I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but since there's no Creative Writing (or something like that) section, I'll post this here, hoping for a few replies. Anyway...

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What does it mean to be a duelist? Why do duelists duel? Why do I duel? Because I made a promise. A promise of two dreams joined in hope of a better future...

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A teenage boy with auburn hair partially covering a severely disfigured face lay on a bed, slowly looking over a pile of cards. As he looked over each card, memories of all the good times he had using them surfaced causing a smile to spread across his face.

“Whatchu doing, Jeremy?” A small boy walked up to the teenager.

“Hey Ian, I’m just looking over my cards, making sure they’re all set for the tournament tomorrow.”

“Are those your Duel Monsters cards? Can I play with them?”

Jeremy let out a dramatic sigh. “I guess, but if you bend them, you’re getting the worst wedgie of your life!”

Ian immediately snatched the pile of cards out of Jeremy’s hand and proceeded to awe in amazement over the contents.

After a good while of looking over the cards, Ian turned to Jeremy. “Where’d you get these anyway?”

Jeremy rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment. “Well, I’d have to tell you a very long story to explain, and I’m pretty sure it’s already past your bedtime.”

“Aw, come on Jeremy,” pleaded Ian, “Just tell me the story, and I won’t bother you again for a whole three days!”

“That is pretty tempting. Fine, I guess I have some time. Anyway, here goes…”

- The Story -

“Somewhere in a decrepit suburb lay an old, downtrodden orphanage. The orphanage was inhabited by many little boys and girls, abandoned by the rest of the world. Most of them had lost their parents to the misfortunes of life, but one little boy never knew his parents. You see, that boy was born with a rare condition that left him with many health problems. His parents couldn’t afford treatment so they decided to give him up for adoption, hoping that his new caretakers could. To the little boy’s misfortune, the agency that took him in was very poor and nobody wanted to adopt a boy with such a terrible condition.

“Eventually, the boy became so sick that the agency was forced to get him treatment. They took him to a hospital for an operation, but because the agency had little money, the boy received the cheapest operation available. The operation worked, but it left the boy with a horribly disfigured face. Nobody would want the boy so the agency was forced to take care of him with no hope of getting him adopted.
Many caretakers thought it was a waste to save the boy’s life. Without any caretakers to truly nurture him with affection, the boy grew cold and distant. He hated the world for its cruelty and had given up hope on living a normal life. Then everything changed.

“One day, a girl arrived at the orphanage. Her parents were common workers and had passed away like many others from disease. The girl caught the disease too, but she was strong enough to resist. Although she survived, she was left weak with many physical limitations and a significantly shortened lifespan. The world seemed evil, but the girl never lost hope, the hope that it might someday change. Her strength gave others strength, her endurance gave others endurance, and her hope gave others hope. Soon, everyone came to love the girl for her inspiration, everyone except the cold and distant disfigured boy.

“Because the girl had earned everyone’s affection, the boy became extremely jealous of the girl and came to resent everything she did. The girl was hurt by the boy’s resentment, and confronted the boy about it. But through the confrontation, the girl saw through the boy’s cold exterior to see a damaged and lonely heart, much like her own. The girl felt a connection to the boy and tried to earn the boy’s love too by spending time with him. At first, the boy was hesitant to let someone into his life, but the girl’s persistence eventually broke through his cold heart and sowed the seeds of a true friendship. To everyone’s surprise, the two soon became the best of friends.

Although the two were friends, the boy still felt lonely since nobody else would be friends with him. As a way to help the boy get along with the other kids, the girl introduced the boy to the game of Duel Monsters so that he could have something in common with the other kids. Slowly, but surely, the boy started making other friends. The boy dreamed of one day becoming a pro so that he could change the world and make sure that nobody would ever have to suffer through what he had.

But, nothing lasts forever. Shortly after, the girl’s condition worsened and she began to lose control over her body. She had to go stay in the hospital so the doctors could try to figure out how to help her get better. But since the cost of treatment was too expensive for the orphanage to cover, the doctors never helped her, and she got worse. Eventually, she fell into a deep sleep and never woke up.

Later, the boy found out that the girl had left him with an envelope. In it, she wrote him a final letter to say goodbye and enough money to finish his deck on the condition that he pursues his dream of becoming a pro and makes the world a better place.

- Present -

“And the boy did just that,” finished Jeremy, “He finished his deck so that the dream of the girl will always live on through his own.”

“What a sad story… Do you ever miss the girl?”

“I do, but you can’t always dwell on the past. It’s only through living in the present that you can build a future worth living for.”

“Jeremy, do you really think you can change the world?”

“I have to. I made a promise. Now off to bed you go, Ms. Grace is going to triple my chores if she finds out that we’re still awake.”

Jeremy escorted Ian out of the room and went back to sitting on his bed. He picked up the top card of the deck and stared at it.

Champion of Virtue - Hope:

Jeremy carefully examined every detail of the card. “What a fitting effect, you never know when the duel’s over until the last card is drawn. So long as you haven’t given up hope, you can always fight on… I can’t believe it’s been almost four years now. I still remember everything so clearly. This is the card your father designed for you. The only copy in the world. You gave it to me so that I can carry on your dream, your hope…”

A tear trickled down Jeremy’s cheek, but Jeremy swiftly wiped it off. Jeremy put the card back into the deck and went to bed.

- Next Morning -

“Jeremy, are you sure about this?”

A middle-aged woman addressed Jeremy with a disconcerted expression. Jeremy simply nodded in affirmation.

The woman let out a distraught sigh. “I can’t imagine the kind of shock this would be for the younger kids. They’ve grown so fond of you over these past few years. They just love that silly, childish card game you play all the time.”

“They’ve grown on me too, Ms. Grace, but we’re both aware that funding is become an increasingly difficult problem to solve, and me being here without really contributing isn’t exactly helping.”

“But how can you be so sure that you’ll even make it? I’ve heard the tuition there is almost criminal, and that they only offer financial assistance to the very best applicants.”

“I have it planned out. On the off chance that I don’t turn out to be the very best, I just have to make sure I can place in at least a few local tournaments or perform well enough at the try-outs to get a sponsorship. That’s the reason I’ve been playing so much lately – to practice.”

“Very well then, Jeremy. I wish you the best of luck. May the holy mother watch over your journey.”

“Thank you. I won’t forget everything you’ve done for me. I’ll be sure to pay you back when I become a world famous pro.”

The two exchanged chuckles, and Jeremy departed for the regional duel stadium.

- Duel Stadium -

Thousands of people were seated in the stadium, watching the spectacle of duels between the proctors and applicants unfold below. Jeremy had been assigned ticket 410 as duel number 409 was about to commence. Trying to gauge the skill level of the proctors here, Jeremy descended to the first floor to watch the duel. The proctor and applicant walked to opposite sides of the outlines of a duel field and proceeded to activate their respective duel disks to commence the duel.

“Duel!”

- Duel Start -
Proctor: 8000 LP (5/0/0) || Applicant: 8000 LP (5/0/0)

The proctor drew a sixth card to start his turn. “For this deck, the proctor commences the duel. I’ll be setting up the field with key tactical placements to test your -”

“Yeah, yeah,” interrupted the applicant, “Just take your turn already. I’m already growing tired of this.”

The proctor frowned at the applicant and proceeded to start his turn. “I activate Six Samurai United and normal summon Legendary Six Samurai - Kageki!”

Proctor Field:
Six Samurai United (C: 1)
Legendary Six Samurai - Kageki (3/200/2000)

Legendary Six Samurai - Kageki:

“With its effect,” declared the proctor, “I’ll bring out Kagemusha!”

Proctor Field:
Six Samurai United (C: 2)
Legendary Six Samurai - Kageki (3/200 -> 1700/2000)
Kagemusha of the Six Samurai (2/400/1800)

Kagemusha of the Six Samurai:

The proctor slid the two monster cards into his graveyard slot. “I tune them to synchro summon Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En!”

Proctor Field:
Six Samurai United (C: 2)
Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En (5/2500/1400)

Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En:

“Ha,” remarked the applicant, “I can’t believe you still use synchros. They’re outdated just like your deck, old man.”

“Might I warn you that proper conduct and behavior is a category you’re being graded on?”

“That’s only relevant if I lose the game, and with this hand, there’s no way that’ll happen.”

“We’ll see about that. I send Six Samurai United to the grave to draw two cards. Then I set two support cards and end.”

Turn 2
Proctor: 8000 LP (4/1/2) || Applicant: 8000 LP (6/0/0)

Proctor Field:
Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En (5/2500/1400)
2 Set Support

Applicant Field:
None

“About time,” commented the applicant, “I start off by activating Pot of Foolish Greed!”

Pot of Foolish Greed:

Applicant: 8000 -> 7000 LP (5/0/1)

“I’ll negate your card’s activation.”

The applicant smirked. “Fell right for the bait. Now I activate Night Shot on your first support card and chain Spell Copy to destroy your other one.”

Night Shot:

Spell Copy:

The proctor shrugged as his two set cards were destroyed. “You’ve managed to simplify the game state, but I still maintain formidable field presence.”

“Formidable my ass,” retorted the applicant, “I activate Card Replacement!”

Card Replacement:

Applicant: 7000 -> 6000 LP (2/0/1)

The applicant removed a card from his graveyard slot and slid it into the banish slot. “I choose Pot of Foolish Greed and activate my second copy!”

Applicant: 6000 -> 5000 LP (4/0/1)

“Then,” continued the applicant, “I’ll banish the three spells in my grave to bring out Master of Arcanum!”

Applicant Field:
Master of Arcanum (8/2500/2000)

Master of Arcanum:

“Now,” declared the applicant, “I activate its effect by returning both copies of Pot to my deck to destroy your Shi En!”

The spellcaster unleashed a wave of blue light onto the warrior, disintegrating the warrior into a shower of pixels.

“Then,” continued the applicant, “Attack him directly!”

Proctor: 8000 -> 5500 LP (5/0/0)

“I’ll set one card and end,” finished the applicant.

Turn 3
Proctor: 5500 LP (6/0/0) || Applicant: 5000 LP (2/1/1)

Proctor Field:
None

Applicant Field:
Master of Arcanum (8/2500/2000)
1 Set Support

“You’ve managed to maintain some field presence, but I maintain card advantage. I activate Cyclone.”

Cyclone:

“Chain,” responded the applicant, “With my set Spellbook of Wisdom. I declare Spells, preventing my monster from being destroyed by them.”

Spellbook of Wisdom:

“Irrelevant, I banish the two samurai from my grave to summon Enishi!”

Proctor’s Field:
Enishi, Shien’s Chancellor (6/2200/1200)

Enishi, Shien’s Chancellor:

“I’ll use its effect,” stated the proctor, “To destroy your monster!” The samurai quickly charged across the field, and with one swift katana swish the spellcaster was slashed to pixels.

The applicant growled in frustration. “Lucky draw.”

“Since Enishi can’t attack, I’ll set one card and end my turn.”

Turn 4
Proctor: 5500 LP (3/1/1) || Applicant: 5000 LP (3/0/0)

Proctor Field:
Enishi, Shien’s Chancellor (6/2200/1200)
1 Set Support

Applicant Field:
None

“I summon Arcanus Seeker.”

Arcanus Seeker:

Applicant Field:
Arcanus Seeker (4/1500/1200)

“With its effect,” explained the applicant, “I’ll send Smashing Ground from my deck to the grave. Next, I’ll discard Pot of Duality to return Smashing Ground to my hand and activate it.”

Smashing Ground:

“I’ll respond with my set card: Warrior’s Return!”

Warrior’s Return:

“With this card,” continued the proctor, “I’ll bring back Shi En!” The samurai suddenly rose from the field. “And since the monster can’t be destroyed by support cards, your Smashing Ground resolves without effect!”

“Damn it,” muttered the applicant. “I’ll set one card and end my turn.”

Turn 5
Proctor: 5500 LP (4/2/1) || Applicant: 5000 LP (0/1/1)

Proctor Field:
Enishi, Shien’s Chancellor (6/2200/1200)
Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En (5/2500/1400)
Warrior’s Return

Applicant Field:
Arcanus Seeker (4/1500/1200)
1 Set Support

“I’ll special summon Legendary Six Samurai - Kizan!”

Legendary Six Samurai - Kizan:

Proctor Field:
Enishi, Shien’s Chancellor (6/2200/1200)
Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En (5/2500/1400)
Warrior’s Return
Legendary Six Samurai - Kizan (4/1800 -> 2100/500)

“I respond to your summon by activating Torrential Tribute!”

“Shi En negates!”

“Fine, I surrender!” shouted the applicant.

- Duel End -

Before the proctor could walk over and give the applicant the customary handshake after an official duel, the applicant ran out of the stadium. The proctor looked at one of the officials and shook his head. The official nodded in affirmation and started entering information into a nearby terminal.

Suddenly the overhead screen displayed 410, indicating that Jeremy’s turn had arrived. Jeremy gulped as anxiety slowly crept over his body.

That proctor destroyed the applicant. I hope I’ll be able to do better.

Jeremy walked over to the field where the previous duel was held. The proctor greeted Jeremy with a smile. “I hope you’re more well-mannered than the last applicant.”

Jeremy laughed awkwardly. “And duel better too.”

“Well, let’s find out.”

Both duelists activated their duel disks.

“Duel!”

- Duel Start -
Jeremy: 8000 LP (5/0/0) || Proctor: 8000 LP (5/0/0)

The proctor gestured for Jeremy to start. “I’m using a deck that will be on the offensive. In this duel, you’ll be tested on how well you can anticipate my angle of attack and appropriately respond.”

“Sounds simple enough.” Jeremy drew his sixth card to start the turn. “I’ll start by summoning Constellar Leonis and use his effect to bring out Constellar Sheratan!”

Constellar Leonis:

Constellar Sheratan:

Jeremy Field:
Constellar Leonis (3/1000/1800)
Constellar Sheratan (3/700/1900)

“Sheratan’s effect activates,” stated Jeremy, “Letting me add Constellar Kaust from my deck to my hand.”

“Followed by a xyz summon I presume.”

“Of course, but not quite the kind you might expect. I overlay the two to Xyz Summon Constellar Hyades! Then, I’ll use it to chaos xyz evolution into Constellar Ptolemys Messier 7!”

Constellar Ptolemys Messier 7:

Jeremy Field:
Constellar Ptolemys Messier 7 (R6/X3/2700/2000)

“Most impressive, not many decks can xyz summon into such a high rank on the first turn.”

“You did tell me to be prepared. I’ll set two support cards and end.”

Turn 2
Jeremy: 8000 LP (4/1/1) || Proctor: 8000 LP (6/0/0)

“I’ll start off by playing XX-Saber Boggart Knight! Using its effect, I’ll bring out X-Saber Pashuul!”

XX-Saber Boggart Knight:

X-Saber Pashuul:

“Then,” continued the proctor, “Since I control two X-Saber monsters, I can special summon XX-Saber Faultroll from my hand!”

XX-Saber Faultroll:

“Wow,” commented Jeremy, “You really weren’t kidding around about this being an offensive deck.”

“Just wait and see. I activate Natural Abundance.”

Natural Abundance:

Proctor: 8000 -> 9500 LP (4/3/0)

“Now,” continued the proctor, “I’m going to tune Pashuul to Boggart Knight to synchro summon XX-Saber Hyunlei!”

XX-Saber Hyunlei:

“I’ll respond,” declared Jeremy, “By activating Torrential Tribute chained by Xyz Immunity!”

Torrential Tribute:

Xyz Immunity:

“Clever, but not quite good enough. I chain Lifeforce Shield!”

Lifeforce Shield:

Proctor: 9500 -> 7900 LP (4/2/0)

“I’ve at least survived the first assault.”

“That you have. I’ll use Faultroll’s effect to bring back X-Saber Pashuul in defense. Next, I’ll overlay Faultroll and Hyunlei to xyz summon Photon Streak Bouncer!”

Photon Streak Bouncer:

“Now our two monsters are evenly matched,” said the proctor, “I’ll set two support cards and end.”

Turn 3
Jeremy: 8000 LP (5/1/0) || Proctor: 8000 LP (2/2/2)

Jeremy Field:
Constellar Ptolemys Messier 7 (R6/X3/2700/2000)

Proctor Field:
X-Saber Pashuul (2/100/0)
Photon Streak Bouncer (R6/X2/2700/2000)
2 Set Support

“I’ll start off by activating Xyz Burst.”

Xyz Burst:

“I’ll chain by activating Gottoms’ Emergency Call!”

Gottoms’ Emergency Call:

“With this,” explained the proctor, “I can bring back Hyunlei and Boggart Knight!”

Proctor Field:
X-Saber Pashuul (2/100/0)
Photon Streak Bouncer (R6/X2/2700/2000)
XX-Saber Hyunlei (6/2300/1300)
XX-Saber Boggart Knight (4/1900/1000)

“Next, I activate Constellar Formation to add Constellar Pollux from my deck to my hand.”

Constellar Formation:

“Preparing for another xyz summon I see.”

“I normal summon both Pollux and Kaust and then overlay them to xyz summon Constellar Omega!”

Constellar Omega:

Jeremy Field:
Constellar Ptolemys Messier 7 (R6/X3/2700/2000)
Constellar Omega (R4/X2/2400/500)

“And that’s not all,” continued Jeremy, “I activate Xyz Treasure to draw three cards!”

Xyz Treasure:

Jeremy looked over the cards he drew and grinned. “Perfect, I activate Xyz Destruction!”

Xyz Destruction:

“Using this card,” stated Jeremy, “I’ll tribute Omega and destroy your Bouncer and Pashuul!” The mechanical construct transformed into a mass of bright light. The mass of light shot out at the two targets causing them to shatter into millions of pixels.

“Now,” continued Jeremy, “Ptolemys, attack Hyunlei!” The dragon-like construct unleashed a beam of light, vaporizing the warrior.

Proctor: 8000 -> 7600 LP (2/1/0)

“Very impressive turn. You’ve managed to use every card perfectly to turn the duel around in your favor.”

“Thanks, it’s my specialty. Now, I’ll detach a material from Ptolemys to return Kaust from my grave to my hand and set one card and end my turn.”

Turn 4
Jeremy: 8000 LP (3/1/1) || Proctor: 7600 LP (3/1/0)

Jeremy Field:
Constellar Ptolemys Messier 7 (R6/X3/2700/2000)
1 Set Support

Proctor Field:
XX-Saber Boggart Knight (4/1900/1000)

“I -”

“I call priority to use my set card: Xyz Reborn, targeting Constellar Omega in my grave.”

Xyz Reborn:

The golden-plated mechanical construct reassembled itself onto the field.

Jeremy Field:
Constellar Ptolemys Messier 7 (R6/X3/2700/2000)
Constellar Omega (R4/X1/2400/500)

“Interesting, I summon XX-Saber Ragigura.”

XX-Saber Ragigura:

“With its effect,” continued the proctor, “I’ll add XX-Saber Faultroll back to my hand and bring it onto the field again. Next, using its effect, I’ll bring back Hyunlei. Then, I’ll activate Primordial Growth by tributing Ragigura.”

Primordial Growth:

“Seems like quite a restriction.”

“Don’t be so sure applicant. A card can be worthwhile in other ways. With Primordial Growth, I’ll add XX-Saber Faultroll from my deck to my hand and summon it. Now with three level six monsters, I’ll overlay all of them to xyz summon Supreme King of Predators!”

Supreme King of Predators:

Proctor Field:
XX-Saber Boggart Knight (4/1900/1000)
Supreme King of Predators (R6/X3/3000/2500)

“Wait, that means -”

“I detach a material, destroying both of your monsters! Now, it can attack twice. Go XX-Saber Boggart Knight, attack him directly.”

Jeremy: 8000 -> 6100 LP (3/0/0)

Jeremy grunted in pain caused by the augmented reality sensors following the onslaught.

The proctor pointed at Jeremy. “Go Supreme King, attack him directly!”

Jeremy: 6100 -> 3100 LP (3/0/0)

Jeremy stumbled back, barely able to stand as the massive barrage of damage overwhelmed his senses.

The proctor’s mouth twisted into a sinister smile. “And finally, attack him one last time!”

Jeremy: 3100 -> 100 LP (3/0/0)

Jeremy fell to his knees, barely able to stay conscious.

Gasping to breathe, Jeremy managed to form the words swirling in his head into coherent speech. “I …had no … idea… the sensors… were this strong.”

“Seems like I was one hundred points short. Hmm, that’s the first time summoning my ace wasn’t able to one-turn-kill my opponent. Nonetheless, the duel goes on. I’ll set two cards and end my turn.”

Turn 5
Jeremy: 100 LP (4/0/0) || Proctor: 7600 LP (1/2/2)

Jeremy Field:
None

Proctor Field:
XX-Saber Boggart Knight (4/1900/1000)
Supreme King of Predators (R6/X2/3000/2500)
2 Set Support

Jeremy gasped for breath as he drew his next card. Looking at it, he smiled. “I still have a chance to win. Since you have two set cards, I’m guessing one of those cards is a protection card in case I pull a Dark Hole or something. The other is likely something to disrupt my play. But just to be sure…”

Jeremy played the card he drew. “I activate Sudden Illumination.”

Sudden Illumination:

The proctor hesitantly revealed his set cards. “The left one is Extermination. The right one is Lifeforce Shield.”

Extermination:

Jeremy took a moment to consider his choices. Just as I thought. Lifeforce Shield isn’t a concern, but Extermination… Omega’s in the grave and wouldn’t survive his next attack anyway. Anything else would be suicide… except for my ace card.

Jeremy took a deep breath. The pain from the previous turn was resurfacing. “I activate Constellar’s Super Rebirth.”

Constellar’s Super Rebirth:

“With this card,” explained Jeremy, “I’ll return Pollux and Leonis to my hand. Then, I normal summon Pollux and use his continuous effect to normal summon Kaust. I overlay them both to xyz summon Champion of Virtue - Hope!”

Champion of Virtue - Hope:

“Interesting. I’ve never seen that card before in all my years here as a duel proctor.”

“It’s the only one of its kind. It was given to me by a close friend.”

“It’s quite powerful, but also quite a risky investment. Do you honestly believe one card can change the outcome of a duel, especially in a situation like this?”

“I believe in hope, and until I’ve lost everything, I won’t stop believing. Now, I activate my card’s effect!”

Jeremy: 100 -> 1100 LP (4/0/0)

Jeremy placed his hand on the top of his deck, preparing to draw his card. And then… Jeremy’s vision became blurry and his legs started convulsing. Unable to withstand the pain of the previous turn any longer, Jeremy collapsed.

- Duel End -

“The kid finally collapsed, after three high voltage shocks. I’m surprised he hasn’t noticed the tampering.” The proctor walked over to Jeremy and picked up the top card of his deck. “I can’t believe it, the one copy in his whole deck.”

Honest:

The proctor picked up the cards in Jeremy’s hand. He briefly glanced at them. “Cardcar D, Cyclone, and Pot of Duality. Nothing game changing. Still, that card wouldn’t have ended the duel, just given him a fighting chance.”

The proctor then turned around and gestured for a nearby official to attend to Jeremy. He then walked away, tossing the card to the ground. He took out a cellphone and held it up to his head. “Another one down, as per demand.”

- Stadium: Upper Level -

A muscular figure with white hair walked up to the edge of the rail. He was wearing a black hoody and shades, making his facial features almost unnoticeable.

“Interesting…”

===============

Thoughts?[i]

Nice job!

Thanks! I can't believe I was able to get a reply on the first day, from an Obelisk Blue no less. The adding card effects is pretty crucial since I use a LOT of custom cards. I first noticed it in a fanfic at YCM, and I thought it was a good idea so there it is. Although I also want to try to wrap the entire chapter in one spoiler so that it doesn't make the topic become too lengthy with the giant walls of text. I previewed the format I had up before with

Chapter 1:

and it worked. But for some reason, it doesn't actually work outside of preview.

- Dream -

A teenage boy sat on a chair next to a bed where a girl of around the same age lay. The boy had neck-length auburn hair, ruggedly shuffled, partially covering his brown eyes and a disfigured face. The girl had long, flowing vermillion hair and a pale complexion. Parts of her body were attached to various sensors, displaying data on her condition to nearby machinery. She was indefinitely placed on life-support after experiencing a severe full-system failure.

The attending doctor walked up to the boy and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder as a gesture of support and comfort. “I’ll be blunt. We’re doing our best with the limited amount of resources we’re permitted to use with the funds your orphanage has provided. But to be realistic, her chances of survival aren’t high. At best, she’ll live on indefinitely in a comatose state with her basic critical brain functions intact, but the rest of her -”

“Yes, thank you doctor,” cut in the boy, “I’m well aware of her situation. I just have to be her for her. I couldn’t live with myself knowing that these could be her final moments and…”

“I understand son. You’re welcome to stay as long as you need. I’ll be monitoring her condition from the next room.”

The doctor exited the room, leaving the boy alone. The boy clasped his hands together, placed them against his forehead and muttered under his breath.

“Please, Ali, I need you here with me. Please wake up…”

- Present -

“Wake up.”

Jeremy felt something shaking him, prompting him to awaken. Jeremy’s eyes opened to see a bright light shining on him from above. After a few seconds, his vision started clearing, transforming the blurry outlines of shapes into distinct objects. A person in a white lab coat was shining a flashlight onto Jeremy.

Jeremy abruptly sat up. He realized that he had been lying on a bed.

“Where am I?”

“You’re at the makeshift clinic stationed next to the Regional Multipurpose Stadium where the tryouts for Northwestern Duel Academy were being held. Do you remember what happened?”

Jeremy quickly searched through his head, trying to reminisce over what could have led him to his present condition. “I remember dueling… Yes, I was dueling a proctor, and I remember feeling pain. The pain must’ve knocked me out… causing me to be disqualified.”

“Yes, you were in the middle of a duel when you collapsed. These kinds of incidents are rare, but they do happen whenever the augmented reality system overloads the pain center. You don’t seem to have suffered anything permanent, just a little trauma. Therefore, you’re free to leave at your convenience. The tryouts are already over now, and your results should be ready. You can get your results at the front office of the second floor. Your belongings are on this nearby table.”

“I see,” replied Jeremy, “Thank you.”

Jeremy gathered his belongings and left for the directed location. Walking through the sides of the stadium, Jeremy noticed that only a few officials and maintenance staff were around, taking down equipment.

“How long have I been out for?”

Jeremy took out his datapad from his backpack and checked the time. The datapad displayed 5:42.

“I should really hurry up. Ms. Grace must be worried sick by now.”

Several minutes later, Jeremy arrived at the office. He walked inside the room to find two officials organizing paperwork. Upon seeing Jeremy walk in, one of the officials walked to a terminal.

“Name and id?” asked the official.

“Jeremy Castillo, four-one-zero.”

The official took a few seconds to enter the data into the terminal. A moment later, the other official handed Jeremy a large envelope.

“Will that be all?” asked the first official.

“Yes, thank you.”

Jeremy walked out the room and sat down on a nearby bench. He quickly opened the envelope and scoured through its contents. Most of it was advertisements for local tournaments and events. Then, Jeremy picked up the last page - the test results.

TEST RESULTS
Applicant: Jeremy Castillo
ID: 410

- Theoretical Test Results -

Basic Mechanics:
48/50
Card Knowledge:
32/50
Situations & Applied Rulings:
75/100
Written Portion:
88/100
Total:
263/300

Grade:
Exceptional - 85^th Percentile
Required:
Exceptional - 95^th Percentile

- Practical Test Results -

Deck Construction:
65/100
Performance:
85/100
Total:
150/200

Grade:
Above Average - 68^th Percentile
Required: E
xceptional - 95^th Percentile

Final Decision: Fail

Upon reading the final decision, Jeremy became disheartened. The moment seemed surreal, but the paper was right there, clutched in his hands. Jeremy took a deep breath and took out his datapad, ready to tell Ms. Grace what happened. When Jeremy opened up the e-mail section, he noticed that his inbox had three new messages.

- Mail -

===============
3 New Messages!
===============

1. Sender: NWA Admissions
Subject: Admittance Decision and Test Results of Applicant id:410

We regret to inform you that have not passed the Northwestern Duel Academy Practical Examination on July 17^th of the year 2047, C.E. In correspondence, your application for Direct Early Admittance to the Academy has been denied for this Fall Semester. You may still apply to other non-affiliated Academies or apply for admittance next year. The Office of Admissions would like to wish you the best of luck on your future endeavors!

Cordially,
Mark A. Waters
Dean of Admissions, Office of Admissions
Northwestern Duel Academy
===============

2. Sender: Ms. Dorothea J. Grace
Subject: Test Results?

News of your endeavor to get into Duel Academy has spread throughout the building! Ian can barely keep his mouth shut on the subject. He says he thinks you’re going to pass with perfect scores! I never knew you were THAT good. So please share, how well did you do?

Best Wishes,
Ms. Grace
===============

3. Sender: Unknown
Subject: Ignore Your Test Results

Don’t worry about who I am. That’s a minor detail. What’s important is that I know who you are and what you seek. You’re disappointed with your test scores, and you want a second chance to get into the Academy, but I can give you something even better. If you’re interested, go to:


Regards,
Anonymous
===============

- Present -

Jeremy rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t misreading the message.

“I can’t believe this. How would anyone have access to my personal datapad id without me knowing?”

Jeremy considered his options.

No matter what, I need to make it in this year. I could barely afford to pay the application fee once, I can’t afford to have to again. I could try to enter a major tournament and try to convince someone to sponsor me, like I originally planned… but I didn’t think I’d do so badly at the tryouts… I should at least consider this proposal, no matter how untrustworthy it seems. It’s settled then.

Jeremy quickly responded to Ms. Grace’s message by telling her that he wasn’t sure yet and needed to wait for further results. He wouldn’t be back at the orphanage for a while.

- Later at the Park -

Jeremy arrived at the designated location. In front of him was a large rink surrounded by an obstacle course. A figure in a white hoodie stood in the middle.

That must be the person who messaged me.

Jeremy walked towards the person. When the person noticed Jeremy approaching, he pulled out a duel disk.

“So you decided to show up. You must be running out of options.”

“Are you the person who sent me the message?”

“Yes, but on someone else’s directions. My name is Blake, anything beyond that is irrelevant. What Is relevant is why you showed up. Tell me, what is it that you seek?”

“The message you sent me, it said you could give me something better than what I wanted.”

“The reason anyone decides to go to a school dedicated to dueling is to go pro. I can help you with that.”

“Wait, are you saying that…”

Blake pulled out a letter from his side pocket, and showed it to Jeremy. “This document contains all the credentials required for a person to apply to join the pro circuit.”

Jeremy stared at the document in disbelief. “How did you get something like this?”

“I have connections. You can have it on one condition - defeat me in a duel!”

“A duel? Is this some kind of joke? Why would you duel me for something that valuable if you’re not getting anything in return.”

“I have my reason. So, do you accept or do you decline.”

Jeremy felt uneasy about the situation. It didn’t make any sense. Something was wrong. However, despite the apprehension emanating from his better judgment, Jeremy’s desperation sank in. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

Both duelists activated their duel disks and simultaneously declared, “Duel!”


“You can have the first move,” stated Blake.

“Alright. I’ll start by playing Constellar Gredi! It’ll let me special summon Constellar Kaust.”

“I’ll chain,” responded Blake, “By activating Maxx “C”!”

Constellar Algiedi:

Constellar Kaust:

Maxx “C”:

Constellar Algiedi emerged onto the field in a spiral of light followed by Kaust. Blake drew a card due to the special summon.

“I’ll use Kaust’s effect,” announced Jeremy, “To increase the level of Algiedi and itself by one. Then, I overlay them to xyz summon Constellar Pleiades!”

Constellar Pleiades:

“And I’ll draw another card due to Maxx C!”

“I’ll set one support card and end.”


Jeremy Field:
Constellar Pleiades (R5/X2/2500/1500)
1 Set Support

Blake Field:
None

“I’ll just set one monster and one support card for the turn.”


Jeremy Field:
Constellar Pleiades (R5/X2/2500/1500)
1 Set Support

Blake Field:
1 Set Monster
1 Set Support

“I’ll start by activating Cyclone on your set support!”

“Chain,” declared Blake as his set support card revealed itself, “With Emergency Teleport!”

Emergency Teleport:

“With this,” explained Blake, “I can special summon Psychic Voyager from my deck in face-up defense!”

Psychic Voyager:

“Fine. I’ll activate Future Xyz!”

Future Xyz:

“With it,” elaborated Jeremy, “I’ll reveal Constellar Beehive to send another Constellar Algiedi and Constellar Pollux from my deck to the grave. Then, I’ll activate Constellar’s Super Rebirth to return those two targets to my hand. Since I haven’t normal summoned yet, I’ll do just that and bring out Pollux, followed by Algiedi. Then, I’ll overlay them together to form Constellar Omega!”

Constellar Pollux:

Constellar Omega:

Jeremy Field:
Constellar Pleiades (R5/X2/2500/1500)
Constellar Omega (R4/X2/2400/500)

“Now,” declared Jeremy, “Omega, attack Psychic Voyager!”

The mechanical construct unleashed a spiral of blinding light, obliterating the psychic in a shower of pixels.

“And Pleiades,” continued Jeremy, “Destroy his set monster!”

The warrior skillfully started twisting its halberd and then slashed through the set monster, causing it to flip over as Serene Psychic Witch before it was immediately destroyed.

Serene Psychic Witch:

“Witch’s effect triggers,” stated Blake, “Letting me banish Esper Girl from my deck.”

“That’ll be it for this turn.”


Jeremy Field:
Constellar Pleiades (R5/X2/2500/1500)
Constellar Omega (R5/X2/2400/500)
Future Xyz
1 Set Support

Blake Field:
None

“Not bad. Now Witch lets me special summon my banished Esper Girl!”

Esper Girl:

“And since Esper Girl was just special summoned from the banished zone,” continued Blake, “I can banish the top card of my deck face-down. Next, I’ll summon Silent Psychic Wizard!”

Silent Psychic Wizard:

“Using its effect,” stated Blake, “I’ll banish Psychic Voyager. And since Voyager is banished, I’ll use its effect to add another Silent Psychic Wizard from my deck to my hand! Now, I’ll tune Psychic Wizard and Esper Girl to synchro summon Eminent Psychic Guardian!”

Eminent Psychic Guardian:

“Upon resolution of the summon,” explained Blake, “Esper Girl’s effect activates, letting me add the face-down banished card to my hand. Then, Silent Psychic Wizard brings back Psychic Voyager in face-up defense.”

“I’ll respond to the summon,” declared Jeremy, “By activating the effect of Pleiades! I detach a material from it to bounce your synchro back to the extra deck!”

“Not quite,” responded Blake, “I discard Time Escaper to banish my synchro until my next standby phase!”

Time Escaper:

“Finally,” continued Blake, “I’ll set two cards and end my turn.”


Jeremy Field:
Constellar Pleiades (R5/X1/2500/1500)
Constellar Omega (R5/X2/2400/500)
Future Xyz (1 Turn)
1 Set Support

Blake Field:
Psychic Voyager (3/0/1500)
2 Set Support

“I activate Xyz Destruction by tributing Pleiades to destroy your two set cards!”

Xyz Destruction:

“I respond by activating Phase Shift!”

Phase Shift:

“With it,” explained Blake, “I banish Voyager to banish both your support cards!”

“Chain,” declared Jeremy, “With my set Xyz Reborn! This brings back Pleiades and attaches itself to it as a material!”

Xyz Reborn:

Blake remained unfazed. “Irrelevant. Since Voyager was banished again. I’ll use its effect to add a second Time Escaper from my deck to my hand.”

“Enter battle phase,” declared Jeremy, “Now Omega, attack him directly!”

Blake: 8000 -> 5600 LP (5/0/0)

Blake grunted from the damage dealt by the attack. “Since I’ve taken battle damage while I control no other cards, I can bring forth Messenger of Hades - Gors! With it, I get a token with attack and defense equal to the damage I’ve taken.”

Messenger of Hades - Gors:

Blake Field:
Messenger of Hades - Gors (7/2700/2500)
Messenger of Hades Token (7/2400/2400)

“Fine. Now, Pleiades, attack his token!”

The warrior charged at the fairy and sliced it into a shower of pixels.

“Finally,” concluded Jeremy, “I’ll activate Xyz Treasure to draw two and end by setting one support card.”

Xyz Treasure:

Jeremy Field:
Constellar Pleiades (R5/X1/2500/1500)
Constellar Omega (R5/X2/2400/500)
1 Set Support

Blake Field:
Messenger of Hades - Gors (7/2700/2500)

“Now, my banished Eminent Psychic Guardian returns to the field. I activate Miracle Synchro by banishing Silent Psychic Wizard, Time Escaper, and Esper Girl from my graveyard to synchro summon Thought Ruler Archfiend!”

Miracle Synchro:

Blake: 5600 -> 3600 LP (4/2/1)

Thought Ruler Archfiend:

“I’ll respond to the summon,” stated Jeremy, “By detaching one material from Pleiades to bounce your Archfiend!”

“I’ll discard another Time Escaper to save my Archfiend! Then, I activate Psychic Feel Zone to return my banished Time Escaper and Esper Girl to my grave to special summon Space Time Manipulator in face-up defense!”

Psychic Feel Zone:

Space Time Manipulator:

“With its effect,” stated Blake, “I’ll declare four. Then, I tune the two together to synchro summon a second Thought Ruler Archfiend!”

Jeremy became surprised. Why would he do that? He’s sacrificing a much more versatile monster for one with a slightly higher attack? Could the life gain be really that important for him?

“Now,” declared Blake, “Thought Ruler Archfiend, attack his Pleiades!”

Jeremy stepped backwards as the psychic demon devoured the warrior, becoming luminescent as the warrior’s life force was converted to life points.

Jeremy: 8000 -> 7800 LP (2/1/1)
Blake: 3600 -> 6100 LP (2/2/0)

“Next,” continued Blake, “Gors, attack his Omega!”

“I’ll respond,” declared Jeremy, “By activating my set Dimensional Prison!”

Dimensional Prison:

The demon tried to pierce the construct with its katana, but a vortex appeared in front of it, causing the demon to run into the vortex before it disappeared.

“A minor loss. I’ll set one card and end,” stated Blake.


Jeremy Field:
Constellar Omega (R5/X2/2400/500)

Blake Field:
Thought Ruler Archfiend (8/2700/2300)
1 Set Support.

“I activate De-Xyz by returning Omega to my extra deck to bring back Algiedi and Pollux.”

De-Xyz:

“Next, I overlay the two to form Constellar Beehive!”

Constellar Beehive:

“Enter battle phase,” continued Jeremy, “Now, Beehive, detach one material and attack his Thought Ruler Archfiend!”

Jeremy Field:
Constellar Beehive (R4/X2 -> X1/2400 -> 3400/800)

Blake grimaced as the psychic demon was decimated by the machine.

Blake: 6100 -> 5400 LP (1/0/1)

“Then,” stated Jeremy, “I’ll set one support card and end.”


Jeremy Field:
Constellar Beehive (R4/X1/2400/800)
1 Set Support

Blake Field:
1 Set Support

“I activate my set card, Psychic Trigger by banishing Space Time Manipulator and Eminent Psychic Guardian.”

Psychic Trigger:

Looking at the cards he had just drawn, Blake grinned. “Finally, my strategy is ready. First, my banished Thought Ruler Archfiend returns to the field during my standby phase. Next, I activate Night Shot to destroy your set card!”

Night Shot:

“Now,” continued Blake, “I activate Synchro Reborn to bring back my second Thought Ruler Archfiend.”

Synchro Reborn:

Then it dawned on Jeremy. A Xyz Summon.

“I have two level eight monsters on the field,” stated Blake, “So I’ll overlay the two to summon Embodiment of the Cosmos - Desolation!”

Embodiment of the Cosmos - Desolation:

Blake Field:
Embodiment of the Cosmos - Desolation (R8/X2/3000 -> 5000/2000)

Jeremy stood still, in awe of the card before him. It was like nothing he had ever seen before.

“I detach one material,” declared Blake, “To banish your monster and bring back Eminent Psychic Guardian! Now, with your field clear, both my monsters will attack your life points directly!”

Jeremy stood helpless as Blake’s monsters charged at him.

“Eminent Psychic Guardian, telekinetic overcharge!”

Jeremy: 7800 -> 5800 LP (1/0/0)

The pain reminded Jeremy of the duel he had with the proctor, but this time, it was more than just augmented. This time, it felt real. Suddenly, Jeremy felt a sickling sensation rising from his stomach. Jeremy closed his eyes and immediately fell to his knees and coughed up the contents of his stomach. After the sensation faded, Jeremy opened his to see that the ground below him was stained with fresh blood.

“What the hell?”

Blake’s face twisted into a savage smile. “And now, Desolation, destroy him!”

Jeremy tried to cover himself from the attack, but the force of the assault connected, knocking Jeremy hard into the ground behind him.

Jeremy: 5800 -> 800 LP (1/0/0)

Jeremy lay motionless on the ground. His eyes were slowly closing as the last vestiges of consciousness gradually slipped away… Then, a voice resonated throughout his.

“Don’t give up hope…”

“Wha… who said that?”

“With me by your side, there’s always a chance. Don’t give up hope…”

Jeremy promptly sat up. Upon seeing Jeremy regain consciousness, Blake grimaced. The duel was still ongoing. Jeremy stood up to continue on.

“Since I’ve taken damage,” stated Jeremy, “I can summon Guardian Angel from my hand.”

Guardian Angel:

Jeremy: 800 -> 5800 LP (1/1/0)
Guardian Angel (1/1500 -> 4000/1500 -> 4000)

Blake became frustrated. “That will be all for my turn”


Jeremy Field:
Guardian Angel (1/5000/5000)

Blake Field:
Embodiment of the Cosmos - Desolation (R8/X1/5000/2000)
Eminent Psychic Guardian (6/2000/1400)

“It all comes down to this. I summon Constellar Sombres.”

Constellar Sombres:

“Now,” continued Jeremy, “I’ll use Guardian Angel’s effect to set its level equal to four. I then overlay my two monsters to xyz summon Champion of Virtue - Hope.”

Champion of Virtue - Hope:

Jeremy Field:
Champion of Virtue - Hope (R4/X2/2500 -> 6500/2000)

“Your ace monster I see. It won’t be enough to win by itself.”

“Which is why I’ll activate its effect! I detach Guardian Angel from Hope to draw one card and gain one thousand life points!”

Jeremy: 800 -> 1800 LP (2/1/0)

Jeremy picked up the top card of his deck and looked at it. “Perfect. Enter battle phase. Hope, attack Desolation!”

“That won’t be enough to end this now, I’m still in this!”

“Not quite. During the damage step, I discard Honest!”

Honest:

Champion of Virtue - Hope (R4/X2 -> X1/6500 -> 11500/2000)

“No!”

The warrior’s sword shone with blinding radiance as it pierced the demon’s heart, causing the demon to shatter into a torrent of pixels.

Blake: 6100 -> 0

“No, this can’t be possible. How could I have lost. Everything was going perfectly…”

Suddenly, the Xyz card on Blake’s duel disk rose into the air and dissipated. Then, a card materialized in Jeremy’s hand. It was completely blank.

Blake’s face contorted into an expression of horror. He immediately turned around and frantically tried to run off. Before he could get far, a dark figure appeared in front of Blake, causing him to fall backwards.

Blake struggled back, trying to get away from the figure. “Please, let me go! I swear, I’m not worth it!”

The figure looked down at Blake. “You knew the terms of the contract when you took the card. Now, you must pay for losing it.”

“No, please don’t -”

Before Blake could finish, the figure placed a hand on Blake’s forehead. The figure simply stood there for a moment. Then, he lifted his hand, causing Blake to fall backwards onto the ground.

Jeremy ran up to confront the figure. “Hey! What’re you doing?”

Before Jeremy could catch up, the figure disappeared. Jeremy stopped, astounded by the events that had just transpired. Jeremy turned to Blake, a motionless figure spread on the ground. His eyes were wide open, but instead of seeing his pupils, Jeremy only saw a vacant white. Before Jeremy knew what to do, a voice called out from behind him.

“Hey! Dueling this late at night is disturbance of peace. I can have you locked up for -”

Jeremy turned around to see a uniformed man approach him. When the man turned to look at Blake’s lifeless body, he cusped his hand around his mouth in shock. He then turned to Jeremy.

“What did you do…”

The storyline is getting better and better. Great Job!