Dealing with Darkness Chapter 2

"Okay guys, just one more round and we take home the gold... well, actually we take home some cards, but you get the point." He spoke to his deck, really hoping nobody walked in on him talking to his cards. He didn't care much about the opinions of strangers, but that didn't mean getting a reputation as a crazy person was a good idea.

He had his dragon deck laid out on a table, with every card neatly aligned in categorical order, and he was trying to do something productive before he faced his final opponent. It wasn't that he doubted he could win, not with the way most duelists in this world played, but it never hurt to be prepared.

It was night time. The final round wouldn't be for another half an hour. His opponent was a teenager who'd just graduated Duel Academy, apparently the top of his class, and he used a warrior deck centred around Buster Blader. That was a pain, especially since his deck was filled to the brim with dragons, but he could overcome it. Hopefully anyway.

Feeling a familiar tinge zap his mind, a pleasant replacement for the constant headaches he used to get, his eyes met the card of Lightpulsar Dragon then Darkflare Dragon. His two ace monsters, the front liners of his deck. Even if he had stronger cards, these dragons were definitely his go-tos.

Unfortunately, he hadn't had an actual conversation with them. For whatever reason, he was having trouble understanding the two cards. He knew they were duel spirits- he could feel it- but it didn't matter how long he spent staring or talking to them, they hardly ever responded. It was so frustrating, and he almost wished that he was just a regular person; not whatever half-assed spirit communicator he was now.

Replacing yet another normal monster in his deck with the White-Horned Dragon, he finished his deck editing and stood back with a satisfied smile. It wasn't modern meta by any means, but considering what era he was in the deck was really solid. Then again, this universe had a very uneven card pool.

Dark Side of Dimensions did occur in this world so the card pool ranged wildly, which was a double-edged sword for him. Whilst he had access to better cards so did his opponents; and there were actually people smart enough to pick good cards and not just run normal monsters. Most of his opponents weren't very skilled in all honesty, though that didn't mean every duelist in the community was a sucker.

Of course, that also meant that the fancy duel disk from the movie was on the market. The technology used for that thing was just... well, crazy would be a good word. Apparently, it connected to your brain through a neural link and projected images through your mind into the real world. Plus, the quality of holograms with it were simply out of this world and you didn't even need to use real cards with it if you didn't want to. You just uploaded your deck, and it recorded each of your cards to use through holograms.

It would have been amazing... if anyone actually had one. Kaiba was apparently a bit too smart, and that was what made him shoot himself in the foot. The duel disk was just too advanced, literal light years ahead of it's era, and that combined with duel monsters being so young at the time meant that nobody was interested in spending so much money on a fancy gadget to play a card game. Maybe a few rich guys who wanted to blow some money bought one, but for everyone else it just wasn't a sustainable investment. As such, they aren't really being manufactured due to their inability to turn a profit. Kaiba Corp actually lost a lot of money because of that, however around that time they did open Duel Academy's doors to students so they'll have made up for their losses.

Regardless, he was likely never going to get his hands on one.

Finishing his deck, Leo smiled as he gathered up all his cards and whispered to them. "You've won a lot of duels for me. There's no quitting now." A very quiet, almost soothing, roar echoed from his deck. Which spirit called him was anyone's guess, but the sentiment was shared by all his cards. They were going to win.

A trio of knocks met the door behind him, and he wasn't even given the chance to turn around before it flew open and Marlene stepped in. "There you are! My favourite god son, and the winner of the junior cup!"

"You know, most of the time knocking on a door is request to come in. Usually the person should ask instead of barging into my personal space." Leo commented, though his words lacked any real bite.

Marlene scoffed the notion off. "I'm your guardian, I don't need permission to see you before you kick the competitions asses."

He grinned at that, not denying the notion that he'd be the winner. "Well yeah, but a man needs to focus before the biggest match of his life. Plus, you know, just privacy, boundaries, respecting personal space and the like." He refrained from mentioning he was a teenage boy, one that held a body raging with hormones, and if she kept this up she'd see something she couldn't erase from her mind.

Seriously, going through puberty again was not fun.

She caught on and raised an eyebrow as she looked around. "Really, you'd touch yourself anywhere other than your own room? Not gonna lie, didn't peg you for that type. What would your mother think if she found out I'd raised a pervert?"

"I'm not a pervert." He began, though decided to jab her back after a second. "In fact, if anyone here's the pervert it's you for thinking I'd have a wank in a room like this in front of my monsters." He gestured to his deck, picking one of his few non-dragon monsters and holding it out for emphasise. "I'd never do that shit to Sphere Kuriboh!"

Their dynamic wasn't exactly like mother and son. In fact, he'd say she was more like a cool aunt than anything else; even if they weren't related by blood. She was there for him when needed, but he knew how to take care of himself well enough that she just had to lend the occasional hand. It was quite refreshing in honesty, he could never deal with her if she pampered him like a child.

Still holding that damned smirk on her face, Marlene waved his hand away. "Well, you are a teenage boy and I know how wild you crazy kids can-"

"'Crazy kids'? Are you a grandma now?" He pointed out, knowing how sensitive a topic age could be.

She punched his arm playfully. "I'm only thirty-four. I've still got plenty of life in me, and there's no way Yuri or you are having kids anytime soon." Though her grin remained, the mention of her Yuri made her expression drop a lad.

"She couldn't make it here today?" He guessed, slightly disappointed. Yuri was Marlene's real daughter and his only proper friend. Custody over her was split, and unfortunately that meant whenever he was in a tournament there was a chance she couldn't attend. Her father wasn't his biggest fan, not that he cared. He was kind of an asshole actually, it made him wonder why Marlene was ever with him to begin with. Regardless, it kind of sucked she wouldn't be there to see him win.

Marlene sighed. "No, she did come here, but Alex came with her."

"Really, and he allowed her?" He was surprised by that. Her father seemed to have some grudge against Duel Monsters, and he could tell the man wasn't his biggest fan, so what made him show up? Then again, he was playing in a city wide tournament where professionals were participating, so maybe Yuri's dad decided to make an exception?

She shrugged. "I guess so. The fact your match is so important will have had something to do with that."

His lips quirk up, though he chose not to comment. His mind was going back to all the things he'd experienced since he got his new body. He wasn't the most popular, though he didn't need to be. The saying 'You don't need a lot of friends to be happy, just a good few' comes to mind. Yuri was the only friend he had at his age, but that was fine. He'd even taken the liberty of teaching her how to duel properly, and she'd taken to it like a fish to water. A fact her dad seemed to hate, though that didn't stop him from teaching her behind his back. She was the only one who could give him a real challenge, most others were easy pickings for him. It was too bad her father would never let her take part in any real tournaments, she could shine if given the chance.

It was time to see if the same would hold true for his opponent.

Looking at the time, he realised he needed to go. "The match will start soon. Tell Yuri thanks for coming, and not to wish me good look since I won't be needing it." He spoke that last part with confidence, though he was hesitant on the idea of beating his opponent with no issues.

Marlene didn't seem to notice though, smirking in response. "Yeah, just try not to forget your playing a children's card game tough guy."

----------------------

Yuri knew it was childish of her but she could hardly sit still. The stadium wasn't massive, but it was still large enough she'd have to squint if she wanted to get a good look at anyone in the field's centre. Plus, it wasn't as though just anybody was stepping up to duel. It was her best friend, and she was 100% looking forward to watching him get serious.

Her father seemed to take notice of this, scoffing in distaste as he looked around. He was rather youthful looking, save for a few little wrinkles around the edges of his grey eyes, with pitch black hair that had no other colour in sight; one of the only features she inherited from him. He looked like a buzz-kill though, especially with the way his strong chin was set in a line that gave off the impression he was stern and uptight. Which he kind of was in all honesty.

"When will this get going already?" Her father asked, looking at his watch with a frown. "The sooner it starts, the sooner it ends. So, will they just get on with it?"

She rolled her eyes as she complained back to him. "Leo is duelling here tonight dad, and it's a really important match for him. Can't you just let it slide? You promised me that you'd try and be pleasant." She loved her father, but the way he went on just drove her crazy at times.

He simply replied. "I, very begrudgingly, promised I'd bring you here to watch that boy play a children's card game. I never said I'd try to enjoy it and don't even think I'll ever let myself get sucked into this crazy game. It's already got everyone else, and I don't plan on letting it get me."

Yuri chose not to respond to that because... it was a complicated issue to poke at. Whilst she didn't agree with her father, that didn't mean she didn't understand him or his viewpoints on Duel Monsters. Still though, he took his thoughts too far at times.

"Hey Yuri, you saved a spot for me?" She turned to her right as a familiar voice earned her ear, and the face of her mother came into view. She was smiling brightly at her, but none of that light was saved for her father who's expression shifted slightly at her mother's arrival.

Marlene gave Alex the bare minimum acknowledgement before taking a seat on her right. Her mother and father weren't on the best terms, but she liked to think that they were civil with each other. Enough that they weren't going to openly squabble. At least not in front of her.

Her mum suddenly asked. "What do you think Leo's chances are? You know his skills better than me."

Yuri was startled by that. "Are you unsure if he can do this?"

A head shake was her response. "It's not that, but he's up against a professional here. I don't think he's ever faced an opponent like this, someone who actually makes a career out of Duel Monsters. How will he cope if he loses?"

Those concerns weren't totally invalid she supposed. In fact, now that she thought about it, had she ever seen Leo actually lose a game of Duel Monsters? Had he ever felt the sting of defeat when it came to his cards?

"He's got this." She responded confidently. "I don't doubt he could win, and he's not the type to be a horrible loser. No matter what, he'll put up a strong showing at least."

Part of her wished she could have had the chance to do the same, to play out there with her monsters. However, she'd lost so many times to Leo that she knew that it could only end one way.

Her father might have disapproved, but she knew that if she tried hard enough she could have been down there doing the duelling. The fact she didn't just meant she lacked the guts to actually do it.

She felt her hand subconsciously move towards her deck case, where a strange warmth was emitting from her cards, but her focus shifted when the two duellists finally made their way out onto the field.

Leo stuck out quite a lot, though he didn't react to the many eyes on his back. He was fully western for a start, with she herself being only half English, but he also had a head of slightly curled brown hair and two midnight orbs which sucked all other colour out of his irises like black holes; yet they also shone with confidence, certainty, and so so much passion. Meanwhile, his opponent was a red haired older boy with slightly scruffy facial hair and a cocky expression on his face.

This would be a heated battle, but she was certain he could win.

----------------------

His opponent was taller than him, that was the first thing he noticed now that he was up close. It only made sense, he was a teenager and this was a grown man, but in his last life he was far above average height and only rarely was there someone looking down on him. And even then it wasn't by much.

However, the grown man in front of him was easily over a head taller than him. He was lanky though. In fact, his limbs looked quite stretched out with a duel disk loosely clamped on his arm. If he didn't know any better then this man probably had an eating disorder.

"You ready to get sliced up, dragon boy?" The older man spoke out with his shoulders raised, though he didn't let the other man get a rise out of him as he held his hand out.

"I doubt my dragons will even want to eat a lanky bastard like you. You're all bone."

That earned him a growl as the other man held out his hand. "You've got a lot of nerve, child. I'm gonna enjoy beating you down."

He honestly didn't understand the hostility in the duelling world. Most duellists are... well, to put it bluntly, they act like cunts. They're constantly trying to trash talk. It's very annoying having to listen to that when playing a card game, then again maybe that's the point. But there are so many better ways to psych someone out than a few petty insults.

After winning a brief game of ro-sham-bo, much to his opponents annoyance, the two of them walked back to their places and activated their duel disks.

A referee at the side, who really wouldn't be doing much, called out. "Duelists, when you're ready!"

His opponent gave one more cocky grin. "I'm gonna crush you. Those cards are mine."

Not impressed, he backhandedly commented. "The more you talk the more you get ahead of yourself. Try not to fall behind, Boney."

It was very hard not to smirk when he saw the smugness drop off his opponent's face. "Whatever, let's-"

"Duel!"

Turn 1 - Leo LP: 4000 - Cards in hand: 6

Drawing a full hand, then drawing his sixth due to the rules in his new world, he had to hold back a smirk. He had just the hand to mess with his opponent, and quite frankly he didn't mind playing with his food a bit. Plus, it was good to scout out what he was dealing with. Though he might have looked stupid, he doubted his opponent was a total pushover.

Putting the sixth card in his hand, he simply stated. "I end my turn."

He heard some gasps from the audience behind him, probably surprised that he didn't do anything with his turn, and even his opponent looked surprised. At first, then the befuddlement dropped off his face as he blinked and started to laugh, in fact he laughed so hard it turned to cackling as he slapped his knee and gasped for air. He might as well have been rolling on the floor with how over the top it was.

Just standing there, blank faced, Leo briefly looked at his watch before asking. "Are you gonna be done rolling on the floor anytime tonight? You look pretty stupid right now, and-"

"Oh, I look like the idiot here? That's rich kid." Those words came from between panted breaths, but the smugness in them couldn't be mistaken. "Seriously, if your going to come here then don't make pathetic moves like that. What's the point of picking up a deck if your just going to leave yourself wide open to be beat on the first turn."

His sentiment seemed to be shared in the crowd, if the way some of them started to laugh and mock, though he didn't allow them to get a rise out of him as he opened his mouth... and made sure to yawn in boredom.

"I've heard this shit before, and those guys all ended up in the dirt. Tell me... sorry, what's your name again?" He asked, not really caring since he'd never see the other man again in all likelihood.

"It's Tairou, and you-"

"Okay Tim, take your shot. I'm 'wide open' as you say afterall, aren't I?" He silenced the crowd as he held up his arms, boldly inviting his opponent to attack. "I have no monsters, and no facedown cards to serve as traps. If you can just gather your strongest monsters then you could defeat me in one fell swoop, can't you? Then, just do it. Instead of monologuing like a cartoon villain, you should be a man of action."

This was what he did in matches against those who pissed him off. He goaded them, lured them in, and made them regret their actions. The best part was-

"Fine, I'll do just that! I'll crush you!

It always works.

Turn 2 Tairou - LP: 4000 - Cards in hand: 6

"Time to show you a real move. I summon Marauding Captain!" He slammed the card down, and an older looking man clad in armour with a sword slung over his shoulder jumped to the field stoically. It was staring right at him, with clear aggression in his eyes that mirrored his master's.

Marauding Captain(Earth/Warrior/Level 3/ Atk: 1200/ Def: 400)

"And he doesn't like to play alone! When he's-"

"Normal summoned you get to special summon a level 4 or lower monster from your hand? I know the card, lets move this along." He commented, completely unworried about the glare he got back, nor the appearance of an Obnoxious Celtic Guard. It's effect was annoying, but nothing really dangerous.

Obnoxious Celtic Guard(Earth/Warrior/Level 4/ Atk: 1400/ Def: 1200)

"Now, I play Graceful Charity!" The spell appeared on the field, with the image of a glowing angel on the card. "With this I-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You draw three cards, then discard two." He began, throwing his arms out as he looked around to the audience before circling back to his opponent. "All of us know what that card does, so get on with your turn."

"Stop interrupting me!" His opponent yelled, apparently having a low patience for bullshit. He ripped the cards out of his deck before slamming them back into his graveyard. "Now, I activate Soul Charge! I can revive as many monsters as I want from my graveyard, but I lose 500 lifepoints for each one. I resurrect two monster that will put you in your place!"

Tairou LP: 4000 - 3000

The spell appeared on the field and began to glow so brightly he had to resist the urge to cover his eyes. After just a moment, three swords emerged from the light. One was a massive great sword that he recognised immediately, it's handle gold and the blade comically large. The other two were a rapier and regular sword.

They were dug into the ground, but after a moment two familiar warriors fell from above and picked up their weapons. The first was Buster Blader, a familiar monster, whilst the other was a card he vaguely recognised as Sword Hunter. Both were intimidating, but Buster Blader was definitely the monster with a lot more attention due to the card's reputation. Yugi could be thanked for that.

Buster Blader(Earth/Warrior/Level 7/ Atk: 2600/ Def: 2300)

Sword Hunter(Earth/Warrior/Level 7/ Atk: 2450/ Def: 1700)

With four monsters on his field, his opponent seemed to grow bolder as he smirked. "Do you see the mistake you made by coming here, child? With this army, I could wipe out your lifepoints twice over!"

"Actually you couldn't." He stated, putting a damper on his opponent's power trip. "You're exactly three hundred and fifty points short of being able to deal 8000 points of damage. I guess your math was off, then again you don't exactly strike me as the most academic."

Tairou gritted his teeth in anger, but that quickly subsided as he played another card. "Shut up! Lets see if your still smirking when I play the equip spell Megamorph!"

The Buster Blader groaned, acting surprisingly emotive for a hologram, as his grip on his weapon tightened. Then, after a moment, he started to grow taller until he stood at twice his normal height with his crimson eyes shining ominously as his attack points shot up.

(Atk: 2600 - 5200)

"You cowering yet, runt?!" He yelled viciously. "Will you-"

"Oh, will you just get on with it already!" Leo tapped at his Duel Disk for emphasise. "I've got better shit to do than duel an overdramatic cunt like you. So attack me will ya. Or are you just gonna spend all day spouting out cliché lines?" He could actually hear his quips get some laughs, which only infuriated his opponent further.

"Fine then, Buster Blader attack him directly and finish him off!"

The giant warrior responded to it's master, lifting it's massive saber overhead as it leapt forward. Tairou was grinning widely as the blade was brought down, and seemed to be enjoying the fact he was about to win on the first turn.

"Yeah, that's not happening." Leo deadpanned, taking a card from his hand and placing it in the graveyard just before the attack connected. "By discarding Kiteroid I take no damage from your attack."

"What?" Tairou cried. His eyes bulging as a kite-like monster suddenly shot out of the ground, forming a barrier that stopped the warrior in place and forced them back

As the monster disappeared, it's owner gave a slight smirk. "Yeah, sorry to rain on your parade but I saw that coming from a mile away. Oh, and don't bother attacking with the rest of your monsters, I'll just stop them too."

"Yeah right, you just got lucky!"

"Actually it was skill, something you seem to lack."

The taunt made Tairou go red faced. "I've got plenty of skill! Now, Sword Hunter attacks you directly!"

The other warrior raising it's swords overhead as it rushed in for a direct attack. Within an instant the distance between it's opponent was gone, and it glared forward with it's sharp steel poised to decimate the enemy. However, Leo didn't appear distressed.

"By banishing Kiteroid from my graveyard I can negate a second attack." He stared unflinchingly at the warrior as a second barrier appeared, keeping him safe from harm as the monster's attack was repelled.

"You can use that annoying effect twice? Let's see if you can go a third time. Celtic Guard, attack!" He gritted out, clearly frustrated that his two strongest monsters were destroyed so easily.

"I activate Sphere Kuriboh's ability from my hand." He calmly explained as Celtic guard changed stances, not even able to start running before it was forced into defense mode. "I can discard this card to make your guard go to defense."

Tairou sneered in distaste as he pointed forward. "Whatever, I've still got Marauding Captain to dish out some damage!"

The armoured soldier nodded as it jumped forward with it's sword upraised, before slashing at the opponent directly. He held his arm up out of reflex, blocking the physical strike. The same couldn't be said about his lifepoints.

(Leo LP: 2800)

Seeing he actually managed to damage his lifepoints, Tairou grinned widely. "How do you like that?"

"I like it a lot actually, because you just showed how much of an idiot you are." Despite the lost lifepoints, he grinned and pointed towards a certain warrior. "Take a look at Buster Blader."

Hearing those words, the Professional Duelist actually listened and changed his attention towards his ace monster... which was kneeling and grunting out as it's attack points plummeted to far below even it's original point total.

(Atk: 5200 - 1300)

With wide eyes, Tairou glared at him as he barked out. "What did you do?"

"It's what you did actually." He corrected, relishing the look of bewilderment on his opponent's face. "Megamorph only doubles your monsters points if I have more lifepoints than you. By dropping me down so low, you've made it's negative effects kick in. Your monster has it's attack points dropped to half it's original total. So, what will you do now?"

With clenched fists, Tairou grabbed two of the three remaining cards in his hand. "I set two cards facedown. It's your move." His voice was quieter than earlier as two cards set themselves down.

Turn 3 - Leo LP: 2800 - Cards in hand: 5

Drawing his card, Leo gave a smirk. "I think I'll start with everyone's favourite, Pot of Greed." He drew two cards, not bothering with an explanation. "Now, I activate the spell card Twin Twisters. By discarding a card, I can destroy two sets on your field."

After he discarded Eclipse Wyvern, two twisters came out of nowhere and blew away two traps that were revealed to be Dragon Capture Jar and Mirror Force. They shattered, and his opponent's eyes were left wide as his traps were both destroyed. He wasn't done though.

"Because Eclipse Wyvern was sent to the graveyard, I can banish a Light or Dark monster from my deck that's level 7 or over. Should Eclipse Wyvern ever be banished, I can add this card to my hand. I choose Pandemic Dragon." He pulled his deck out, intentionally picking a moderately strong monster instead of his best card, then putting his deck back after shuffling it.

"Now, I summon the Rescue Rabbit!" A small rabbit wearing a helmet with goggles tugged over his forehead appeared, inciting an array of coos from the audience at the appearance of an, admittedly, really cute monster.

Rescue Rabbit(Earth/Beast/Level 4/ Atk: 300/ Def: 100)

Tairou let out a mocking laugh. "Wow, you almost had me worried for a second. To think you'd just summon a puffball after blowing all that hot air."

"Well, this puffball has a pretty neat effect. By sending him to the grave, I can summon two level 4 normal monsters from my deck." Upon command, the rabbit exploded into pixels as he once again searched through his deck for two monsters in particular. "I summon two Alexandrite Dragons!"

A pair of identical dragons appeared on his field, both of them massive with radiant and shining scales like gem stones, and they both roared mightily. His opponent stepped back with their appearance.

Alexandrite Dragon(Light/Dragon/Level 4/ Atk: 2000/ Def: 100)

"Now, by banishing one Light and one Dark monster from my graveyard I can summon a special monster from my hand! I banish Eclipse Wyvern and Sphere Kuriboh to summon my ace monster!" He held the card up as the ghosts of his two banished monsters appeared on the field, only to dissolve as bright orange flames began gathering and coalescing into a new monster.

After a moment, the flames solidified and took the form of a dragon even bigger than the other monsters besides it. It was a black dragon with four dark purple wings, and flames gathering around it. It's dark scales glistened like onyx, it's emerald eyes shined menacingly, and the bright orange core in it's chest pulsed like a star as it unleashed a guttural roar that startled the audience.

"What is that?" Tairou asked, backing away as the dragon set it's sight on him.

Darkflare Dragon(Dark/Dragon/Level 5/ Atk: 2400/ Def: 1200)

"Meet Darkflare Dragon!" Leo declared proudly, meeting the eyes of one of his ace monsters. "And he's going to send you packing. But first, since Eclipse Wyvern was banished I can add Pandemic Dragon to my hand." He added the banished card, putting his hand up to three. What a useful card Eclipse Wyvern was, too bad he could only find two copies.

"Now, I activate Darkflare's effect. By sending a dragon from my hand to the graveyard, along with one in my deck, I can banish a card from either of our graveyard. I discard Pandemic Dragon, and send a second Eclipse Wyvern from my deck to the graveyard." He quickly got rid of the card he just got and milled his last copy of Eclipse Wyvern.

"Buster Blader gets five hundred attack points per each dragon you have in your graveyard! You just gave him a thousand more attack points!" His opponent reminded him, with the swordsman standing a bit straighter as it got some of it's points back.

(Atk: 1300 - 2300)

"Because Eclipse Wyvern lets me add a card if he's banished, I'll banish him from my own graveyard. Then, because he was banished I can add Felgrand Dragon to my hand." He quickly went through the needed motions to get his monster searched. "And because he was banished, your Blader loses some points."

Buster Blader started to pant as it kneeled once more, having some of it's attack points knocked off when it was already weakened.

(Atk: 2300 - 1800)

His opponent pointed out. "There was no point to that, you just gave my monster another five hundred attack points!"

"There was a point to that, just not one you followed. You see, by activating Return of the Dragon Lords I can revive a level 7 or 8 Dragon type monster from my graveyard!"

The spell appeared on his field, followed by the ghostly colourless form of a dragon that faded as Pandemic Dragon burst onto the field. It was a purple and blue dragon with a whip-like tail and crescent shaped wings. It let out a high screech as it took a place next to Darkflare Dragon.

Pandemic Dragon(Dark/Dragon/Level 7/ Atk: 2500/ Def: 1000)

The lack of yet another dragon in his graveyard served to lower Buster Blader's attack points even further, with the once proud and mighty dragon slayer reduced to a shell of it's previous glory.

(Atk: 1800 - 1300)

His opponent backed away at the sight of a new monster, though that didn't make him back down. In fact, he just felt like going further. "Pandemic Dragon's effect lets him destroy a monster on your field with less attack points than him once per turn. I destroy your Marauding Captain!" He needed that card gone since he couldn't attack other warriors with it hanging around.

The oozing dragon roared as it's mouth overflowed with green energy that it let unleashed in a breath attack, erasing the knight into pixels in a powerful blast that made his opponent sweat.

"Now, it's time for the battle phase. First Darkflare Dragon attacks Buster Blader!" He shouted, knowing that if his opponent's lifepoints dropped then Megamorph would power the swordsman up again. Buster Blader needed to drop first.

The dark dragon's orange core burst to life, gathering power which appeared in his maw as burning hot flames that it fired out, reducing Buster Blader to ashes. This forced Tairou to cover himself and look away.

Tairou LP: 3000 - 1900

"Now, Pandemic Dragon attack Sword Hunter!" He commanded his monster, who's eyes shone brightly as his wings began to gather purple energy that shattered like glass and rained down on the warrior, tearing it to shreds. Tairou only lost a few lifepoints, but he also lost his strongest monsters.

Tairou LP: 1900 - 1850

Leo finally let up. "The monsters summoned with Rescue Rabbit's ability can't attack, and they're destroyed at the end of the turn. So, I set one card facedown and pass it off to you." He concluded, just one card left in his hand as both his Alexandrite Dragons exploded. That didn't matter though, they were fine in the graveyard.

Turn 4 - Tairou LP: 1850 - Cards in hand: 2

Drawing his card, Tairou gritted his teeth. It appeared someone had a bad hand, which was unfortunate when you had two dragons breathing down your neck. He'd need quite the turn to spin the duel in his favour.

"I activate Reinforcements of the Army. With this, I can add a Warrior that's level 4 or lower to my hand. I add my Warrior Lady of the Wasteland." He picked a very defensive card, that meant he probably didn't have a way to push back the offensive.

He looked uncertain, not having half the bravo he had at the start of the duel. "Then, I'll- I'll set a monster in defense mode and set a card facedown. That's all I'll do." Though, without any other cards in his hand he couldn't really do anything more.

Turn 5 - Leo LP: 2800 - Cards in hand: 2

Smirking when he saw the card he'd drawn, Leo immediately pushed the offensive. "Now, I summon Assault Wyvern!"

A blue wyvern soared onto his field, it's jaw aligned with a razor sharp set of blades and it's blue scales shined under the sun. It was just the card he needed to destroy the Celtic Guard, and from the way Tairou grimaced he could tell that as well.

Assault Wyvern(Light/Dragon/Level 4/ Atk: 1800/ Def: 1000)

"Now, let's do some damage. Assault Wyvern, attack the Celtic Guard!"

The wyvern listened to his instructions, shrieking highly as it darted forward at insane speeds. The warrior tried to guard, but it's blade caved in like a frail stick and he was shredded like paper before scattering to pixels.

"When Assault Wyvern destroys a monster, I can send him to the grave to summon a dragon from my hand. Like my Felgrand Dragon!" He yelled as the blue wyvern dissolved, fading away as a new dragon appeared.

This new dragon emerged onto the battlefield, it's body radiating a golden glow as it spread it's wings and roared. It possessed a pair of yellow eyes that narrowed on it's opponent. Normally, Felgrand Dragon couldn't be special summoned except from the grave, but some cards had slightly different effects in this world. He was one of them.

"Due to his effect, I can target a monster in my graveyard and he gains attack points equal to it's level times two hundred. I target Assault Wyvern!" The golden dragon glowed like a light as it's power rose.

(Atk: 2800 - 3600)

"Felgrand Dragon, attack his facedown monster!" He ordered, knowing he'd probably need to mow through a few cards to get to Tairou himself. Whilst maybe not the brightest, the warrior user could probably summon any other copies of the card from his deck.

The towering behemoth roared, golden flames heating up in it's mouth before washing over the set monster, which screamed and shattered as the Warrior Lady of The Wasteland revealed itself very briefly.

"When the Warrior Lady of the Wasteland is destroyed I can summon another warrior from my deck. I summon a second Lady in defense mode!" He yelled, another copy of the warrior appearing on the field to defend him.

"I'll destroy that one too with Pandemic Dragon!" He yelled, though his monster was already on the move as purple energy rained down from above and tore the new monster apart, not even giving time for the dust to settle.

"I-I summon another Warrior Lady of the Wasteland!" He yelled, though he sounded panicked as his final copy of the monster appeared, which would soon meet it's end.

Leo didn't relent. "Darkflare Dragon, destroy the final Warrior Lady!" Upon his command, an orange inferno washed over the final copy of the Warrior Lady, ensuring no more of them would be appearing.

Tairou spoke out, a surprising spark of confidence returning to him. "I summon the Marauding Captain using my Lady's ability!"

The familiar knight appeared after a moment, a sword slung across his back as he stood safe from the enemy dragons, since they'd finished their attacks.

Marauding Captain(Earth/Warrior/Level 3/ Atk: 1200/ Def: 400)

Having no more cards in his hand, he couldn't do anything else other than pass on the baton. "I end my turn."

Turn 6 - Tairou LP: 1850 - Cards in hand: 1

A grin slowly made it onto the warrior users face as he drew a card. "Good, then I can make my comeback starting with this! I activate Monster Reborn, to revive my Buster Blader!"

The crowd gasped as a familiar warrior descended from above, landing on the ground with a glare. Though, this time, it was powered up due to there being dragons in his graveyard.

Buster Blader(Earth/Warrior/Level 7/ Atk: 2600/ Def: 2300)

(Atk: 2600 - 4100)

Confidence seemed to worm it's way back into Tairou's expression as he yelled with vindication. "As long as I have Buster Blader on my side, your dragons can't get to me! Fitting that my monster will be the one that ends you, and I'll start by attack your Felgrand Dragon!" He yelled, pointing at the monster as he made the mistake of rushing into the battle phase.

Buster Blader groaned as it jumped, taking it's sword up to cut down the golden dragon. The crowd seemed on the edge of their seats, but he was... disappointed.

"I almost feel bad for doing this." Leo muttered, revealing his trap much to his opponent's surprise. "I activate Castle of Dragon Souls!"

(Atk: 3600 - 4300)

Felgrand Dragon roared as the card took effect, retaliating against Buster Blader by using it's tail and sending the monster flying backwards where it shattered into pieces. The result of the battle shocked it's Duelist, who's confidence was crushed much like his monster was.

Tairou LP: 1850 - 1150

"What the hell happened? What did you do?"

"I used my trap to give Felgrand Dragon seven hundred more attack points by banishing a dragon monster in my graveyard. This powered him up, and since a dragon was banished your Blader lost five hundred." He quickly explained as he put an Alexandrite Dragon in his banished zone, oblivious to the panic his opponent was going through. "You done?"

His question went ignored, with Tairou baring his fangs. "This isn't over! I activate the trap, Call of The Haunted! I revive my other Marauding Captain and- and I end my turn with that." He finished, looking rather defeated even as a second copy of his remaining monster crawled out of the graveyard. He was looking to ward off time, since having two Marauding Captains on the field prevented attacks, but that wouldn't be enough.

Castle of Dragon Souls wore off, reducing Felgrand's attack points just a bit.

(Atk: 4300 - 3600)

Drawing his card, Leo wondered whether his opponent's reputation would be tarnished for losing to a teenager. A prodigy maybe, but still a teenager with less experience under his belt. Then again it was just a tournament for some rare cards, not an official match per say, so it probably wouldn't go on the man's record. And quite frankly he wouldn't stop if it did.

Turn 7 - Leo LP: 2800 - Cards in hand: 1

"Sorry, but this is over." He put the card he'd just drawn in his hand. He didn't need it. "Thanks to Pandemic Dragon's effect, I can destroy a monster with attack points less than his. So, I destroy one of your Marauding Captains." He spoke frankly, and sweat gathered on Tairou's brow. He knew this was about to end.

His monster's effect destroyed the first knight, shattering them into pixels along with any hope of Tairou's victory.

"This is where it ends." He began, entering the battle phase and causing Tairou to flinch. "Now, Felgrand Dragon attack the-"

"Wait, please don't!" Tairou cut him off, making him falter when he heard how... desperate he sounded. "I can't lose here, if I do then my life is over, boy!"

Leo blinked, for the first time feeling some surprise, and he even looked around to see if he heard that right. However, the audience's reaction told him that he hadn't heard that wrong.

"Dude... it's one game. It's not gonna end you." He couldn't help but point out. "Seriously, I'd much rather keep my dignity than-"

"You don't understand!" He continued, with the red haired man even having his hands together in a begging manner. "If I lose here, I'll be a laughing stock. I'll be that guy who got crushed by some punk kid. Please, just throw the match. I'll even give you those rare cards."

"I'd rather collect them myself." He stated, not being impressed by his opponent's actions. "Plus, your probably making yourself look even worst by begging like this. If you don't want people to think your a pathetic idiot, then maybe you shouldn't act like one."

He couldn't resist the urge to get one more jab in. "By the way, next time you should get on your knees when you want mercy. Felgrand Dragon fuck him up!"

The Dragon roared in agreement, seeming to not like Tairou in the least after his attempt at begging, and built up an extra swell of power as golden flames ignited in him maw and washed over the final Marauding Captain with so much intensity that it covered the opponent's entire field. When the fire finally died down, the Duelist was left lying on his back looking up at the ceiling.

Tairou LP: 1150 - 0

He felt a sense of relief as the holograms all died down, his dragons disappearing from sight, and took in the sight of his opponent lying on the floor. The stadium was silent, and he didn't take a moment to check their reactions before taking his leave and walking away.

----------------------

Alexis digested the match she'd just watched from above in the stands and a scowl form on her face as the boy left, not gracing his opponent with a single word before walking away, presumably to collect his prize.

"Hey Alexis, that guy was a pretty good Duelist wasn't he? He didn't give his opponent an inch, it was like he was in complete control." Mindy commented from her side, though Alexis couldn't bring herself to agree. No, that was not a good duel.

Ever since a year ago- since Atticus disappeared- she couldn't deny she'd changed a lot. She used to be bubbly, massively social, and admittedly a bit of an airhead. A lot like her-

She shook her head. There was no use thinking about him right now.

Either way, she was definitely more aloof than she used to be. She hardly hung out with anyone except Mindy and Jasmine, her two childhood friends, and overall tried to keep to herself. Though it was difficult, especially with her reputation, she did her best not to stand out. Her friends had been trying to get her to go out more, and they'd dragged her to a local Duelling tournament. She was actually having fun... until he stepped up.

She hadn't watched the previous matches, in fact she was only witnessing the last few, but that white boy Duelled with such control over the match it was almost nauseating. That wasn't how she was taught to duel.

Admittedly, he was clearly skilled. The fact he even survived a turn without any cards on his field, using cards with hand effects she'd never heard of, was something she never thought she'd witness. His monsters were all expertly picked, and he utilised them all without a flaw in sight... and that might have been what got to her.

She didn't see a single ounce of respect in his posture, even ignoring the fact he was openly taunting and provoking his opponent, and it rubbed her the wrong way. His extreme efficiency, the way he treated his opponents, his style of play... it was all so wrong.

"I can't say I agree." She stated, surprising her two friends as she explained herself. "A duel should be a way to bring people closer together, a way of forging bonds. That just... wasn't right."

She idly wondered if that boy would get into Duel Academy. He looked to be around her age, and she'd be enrolling in the year, and she dearly hoped that wasn't the case.