The holographic countdown faded into nothing as the air thrummed with raw energy. The metallic floor hummed under Shin's boots, the duel disk glowing blood-red on his arm as he raised it into position.
Across from him, Ivan grinned wide, confidence radiating from every move as he drew his opening hand of three cards. His duel disk sparked emerald green, projecting a beast-shaped crest above him.
HUD: Preliminary Round – Arena 7 | Special Condition: Start with 3 cards
Life Points:
[Shin – 4000]
[Ivan – 4000]
The two stared each other down as their voices rang out together:
"DUEL!"
---
TURN 1 – IVAN
Ivan smirked and swept a card from his hand onto the disk.
"Let's get this started! I Normal Summon Beast-Gear Cougar!"
A massive feline-shaped mech burst from a glowing circle, plates of green armor grinding as it crouched low, thrusters on its legs steaming heat.
Beast-Gear Cougar – ATK 1700 | DEF 1000
"And when, Cougar hits the field, I can Special Summon Beast-Gear Jackal from my hand!" Ivan slapped another card down, and a jet-black mech-jackal lunged onto the field, chains rattling across its armored frame.
Beast-Gear Jackal – ATK 1400 | DEF 800
The crowd watching from the bleachers roared as Ivan pointed dramatically forward.
"Not done! I set two cards face-down. Your move, Babyface."
Two holographic panels shimmered behind his beasts as Ivan smirked across the gap.
---
TURN 1 – SHIN
Shin's eyes were unreadable as his HUD displayed his hand:
Fiendling – Bleakhound | Grave Whisper | Ascension Fusion – Spectral Bind
"…Draw." His voice was low as he drew his fourth card.
He flicked his gaze to Ivan's field—two beasts on the board and two unknown backrows. Aggressive opening. He's confident. He wants me to bite.
"First, I activate Grave Whisper." Shin slid the Spell into his disk, and the hologram pulsed as dark energy swirled like a whispering fog.
"I discard Fiendling – Bleakhound… and draw one card."
He drew quickly, eyes narrowing as Fiendling – Mournspike joined his hand.
"When Bleakhound hits the grave, its effect activates—I discard one, then draw one." He pitched Wicke to the grave, then drew again, his fingers tight on the card as he slid it into his hand.
"Next… I Normal Summon Fiendling – Mournspike!"
A grotesque imp with bone-like spikes erupted onto his side of the field, its shadow stretching unnaturally long beneath its feet.
Fiendling – Mournspike – ATK 1600 | DEF 1000
"Battle!" Shin's voice snapped like a whip as the arena lights flared. "Mournspike—tear down Jackal!"
The imp lunged, spikes gleaming as it pierced through the mech-jackal with a shriek of metal.
Jackal destroyed | Ivan LP: 4000 → 3800
Ivan smirked. "Hah. That's all? My turn's about to make you regret that swing."
Shin ignored him, sliding a card into his backrow.
"I set one card… and end."
His disk flickered as a single dark panel appeared behind his lone Fiendling.
---
TURN 2 – IVAN
Ivan drew with a flourish, his smirk widening.
"Draw! Hope you're ready, rookie—because now the real hunt begins!"
He slammed a card down with force.
"I activate Beast-Gear Upgrade! By tributing one Beast-Gear monster, I Special Summon a higher-level Beast-Gear from my deck!"
Cougar roared as its armor plates detached in a flurry of sparks, vanishing into streams of green light.
"Run wild—Beast-Gear Direwolf!"
The arena trembled as a towering mech-wolf materialized, its fangs dripping with molten metal, boosters flaring like miniature suns.
Beast-Gear Direwolf – ATK 2400 | DEF 1600
"And that's not all—Direwolf gains 300 ATK for every Beast-Gear in the grave!" Ivan smirked. "That's one already, so make that 2700!"
The wolf howled as its ATK surged.
Direwolf – ATK 2700
Ivan thrust his hand forward. "Battle! Direwolf—shred that runt to pieces!"
The mech-beast lunged, fangs gleaming—
"Trap, open!" Shin's voice cut sharp as his face-down shattered into shards of crimson light.
"Phantom Cage! Your attack is negated this turn!"
A massive cage of spectral chains clamped down around Direwolf mid-leap, locking its jaws inches from Mournspike before shoving it back with a burst of black energy.
Ivan scowled. "Tch. Not bad."
He set a card with a sharp flick. "Face-down. Your move."
---
TURN 2 – SHIN
Shin drew, his eyes flicking over his hand, pulse steady.
Hand: Fiendling – Graveskitter | Spectral Portal | Ascension Fusion – Spectral Bind.
His mind moved like machinery—quick, precise.
"First… I activate, Spectral Portal. I discard Graveskitter—and Special Summon, a monster with equal or lower Level from my deck."
His HUD pulsed as cards scrolled before him.
"Come out—Fiendling – Sootslicer!"
The Fiendling emerged in a whirl of black smoke, its jagged blade-appendages slicing through the mist.
Fiendling – Sootslicer – ATK 1400 | DEF 400
"When Graveskitter hits the grave by effect—you take 600 damage."
A dark pulse rippled through Ivan's HUD.
Ivan LP: 3800 → 3200
"Now… I activate, Ascension Fusion – Spectral Bind!" Shin's voice hardened, his arm snapping forward as the Spell flared to life in a surge of red and black energy.
"I tribute my Mournspike and Sootslicer!"
The two Fiendlings screamed as spectral chains ripped them apart into raw energy, swirling together into a vortex of shadow and flame.
"Rise… Spectral Warlord – Booragan!"
The arena shook as a hulking demon-warrior burst from the vortex, armor forged of bone and shadow, twin cleavers glowing crimson.
Spectral Warlord – Booragan – ATK 2400 | DEF 1800
"When Booragan is Summoned—I destroy one Spell or Trap on the field!"
His cleavers slashed down as one of Ivan's face-downs shattered into nothingness.
"Battle! Booragan—strike down Direwolf!"
The demon lunged, its blades colliding with the mech-wolf in a violent explosion of sparks and shadowfire.
Direwolf destroyed | Ivan LP: 3200 → 2900
The smoke cleared with Booragan standing tall, its crimson eyes blazing.
Shin slid a card face-down. "Set one. End turn."
Ivan chuckled low as he drew, his smirk twitching despite the loss of his wolf.
"You're better than I thought, Babyface. But I'm not done yet—far from it."
The crowd's energy crackled like electricity as the duel roared into its next act.
The crowd murmured as Ivan's smirk lingered despite being on the back foot. His fingers tapped his duel disk, then he drew with a sharp motion.
---
TURN 3 – IVAN
"Draw! And now you're gonna see why Beast-Gear decks never run out of teeth!" His voice cracked like a whip as he slapped a card down.
"I activate Beast-Gear Revival Gear! This lets me banish one Beast-Gear from my grave to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Beast-Gear from my deck!"
A vortex of gears and chains swirled as Ivan thrust his hand out.
"Return to the field—Beast-Gear Cougar!"
The green-armored mech-cat leapt back into play with a feral snarl.
Cougar – ATK 1700 | DEF 1000
"And when Cougar's out, I can bring back another friend—Beast-Gear Jackal from my grave!"
A shadow surged, and Jackal slammed onto the field, chains whipping as its eyes flared red.
Jackal – ATK 1400 | DEF 800
The spectators roared as Ivan spread his arms wide.
"Now for the hunt—Spell Card, Predator Protocol! This lets me Tribute one Beast-Gear to Special Summon a Level 7 or higher from my deck!"
Cougar dissolved into emerald light as the ground shook.
"Rise from the wild—Beast-Gear Apex Leo!"
A colossal lion-mech descended from the sky like a meteor, slamming onto the field with jets of flame. Its mane of spinning saw-blades whirred with lethal force.
Apex Leo – ATK 2800 | DEF 2000
"Battle! Leo—rip that demon apart!"
The lion roared, boosters flaring as it lunged at Booragan.
Shin's eyes narrowed. His hand flicked.
"Trap—Wraith Reversal! When you destroy my monster by battle—I destroy yours!"
Leo's claws impaled Booragan with an ear-splitting screech as sparks and shadowfire exploded. But as Booragan faded, black chains shot out and coiled around Leo's throat, dragging it into a vortex of darkness as both monsters shattered in a violent burst.
Field wipes clean.
Ivan snarled but grinned through his teeth.
"Tch… not bad. But I'm not done! Jackal—direct attack!"
The mech-jackal lunged, jaws clamping down on Shin's shoulder with a vicious digital crunch.
Shin LP: 4000 → 2600
Ivan stabbed his last card down.
"Set one card. End."
The crowd cheered as Shin stood calm amid the wreckage, smoke curling around his boots. His bangs shadowed his eyes as his fingers slid over his deck.
---
TURN 3 – SHIN
"My turn… Draw."
The card slid into his hand with a flash. His HUD pulsed:
Fiendling – Grinshade | Phantom Countess – Veyla | Fusion Armory | Necrohowl.
Shin exhaled slowly, his mind a blade.
"First… I activate Necrohowl. I Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Fiendling from my graveyard."
A circle of shadows ripped open behind him as Mournspike clawed its way back from the abyss.
Mournspike – ATK 1600 | DEF 1000
"Next—I Normal Summon Fiendling – Grinshade!"
A hulking Fiendling with a skeletal grin and flaming eyes emerged beside Mournspike, shadows twisting around its jagged frame.
Grinshade – ATK 1900 | DEF 1200
"When Grinshade hits the field—it gains 600 ATK for each monster in my graveyard!" Shin's voice rose, sharp and cold.
"Right now, that's six monsters."
The Fiendling's body pulsed with crimson light as its claws elongated, its ATK skyrocketing.
Grinshade – ATK 1900 → 5500
Gasps ripped through the crowd.
Ivan's eyes widened. "What the—?!"
Shin pointed forward, voice cutting like steel.
"Grinshade—end this!"
The Fiendling lunged like a demon comet, raking its claws through Jackal in a single swipe.
Jackal destroyed | Ivan LP: 2900 → 0
The arena exploded in holographic fire as the word VICTORY flashed crimson across Shin's HUD.
He stood there, cloak of shadow dissolving as his monsters vanished. The crowd roared like thunder—but Shin didn't raise his hand or even glance at the stands. His gaze stayed low, locked on the deck in his hand, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Ivan gritted his teeth as his duel disk powered down. He didn't say anything—just gave Shin a sharp nod before walking off without another word.
Shin stood alone in the glowing platform as his HUD tallied his rewards:
[Victory: Shin Yukari] [+220 XP] [+800 V-Coins]
But none of that mattered. His fist tightened around his deck, his thoughts boiling.
Stronger… I need to get stronger. That wasn't enough.
The HUD faded and he clenched his jaw as the announcer's voice echoed faintly in the background.