The city's night air was heavy with the hum of neon and the distant thrum of synth bass. Shin followed Nyx through a narrow alley lit only by flickering signs — BLACK LOTUS, LIVE BANDS, NO ENTRY — before they slipped past an unmarked door and descended a stairwell that reeked faintly of smoke and metal.
The music grew louder as they moved deeper underground. Shadows stretched across the walls, warped by the pulse of holographic projectors that leaked from the room ahead.
When the stairway ended, Shin stepped into a world he had only heard about in whispers.
The underground dueling pit.
It wasn't some sanitized VR hall with corporate sponsors. This was raw. Rough. A converted subway platform humming with energy. Neon graffiti bled across cracked pillars. Metal scaffolds held up flickering holographic screens displaying live matches in progress. Around the edges, vendors hawked illegal upgrade chips and unauthorized card mods.
Shin's HUD pinged the second he crossed the threshold:
[WARNING: UNRANKED ZONE – NO OFFICIAL SUPPORT]
Sin Card Detection Active
The crowd was loud — not chaotic, but sharp, every cheer cutting like glass. A chant started as one duelist's life points hit zero, and the loser's HUD blinked crimson. He collapsed to his knees, contract animation burning across his arm as his deck shattered into shards of light.
Shin's jaw tightened.
Nyx slid up beside him, casual as ever, the light glinting off his crimson eyes. "Welcome to the real game, Shin. No school uniforms. No referees. Just stakes."
"Where is he?" Shin's tone was low. Too controlled.
Nyx smirked. "Impatient. I like that." He clapped Shin on the shoulder. "But before you start chasing ghosts, you need to earn your place here."
"I didn't come for some warm-up."
"Wrong answer." Nyx tilted his head toward the pit. "Nobody gets to the top without stepping on a few skulls first. And lucky for you…" —he nodded toward a man leaning against the railing, tattoos crawling up his arms like vines— "…I've got just the guy who needs his confidence shattered."
The man looked Shin over and grinned, tapping the side of his duel disk. "Fresh meat?"
"Something like that," Nyx replied smoothly.
Shin's eyes flicked to Nyx, then back to the challenger. "Fine. Let's do this."
The holographic ring roared to life as the crowd closed in, faces glowing blue under the light of spinning duel projections. Shin's HUD synced automatically:
[DUEL REQUEST ACCEPTED – CONTRACT TERMS: 1 Rare Card + 5,000 V-Coins]
Opponent: Kreel | Rank: Silver 2
"Big smile, rookie," Kreel jeered, stepping into the circle. "Gonna make this quick."
"Yeah," Shin said quietly as he slid his fingers across his HUD to pull up his Sin Build. The deck shimmered into existence — a mix of his Fiendlings and the forbidden red-laced Sin cards pulsing like they had a heartbeat. "…me too."
---
[DUEL INITIATED]
LP: Shin – 4000 | Kreel – 4000
TURN 1 - KREEL
Kreel smirked, drawing his first card with a sharp flick.
"I summon, Brassknuckle Ogre (ATK 1700 / DEF 2000) and set two face-downs. Your move."
He slammed the card onto his duel disk, and the hulking ogre materialized in a flare of molten steel.
---
TURN 2 - SHIN
Shin's eyes were cold as he drew.
"Draw."
He slid a card into place. "I activate Ghostbound Pact — sending two Fiendlings from my deck to the graveyard and gaining 1000 LP."
[LP: Shin – 5000]
Chains of spectral light yanked two cards into his graveyard slot as green energy pulsed briefly around him.
"Next, I summon Fiendling – Bleakhound (ATK 800 / DEF 1000). When it's summoned, I discard a card and draw one."
The hunched, shadowy beast emerged with a low growl, mist curling from its jaws. Shin discarded Phantom Familiar – Wicke, which instantly triggered its effect.
"Wicke comes back in defense mode."
The tiny, ragged puppet-like phantom appeared, floating behind the hound.
"Then I activate Spectral Portal. By discarding one card, I special summon a monster with equal or lower rank." He slid another card into the grave. "I bring out Fiendling – Grinshade (ATK 1900)."
A lean, grinning demon formed in a whirl of black mist, its blade gleaming faintly crimson.
"And finally…" Shin's tone sharpened as he held up a trap card between two fingers. "…I set two cards face-down."
Board:
Bleakhound (ATK 800)
Wicke (DEF)
Grinshade (ATK 1900)
2 face-downs
"Your move."
---
TURN 3 - KREEL
"Cute tricks," Kreel sneered, drawing his card. "But they won't save you. I activate Crusher Charge — my ogre gains 500 ATK and can attack twice this turn!"
The ogre roared, metal plating locking into place as sparks surged over its fists.
(ATK: 2200)
"Battle!"
The ogre lunged forward, fist crashing down toward Grinshade—
"Trap activate!" Shin snapped, his eyes flashing. "Graveburst Chains! Your monster loses 1000 ATK and can't attack next turn."
The ogre howled as black chains whipped around its limbs, dragging its power down.
(ATK: 1200)
Kreel cursed under his breath. "Fine. I end my turn."
---
TURN 4 - SHIN
"Draw." Shin's gaze was sharp as a blade. He flicked open his graveyard display — four Fiendlings already resting there. Perfect.
"I tribute Bleakhound and Wicke…" He slid the cards aside as a new one flared to life between his fingers. "…to summon Spectral Warlord – Booragan!"
A towering armored phantom descended, crimson energy burning in its eyes as the crowd erupted.
(ATK: 2400)
"On summon, Booragan destroys one spell or trap you control."
A surge of black steel chains lashed out and shattered one of Kreel's face-downs.
"Battle phase. Booragan, crush that Ogre."
The phantom warlord surged forward, cleaving the ogre in half with a single devastating strike.
Kreel LP: 4000 → 2800
"Grinshade attacks directly."
The demon lunged through the smoke, carving into Kreel's HUD.
Kreel LP: 2800 → 900
"And when Grinshade attacks, it gains 600 ATK for every monster in my graveyard."
(Grinshade: ATK 1900 → 4300)
The crowd roared. Kreel's smirk had vanished.
Shin didn't smile. He just slid his next card into place.
"End turn."
---
TURN 5 - KREEL
The man drew desperately — and froze. Nothing could save him.
He set one card, voice shaking. "Go."
---
TURN 6 - SHIN
"Draw."
He raised his hand, and the card in his slot pulsed like a heartbeat — crimson and black energy searing across the holographic edge.
"I could end this with Booragan…" His tone lowered. "…but I want you to remember this name."
The trap flipped onto the field with a sharp crack of light.
"King's Decree — when a Sin card enters play, the rules change."
A phantom throne erupted behind Shin, blood-red chains spreading across the arena. He pulled a card from his hand, sliding it onto the disk.
"Sinbound Grinner — attack."
The twisted monster lunged forward, ending it in a single strike.
[DUEL END]
VICTORY: SHIN YUKARI
[Victory Bonus: +500 XP | +1 Rank | +3000 V-Coins] [Rank : Silver 2]
The crowd murmured as Kreel slumped to his knees, HUD flashing crimson as the system stripped him of his wagered rare card.
Nyx stepped into the circle, slow-clapping with that ever-present grin.
"Not bad, Shin. Not bad at all."
Shin ignored the applause, ignored the stares. His breathing was steady, but inside, the anger still burned — not at Kreel, but at the phantom of his brother's last duel, and the man standing in front of him now, smiling like he held every secret Shin needed.
"I'm not here to impress you," Shin muttered.
Nyx's grin widened. "Oh, I know. That's why you're interesting."
The lights from the holographic displays flickered across Shin's face, painting him in shades of red and black.
----
The streets felt quieter than usual. Or maybe it was just Shin.
He walked with his hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets, the distant hum of neon and holo-ads washing over him in muted tones. The echoes of the underground pit still clung to his skin — the roar of the crowd, the crimson glow of Sin cards, and Nyx's voice curling through his thoughts like smoke.
He should feel good. He won. No — he dominated.
But instead, his chest felt… heavy.
Shiyu's face surfaced in his mind — that calm smile, the one that always told Shin everything's fine, little brother.
Only it wasn't.
It never was.
His fists clenched inside his pockets. That guy… the one who crushed Shiyu in that Contract Duel… he's still out there. And I'm still… weak.
A bitter taste crawled up his throat. This wasn't who he was supposed to be — sneaking through alleys, shaking hands with a guy like Nyx, dueling for blood-stained cards in an unranked pit.
But what other choice do I have?
He slowed his pace as the apartment tower loomed ahead, its steel frame cutting a jagged line against the night sky. A sigh slipped past his lips as his HUD pinged softly in the corner of his vision.
[Notification: ARC-TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP – PRELIMINARY ROUNDS BEGIN MONDAY | LOCATION: CITY SECTOR 4]
Shin stared at the glowing text for a long moment, his breath fogging in the cold air.
Monday.
So soon.
He swiped the notice away and stepped inside the building, greeted by the low hum of fluorescent lights and the faint, tired murmur of late-night activity. The elevator doors slid open with a whisper, and he stepped in, leaning against the cool steel wall as the numbers ticked upward.
For a moment, it was just him and his reflection — pale in the dim glow of the HUD, eyes sharp but… unsure.
When the doors opened again, the warmth of home spilled into view — a welcome contrast to the cold corridors of the city.
He stepped inside.
Yui was the first thing he saw — curled up on the couch, her tablet balanced on her knees, legs swinging idly in the air as she clicked through some animated game. Her hair was tied up messily, and the glow from the screen danced across her cheeks.
On the other side of the couch sat Rex, slouched like a king in his throne, one arm draped lazily along the backrest. His attention was fixed on the massive screen mounted on the wall, where a polished news broadcast played under crisp overlays and holographic headlines.
"Hey, you're back late," Rex muttered without looking away.
"Yeah." Shin slipped off his jacket and hung it by the door, forcing his tone to stay even. "Lost track of time."
Yui peeked up from her tablet, her wide eyes curious. "Shin, did you duel someone?"
His heart skipped for a second, but he masked it with a faint smirk. "What makes you think that?"
"You always look super serious after a duel," she said matter-of-factly, then giggled and went back to tapping her screen.
"…You're imagining things," Shin muttered, moving past them toward the kitchen. But the screen behind Rex caught his eye, pulling him to a stop.
The broadcast displayed the sleek, chrome logo of Arc-Genesis Corp, the corporate titan behind the HUD systems and the new era of competitive dueling. Their spokesperson stood against a backdrop of swirling holograms, her voice smooth and commanding as she gestured to a glowing 3D model of a duel disk.
"Starting next season, Arc-Genesis will officially implement the Extra Deck mechanic," the woman announced, her tone perfectly measured. "This will revolutionize the structure of competitive play. Players will now designate their Boss Monsters and Spectral Summons into a separate ten-slot Extra Deck. This ensures greater strategic diversity and higher-stakes decision-making for official tournaments."
The screen flickered, displaying a sample deck layout — Main Deck, Graveyard, and now a shimmering section labeled EXTRA DECK [10 SLOTS].
"You will only be permitted to include Fusion Summons and Spectral Cards within the Extra Deck," the spokesperson continued. "All fusion materials will now remain in the Main Deck, ensuring smooth integration with our updated HUD protocols."
A ticker scrolled across the bottom of the screen:
UPDATE 2.1.0 – EFFECTIVE MONDAY | ALL OFFICIAL MATCHES REQUIRE EXTRA DECK COMPLIANCE
Rex let out a low whistle. "Man… they're really shaking things up this time. You hear that, Shin? Guess you're gonna have to start reorganizing your loadout before Monday."
"Yeah," Shin said softly, eyes narrowing at the glowing interface on the screen. An Extra Deck, huh?
Behind him, the corporate rep kept speaking:
"This innovation aligns with Arc-Genesis's core philosophy — pushing dueling forward, making it sharper, faster, more thrilling for all participants worldwide."
The camera zoomed in as she smiled, polished and perfect.
Pushing dueling forward, Shin thought bitterly. Or pushing their grip tighter around it.
He turned away, heading for his room. "I'll figure it out," he said simply.
But his mind wasn't on reorganizing cards. It was still on the pit. On Nyx. On that name he couldn't stop chasing through the static of half-broken memories:
Shiyu.