death's deck seems to be a direct counter to his own, due to him having only Light Monsters incorporated into his deck.
"Now go Core Destroyer, attack him directly!" Black Death shouted.
Core Destroyer shoots another energy beam, its target this time being Yuuji.
I need to find an Action Card. Yuuji thought as he looked around to see if there were any Action Cards nearby. He notices one out in the open on a platform close by, deciding to make a break for it. However, he fails to get close as Black Death suddenly tugs on the duel anchor, pulling Yuuji back and almost making him fall in the lava.
Damn, that was close.
However, he wasn't out of the clear yet as the Core Destroyer landed nearby, blowing up the ground and sending Yuuji flying away.
—Z-Zap!
Electricity began flowing through the duel anchor before shocking Yuuji, making him scream out in pain as his Life Points dropped.
Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 2800
"And would you look at that! Black Death has drawn the first blood!" Mc VampVamp announced. "As expected from the champion, he sure doesn't pack his punches!"
After what seemed like forever, the shocking ceased.
"Hah…hah…hah…" Yuuji began panting, still slightly shell-shocked by the pain he had just endured.
"That was just a little taste of what you had gotten yourself into. Main Phase 2," Black Death concluded his Battle Phase. "I set three cards and end my turn!"
Three face down cards appeared on Black Death's field.
"You better step up your game, Haruki," Black Death stated. "Otherwise, you'll just end up hurting yourself."
"R-Right," Yuuji replied as he moved his trembling hand to the top of his deck. "My turn! Draw!"
Yuuji drew a card as he began his turn.
[Turn 3: Yuuji] [H: 3]
When Yuuji saw the card that he drew, he smiled. His body stopped trembling as he regained his composure.
"I summon the Tuner Monster, Antique Resonance Mirror (Light/Fairy/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 2)!"
A pristine-looking floating mirror appears on Yuuji's field.
"You just don't learn," Black Death frowned. "You'll never stand a chance against me by summoning weak monsters like that."
"That's what you think," Yuuji replied. "Antique Resonance Mirror's effect activates! When this monster is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon another 'Antique' Monster directly from my deck! Appear, Antique Forgotten Mask (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"
A floating spirit wearing an old, black mask appeared.
"Now let's battle!" Yuuji declared as he moved into his Battle Phase. "Antique Forgotten Mask attacks Ally of Justice - Core Destroyer!"
The floating spirit begins flying towards Core Destroyer.
"Have you gone mad!?" Black Death shouted. "Your monster has no ATK points!"
"Antique Forgotten Mask's effect activates," Yuuji stated. "When it battles, the ATK points of itself and the monster that it's battling are swapped during the damage step!"
"What?" Black Death's eyes widened.
(Core Destroyer — ATK: 1200 → 0)
(Forgotten Mask — ATK: 0 → 1200)
"Core Destroyer's effect activates, destroying your attacking monster due to its attribute also being Light!" Black Death countered.
"Not this time!" Yuuji declared as he took out a card from his graveyard. "I activate Antique Light Bulb's graveyard effect! By banishing it from my graveyard, I can negate the activation of an effect that targets an 'Antique' Monster I control!"
Yuuji sent the card to his banish zone as Core Destroyer tried to shoot an energy beam at the floating spirit. A golden barrier then appears around the spirit, shielding it from Core Destroyer's attack. The spirit then surrounds Core Destroyer, enveloping it with its ghastly body which begins crushing down on the machine monster—destroying it.
Black Death winced from the shockwaves of the attack.
—Z-Zap!
The burly man then braced himself as he was electrocuted by the duel anchor.
Black Death — LP: 4000 → 2800
(Forgotten Mask — ATK: 1200 → 0)
"Incredible! The challenger has actually managed to damage the champion!" MC VampVamp shouted. "It looks like this kid has some bite in him after all."
"Tch…" Black Death clicked his tongue as he wiped the tiny bit of blood that dripped down from his mouth.
"How was that, champion?" Yuuji wondered with a sly smile. "You still think I'm messing around?"
"You only got a little hit in and you're acting all happy," Black Death replied as he cracked his neck. "This duel of ours has only just begun."
"You're right about that," Yuuji agreed. "I end my turn."
Black Death placed his hand on the top of his deck.
"It looks like I'll have to take you a little more seriously now," Black Death stated in a cold tone. "My turn! Draw!"
[Turn 4: Black Death] [H: 3]
"From my hand, I activate the effect of Ally of Justice - Crimson Eye!" Black Death announced. "When my opponent controls a Light Monster, I can Special Summon this monster to my field!"
A quadrupedal machine with a red coating and blue wings outstretched on its back appeared.
[Ally of Justice - Crimson Eye (Dark/Machine/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 600/DEF: 400/LV: 2)]
"Crimson Eye's effect activates!" Black Death continued. "When this card is Special Summoned by its effect, I can target a Machine-Type Monster in my graveyard and Special Summon it onto my field. Arise once again, Ally of Justice - Core Destroyer (ATK: 1200/DEF: 200/LV: 3)!"
The yellow-coated quadrupedal machine with a red eye appeared once again.
He managed to bring that monster back so easily. Yuuji frowned. No wonder they call him champion.
"Now, the Level 2 Ally of Justice - Crimson Eye tunes the Level 3 Ally of Justice - Core Destroyer!" Black Death declared.
"A Synchro Summon!?" Yuuji cried out in shock.
The aforementioned monsters turned into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up as a massive green pillar of light shot through its center.
"Machines flock together, and give birth to a new power!" Black Death chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 5! Ally of Justice - Catastor (Dark/Machine/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2200/DEF: 1200/LV: 5)!"
A four-legged spider-like machine with a white body and golden head with a red dot at the center appeared.
"Would you look at that!" MC VampVamp exclaimed. "Black Death has performed a fantastic Synchro Summon, summoning the very monster he used to annihilate most of his opponents in the past!"
It must have a strong effect. One that's similar to Core Destroyer's. Yuuji assessed. Looking closer, this new monster just looks like a bigger, stronger version of it.
"Battle!" Black Death moved into his Battle Phase. "Catastor attacks Antique Forgotten Mask!"
The red dot at the center of Catastor's head began to glow.
"At the same time, its effect now activates! Whenever it battles a non-Dark Monster, that monster is automatically destroyed! Static Vaporization!"
A red beam of energy is shot from the dot on Catastor's head, vaporizing the Antique Forgotten Mask completely.
Damn, I was right. Yuuji thought as he winced from the shockwaves of the attack. It does have an effect similar to Core Destroyer.
"Catastor now targets Antique Resonance Mirror for an attack!" Black Death announced. "And once again, its effect activates, destroying your monster!"
Catastor shoots another energy beam, vaporising the pristine mirror and causing Yuuji to wince once again from the shockwaves of the attack.
"Now for you!" Black Death moved his attention to Yuuji himself. "Ally of Justice - Catastor now attacks you directly!"
The machine monster shoots another energy beam, this time targeting it at Yuuji. Yuuji begins running, hopping across multiple floating islands to an Action Card he spotted. At the same time, noticing Yuuji attempting to find an Action Card, Black Death tugs on the duel anchor once again, trying to knock the young man off balance once again.
"Not this time, bastard…" Yuuji muttered with gritted teeth.
Yuuji shifts his own body weight sideways, rolling onto the ground. This made him heavy enough to not get pulled away by Black Death, allowing him to pick up the Action Card he had landed near.
"I activate the Action Spell, Evasion!" Yuuji announced. "With it, when my opponent's monster declares an attack, I can negate that attack instead!"
"Tough luck, kid!" Black Death revealed an Action Card in his hand that he had picked up earlier. "I activate the Action Spell, No Action! Negating the activation of your Action Spell!"
Yuuji's duel disk rejected his Action Spell, forcing him to send it to the graveyard.
"Damn…" Yuuji cursed as he sent Evasion to his graveyard. "Then what about this!"
One of Yuuji's two set Trap Cards is activated.
"I activate my set trap, Emergency Barrier!" Yuuji declared. "When my Life Points are less than or equal to that of my opponents, I can reduce the battle damage I receive for the rest of this turn to zero!"
A barrier formed around Yuuji, shielding him from the energy beam.
"You've managed to avoid harm this turn," Black Death stated. "I end my turn."
That was way too close for comfort. Yuuji grimaced. I need to change up my gameplan.
Yuuji placed his hand over the top of his deck.
"Let's formulate a plan after this draw…" Yuuji muttered. "My turn! Draw!"
He drew a card as his turn began.
[Turn 5: Yuuji] [H: 3]
He took a moment to look at the cards in his hand before continuing.
"I activate the Spell Card, Antique Repair!" Yuuji announced. "With it, I can Special Summon back all of my 'Antique' Monsters that were destroyed last turn! Return to my field, Antique Resonance Mirror (ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 0) and Antique Forgotten Mask (ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"
The pristine mirror and masked spirit appeared on Yuuji's field once again.
"Bringing those weak monsters back?" Black Death frowned. "Don't tell me you plan on making the same plays you've made before."
"Of course not," Yuuji smiled. "I actually plan on taking a page from your book."
Black Death raised an eyebrow from the statement as Yuuji continued his turn.
"I now tune my Level 2 Antique Resonance Mirror together with my Level 5 Antique Forgotten Mask!" Yuuji declared.
"What!?" Black Death cried out, being genuinely shocked for the first time in this duel.
Yuuji's aforementioned monsters transform into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up as a giant pillar of light shot through the center.
"Item of old lost through time. Bring about your legacy!" Yuuji chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 7! The statue that stood guard in front of the emperor's tomb, Antique Guardian Statue (Light/Fairy/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 7) in defense mode!"
A giant stone statue depicting a man with a shield appeared on Yuuji's field. A faint blue aura could be seen surrounding the statue.
"Incredible!" MC VampVamp exclaimed. "Haruki Yuuji has managed to respond to Black Death's Synchro Summon with his own!? Just what other tricks does this lad have planned!?"
"I set one card and end my turn," Yuuji concluded his turn, much to the surprise of Black Death and everyone observing the duel.
"That's it? No counterattack?" Black Death frowned. "I expected more from an Extra Deck monster."
"I may be a little arrogant, but I'm not stupid," Yuuji stated. "I know that with what I have right now, I can't win with only brute force."
"It seems like you're not as immature as I made you out to be," Black Death commented as he put his hand over the top of his deck. "However, we'll see if that Synchro Monster of yours will be enough to counteract my assault. My turn! Draw!"
Black Death drew a card as he began his turn.
[Turn 6: Black Death] [H: 3]
"I summon the Tuner Monster, Ally of Justice - Cycle Reader (Dark/Machine/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000/LV: 3)!" A machine spider appeared on his field. "Then, I activate my set Continuous Spell, Swords of Concealing Light! When this card is activated, all monsters on my opponent's field are flipped face-down. Furthermore, monsters you control cannot change their battle positions, nor can they be flipped face-up."
Antique Guardian Statue disappears, being turned into a face down card. A dark-chained spirit appeared above the face down card soon after.
This is bad! Yuuji grimaced. Antique Guardian Statue's effect only remains active while it is face-up on my field. Now that it's face down, it's just a regular 0 ATK and DEF monster.
"That expression of yours tells me that I messed up your plan," Black Death smirked. "A shame, since mine is only just beginning! Battle!"
Black Death moved into his Battle Phase.
"Ally of Justice - Cycle Reader attacks your face down monster!"
The machine spider crawls forward, extending its legs to slash through the face down card, destroying it and causing Yuuji to wince.
"Ally of Justice - Catastor now attacks you directly!" Black Death continues as his monster shoots a red energy beam towards Yuuji.
"I activate the Continuous Trap, Halve Attack!" Yuuji shouted as the card he had set last turn was activated. "As long as this card remains on my field—woah!"
Yuuji trips as he feels a tug on the duel anchor. When he regains his footing, he notices Black Death grab an Action Card that was on top of a small rock hill.
"I activate the Action Spell, Magma Cremation!" Black Death countered. "When my opponent activates a Spell/Trap Card during the Battle Phase, I can negate the activation of the effect and destroy that card!"
Yuuji's Trap Card was suddenly destroyed.
"Dammit!" Yuuji cursed.
With nothing shielding him, Yuuji is hit by Ally of Justice - Catastor's attack. The attack explodes on impact, sending him flying into a rock. The force of him slamming into the rock caused him to cough up blood.
—Thud!
—Z-Zap!
Shortly after the young man fell to his knees, the duel anchor began to send electricity into his body, electrocuting him. Yuuji let out a blood-curdling scream as he could feel his consciousness wane in and out—his Life Points dropping greatly.
Yuuji — LP: 2800 → 600
The shock went on for well over a minute, before eventually subsiding.
"Blerg!" Yuuji covered his mouth as he coughed up even more blood, most of it spilling onto the ground.
I-I bit off more than I can chew. Yuuji finally realized the gravity of the situation he was in.
He thought he could handle it, and he was handling it. So what happened? How did things go so wrong so quickly?
"You're suffering isn't over yet, kid," Black Death said in a cold tone. "The Level 3 Ally of Justice - Cycle Reader tunes the Level 5 Ally of Justice - Catastor!"
The two aforementioned monsters transform into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up as a pillar of green light shot through the center.
"Machines flock together once again. Bring about the titan that marks the end of justice as we know it!" Black Death chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 8! Destroyer of Justice - Violent Cannon (Dark/Machine/Synchro/Effect/ATK: 2800/DEF: 0/LV: 8)!"
A massive machine tank coated in black and yellow paint appeared. In front of its giant cannon was a red scope that aimed directly at Yuuji.
"There it is! Black Death ace monster that has never been defeated!" MC VampVamp announced. "It looks like this duel is finally coming to an end!"
"It's about time!"
"Kill him!"
The crowd of rough spectators began cheering.
"While Violent Cannon is on the field, during the End Phase of each turn, you take 1000 points of damage!" Black Death declared as a beam of energy was being charged within his monster's cannon. "Prepare to be annihilated. Eradication Ray!"
The machine tank shoots an energy beam at Yuuji, packing enough power to eradicate anything in its path.
"I…activate my set trap…Mirror's Embrace." Yuuji said as he struggled back onto his feet. "When I…When I would take damage by an effect…I can…reduce the damage I receive to zero instead."
A barrier appeared around Yuuji, protecting him from the surely fatal attack.
"You can squirm all you want, your demise is imminent," Black Death stated. "It's your turn now."
"..." Yuuji had an unsure expression as he stared at his opponent's field. He was screwed. The sole card in his hand was an Equip Spell that couldn't help him in this situation.
Am I…going to die here? Yuuji thought he clutched his beating head.
His vision blurred as he began to reminisce on his reason for coming here in the first place. It was to become the strongest right? He planned on throwing himself at the strongest opponents in the room until he eventually won.
A naive mindset that had gotten him in this situation in the first place.
Thanks to that naive idea, this underground arena would be his grave.
Instead of becoming the strongest, he would end up as a forgotten nobody, a statistic on this man's record.
Nobody would care if I just gave up right? A dark thought went through Yuuji's mind. My only living relative has died already, my mentor had disappeared to God knows where, and I have no actual friends.
His vision blurred, his hearing dulling as he began falling forward—he stopped struggling, accepting his fate.
'When times are rough, just smile.'
A phrase echoed through his mind.
'You can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it.'
A quote that his father said to motivate him when he was five.
'Break free from your doubts, and fight. Just like a Pendulum, if you're pushed into a corner, fight back just as hard.'
One that he didn't understand at first.
'All for the sake of…'
"…Winning." Yuuji finished the sentence with a mutter, stomping his feet on the ground to stop himself from falling. "To win, let go of any doubts weighing on your mind, and fight…and fight…and fight and fight and fight."
It was all making sense now. The final piece of a puzzle he was missing to complete himself.
Doubt. That was what was holding him back.
While he always tried to act confident, even to the point of sounding arrogant, it wasn't true confidence.
It was an act.
True confidence isn't like that at all.
"Having faith in yourself even in the face of adversity. That's what you were trying to teach me, right Father?" Yuuji began laughing, the pendant on his necklace beginning to glow. "How was I dumb enough to not realize this sooner?"
He may not be able to get rid of his old habit completely, but that didn't matter.
All that mattered now was the present moment.
"Sounds like you have some loose screws in your head," Black Death frowned. "Did you lose so much blood that you began hallucinating?"
"None of that matters right now," Yuuji stated, ignoring Black Death's comment as he placed his hand on top of his deck. "This turn, I'll scale that wall put up in front of me!"
Elsewhere, on the surface, a young man with a similar face, with tomato-colored hair, had reached a similar epiphany. The blue pendant on his necklace begins to glow brightly.
"Swing, Pendulum. More and more…" The youth muttered.
[Current Theme Playing: Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Sound Duel 1 - Swing! Pendulum of Souls]
"...Become the guiding light that ignites the path to victory!" Yuuji finished the phrase. "My turn! DRAW!"
Yuuji drew with all of his might, the top of his deck glowing brightly.
[Turn 7: Yuuji] [H: 2]
Yuuji looked at the card he drew and smiled.
"I activate the Spell Card, Final Stand!" Yuuji announced. "In order to activate the Spell, I must first discard all other cards from my hand, and forfeit my next two draw phases."
"Forfeiting your next two draw phases!?" Black Death was shocked. "Have you gone mad!?"
"It's a price I have to pay to win this duel," Yuuji stated. "When Final Stand is activated, I can draw cards from my deck until I have five cards in my hand! I draw!"
Yuuji drew five cards. However, he paused for a moment when he noticed that the five cards that he drew were all blank.
"Blank cards?" Yuuji was confused. "But why?"
Soon, his pendulum necklace began to glow, transforming the blank cards in his hand to monster cards. However, unlike regular Monster Cards, half of the cards had the regular Monster Card color, while the other half had the green color of a Spell Card.
"..." Yuuji was shocked for a moment, but eventually just smiled. "I don't know what the hell is happening, but let's go with it."
The people of the arena, no…the whole world would be shocked about the event that transpired that day.
"I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 1 Antique Maker - Swinging Soul (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 100/DEF: 2000/LV: 3/SC: 1) and Scale 8 Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8)!" Yuuji declared as he placed two cards on opposite ends of his duel disk.
The words [PENDULUM] appear between them in rainbow font. Two transparent blue pillars appeared beside Yuuji, with a magician in a white robe holding a pendulum and a woman in a black cloak holding a mirror rising into each zone. At the center of it all, a giant, silver pendulum swung above him.
"What the hell is happening?" Black Death jaw dropped.
"Now I can summon monsters Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji announced. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! I Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my faithful companions!"
The giant silver pendulum drew a portal in the sky, as three beams of energy shoot out from it.
"The item used to store the tales of old, Antique Journal (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 4/SC: 3)!"
An old journal with pages written in an unidentified language appeared.
"The blazing sword that shines in the face of adversity, Antique Dawning Blaze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7)!"
A fiery blade with a golden hilt appeared.
"And finally, amber-eyed dragon born from the deep embrace of phantoms, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"
A giant, yellow-eyed dragon with purple scales and bone-like armor plated around it appeared. Multiple colorful gemstones could be found scattered around its body.
At LDS Tower…
Akaba Reiji, a man with grey hair, wearing red glasses and a similarly colored scarf moved with quick strides—a serious expression present on his face. He had just gotten an urgent report about something that had just occurred a few moments ago. After pressing a few buttons on a keypad, the door in front of him opened. He walked into the control room, gazing at the panicking security personnel who were frantically searching for something.
"What's the report?" Reiji asked as he approached a tall man with dark hair and glasses with dark blue lenses.
"We've managed to detect two sources of high-level summoning energies," Nakajima stated. "From our findings, the source of the energies is a summoning method called Pendulum—one that we have never seen before."
"Pendulum Summoning?" Reiji's eyes widened. A small smile formed on his normally stoic face. "How interesting…"
Back in the arena…
"He summoned three monsters simultaneously. Not only that, but he also summoned Level 5 and 7 monsters without using tributes!?" Black Death's shouted. "This can't be legal!"
"My duel disk says it's just fine, so deal with it," Yuuji stated. "Since the duel didn't automatically end, it means that this summoning method is just as legal as any other summoning method."
"Tch," Black Death clicked his tongue.
"Antique Journal's effect activates!" Yuuji shouts. "Once per turn, I can target a monster in my Pendulum Zone, and Special Summon it! However, its effects are negated! Descend to the field, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5)!"
The old journal suddenly swelled, its size increasing rapidly. At the same moment, a portal opened beneath Antique Maker - Mira, pulling her inside. She reappeared seconds later from another portal that formed on one of the journal's pages.
"Antique Dawning Blaze's effect activates!" Yuuji announced. "It can equip itself to a monster on my field. Furthermore, when a monster is equipped with Dawning Blaze, it gains 500 ATK for each monster currently on the field. Since there are two monsters on my field and one on yours, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon gains 1500 ATK!"
Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon caught the hilt of Dawning Blaze in its mouth.
(Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon — ATK: 2500 → 4000)
"Antique Maker - Swinging Soul's Pendulum Effect activates!" Yuuji continued. "When a Pendulum Monster on my field has its ATK increased, I can increase its ATK by an extra 800!"
(Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon — ATK: 4000 → 4800)
"4800 ATK!?" Black Death cried out in shock.
"Now all of my preparations are complete. Here comes the climax!" Yuuji announced as he pumped his fist forward. "Battle! Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon, attack Destroyer of Justice - Violent Cannon! Blazing Phantom Rush!"
Phantom Dragon charges forward, blade in its mouth which ignites into a massive, fiery blade.
"I won't falter!" Black Death shouts as one of his face-down traps is activated. "I activate my Trap Card, Supreme Justice! When a Dark Monster I control would be destroyed by battle, I can negate its destruction! With this, your fate is sealed!"
"Naive!" Yuuji shouts, surprising Black Death. The orbs scattered across Phantom Dragon's body begin to glow. "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon's effect now activates! When it deals battle damage, it deals additional damage equal to the number of Pendulum Monsters on my field other than itself times 600. Meaning on top of the original damage you take already; you take an additional 1200!"
"What!?" Black Death exclaimed. He quickly turned to search for an Action Spell, finding one on a nearby island. However, before he could reach it, he was stopped by Yuuji who pulled on the anchor to keep the man still.
"Sucks to be on the receiving end of this, huh?" Yuuji smirked.
"Dammit, let go!" Black Death cursed as he tried to move. He was so close to reaching an Action Card, but he couldn't get that tiny bit closer thanks to Yuuji's interference.
"Now finish him, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon!"
Phantom Dragon slams the massive flame sword down on Violent Cannon, slicing cleanly through it and creating an explosion that tears the duel anchor, and sends Black Death flying into a rock hill.
Black Death — LP: 2800 → 0
Winner: Yuuji
[BGM (Background Music) Ends Here.]
The Action Field disappeared, returning them to the arena. The crowd was left completely stunned by what had just happened. Yuuji just let out a sigh as he turned the other way, walking out of the arena without a word. However, before he could leave the underground, he was stopped by that same shady man, who greeted him with a smile while clapping.
"What a fantastic duel," The man complimented. "You put on quite the show for us all. Defeating the Champion is not easy…hey! Where are you going!?"
"I'm leaving," Yuuji stated as he kept walking towards the exit.
"Leaving, eh? We can't have that, now can we?" The shady man said with a sinister smirk as five tall men in uniform surrounded him. "I've taken a liking to those cards of yours, so I'll be taking them. I'm sure they'll sell for a good buck in the underground market."
"Revealing your true colors now, huh?" Yuuji frowned. "How scummy of you."
"It's just business," The shady man said as he took off his sunglasses. "It's nothing personal, kid. We can't have you go around freely after thrashing our champion like that."
"Makes sense," Yuuji replied with an uninterested expression as he sized up the five guards surrounding him. "However, you've made one fatal error…"
"Huh?"
"If you think I'm about to just come with you quietly…" Yuuji said as he cracked his knuckles. "...I hope you're ready to bite the curb."
A guard swings his fist at Yuuji, but he ducks under it, slamming his elbow directly into the guard's side, making him drop almost instantly.
"One down…" Yuuji turned to the rest. "Five to go."
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
After beating six grown men into a pulp, Yuuji dusts his hands off.
That was surprisingly easy. Even the police back home would give me more trouble than them. Yuuji thought as he looked at the six unconscious men around him. I should probably leave now; I doubt that I'd have the stamina to fight off another group of grown men.
Yuuji made his way through the exit, finally returning back to the surface. As he walked down the alleyway, he made himself a subconscious promise not to follow a suspicious man anywhere ever again—something that should've been obvious now that he was thinking about it, but he thought he could handle it.
"Never again…" Yuuji sighed. "I'm exhausted."
For now, he would just find a place to stay tonight and call it a day.
A while later, he found a decent hotel to stay in. It wasn't too fancy, but it's not like he was complaining. He lived in way worse anyway. After taking a quick shower, he threw himself onto the bed, instantly sinking into it.
"Those new cards, where did they come from?"
His mind drifted off to his new cards. He had never seen cards like those in his life. Not to mention, that entirely new summoning method that he had just done on the blue. He didn't even remember how he did it, as if he had just acted on instinct there.
Ah, well whatever. Yuuji casually dismissed these thoughts. I'm too tired to think about weird shit. I'll worry about it tomorrow
He felt his vision fade as he began dozing off to sleep.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Elsewhere, at LDS Tower…
Nakajima walked into the office, with a clipboard in his hand. Akaba Reiji sensed his presence, greeting the man without even needing to turn to him.
"Nakajima, what's the report?"
"Reiji-dono, we've managed to identify the two users of this new summoning method," Nakajima informed his employer. "One of the sources came from Sakaki Yuya, a 16-year-old student at Maiami City High School. His duel class is Junior Youth. Here is his tournament record."
Nakajima pressed a few buttons, changing the monitor screen in front of them. Reiji analyzed the result with a neutral expression.
"A win rate of 50%. Where does he study dueling?"
"He studies at the You Show Duel School."
"You Show Duel School?" Reiji seemed to recognize the name of the school. "And his name is Sakaki Yuya, right?"
"That's right," Nakajima nodded. "As you can tell, he is Sakaki Yusho's son."
"Sakaki Yusho, the man who disappeared three years ago, has a son who has used an unknown summoning method…" Reiji muttered. "What about the other user?"
Nakajima presses a few buttons, changing the screen to show Yuuji and his win rate.
"Haruki Yuuji, 16-years-old. A duelist born in the Outpost." Nakajima stated.
"The Outpost? The area with the highest amount of crime in Japan?" Reiji wondered with a surprised expression. "A place that even the police have trouble keeping under control."
"Yes. As for his win rate…" Nakajima pressed a few buttons, showing Yuuji's record. "An overall unimpressive record. Out of the sixty duels he had this year, he has only won twenty."
"A 33% winrate…" Reiji muttered. "Is there anything else we know about him?"
"Nothing," Nakajima stated. "All we know is that he had just arrived in Maiami City today and is currently residing at the Black Lotus Hotel near LDS Tower."
"Do a background check on both of them," Reiji ordered. "Especially Haruki Yuuji. I want to know everything about him, from his past, to even the food he likes. Everything."
"Right away, Reiji-dono," Nakajima bowed. "I'll get to it now."
Nakajima swiftly left the office, leaving Reiji alone with his thoughts.
"Sakaki Yuya, and Haruki Yuuji…just how are you two connected…"
He didn't mention it to Nakajima, but he was sure that he noticed this as well. The two youths have nearly identical faces. If it wasn't for their other features like hair color or choice of clothing, they'd look nearly identical, like brothers.
This can't be a coincidence… Reiji thought as he pulled up another file, a secret file that his father had left before disappearing. On it depicted two purple-haired children, a boy and a girl. The purple-haired boy had a face similar to that of both Yuuji and Yuya.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Custom/Altered Cards:
[A/N: Some cards featured here do exist, but I changed their effects to have them better fit the story (or because I forgot they don't work the way I thought they did).]
Monster Cards -
Antique Light Bulb
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 3
Light/Fairy/Effect
Monster Effect: If an Antique Monster you control is targeted by an effect that would destroy it: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; negate that effect.
Antique Resonance Mirror
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 2
Light/Fairy/Tuner/Effect
Monster Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned onto the field: Target 1 Antique or Antique Maker from your deck, and Special Summon it onto the field.
Antique Forgotten Mask
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5
Light/Fairy/Effect
Monster Effect: During the damage step, swap the ATK of this monster and the monster it is battling until the End Phase.
Ally of Justice - Crimson Eye
ATK: 600, DEF: 400, LV: 2
Dark/Machine/Tuner/Effect
Monster Effect: When your opponent controls a LIGHT Monster; you can Special Summon this card.
Antique Guardian Statue
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 7
Light/Fairy/Synchro/Effect
Monster Effect: While face-up on the field, if this card would be destroyed; banish one "Antique" Monster from your graveyard instead. Your opponent can only target this monster for attacks while it is on the field.
Destroyer of Justice - Violent Cannon
ATK: 2800, DEF: 0, LV: 8
Dark/Machine/Synchro/Effect
Monster Effect: This card cannot be in Defense Position. If this card battles a Light Monster, during the Damage Step (Quick Effect): Destroy that monster, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its original ATK. You can only use this effect of Destroyer of Justice once per turn. During the End Phase of either player's turn: Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.
Antique Maker - Swinging Soul
ATK: 100, DEF: 2000, LV: 3, SC: 1
Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn: If a Pendulum Monster's ATK is increased, you can increase its ATK by an additional 800.
Monster Effect: If you control an Antique Monster in your Main Monster Zone, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn: You can target 1 monster on the field; switch its ATK and DEF until the End Phase.
Antique Maker - Mira
ATK: 2000, DEF: 100, LV: 5, SC: 8
Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum Effect: Once per Battle Phase: If you would take battle damage, you can negate that damage, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the damage you would have taken.
Monster Effect: Once per turn: If this card is Summoned, you can add 1 Antique Card from your Deck to your hand.
Antique Journal
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 4, SC: 3
Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn: You can Special Summon this card from your Pendulum Zone.
Monster Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster in either Pendulum Zone; Special Summon it to your field. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect have their effects negated.
Antique Dawning Blaze
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5, SC: 7
Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum Effect: Pendulum Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle.
Monster Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster you control; equip this card to that target. It gains 500 ATK for each monster on the field at the time this effect is activated.
Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon
ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000, LV: 7, SC: 4
Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn: when an attack is declared involving a face-up monster while you control only Pendulum Monsters on your field: You can make that monster you control gain 1200 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase (even if this card leaves the field).
Monster Effect: When this Pendulum Summoned card inflicts battle damage: deal damage to your opponent equal to the number of Pendulum Monsters on your field (excluding this card) x 600. If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect, set it into an empty Pendulum Zone.
Spell/Trap Cards -
Emergency Barrier
Normal Trap
When your Life Points are lower than your opponent's: For the rest of this turn, reduce all battle damage you would take to 0.
Antique Repair
Normal Spell
When this card resolves: Special Summon all Antique Monsters that were destroyed during your previous turn.
Swords of Concealing Light
Continuous Spell
Destroy this card during your 2nd Standby Phase after activation. When this card resolves: Change all monsters your opponent controls to face-down Defense Position. While this card is on the field, monsters your opponent controls cannot change their battle positions or be flipped face-up.
Halve Attack
Continuous Trap
Halves the battle damage you receive as long as this card remains face-up on the field
Magma Cremation
Action Spell
When your opponent activates a Spell/Trap Card during the Battle Phase, negate the activation of the effect and destroy that card.
Mirror's Embrace
Normal Trap
When you would take effect damage; reduce the damage you receive to zero.
Final Stand
Normal Spell
You must forfeit your next two Draw Phases and discard all other cards in your hand to activate this card's effect. Draw card until you have five in your hand.
Supreme Justice
Counter Trap
When a Dark Monster you control would be destroyed by battle, negate its destruction.
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And that's the first chapter. The story starts off a little slow (but not really), since there are a bunch of pieces that need to be set up for later on. The story starts ramping up around the 4th chapter and will really ramp up when you get to Chapter 8 and onwards.
I wrote this chapter and the next chapter when I wasn't too sure about what to do with Yuuji's character, so sorry if he seems a bit off. Chapter 3 and onwards is when I finally decided to find a footing when to it came to how I wrote him, and I'm hoping that you the reader will come to like him a lot.
As for the development of his deck throughout the story, he will be receiving all of the Manga Dragons (plus 1 more due to there being a Ritual Dimension now), but he won't be getting them all at once. Thanks to a suggestion from Supreme King winter Yuki on Fanfiction.net, I decided to make him gradually gain the dragons whenever he resonates with one of his counterparts. Makes things easier for me when writing the duels since he won't be overbearingly powerful at the start (he'll still be really strong though).
There will also be many evolved forms and fusions between them later on, so stayed tuned for that.
That's all I wanted to say. Drop some reviews, I like seeing that number go up 👍. The next chapter will come out at random, so look out for it.