(Disclaimer: The author is not a veteran Yu-Gi-Oh! player, just a kid who grew up watching Duel Monsters anime. If they say something wrong, please go easy on them, thanks!)
…
"Huff... huff..." Along with heavy breathing, the alarm clock on the nightstand suddenly started blaring with a shrill ring.
The boy on the bed was jolted awake by the sudden noise. Groggily, he reached out, trying to fish his phone out from under the covers to shut the alarm off.
However, when his hand groped around the pillow, he realized the phone wasn't there.
"Huh? Wasn't the phone supposed to be right by my pillow?" he muttered, a flicker of confusion rising in his chest.
Riiing riiing riiing...
The alarm didn't stop; if anything, it grew louder, as if urging the boy to hurry up and get out of bed.
At this point, the boy finally sensed something was off.
He forced his eyes open and looked around, only to find that the room that should have been packed with model kits and figures had turned into an unfamiliar bedroom.
There were windows on two walls. Sunlight filtered through the curtains and fell onto the floor, breaking into mottled patches of light and shadow.
A poster was stuck on the wall—a release countdown for Duel Monsters cards, alongside a portrait of Celtic Guardian.
Staring at all this, the boy froze. A flood of memories suddenly surged through his mind, as if they had always existed and he had merely forgotten them; he could scarcely tell who he was anymore.
As it turned out, the owner of this body was named Yuto Tenshou, aged 19, has no little siblings, owns an apartment, and both his parents are deceased. He was a student at Domino City University and a die‑hard trading card game fan.
After agonizing for a while, he decided to live on as Yuto Tenshou—after all, the body and the relationships belonged to Yuto Tenshou.
"Did I... transmigrate?" the boy murmured, disbelief thick in his voice.
[Yes, Host. The Gundam Card System is pleased to serve you.]
Suddenly, a cold electronic voice sounded in his ear, as if coming from another world.
Yuto was on the verge of breaking down; he couldn't accept any of this.
His hands trembled as he yanked the quilt tight around himself, as if that could shield him from the impact of this absurd reality.
"I just bought a PGU¹ and haven't even started building it! Take me back!" His voice cracked with a sob, saturated with despair.
That unfinished model was his pride and joy. He'd planned to finish it over the weekend, only to be thrown inexplicably into this strange place.
[Host, in your original world, you are already dead.]
The electronic voice mercilessly shattered his last sliver of hope.
"Huh? How did I die?" Yuto asked in shock, unable to imagine the manner of his death.
[Preparing to play back cause of death for Host...]
The voice said before a half‑transparent light screen then appeared before his eyes.
On the screen, Yuto was lying in bed, sleeping soundly.
Suddenly, a big rig—like a rampaging beast out of control—barreled straight through the wall and crashed down on him.
In an instant, his body was crushed flat, reduced to a smear of bloody "Tenshou jam."
'??'
"No way, man… I live on the 11th floor, and you're telling me I got hit by a truck?!"
Yuto's eyes went wide, his face a picture of utter disbelief.
[Indeed.]
The reply was as icy as ever, devoid of the slightest emotion.
As it turns out, when you're beyond speechless, you laugh. Yuto laughed—but it looked worse than crying, steeped in bitterness and helplessness.
"Fine. At least in this world, you can make a living just by dueling; no getting squeezed dry every day... System, I should have something like a starter pack, right?"
Yuto asked, full of expectation, already picturing all the goodies inside.
[In response to the esteemed Host: yes.]
The system's voice echoed in his head, making him even more excited.
"Then bring it on!"
Rubbing his hands impatiently, Yuto even imagined himself opening the starter pack and getting all sorts of powerful cards and items.
However, the system's next sentence was like a bucket of ice water, dousing his enthusiasm without mercy.
[Host, the starter pack cannot be opened yet.]
"Eh? Why?" Disappointment and confusion colored Yuto's voice. He truly couldn't figure out why he couldn't open it now.
[Because Duel Monsters cards have not been released yet. This is still the TV Asahi–era Yu‑Gi‑Oh!² world.]
The system explained patiently.
Yuto scratched his head. The term "TV Asahi–era" was completely foreign to him; he had no idea what it meant.
[Once the Host purchases the first pack of Duel Monsters cards, the starter pack will unlock for you.]
"Alright, alright..." Yuto sighed helplessly. Disappointed as he was, he could only accept reality.
Just then, a rapid chime suddenly rang out, cutting off his train of thought.
[A reminder, Host: you're going to be late.]
"Oh no!" Yuto yelped. He'd completely forgotten the time—now he really was going to be late!
He hurriedly threw on his clothes and bolted out the door.
By the time he reached school, the first period was already halfway through, and he couldn't avoid getting chewed out.
By the time he finished up at the Academic Affairs Office, it was already lunch break.
When Yuto got back to the classroom, only one person was there.
It was a boy with star‑shaped, spiky hair and blond‑dyed bangs in front, sitting at his desk, building a house of cards.
Figures—this is a Japanese high school. Do they really not care about students dyeing their hair?
"Yugi!"
"Tenshou‑kun! Ah!"
Perhaps startled by Yuto calling out, Yugi's card tower collapsed, the cards scattering across the desktop.
Yugi gave an awkward smile, then began to gather up the cards.
"I didn't see you at all this morning, Tenshou..."
"Got caught coming in late and got lectured for ages in the office... haha..."
Dropping into his chair, Yuto watched Yugi fiddle with his cards. He gathered them into a stack, straightening them face‑up and face‑down one by one, and put them away.
After that, Yugi took a golden box out of his backpack.
"Inside this box is my treasure," Yugi Muto said.
Knowing full well that what lay inside was the Millennium Puzzle, Yuto still played along.
"Treasure? What is it?"
"A secret… and a riddle. The treasure in this box is something you can look at, yet have never seen."
Yuto put on a thoughtful look and was just about to speak when, at some point, Joey Wheeler had wandered into the classroom and picked up the box from the desk.
"What are you guys talking about? What do you mean, 'something you can see but can't'?"
From his memories, Yuto and Joey were good friends, so Yuto answered honestly.
"We're doing a riddle—guessing what's in the box."
Joey clicked his tongue and flipped the lid open for a glance.
"What, that's lame..."
He shut the lid again. Just then, Yugi stepped up beside him, reaching to take the box back.
"Give it back—give it back, Joey‑kun!"
Having always thought Yugi was a pushover, Joey couldn't help getting other ideas. He lifted the box high over his head.
"Come on then. You want the box, right? If you want it, fight me for it!"
Yuto couldn't stand it. How could anyone bully such a cute Yugi!
"That's enough, Joey. Give it back. Why are you picking on Yugi?"
"Tch. I'm just teaching Yugi how to be a real man, that's all."
Joey put the box back down on the desk.
***
¹ PGU ➜ Perfect Grade Unleashed, Bandai's flagship high-end Gunpla line (e.g., PGU RX-78-2 Gundam).
² TV Asahi–era Yu-Gi-Oh! ➜ Refers to the original 1998 Toei anime adaptation, set before Duel Monsters cards were introduced.
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going!
[Patreon.com/RedZTL]