Season 0: Theme Keycard #1 C17: EXP and Loots (1)

07:20:56

As dawn broke over Domino City, and sunlight poured onto the bustling streets, igniting the the powder-keg that was the hype that had been building for days.

Still a bit groggy from the Ritual of the previous night, Lenix wordlessly observed as Duelists and duel spirits of all ages and backgrounds filled the streets like a swarm of ants, casting cautious, measuring glances at those around them all the while. It was just another day for him, but for these people, this was it.

This was their chance to make history, to challenge themselves, and to prove that their philosophy as Duelists was the true Path, just as Atem did close to a decade ago. “EXP and Loots…”

07:35:23

Making his way through the packed streets, Lenix paused as the massive screens on nearby buildings flared to life.

"—Welcome, everyone, welcome to Domino City!“

Above, Pegasus proclaimed with his usual flair. "For the past seven glorious years, the title of King of Games has been held by none other than Yugi Mutou! And what an era it has been, my friends!

Alas, all good things must come to an end. As many of you have heard, our reigning King has announced his retirement four months ago. While this may seem a dreadful loss, the world must press onward. Duel Monsters requires a new King of Games, just as Duelists require a goal to reach! You, and you, and yes, even you! Every single one of you has been given the fill the shoes left behind; the chance to become the NEW KING OF GAME!"

Animated glances and spirited whispers followed Pegasus' words as Domino City buzzed.

Some clenched their fists in determination, eyes alight with youthful ambitions, meanwhile others like Lenix merely nodded along, caring not for the empty Title. At the end of the day, it's just street cred.

While it might boost the reputation of many, for more established Duelists, it wasn't exactly necessary.

In fact, many people dreaded it.

They were no strangers to grandiose nicknames, but there was actual weight to the Title King of Games.

The endless troubles bound to follow asides, what they feared most was being overshadowed by his Legacy.

For most Duelists, simply being good at the game was enough to satisfy the fans, but for the successor of Yugi Mutou's Title?

Even if they were a phenomenal Duelist, born once in a century, their achievements would always be compared and downsized.

To make matters worse, since the Title was being passed down rather than won fair-and-square, the Champion might not even get the extra street cred that came with it, hence why only the young, naive and/or stupid longed for to be crowned. The more practical among the bunch focused solely on the prizes.

07:56:59

“As for the prizes... The top 90 Duelists shall receive $500,000 USD each!“ The crowd of Duelists erupted in excitement as Pegasus tapped rhythmically on his oakwood desk, continuing only after everyone had begun to settle down. "The top 10, they will each receive $1,000,000 and an Uttra-Rare card of their choice. But the Champion! The Champion will get all that and more! The Champion will be able to request any one card from me!“

If the crowd hadn't been properly excited before, they certainly were now that they understood what was at stake. "And yes, I'll even create new versions of the God cards if you wish. You could be the only other person in the world to possess a God card besides Yugi Mutou. Whether you can borrow their power without inviting Divine Retribution, however... Well, that's up to you.“

Shielding his eardrums from the deafening roars, Lenix narrowed his eyes at Pegasus and wondered aloud.

"What game is this guy playing?"

God cards weren't just trash found on the side of the road.

For starter, Pegasus didn't even create the Egyptian Gods; he merely provided them suitable mediums to connect their Divinity to Duel Monster cards…

He's promising something that's technically not possible, which was quite uncharacteristic of him. 'Maybe he's found an abundant Source of Duel Energy?' His mind helpfully supplied.

It was the only explanation he could come up with, and it would have to suffice until he could contact Pegasus again.

'Well, whatever his goal was, he succeeded in fanning the flame.' Before, there had been plenty of Duelists content with reaching the top 100 or top 10 and then taking it easy, but with the promise of actual godly powers, their ambitions had grown. Even Duelists from the older generations who had initially planned to sit this one out were now reconsidering. “This is gonna get messy…” And it's gonna get messy fast.

“—Rules are the same as always, with just a few minor changes: First, all Duelists will start with 8000 LP instead of 4000!“

"Shit..." Having 4000 LP gave him a lot of leeway; it not only allowed him to control the match’s tempo while allowing him to fit as many Duels in a day as humanly possible, but also made a comeback that much harder for his opponents.

"Additionally, out of the 3,000 participating Duelists, I've personally handpicked 50 from around the world. I don't want to spoil the surprise for you, but think of them as golden eggs that'll earn you better rewards.“

07:59:58

“Naturally, this means their burdens will be significant, but so will their prizes. Within your issued Duel Disks is software that will allow you to detect them when they're nearby... Why don't you all give it a try?“

07:59:59

"Pegasus, you son of a bitch..." Lenix cursed under his breath as beeps sounded all around him, the rhythm quickening every time a Duel Disk was pointed in his direction.

"—Now, without further ado,"

When the clock struck exactly 08:00:00, Pegasus paused for a moment as the clock ticked away, then shouted, "Ladies and gents! Let us write history together!"

Already vanishing into the crowd to avoid the berserk Duelists, Lenix stopped in his tracks when he heard a voice yelling for him from the mob. "Lenix!"

"Sachi… You're participating too?"

"Umu! Behold, my new DEck!"

Sachi exclaimed, raising the Deck high above her head like King Arthur must have done with Caliburn.

"Why were you in such a hurry anyway?"

"I can't be around mobs right now."

"What do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head as she grabbed Lenix's wrist to pull him toward the makeshift arena that had formed on the sidewalks.

"Yeah… I can't—"

"THERE'S ONE IN THE SQUARE WITH US! MY DUEL DISK REGISTERED THEM!"

“Goddammit, Pegasus.“

Pivoting on his heel, Lenix swallowed down a string of vulgarity as he headed for the street while increasingly louder beeps echoed with every step he took.

“Hey, you think he's…”

“That guy looks suspicious—”

Glancing around, Sachi poked her head out from behind him, puzzled by the commotion. “Why are people giving you weird looks?“

“FOUND HIM! IT'S THAT GUY!"

Someone finally shouted, pointing directly at Lenix, who quickly shook his hand loose from Sachi's grip and fled, but not before planting a quick, sneaky kiss on her cheek.

“See you later, bae.“

"Wait! You're not gonna partner up with me?"

"I'd love to, but—" Lenix responded while leaping over a Duelist who had tried to grab him, ducking and weaving around the growing group of pursuers. "I just don't think you would."

"... ARE YOU ONE OF THE 50 MENTIONED?!“ Laughing as he vaulted over a fence and put yet another obstacle between himself and the Duelists, Lenix shouted at the raging 'animals,' "Catch me if you can!"

“GET HIM! GET HIM!!!“

Darting further into Domino City, Lenix slowly and illegally scaled a skyscraper, silently spying on the group below.

From his vantage point, he found it darkly amusing that even with his emotions muted, the urge to leap still lingered; a ghost of a thought.

"Don't backflip into a superhero-landing. Don't backflip into a superhero-landing."

Mumbling the mantra against the reckless impulse, Lenix dangled his feet over the ledge, brain simultaneously calculating improbable survival scenarios. Parts of him were perfectly aware his current Stats wouldn't allow for such a feat, but with his usual fear of heights oddly absent, resisting the brain's 'Yolo' and 'Live a little' tirades was beginning to feel more and more like an uphill battle.

"Damn it, we lost him!"

"He can't be far! Spread out! Finder's keepers!"

"Fuck it." Worst case, he'd Equip Mimic to cushion the fall. "YOLO!"

Launching himself off the building, Lenix twisted mid-air before slamming into the pavement in front of the remaining Duelists.

The impact left a sizeable crater, and microscopic fissures in his bones, but he was alive.

"Hmm… As expected." Lenix remarked, all smiles and grins, yet a strange detachment seemed to color his tone.

Thankfully, he'd managed to Equip Mimic in time; otherwise, that would have been the end of hin.

Manually forcing the shattered bones back into something resembling their proper alignment and ignoring the white-hot agony that lanced through his body, Lenix rose to his feet even as his legs trembled violently beneath him.

It hurt, a lot, but his mind, in its own bizarre way, had rationalized that complaining was pointless, so he didn't.

There was no anger, no fear, no bemoaning of his mangled limbs.

Only a detached curiosity, and a strange desire to see just what it would take to actually stop him.

"Dude, where the hell did you come from?"

"Oh my God!" Another shrieked, recoiling in horror, staring frozen as Lenix slowly straightened to his full height, calmly dusting his jacket and catching his cap out of the air.

“Let's Duel.“

— [SK(GX)] —

"—Rise of a New Era?

The Crowning: Is history about to be made again?

With up to $55 million in cash prizes and millions more in cards, Maximillion Pegasus' way of giving back? “

Despite how annoying they were during her childhood, even Sachi had to admit the press worked quickly. Battle City had only just begun, yet the over a dozen headlines summarizing the event had sprung up, both internationally and locally.

However, these weren't what she was interested in.

“50 Golden Eggs: One Found?'”

After studying a compilation of shaky, low-quality clips, she finally pinpointed her boyfriend's location. It was difficult to discern at first, but she recognized the statue featured in one of the videos.

The problem now was getting there.

Domino City was not prepared for the influx of over three thousand Duelists from across the globe, and the strain's taking its toll on both the locals and visitors.

Everywhere Sachi looked was choked with people, from the overflowing sidewalks to the gridlocked roads, all Dueling for supremacy. "Ex-Excuse me!" Following the map, she battled against the human tide for a solid ten minutes, finally managing to escape into a small, quiet cafe, gasping for breath.

[Incoming Call: Troublemaker]

"Eh?" Sachi exclaimed, beaming ear-to-ear as she picked up the phone. "Finally remembered your nee-san?!"

"Sorry, sis," Her brother replied. "College has been really busy lately, but I have great news! I'm in Domino City right now."

"Really?! Why? Are you participating?" Eyes sparkling with excitement, Sachi signaled to the waitress and switched her Duel Disk to her other ear to point at the menu. "Can I get this, this and this for takeout, please?"

"No, the station I'm interning at needs someone to cover Battle City and I need a place to stay. Mind if I crash there for a few days?“

"Of course not! I haven't seen you in so long! I bet I'm still taller."

“Bet,” He xhuckled, their laughter mirroring each other's as they indulged in a bit of small talk.

Caught up in the conversation, Sachi failed to notice the dark, gloomy eyes that seemed to be watching her every move.

“See you soon, sis.“

"You too, Hayato! I'll introduce you to someone really, really special."

"Let me guess, your boyfriend?"

"How did you know?!"

"Lucky guess," Hayato replied smoothly. "Thank the Gods, I was afraid you'd die a crazy cat lady...“

"I don't even like cats.“ Sachi shot back, offended, while her brother continued to tease. "Crazy snake lady, then?"

"Urgh, you're so annoying! I won't introduce you to him anymore!"

Sachi huffed, half-serious, before angrily pressing the button to end the call, then grabbed the drinks and pushed through the backdoor, blissfully unaware that a group who had discreetly followed her from the café. Rummaging through the beverages, she grinned and mumbled to herself, "Hope he likes Macchiato…”

Just then, a quiet rustle from behind made Sachi pause.

Heart skipping a beat, she tried to react, only to get grabbed,

"Hey—!" The cry barely left her lips before a wet cloth pressed against her mouth, muffling her protests and replacing the aroma of fresh coffee with something sharply medicinal. Her world spun as her senses dulled, the Macchiato slipping from her fingers, splattering on the ground. “Help!“

Catching one last glimpse of the café as her vision blurred, Sachi tried to focus something; anything—from her brother's laughter to Lenix's earlier promise, but what must come, will, and darkness began to rapidly close in on her.

Sachi felt herself being gently but decisively pulled away from the world she knew, the rough fabric of her blindfold scratching against her skin while her heart erratically drummed in her ribs.

Tearfully, she latched onto the hope that somehow, she'd see the light of Domino City and its lively streets again, even as her rational mind seemed to scorn her naivety, questioning if 'somehow' would ever come.

— [SK(GX)] —

Meanwhile…

“Attack him directly!" Chirping loudly, the Penguin Soldier clumsily charged forward, looking nothing like the Aqua Warrior it was supposed to be, and more like a lump of furry meat bouncing toward his opponent.

Ending a Duel with such an unconventional monster was not typically Lenix's style, but this was a Tournament with very real stakes, unlike his previous Duels. He simply couldn't afford to be careless.

Penguin Soldier

Attribute: WATER

Level: 2

[Aqua/Flip/Effect]

Effect:

FLIP: You can target up to 2 monsters on the field; return those targets to the hand.

ATK: 750

DEF: 500

Opponent: 350 » 0

"Tsk... Guess I'm not good enough..." Lenix's opponent wearily muttered, looking dejected as he extended his hand for a handshake. "GG, man. Hope I'll get a chance to play against you again."

"Let's hope so... Now, where's my card?"

"Here," The man replied, reluctantly handing over his Deck as tears of regret welled up in his eyes. "Take what you want."

After sorting through the Seck, Lenix found the one card that piqued his interest and grinned. "Thanks for the Fusion Gate."

His opponent still had two other copies, but Lenix doubted the man would want a rematch anytime soon.

And even if he did, the Tournament demanded that a 24-hour waiting period before two competitors could face each other again; a rule designed to prevent participants from 'farming' weaker Duelists over and over; enforced by the official Duel Disks issued by KaibaCorp which registered every Duel in their database. “That's the seventh…”

Unlike the average participants, the Golden Eggs were required to Duel at least five times a day or get booted from the competition.

Having completed his seventh duel of the day, Lenix was just about to head home and take it easy when his eyes caught the silhouette of Takimaru in the crowd, shadowed by the faint image of the blocky Dragon hovering above his head.

It had been quite a while since they last met, and even longer since their first Duel; so long that Lenix genuinely thought something bad had befallen the man. "Came for a rematch, did you?"

“Heh… You bet. Lenix Owens—my greatest rival! I challenge you to a Duel!“

Humming as he regarded his new challenger, Lenix silently weighed his odds while the crowd oh'd and ah'd.

"Looks like we have a good show to watch! You wanna bet on it?" Someone excitedly exclaimed.

"Hell yeah! I'm going with Lenix all the way. I heard he hasn’t lost a single duel yet. Can you imagine?!"

"Really? How?! No matter how good his Deck is, a 100% Winrate is insane! That's even better than Yugi Mutou's record!"

"Only on paper. If Kaiba hadn't threatened to kill himself, Yugi would’ve been undefeated as well."

Half-listening to the crowd's chatter, Lenix absentmindedly scratched his chin.

Whoever had just bet on him was misguided… This Duel was unwinnable from the start. [Destiny Draw], [Destiny Defied]—both were mere tricks, meaningless in the face of such raw, overwhelming power.

He had won their initial encounter due to a combination of favorable circumstances: The low LP that all Duelists started out with; Takimaru's incredibly poor draws throughout the match; and his inability to build a proper Deck.

Against a more experienced Takimaru, whose Bond with Block Dragon had grown considerably stronger, Lenix knew he would lose, if only because of the monster itself, for in their effort to make Rock-Type more competitive, Konami had inadvertently created a creature that was not only incredibly easy to Summon but also oppressively powerful.

If it was allowed to remain on the Field, it'd grant all other Rock-Type Immunity to Destruction Effects; and if it was destroyed, it'd be a (+3) that allowed its Owner to search the fucking Deck for monsters best fit for the situation.

These Effects, Lenix could handle, but what made it truly unacceptable was its recycability via GY Banishment in a game where cards like “That Grass Looks Greener,” the entire “Jars” series and “Magical Merchant” were so readily available.

Block Dragon almost felt like a custom card that someone had forcibly inserted into the game without any regard for balance and fairness…. If Konami card design department wasn't snorting crystal meth while designing it, Lenix would eat his shoes.

'But at least they were only on meth.'

KaibaCorp and Pegasus must've been overdosing on every drug imaginable to unleash this card in the current Format.

“Wait, guys! I think that guy's a Golden Egg too! My Duel Disk keeps beeping whenever I point it at him!”

“You kiddin'! Seriously?“

“Try it if you don't believe me!“

“This is gonna be fun—”

“I refuse.“ Lenix interrupted sharply, leaving everyone, Takimaru included, stunned.

“What? Why?!“

"Because I can't win."

Some might have found such an admission humiliating, but not Lenix.

He knew all too well the limits of his Decks, and they would all be decimated.

Once her new Form had been created, Lenix might reconsider his assessment, but until then, even Nephthys was no match… A mild inconvenience at best.

"””BOOO!!!"”” The crowd erupted in dissatisfaction, their voices merging into roaring chants. “”"DUEL! DUEL! DUEL!"””

“You! You'll deny me a rematch?!“

"Yes, but there's simply no point, at least not right now." Lenix had the perfect strategy to counter Block Dragon, but he needed to gather all the right cards for the Deck, assemble it, and perform a series of draw tests before he could be confident in his chances of victory.

“When then?!“

"Let us meet here on the last day of Battle City," Lenix replied, an amused glint in his eyes. "I'll give you a proper rematch then."

“””DUEL!DUEL!DUEL!!!“””

Casting a harsh glare at the crowd, which paused and swallowed thickly as the presence of the Archfiend Emperor bore on them, Lenix turned his attention to Takimaru. "What do you say?"

Hesitating for a moment, his self-proclaimed rival finally spoke. "... And you will uphold your promise? You will give me the Duel of a lifetime?"

“I will try.“

"Then I guess I can wait... But if you're lying to me, I'll chase you to the Afterlife if I must!“

Temporarily morphing into an Ugandan journalist, Lenix pursed his lips, feigning disgust. "Why are you gae?“

“Oh, screw you!“

“You're not helping your case, buddy.“

After chatting and tag-dueling with Takimaru for a while, Lenix managed to slip away around 07:00PM, heading straight home to change out of his very recognizable outfit and into something more inconspicuous.

His next stop was Sachi's place.

A promise was a promise, and given all the terribly sinful things they'd done to each other besides actually bumping uglies, he couldn't just ghost her.

Fiddling with the key, Lenix stiffened at the sound of an unexpected voice. "Why're you loitering around here?! You want me to call the police?!"

"...I'm Sachiko Fujita's boyfriend. She lent me her key and said I could visit whenever I wanted."

The security guard was not a burly man; instead, she was a wrinkled, old woman whose features seemed to be permanently etched into an angry frown. "You could have picked up or stolen that key. If you want to enter, tell her to come get you or I'm calling the police."

Running his tongue over his teeth, Lenix raised his Duel Disk and dialed Sachi's number, but after several long beeps, the call went straight to voicemail, which was quite unusual… Sachi typically picked up as soon as he called. “I knew it! You're a thief, aren't you?! Watch how I teach you, you little—”

Lenix called out to her again, catching the broom midair and breaking it effortlessly.

"If you hit me again, I'll drown you, your children, your grandchildren in lawsuits.“

"You!"

Feigning offense with an exaggerated roar, the old woman shakily pointed at him. "You ill-mannered, ill-bred bastard! Your parents must have been something special to have raised a—"

The remaining words were instantly trapped in her throat as his fingers clamped tightly around her wrinkled, old neck. “I can snap your neck like a twig, you insufferable hag. Don't test me. I'm not your unfortunate descendants, I will fight back.“

Pushing her on her ass, Lenix narrowed his eyes as the line connected, but the first thing he heard wasn't the cheerful greeting of his girlfriend, but a quiet cough anyone who knew or was a smoker would recognize.

“Sachi?“

"—She's asleep, little bro."

"Who is this?"

“—The guy she's cheating on you with, duh. Who the hell did you think it was?“

There was a brief rustle in the phone before a second male voice chimed in, sounding almost… Apologetic? "—Sorry about that, Mr. Owens. My brother's a bit of a cunt... You know what they say, right? You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family.“

"What do you want? Why do you have Sachi's Duel Disk?"

"—Come on... You've been around the Gutter long enough to know what this is."

Lenix could almost see the smug smirk based on his voice.

[Gamer's Mind]

[Emotion Suppressed: Rage! (×56 » 57)]

"You want the God cards?"

"We want your prize... All of it. The money, the cards—everything." The kidnapper laughingly confirmed.

“EXP and Loots, Lenix… EXP and Loots.“

“Or what?“ Questioning, Lenix forcefully choked back a quiet lament that surged from his chest to his throat.

“—I'll only kill her; it's my brother you have to worry about. He loves it when they struggle.“

Cutting off the call, Lenix took a deep breath while his [Gamer's Mind] overclocked to keep his rage in check.

It was one thing for Skullie to look down on him, but for a ragtag bunch of dirtbags to do the same was infuriating.

To make matters worse, they did it in the most despicable way imaginable: By targeting his people.

“EXP and loots... That's all they are.” Lenix let loose a strangled growl, and from his shadows, green, dwarf-like fiends materialized, their golden eyes gleaming with malice as his Duel Energy whipped violently around them.

[Messages (1)]

I'll give you three days to think this through. If you haven't given us an answer by then, you can find out about your little girlfriend on Pornhub. 'Asian slut taking on five dicks'—Does that sound like something you’d click on? And please don't call the authorities. We will know, and she'll pay for it.

"Find them.“ Lenix demanded, voice promising a violence that sent the Goblins into a manic frenzy. “Find them and I'll allow you to feast on their mangled flesh… Start from where we last saw her."

Making no effort to hide their bloodlust, the Goblins stormed into Domino City, a howling, rabid pack that seemed quite eager to bathe in the blood and organs of his enemies. And as if that wasn't enough, they were even roaring a savage, bloodthirsty chant all the while. 'KILL! WE GET TO KILL, BOYS!'

But they weren't alone.

Already, his Insects were swarming the streets and delving into the sewers.

The only Spirit that hadn't answered his call was Nephthys, still cocooned inside her egg, ans hence unable to join just yet.

Still, with or without the Sacred Phoenix, it was only a matter of time before his Spirits uncovered their whereabouts. Just the thought made his teeth itch.

* Snap!

Startled by the sound, Lenix quickly turned to see the hag slowly picking herself up off the ground, mesmerized by the ethereal, but audibly malevolent silhouettes of his Spirits who, like an infection, had spread deeper into the city.

'Not worth it.' Shaking his head, Lenix spared her and the apartment complex neither a thought or a glance as he followed the Spirits. "Looks like you don't have to call the cops, after all."

"W-Wait!" Having regained her composure, the old woman awkwardly asked. "I heard the call! Should I contact the police?"

"Don't," Lenix replied with an icy edge to his voice. "They are mine."

Dialing the number of the man who had recruited him for the Gutter, Lenix narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Takana Hoshio, you better not have anything to do with this.“

It'd be a real shame… The guy was starting to grow on him.

—/—/——/——/—/—

Duelist Profile

Name: Lenix Owens

Title: The Mimic

Level: 7

XP: 14,219/216,000

Duel Energy: 0/38,400 (Regen: 32 Unit/Sec)

Bonded Spirits (Max. 5): Hand of Nephthys (18%), Mimicking Man-Eater Bug (19.9%), Grasschopper (9.9%)

Spirit Enhancement(s) / Skill(s): Destiny Draw (2/10), Spirit Vision (3/10), Pyromancy (2/10), Destiny Defied (1/10), Shadow Initiation (1/10), Chosen of Nephthys (MAX)

Third-Party Softwares: Semi-Gamer's Mind (MAX), Observe (MAX)

Duel Points: 228,105

Duel Record: 181 Total / 181 Win – 0 Loss – 0 Draw

Win Ratio: 100%