The crisp hum of holographic panels and the chatter of students filled the academy corridors as Shin, Rex, and Aurora made their way toward the lounge. Every screen, every floating feed, every projection was locked onto one thing—the tournament.
Today was the start of the Preliminary Brackets. And the entire city felt like it was vibrating with the energy of it.
The moment Shin blinked, his HUD pinged—bright and sharp in the corner of his vision.
[Notification: Preliminary Round Information Available.]
He tapped it open. A full ruleset unfolded in a translucent scroll before his eyes, casting faint glyph-light across his face.
PRELIMINARY MATCH PROTOCOL
• All matches to be held at official Duel Arenas in the Westside District of Vystoria.
• Each bracket match will include unique field conditions designed to pressure-test duelists.
• Win conditions: Best of Five (First to 3 wins).
• Performance, adaptability, and creativity will be evaluated alongside victories.
• Failure to appear for any scheduled duel results in disqualification.
Shin exhaled, feeling the weight of those words settle into his chest. Unique field conditions, huh? That was going to throw a wrench in some people's strategies.
Then the brackets appeared—a shimmering cascade of names that updated in real-time across everyone's HUD. The whole hallway erupted into a low buzz of voices as duelists scrambled to check their pairings.
Aurora Quinn vs. Lionel Acker — today.
Rex Ward vs. Mira Crowley — Tuesday.
Shin Takahara vs. Ivan Lorne — Wednesday.
Aurora stared at her bracket for a long moment, her lips pressing together. Shin caught the subtle tremor in her hands.
She gulped slowly. "…That's… today."
"Yup," Rex said casually, swinging an arm over her shoulder. "And you're gonna crush it."
Aurora gave him a look that could've curdled milk. "Easy for you to say!"
"Hey, hey—relax. You only gotta win three out of five. That's light work," Rex said with a grin that was either confidence or the purest form of ignorance.
"Three out of five," Aurora muttered like it was a death sentence. "Right."
Rex patted her shoulder with exaggerated reassurance. "Come on, Quinn. You got this. Worst case? You lose. And then I rub it in forever. No pressure."
Aurora shot him a glare sharp enough to decapitate him. "You're so helpful."
Shin smirked faintly at the exchange, though his own thoughts were already drifting toward Wednesday. Ivan Lorne. He didn't know the name—but he had two days to prep. Two days to sharpen his deck. Two days to keep climbing.
The three of them pushed through the throngs spilling into the transit pods, making their way toward the Central City Duel Arenas—a sprawling cluster of holo-domes rising like glass spires against the steel skyline.
When Aurora finally stepped onto the dueling platform, her face was a mask of calm—but Shin knew her well enough to catch the faint tightness in her jaw. She squared off with her opponent, a tall, lean guy with sharp eyes and an even sharper grin.
They shook hands, murmured a few words that Shin didn't catch—and then the duel UI surged alive, casting a circle of light around them as the crowd settled into the viewing stands.
The duel was about to begin soon.
And then—PING.
A notification slid across Shin's HUD. One name attached to it.
Nyx.
Shin flicked his gaze to the message.
Yo. Big news. Turns out the dude who dueled your brother has been watching you. Says if you can beat a few of his goons… he'll duel you.
For a long second, Shin just stared at the glowing text, his pulse picking up like a drumbeat in his ears. His thumb hovered over the reply function.
He didn't move.
Not yet.
The duel before him erupted in a flash of holographic light as Aurora opened with her first summon—but Shin barely saw it.
All he could think about were the words burning in his HUD.
"I'll be back," he muttered.
Rex turned, brows knitting. "Back? Dude—Aurora's about to throw down and you're just gonna leave?"
Shin didn't answer.
"Seriously, what's so important that—"
But Shin was already walking, shoulders squared, pace quick. Rex's words faded behind him as the crowd roared from Aurora's side of the arena.
—
The metallic hum of the Westside Arena mixed with the murmurs of the crowd. Hundreds of faces glowed under the holo-screens displaying match data, the first round of preliminaries flashing across HUDs city-wide.
Aurora Lin gripped her duel disk as it snapped open with a hiss, steel plates unfolding and hardlight energy rippling along its edge. Her heart raced—not from fear of losing, but from being seen. From this moment meaning something.
The arena floor pulsed with light as her opponent walked out from the opposite platform.
Tall. Calm. Confident. Lionel Acker's silver-streaked black hair caught the glow of the holo-panels above. He adjusted his black duel coat with an almost aristocratic ease before meeting her gaze with sharp amber eyes.
Aurora blinked. Never seen him before… not in any local tournaments.
"Lionel Acker," he said simply as he slotted his deck into his disk. His voice was smooth, detached. "And you are?"
"A-Aurora Lin," she managed, trying to sound firm.
"...Aurora." He smirked faintly. "Let's make it quick."
The arena lights dimmed, and the countdown blared through the speakers.
3… 2… 1… DUEL!
---
MATCH PARAMETERS
Condition: Reduce opponent's LP to 0.
Arena Effect: Solar Amplification – All LIGHT monsters gain +200 ATK and DEF.
Aurora's HUD shimmered with her opening hand. Her fingers trembled, but her resolve didn't.
---
TURN 1 – Aurora
Alright… breathe, at least I have the advantage here.
"I summon, Lightcaster Pawn in, Attack Position!"
A soldier clad in silver armor and light-forged plating emerged, spear raised in a defensive stance.
[ATK: 1200 → 1400 | DEF: 800 → 1000 (Arena Bonus)]
"I set one card face-down and end my turn."
Her opening wasn't flashy, but safe.
---
TURN 2 – Lionel
Lionel slid his top card out lazily, glancing at Aurora with a hint of boredom.
"Shadow awakens," he murmured. "I summon Shadow Beast – Nightfang in Attack Mode."
A black wolf wreathed in violet flames prowled onto the field, claws digging into the steel platform.
[ATK: 1500 | DEF: 1200]
"And then… Howl of the Abyss!"
Purple energy spiraled from the beast as Lionel smirked. "When Nightfang's on my field, I Special Summon Shadow Beast – Duskclaw from my deck!"
A second beast—sleeker, with serrated claws and glowing eyes—appeared beside its kin.
[ATK: 1300 | DEF: 900]
Aurora's breath caught. Two monsters already…
"Battle," Lionel said, voice calm as still water. "Nightfang—devour her Pawn."
The wolf lunged. Aurora gritted her teeth.
"Trap activate! Radiant Barrier! My Pawn gains +800 DEF during this battle!"
[Pawn DEF: 1000 → 1800]
The barrier flared, blocking the strike. Sparks scattered across the platform.
Lionel's expression didn't change. "Hmm. You blocked one claw." His gaze shifted to his second beast. "Duskclaw—attack."
The second wolf lunged, slamming into her Pawn and shattering it into fragments of light.
Aurora winced as her LP dropped.
[Aurora LP: 4000 → 3100]
Lionel ended his turn with a slow smile. "Your move."
---
TURN 3 – Aurora
Aurora's pulse thundered as she drew. I need to turn this around—now.
"I summon Lightcaster Squire in Attack Mode!"
[ATK: 800 → 1000 | DEF: 700 → 900]
"Now, I tune Squire and my fallen Pawn's lingering light! Synchro Summon—Radiant Valkyrie!"
Light spiraled skyward, weaving into a towering figure clad in celestial armor and blazing wings. The crowd roared as the warrior descended with her blade drawn.
[Radiant Valkyrie – ATK: 2400 → 2600 | DEF: 1800 → 2000]
Lionel's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of interest.
"Battle! Valkyrie—cut down Nightfang!"
Aurora's monster cleaved through the shadow wolf in a single strike. Lionel's LP dipped.
[Lionel LP: 4000 → 2900]
Aurora set a card and exhaled shakily. "End turn."
---
TURN 4 – Lionel
Lionel drew, eyes glinting faintly. "Beautiful summon," he said. "But fragile."
"I activate Beast Rebirth—banishing Nightfang from my grave to Special Summon Shadow Beast Alpha!"
The arena shook as an enormous wolf—its body plated in obsidian armor and wreathed in black fire—emerged from a rift of shadows.
[ATK: 2500 | DEF: 2000]
Aurora's breath hitched. That's almost as strong as Valkyrie…
"Battle. Alpha—tear her Valkyrie apart."
The two titans clashed, light against shadow. Aurora shielded her face as sparks and darkness erupted.
Think—!
"Trap activate! Blessed Spark! Valkyrie gains +400 ATK until the end of turn!"
[ATK: 2600 → 3000]
Her warrior's blade flared, cutting through Alpha with a burst of searing radiance. Lionel's LP plummeted further.
[Lionel LP: 2900 → 2400]
But Lionel only chuckled softly, retrieving another card. "End turn."
---
TURN 5 – Aurora
Aurora drew with trembling hands. This is it—my chance to finish this.
"I activate Lightforge Blade, equipping it to Valkyrie! She gains, 500 ATK!"
[ATK: 3000 → 3500 | DEF: 2000 → 2500]
"And she can attack twice this turn!"
"Battle! Radiant Valkyrie—direct attack!"
Her warrior streaked across the field in a blaze of brilliance, cleaving through Lionel's defenses. His LP cratered to zero.
[Lionel LP: 2400 → 0]
[MATCH RESULT: Aurora Lin WINS | Progress: 1/3 Qualifier Victories]
The duel disk powered down with a sharp chime. Aurora stood frozen for a second before realization hit—she had won.
The crowd erupted in cheers, but her eyes stayed on Lionel.
He gathered his cards with slow precision, smirking faintly. "Not bad, rookie. But this is the first rung of a very tall ladder. Don't slip."
Aurora swallowed, clutching her deck. "I… I won't."
He turned and walked off without another word.
Aurora stood there, knees weak, heart hammering, staring at the holo-screen flashing her name in bold gold letters.