The morning of the tournament dawned bright, clear, and aggressively cheerful in a way that felt personally offensive to Takeda, who had spent the night sleeping on concrete behind a card shop with nothing but a Kuriboh for warmth and a deck of trash cards for comfort.
His back hurt.
His neck hurt.
His everything hurt.
And somewhere in the distance, a rooster was crowing, which shouldn't have been possible in the middle of a metropolitan city but was happening anyway because this world apparently operated on whatever rules it felt like at any given moment.
"Kuri," the Kuriboh said, floating up from his chest and stretching in a way that a spherical creature really shouldn't have been able to accomplish.
"Good morning to you too," Takeda grumbled, pushing himself into a sitting position and immediately regretting it as his spine made a sound like a bag of microwave popcorn. "How long until the tournament starts?"
He checked the cracked screen of his duel disk.
8:47 AM.
The tournament started at 9:00 AM.
The Central Duel Arena was at least a twenty-minute walk away.
"Oh no."
Oh no indeed, the voices of his deck agreed.
Takeda scrambled to his feet, grabbed his meager belongings (which consisted entirely of his deck, his duel disk, and the photograph of the original Takeda that he still carried for reasons he couldn't quite articulate), and started running.
The streets of Domino City were already bustling with activity. Duelists of all ages and apparent skill levels were heading in the same direction, their duel disks gleaming, their hair defying physics, their expressions ranging from confident to terrified to the particular blankness of someone who had also clearly not slept well and was running purely on adrenaline and poor life choices.
Takeda dodged between pedestrians, leaped over a small child who was inexplicably standing in the middle of the sidewalk holding a Kuriboh plushie, and nearly collided with a man whose hair was shaped like a crescent moon and who was muttering something about "the heart of the cards" under his breath.
"Excuse me! Sorry! Coming through! Tournament! Late! Sorry!"
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" the crescent moon man shouted after him.
"I'M TRYING!"
The Kuriboh on his shoulder held on for dear life, its tiny claws digging into his jacket in a way that was definitely going to leave marks but was also probably the only thing keeping it from flying off entirely.
At 8:58 AM, Takeda burst through the doors of the Central Duel Arena.
At 8:59 AM, he skidded to a halt in front of the registration desk, gasping for breath and sweating profusely.
At 9:00 AM exactly, the woman behind the desk—the same woman from yesterday, with the same completely normal brown hair and the same expression of mild disgust—looked up at him and said, "Cutting it close."
"I'm... here..." Takeda wheezed. "I'm... registered... Takeda... charity case..."
The woman typed something into her computer.
"Takeda. Charity bracket. First round opponent..." She paused. Her expression shifted from mild disgust to something that might have been pity. Or might have been the suppressed urge to laugh. Possibly both. "Oh. Oh dear."
"What?" Takeda managed to straighten up slightly, his breathing still ragged. "What 'oh dear'? Why are you 'oh dear'-ing? People keep 'oh dear'-ing at me and it's never good."
"Your first round opponent," the woman said slowly, "is Yusei Fudo."
Takeda stared at her.
The name didn't immediately register. His brain, still oxygen-deprived from the sprint across the city, took several seconds to process the information.
Yusei.
Yusei Fudo.
Yusei Fudo, the protagonist of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.
Yusei Fudo, the legendary Turbo Duelist who had saved the world multiple times.
Yusei Fudo, whose ace monster was Stardust Dragon, a 2500 ATK Synchro Monster that could negate destruction effects.
Yusei Fudo, who was famous for never losing when it mattered, for always drawing exactly the right card at exactly the right moment, for having a literal mark of destiny on his arm that connected him to an ancient dragon god.
That Yusei Fudo.
"I'm sorry," Takeda said, his voice very calm in the way that voices become calm when the person speaking has moved past panic and into a state of transcendent acceptance. "Could you repeat that? I think I misheard you. I thought you said my first round opponent was Yusei Fudo."
"Your first round opponent is Yusei Fudo."
"Yusei Fudo."
"Yes."
"THE Yusei Fudo."
"Is there another one?"
"The Yusei Fudo who rides a motorcycle that is also a duel disk. That Yusei Fudo."
"The Duel Runner, yes. Although this tournament doesn't allow Turbo Duels, so he'll be using a standard duel disk. Not that it matters. He's still Yusei Fudo."
Takeda turned and looked at the arena behind him.
It was massive. Rows upon rows of seats surrounded a central dueling platform, already filling with spectators eager to watch the preliminary rounds. Giant holographic screens displayed brackets and matchups, advertisements for booster packs and energy drinks, and occasional highlight reels from previous tournaments.
And there, on one of those screens, was his name.
BRACKET 7 - ROUND 1
TAKEDA (Charity Entry) vs. YUSEI FUDO (Legendary Duelist)
The words "Charity Entry" were displayed in a smaller, almost apologetic font.
The words "Legendary Duelist" were displayed in gold, with sparkles.
"This is a joke," Takeda said. "This has to be a joke. How is this fair? How is any of this fair? I'm a charity case with a deck I built from dumpster cards, and you're putting me against a LEGENDARY DUELIST in the FIRST ROUND?"
"The brackets are randomized," the woman said, not quite hiding her smirk. "It's bad luck, really."
Actually, the voices of his deck murmured, we suspect it might be the opposite.
Takeda didn't have time to process that cryptic statement, because at that moment, a murmur ran through the crowd.
He turned.
And there, walking through the arena doors with the casual confidence of someone who had literally saved the world and knew it, was Yusei Fudo.
He was exactly as Takeda remembered from the anime—if "remembered" was the right word for knowledge absorbed through osmosis during his college roommate's obsessive rewatching sessions. Tall, with spiky black hair highlighted by golden streaks that somehow managed to look cool instead of ridiculous. Blue eyes that carried a weight of experience far beyond his apparent age. A serious expression that suggested he was thinking about important things, like the fate of humanity or optimal Synchro summoning strategies.
He was wearing a blue jacket with strange geometric patterns that Takeda vaguely recognized as something plot-relevant from the show. His duel disk was sleek and advanced, the kind of technology that made Takeda's tape-wrapped disaster look like a child's toy.
And on his arm, visible beneath the edge of his sleeve, was a faint red glow.
The Mark of the Crimson Dragon.
The actual, literal mark of an actual, literal dragon god.
Takeda was going to duel a man who had a dragon god on speed dial.
"Kuri," the Kuriboh on his shoulder said, in a tone that clearly communicated "we're going to die."
"Yeah," Takeda agreed weakly. "Kuri indeed."
Yusei's eyes swept across the arena, taking in the crowds, the other duelists, the general chaos of tournament morning. And then, as if guided by some protagonist-sensing radar, his gaze landed directly on Takeda.
Their eyes met.
Yusei's expression didn't change—it remained calm, focused, evaluating. But there was something in those blue eyes that made Takeda feel like he was being seen in a way he'd never been seen before. Not just looked at, but understood. Analyzed. Weighed and measured and found... something. Interesting? Lacking? Both?
Takeda had no idea.
All he knew was that Yusei Fudo was now walking directly toward him.
"You're Takeda," Yusei said. It wasn't a question.
"I... yes. That's me. Takeda. Just Takeda. No title. No 'Legendary Duelist' for me. Just... regular Takeda. Charity bracket Takeda. Definitely-going-to-lose-this-duel Takeda. Hello."
He was rambling. He knew he was rambling. He couldn't stop rambling.
Yusei's expression shifted slightly—just a tiny movement of his eyebrows, a slight softening around his eyes—and Takeda realized with horror that the legendary duelist was amused.
"You seem nervous," Yusei observed.
"NERVOUS? ME? NO. I'M PERFECTLY CALM. I'M THE CALMEST PERSON IN THIS ARENA. I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AND THINK, 'TODAY I'M GOING TO DUEL A LEGENDARY HERO WHO HAS SAVED THE WORLD MULTIPLE TIMES,' AND I'M COMPLETELY FINE WITH IT."
"Kuri," the Kuriboh said disapprovingly.
"You're not helping," Takeda hissed at it.
Yusei looked at the Kuriboh on Takeda's shoulder. Then he looked at Takeda's duel disk—the cracked screen, the electrical tape, the general aura of technological desperation. Then he looked at Takeda himself—the too-large clothes, the dark circles under his eyes, the unmistakable appearance of someone who had slept on concrete and hadn't eaten in at least twenty-four hours.
And something in Yusei's expression changed.
It wasn't pity, exactly. Yusei didn't seem like the type to pity people. But there was... recognition, maybe. Understanding. The look of someone who had seen hard times themselves and knew what it meant to have nothing but determination and a deck of cards.
"Nice Kuriboh," Yusei said finally.
"Oh. Um. Thanks. It's... it showed up. I don't really know why."
"Duel spirits choose their partners for a reason." Yusei reached up and touched the edge of his sleeve, where the faint red glow of his mark was visible. "I've learned not to question these things."
"Duel spirits?"
"The creatures in our cards. They're more than just pictures and effects. They're alive, in their own way. Connected to us. Your Kuriboh is here because it believes in you."
Takeda looked at the Kuriboh.
The Kuriboh looked back at him.
"Kuri," it said, in a tone that might have been "I believe in you" or might have been "I'm stuck with you and making the best of it." Hard to tell.
"Our duel is in fifteen minutes," Yusei continued. "I wanted to meet you beforehand. To see what kind of duelist you are."
"And what kind of duelist am I?"
Yusei was quiet for a moment, his blue eyes searching Takeda's face.
"I'm not sure yet," he admitted. "But I'm looking forward to finding out."
And with that, he turned and walked away toward the dueling platform, leaving Takeda standing in the middle of the arena with his heart pounding and his palms sweating and his brain desperately trying to process the fact that a literal anime protagonist had just told him he was looking forward to their duel.
That was unexpected, the voices of his deck commented.
"You think?" Takeda hissed. "He's YUSEI FUDO. He's supposed to be... I don't know... more intimidating? Less nice?"
He is nice. That's part of what makes him dangerous. He's nice, and he's skilled, and he never gives up, and he has the power of destiny on his side. Also Stardust Dragon. Don't forget about Stardust Dragon.
"How could I forget about Stardust Dragon? It's a 2500 ATK Synchro Monster that can negate destruction effects. My strongest monster is Ryu-Kishin Powered with 1600 ATK. I'm going to get destroyed."
Perhaps, the voices conceded. Or perhaps this is an opportunity.
"An opportunity for what? Humiliation? Public embarrassment? The complete and total annihilation of whatever self-esteem I've managed to accumulate in my two days of existence in this world?"
An opportunity to grow. To learn. To push your limits and discover what you're truly capable of.
"What I'm truly capable of is LOSING. I lost SEVEN TIMES yesterday. I lost to a TEN-YEAR-OLD. I lost while controlling BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON."
Yes, but you also SUMMONED Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Through an impossible fusion. You bent the rules of reality through sheer spite. That's not nothing.
"It's also not going to happen again! That was a fluke! A one-time thing! The Blue-Eyes itself told me not to summon it again until I knew what I was doing!"
Then perhaps it's time to learn what you're doing.
Takeda opened his mouth to argue further, but a voice over the arena's speakers interrupted him.
"ATTENTION DUELISTS! THE PRELIMINARY ROUNDS OF THE DOMINO CITY UNIFIED TOURNAMENT WILL BEGIN IN TEN MINUTES! ALL PARTICIPANTS, PLEASE PROCEED TO YOUR DESIGNATED DUELING PLATFORMS! BRACKET SEVEN, PLATFORM TWELVE! BRACKET EIGHT, PLATFORM THIRTEEN! BRACKET NINE..."
The voice continued listing brackets and platforms, but Takeda had stopped listening.
Bracket Seven. Platform Twelve.
That was him.
That was his duel.
In ten minutes, he was going to stand on that platform and face Yusei Fudo in front of what looked like an increasingly large crowd of spectators, all of whom were undoubtedly eager to watch the legendary duelist demonstrate why he was legendary.
They weren't here to watch Takeda.
They were here to watch him lose.
"Kuri," the Kuriboh said, nudging his cheek with its fluffy body.
"Yeah," Takeda sighed. "Let's go get this over with."
Platform Twelve was situated near the center of the arena, surrounded on all sides by tiered seating that was rapidly filling with spectators. Giant holographic screens displayed the matchup information:
BRACKET 7 - ROUND 1
TAKEDA (Charity Entry) vs. YUSEI FUDO (Legendary Duelist)
STARTING SOON
Below the matchup, a scrolling ticker displayed various statistics:
YUSEI FUDO - TOURNAMENT WINS: 47 | TOURNAMENT LOSSES: 0 | SIGNATURE CARD: STARDUST DRAGON | FAN FOLLOWING: 2.3 MILLION
TAKEDA - TOURNAMENT WINS: 0 | TOURNAMENT LOSSES: 0 | SIGNATURE CARD: UNKNOWN | FAN FOLLOWING: 0
"Zero fan following," Takeda muttered. "That's fair. That's accurate. That's exactly what I'd expect."
He climbed the steps to the dueling platform, his legs feeling like they were made of lead. The platform itself was a circular stage with holographic projectors embedded in the floor, designed to display monsters and spell effects in stunning three-dimensional detail. There were designated zones marked for the player, the monster zones, the spell/trap zones, the graveyard, the Extra Deck.
It was all very official.
It was all very intimidating.
It was all very much designed for people who knew what they were doing, which Takeda absolutely did not.
Yusei was already there, standing on the opposite side of the platform with his duel disk activated and his deck in place. He looked calm, composed, utterly unworried about the upcoming duel. Which made sense, because why would he be worried? He was Yusei Fudo. He had never lost a duel that mattered. He had the power of friendship and destiny and a dragon god backing him up.
Takeda had a Kuriboh and spite.
"Good luck," Yusei said, and the worst part was that he sounded like he meant it.
"Thanks," Takeda managed. "You too. Not that you need it. Because you're you. And I'm me. And this is going to be... yeah."
A referee in official tournament robes stepped onto the platform between them.
"Duelists ready?" he asked.
Yusei nodded.
Takeda nodded, even though he was absolutely not ready and would never be ready for this.
"This is a standard duel," the referee continued. "8000 life points each. No Turbo Duel modifications. Standard rules apply. The winner advances to round two. The loser is eliminated from the bracket. Are there any questions?"
Takeda had approximately seven thousand questions, starting with "Can I forfeit and go home" and ending with "Why is the universe like this," but he kept them to himself.
"No questions," Yusei said.
"No questions," Takeda echoed weakly.
"Then..." The referee raised his hand. "DUEL!"
YUSEI FUDO LP: 8000
TAKEDA LP: 8000
"I'll let you go first," Yusei said, and there was something in his tone that suggested this wasn't generosity so much as strategy. He wanted to see what Takeda could do. He wanted to evaluate his opponent before making his move.
Great. Takeda was being tested by a protagonist.
He drew his opening hand.
Watapon. Mokey Mokey. Giant Soldier of Stone. Polymerization. Scapegoat.
Not... terrible? Watapon could special summon itself if drawn by a card effect, which was irrelevant since he'd just drawn it normally. Mokey Mokey was useless. Giant Soldier of Stone had 2000 DEF, which was decent for stalling. Polymerization was only useful if he had fusion materials. Scapegoat could give him four tokens to hide behind.
He drew his sixth card for the turn.
Petit Dragon.
Okay. He had Petit Dragon, and he had Firegrass in his deck somewhere. If he could draw Firegrass, he could theoretically summon Darkfire Dragon, which had 1500 ATK. That was... something.
"I'll set one monster in face-down defense position," Takeda said, placing Giant Soldier of Stone on the field. "And I'll set one card face-down."
He placed Scapegoat in his spell/trap zone.
"Turn end."
It wasn't a good opening. It wasn't even a mediocre opening. But it was an opening, and that was more than he'd expected to manage.
Yusei nodded, his expression unchanging.
"My turn. Draw."
He looked at his hand for exactly one second—just long enough to process what he'd drawn—and then began his move with the fluid efficiency of someone who had done this thousands of times.
"I summon Speed Warrior in attack mode."
A warrior in sleek armor appeared on the field, skating across the platform as if it were made of ice.
Speed Warrior - Level 2, Wind, Warrior. 900 ATK / 400 DEF
"Speed Warrior's effect: during the Battle Phase of the turn it's summoned, its attack points are doubled."
Speed Warrior ATK: 900 → 1800
"Speed Warrior, attack his face-down monster."
The warrior launched itself across the field, fist pulled back for a devastating strike. Takeda's face-down card flipped—Giant Soldier of Stone, with its 2000 DEF—and Speed Warrior crashed into it uselessly.
Yusei LP: 8000 → 7800
A small victory. Takeda's first victory of the duel. His first victory against a protagonist.
"Not bad," Yusei said, and he actually sounded impressed. "You set a high-defense monster to counter my Speed Warrior. That shows you understand the basics."
"I... yes. That was definitely intentional. I definitely knew you were going to summon Speed Warrior. Very strategic on my part."
Yusei's lips twitched slightly. Was that a smile? Did Yusei Fudo almost smile?
"I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn," Yusei continued. "Speed Warrior's effect ends."
Speed Warrior ATK: 1800 → 900
Turn 2 - Takeda
Takeda drew.
Mask of Darkness.
A flip effect monster that could add a trap from his graveyard to his hand. Useless right now since he didn't have any traps in his graveyard, but potentially useful later.
"I flip summon Giant Soldier of Stone!" Takeda announced.
The rock warrior rose to its full height, towering over the field.
Giant Soldier of Stone - Level 3, Earth, Rock. 1300 ATK / 2000 DEF
"Giant Soldier of Stone, attack Speed Warrior!"
The rock warrior raised its massive fist and brought it down toward the smaller warrior.
"I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow!" Yusei announced, flipping one of his face-down cards.
A holographic scarecrow made of scrap metal appeared, blocking the attack.
"Scrap-Iron Scarecrow negates your attack," Yusei explained, "and then sets itself face-down again instead of going to the graveyard."
The attack was stopped. Takeda's offensive had been completely nullified.
"I... end my turn," Takeda said weakly.
That's one of his signature cards, the voices of his deck informed him. Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. He'll use it to block attacks repeatedly while building up his field.
"That's broken."
It's not broken. It's strategic. There are ways to deal with it.
"Ways that I have access to?"
...We're working on it.
Turn 3 - Yusei
"My turn. Draw." Yusei looked at his new card and nodded slightly. "I summon Junk Synchron in attack mode."
A small, mechanical warrior appeared, its body a patchwork of scrap parts and technology.
Junk Synchron - Level 3, Dark, Warrior/Tuner. 1300 ATK / 500 DEF
Takeda's blood ran cold.
Tuner. That was a Tuner monster. In Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Tuner monsters were used for Synchro Summoning. Synchro Summoning was Yusei's specialty. And if he was bringing out a Tuner...
"Junk Synchron's effect," Yusei continued. "When it's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level 2 or lower monster from my graveyard in defense position. I revive Speed Warrior."
The skating warrior reappeared, crouching defensively.
Speed Warrior - Level 2, Wind, Warrior. 900 ATK / 400 DEF
"And now," Yusei said, his voice carrying a weight of inevitability, "I tune my Level 3 Junk Synchron with my Level 2 Speed Warrior."
The two monsters began to glow—Junk Synchron transforming into three green rings, Speed Warrior rising up through them as two points of light.
"Clustering stars will call upon a new force! Become the path its light shines upon!"
The light intensified, filling the arena with a brilliant radiance.
"SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. They knew what was coming. They had seen this a hundred times before.
"Rise, Junk Warrior!"
From the light emerged a massive mechanical warrior, its body armored in blue and white, its fists crackling with energy.
Junk Warrior - Level 5, Dark, Warrior/Synchro. 2300 ATK / 1300 DEF
Twenty-three hundred attack points.
Takeda's Giant Soldier of Stone had 1300 ATK.
"Junk Warrior's effect," Yusei explained. "It gains ATK equal to the total ATK of all Level 2 or lower monsters I control."
Takeda looked at Yusei's field.
There were no Level 2 or lower monsters. Speed Warrior had been used as Synchro material.
Junk Warrior ATK: 2300
Still twenty-three hundred. Still more than enough to destroy Takeda's only monster.
"Junk Warrior, attack Giant Soldier of Stone. Scrap Fist!"
The mechanical warrior's fist ignited with power as it launched across the field.
"I activate Scapegoat!" Takeda shouted, flipping his trap card.
Four small, colorful sheep tokens appeared on his field.
Sheep Token x4 - Level 1, Earth, Beast. 0 ATK / 0 DEF
"...That doesn't stop my attack," Yusei pointed out.
"I know! But now I have tokens! For... reasons!"
Giant Soldier of Stone shattered under Junk Warrior's assault.
Takeda LP: 8000 → 7000
"I set one card face-down and end my turn," Yusei said.
He now had Junk Warrior (2300 ATK), Scrap-Iron Scarecrow face-down, and another face-down card. Takeda had four Sheep Tokens with 0 ATK and 0 DEF.
This was going well.
This was going extremely well.
Sarcasm is not helpful, the voices chided.
"Neither is reality, and yet here we are."
Turn 4 - Takeda
Takeda drew.
Skull Servant.
A skeleton in a purple robe with 300 ATK.
"I hate my deck," Takeda muttered.
We heard that.
"You were supposed to."
He looked at his hand. Watapon, Mokey Mokey, Petit Dragon, Mask of Darkness, Polymerization, Skull Servant. And four Sheep Tokens on the field.
None of this was useful. None of this could deal with a 2300 ATK Junk Warrior. None of this could get past Scrap-Iron Scarecrow.
But he had to do something.
"I tribute two Sheep Tokens to summon..." He looked at his hand. He didn't have any Level 5 or higher monsters in his hand. "Wait, no, I can't. Scapegoat tokens can't be tributed for Tribute Summons."
He'd forgotten that restriction.
The crowd murmured. A few people laughed.
Takeda's face burned with embarrassment.
"I... set one monster in face-down defense position," he said, placing Skull Servant on the field. "And one card face-down."
He set Polymerization, which was useless since he didn't have any valid fusion combinations in his hand, but at least it would look like he had a plan.
"Turn end."
Turn 5 - Yusei
"Draw." Yusei barely glanced at his card. "I summon Turbo Synchron in attack mode."
A small, fast-looking mechanical creature appeared.
Turbo Synchron - Level 1, Wind, Machine/Tuner. 100 ATK / 500 DEF
Another Tuner. Another Synchro Summon incoming.
"I tune my Level 1 Turbo Synchron with my Level 5 Junk Warrior."
Wait, you could do that? Use a Synchro Monster as material for another Synchro Summon?
The two monsters began to glow, Turbo Synchron becoming a single green ring, Junk Warrior rising through it as five points of light.
"Clustering wishes will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon!"
Level 1 + Level 5 = Level 6
"SYNCHRO SUMMON! Take flight, Turbo Warrior!"
A sleek, aerodynamic warrior emerged from the light, its body designed for speed and power.
Turbo Warrior - Level 6, Wind, Warrior/Synchro. 2500 ATK / 1500 DEF
Twenty-five hundred ATK now. And Yusei still had Scrap-Iron Scarecrow to protect it.
"Turbo Warrior, attack one of his Sheep Tokens."
The warrior launched across the field, destroying one of the defenseless tokens.
Takeda LP: 7000 → 4500
"Wait, why did I take 2500 damage? The token was in defense position!"
"Turbo Warrior's effect," Yusei explained. "When it attacks a defense position monster, if that monster's DEF is lower than this card's ATK, you take the difference as damage."
"That's... that's extremely unfair."
"It's strategic. Turn end."
Takeda now had 4500 LP, three Sheep Tokens, a face-down Skull Servant, and a face-down Polymerization that he couldn't use.
Yusei had 7800 LP, Turbo Warrior with 2500 ATK, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, and another face-down card.
The gap was widening.
The crowd was cheering for Yusei.
And Takeda was running out of options.
Turn 6 - Takeda
Draw, the voices urged. Draw and believe. We can still turn this around.
"Turn what around? He has a 2500 ATK monster that does piercing damage! He has a trap that negates attacks! He has another Synchro Summon worth of resources in his hand, probably! What am I supposed to do?"
Trust us. Draw.
Takeda drew.
He looked at the card.
He stared at the card.
He kept staring at the card.
"What," he said.
What? the voices asked.
"Why do I have this?"
Have what? What did you draw?
Takeda slowly turned the card around so he could see it more clearly, as if that would somehow change what was written on it.
It didn't.
The card was still there.
The card was still real.
The card was—
MONSTER REBORN
He had Monster Reborn.
Monster Reborn, the legendary spell card that could revive any monster from either graveyard.
Monster Reborn, which he definitely didn't own. He had found half of a Monster Reborn in a dumpster yesterday, but that was literally torn in half and useless.
So why was there a perfectly intact Monster Reborn in his hand?
We told you, the voices said, and there was something smug in their tone. We told you that you were lucky. Luckier than you know.
"I didn't have this card yesterday!"
And yet you have it now. Perhaps someone put it in your deck. Perhaps you found it and forgot. Perhaps the universe simply decided you needed it. Does it matter? You have it. USE IT.
Takeda looked at Yusei's graveyard.
Junk Synchron. Speed Warrior.
He looked at his own graveyard.
Giant Soldier of Stone.
None of those would help him. Even if he revived Junk Warrior somehow—which wasn't in the graveyard, Yusei had used it as Synchro material and it was probably in the Extra Deck or something—it wouldn't be enough.
But wait.
Monster Reborn said "either graveyard."
And Yusei had used Junk Warrior as Synchro material.
When a Synchro Monster was used as material for another Synchro Summon, did it go to the graveyard?
Takeda's brain, running on fumes and desperation, tried to remember the rules.
Yes. Yes it did. When a monster was used as material, it went to the graveyard. Junk Warrior was in Yusei's graveyard.
He could steal Junk Warrior.
"I activate Monster Reborn!" Takeda shouted. "I revive Junk Warrior from YOUR graveyard!"
The arena went silent.
Yusei's eyes widened—just slightly, just for a moment, but it was the first real reaction Takeda had seen from him.
"You're taking my Junk Warrior?"
"I'm taking your Junk Warrior!"
The spell activated. A brilliant light erupted from Yusei's graveyard, and from that light emerged the mechanical warrior that Takeda had watched be Synchro Summoned just minutes ago.
Junk Warrior - Level 5, Dark, Warrior/Synchro. 2300 ATK / 1300 DEF
The crowd gasped.
Takeda now had a Synchro Monster.
It wasn't his Synchro Monster. He had stolen it fair and square. But it was on his field, under his control.
"Junk Warrior's effect activates!" Takeda realized suddenly. "It gains ATK equal to the total ATK of all Level 2 or lower monsters I control!"
He had three Sheep Tokens.
Sheep Tokens were Level 1.
Sheep Tokens had 0 ATK.
"...That's zero extra ATK," Takeda said, deflating slightly.
"Still a good play," Yusei said, and there was something new in his voice. Interest, maybe. Approval. "You stole my monster to even the field. That takes quick thinking."
"I'm mostly just panicking, to be honest."
"Panic can be a powerful motivator. But Junk Warrior has 2300 ATK, and Turbo Warrior has 2500. You still can't beat me in battle."
"I know. But I can stall." Takeda looked at his hand. "I set Mask of Darkness in defense position. Turn end."
He now had Junk Warrior (2300 ATK), three Sheep Tokens, a face-down Mask of Darkness, and a face-down Skull Servant. His hand was Watapon, Mokey Mokey, and Petit Dragon.
Still terrible.
But slightly less terrible than before.
Turn 7 - Yusei
"Draw." Yusei looked at his card and nodded. "This duel has been interesting. More interesting than I expected. Your deck is... unconventional."
"That's a polite way of saying 'terrible.'"
"I've seen terrible decks. I grew up in the Satellite, where people built decks from whatever cards they could find in the trash. Your deck isn't terrible. It's just... mismatched. Like a puzzle with pieces from different boxes."
Takeda blinked. "That's... actually exactly what it is."
"I thought so." Yusei's expression softened slightly. "I'm going to finish this duel now. Not because I want to humiliate you, but because drawing it out wouldn't be respectful. You've fought well with what you have. Now watch what happens when everything comes together."
He held up a card.
"I activate the spell card Tuning! This lets me add one Tuner monster from my deck to my hand."
A card ejected from his deck, and he revealed it.
"I add Stardust Synchron to my hand."
Takeda's heart sank.
Stardust Synchron. The Tuner specifically designed to summon Stardust Dragon.
"I summon Stardust Synchron in attack mode."
A mechanical creature appeared, its body shimmering with starlight.
Stardust Synchron - Level 4, Light, Machine/Tuner. 1500 ATK / 1500 DEF
"And now I activate Stardust Synchron's effect. When it's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Stardust Synchron from my deck."
Wait, he could summon another copy of itself?
Another Stardust Synchron appeared beside the first.
Stardust Synchron - Level 4, Light, Machine/Tuner. 1500 ATK / 1500 DEF
Two Tuners. Turbo Warrior was Level 6.
6 + 4 + 4 = 14?
That couldn't be right. There wasn't a Level 14 Synchro Monster.
But then Yusei did something unexpected.
"I tribute my second Stardust Synchron to activate its other effect. By tributing this card, I can Special Summon one Tuner from my graveyard."
The second Stardust Synchron vanished, and from Yusei's graveyard emerged—
Junk Synchron - Level 3, Dark, Warrior/Tuner. 1300 ATK / 500 DEF
"And now," Yusei said, his voice carrying the weight of destiny, "I tune my Level 4 Stardust Synchron with my Level 3 Junk Synchron and my Level 6 Turbo Warrior."
Wait, that was—
4 + 3 = 7.
7 + 6 = 13.
There wasn't a Level 13 Synchro Monster either!
But the monsters were already glowing. Stardust Synchron became four green rings. Junk Synchron and Turbo Warrior rose up through them together, becoming three and six points of light respectively.
That was only 13 levels.
Unless—
"Stardust Synchron's level is treated as 5 when used for Synchro Summoning a Stardust monster," Yusei explained, as if reading Takeda's confusion.
5 + 3 + 6 = 14?
Still too high!
"I also banish Speed Warrior from my graveyard to reduce the Synchro Summon requirement by one level."
14 - 1 = 13?
STILL TOO HIGH!
"And I activate my trap card, Synchro Call. This allows me to perform a Synchro Summon using my graveyard as additional material."
The trap flipped, and from Yusei's graveyard, another glow emerged.
"I include the Turbo Synchron in my graveyard as additional material."
Turbo Synchron was Level 1.
5 + 3 + 6 + 1 = 15.
15 - 1 (from Speed Warrior's effect) = 14.
14 - 2 (from Synchro Call's cost) = 12.
Level 12.
"Clustering crystal dreams open the door to a new evolution! Become the path its light shines upon!"
The light filled the entire arena. The crowd was on its feet, screaming with excitement. The holographic projectors strained to contain the sheer magnitude of what was being summoned.
"SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
And from the light descended a dragon.
Not just any dragon.
THE dragon.
Wings that shimmered with every color of the rainbow. A body made of pure crystallized starlight. Eyes that held the wisdom of the cosmos and the power to reshape reality itself.
"DESCEND, SHOOTING QUASAR DRAGON!"
Shooting Quasar Dragon - Level 12, Light, Dragon/Synchro. 4000 ATK / 4000 DEF
Four. Thousand. Attack. Points.
Four thousand defense points.
A monster that, if Takeda remembered correctly from his roommate's explanations, could attack multiple times, negate effects, and summon another powerful monster when it was destroyed.
Yusei had skipped straight past Stardust Dragon and gone directly to the final boss.
"What," Takeda said.
"What," the crowd echoed.
"KURI?!" the Kuriboh shrieked.
That's not supposed to happen in round one of a preliminary tournament, the voices of his deck said, sounding somewhat offended. That's a final boss summon. He's taking this seriously.
"He's taking this SERIOUSLY? Against ME? Why would he take this seriously against me?"
Perhaps he sees something in you that you don't see in yourself.
"What could he possibly see in me? I'm LOSING! I'm losing BADLY! I have a stolen Junk Warrior and some sheep tokens and this man just summoned a dragon that could destroy CITIES!"
"Shooting Quasar Dragon," Yusei said, his voice calm amidst the chaos, "can attack a number of times equal to the number of non-Tuner Synchro Monsters used for its Synchro Summon."
Takeda's brain tried to process this.
Turbo Warrior was a non-Tuner Synchro Monster.
That was the only one Yusei had used.
One attack.
Thank God. Only one attack.
"Shooting Quasar Dragon, attack Junk Warrior."
Wait, Junk Warrior was Takeda's monster. His only good monster.
"Shooting Quasar Blast!"
The dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a beam of pure starlight that turned the arena white. Junk Warrior didn't even have time to react before it was completely obliterated.
Takeda LP: 4500 → 2800
"My Junk Warrior," Takeda whispered.
"I end my turn," Yusei said.
The arena was silent.
Shooting Quasar Dragon hovered over the field, its wings spread, its power undeniable.
Takeda had 2800 LP, three Sheep Tokens (0 ATK/0 DEF), a face-down Mask of Darkness, a face-down Skull Servant, and a face-down Polymerization.
His hand was Watapon, Mokey Mokey, and Petit Dragon.
Yusei had 7800 LP, Shooting Quasar Dragon (4000 ATK/4000 DEF), Scrap-Iron Scarecrow face-down, and presumably more resources in hand.
This was it.
This was the end.
There was absolutely no way Takeda could win this duel. He didn't have the cards, the strategy, or the skill. He had nothing except spite and stubbornness and a Kuriboh that was currently hiding behind his neck, making distressed "kuri" sounds.
Draw, the voices urged. One more draw. Give us one more chance.
"What's the point? He has 4000 ATK. I have nothing that can match that."
You summoned Blue-Eyes White Dragon yesterday. From nothing. From impossible fusion materials. You made the rules bend through sheer willpower.
"That was different. That was—"
That was desperation. And you are desperate now. More desperate than you've ever been. This is Yusei Fudo. This is a protagonist. This is a man who has saved the world multiple times with the power of belief and determination. And you are facing him in front of thousands of people.
If there was ever a time for the impossible to happen, it is NOW.
DRAW.
Takeda drew.
He looked at the card.
He looked at it for a very long time.
The card was Dark Hole.
The card that destroyed all monsters on the field.
Including Shooting Quasar Dragon.
"I activate Dark Hole!" Takeda shouted, his voice cracking slightly. "This card destroys ALL monsters on the field!"
A massive vortex appeared in the center of the arena, sucking in everything around it.
Shooting Quasar Dragon, the 4000 ATK behemoth that Yusei had painstakingly summoned, was pulled toward the vortex.
And then—
"Shooting Quasar Dragon's effect," Yusei said calmly. "Once per turn, I can negate the activation of a spell, trap, or monster effect and destroy it."
The vortex shattered.
Dark Hole was negated.
Shooting Quasar Dragon remained on the field, utterly untouched.
"Oh," Takeda said quietly. "Right. It can do that."
We forgot it could do that.
"You FORGOT?"
We don't have access to all card databases! We know what we know! We didn't know it could negate Dark Hole!
Takeda stared at the field.
His one chance—his single hope of survival—had been casually slapped aside by a monster that was so powerful it could just say "no" to spell cards.
"Do you have any other plays?" Yusei asked, not unkindly.
Takeda looked at his hand.
Watapon. Mokey Mokey. Petit Dragon.
He looked at his field.
Three Sheep Tokens. Face-down Mask of Darkness. Face-down Skull Servant. A useless Polymerization.
He looked at the Kuriboh on his shoulder.
"Kuri," it said softly.
He looked at Shooting Quasar Dragon.
And then, for reasons he couldn't entirely explain, Takeda started to laugh.
It wasn't a happy laugh. It wasn't a triumphant laugh. It was the laugh of someone who had been pushed so far beyond the boundaries of normal stress that the only response left was absurdity.
"You know what?" Takeda said, still laughing. "Sure. Let's do this. Let's go full stupid."
He held up his hand.
"I activate Polymerization!"
Yusei raised an eyebrow.
The crowd murmured in confusion.
Takeda's deck pulsed with light.
"I fuse the Watapon in my hand with the Mokey Mokey in my hand!"
Those don't fuse into anything, the voices pointed out.
"I KNOW!" Takeda shouted. "BUT I'M GOING TO TRY ANYWAY! BECAUSE YESTERDAY I FUSED BABY DRAGON AND OJAMA YELLOW INTO BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON, AND IF THAT WORKED, THEN MAYBE THIS WILL WORK TOO!"
That's not how—
"I DON'T CARE HOW IT WORKS! I'M TIRED! I'M HUNGRY! I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN A BED IN DAYS! I'M FACING A MAN WHO JUST SUMMONED A DRAGON THAT CAN ATTACK CITIES! AND IF I'M GOING TO LOSE, I'M GOING TO LOSE DOING SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY INSANE!"
The Polymerization card began to glow.
But it wasn't the normal glow of a spell activation.
It was something else.
Something deeper.
Something that made the air in the arena crackle with power that had nothing to do with holographic technology.
He's doing it again, the voices breathed. He's bending reality again. HELP HIM.
The cards in Takeda's deck—all of them, every single one—began to glow.
The Kuriboh on his shoulder began to glow.
Takeda himself began to glow.
And across the field, Yusei Fudo watched with wide eyes as something impossible started to happen.
"What are you doing?" Yusei asked, and for the first time, there was uncertainty in his voice.
"I have no idea!" Takeda admitted. "But I'm committed now! I fuse Watapon and Mokey Mokey into—"
He reached into the light.
He grabbed something.
He pulled.
And from the fusion—from the impossible combination of a pink fluffball and an indifferent rectangle—something emerged.
It was not a monster that existed in any card database.
It was not a monster that had ever been designed by any game developer.
It was a monster that had been willed into existence by sheer, unfiltered spite and the desperate refusal to go down without a fight.
It was—
The light faded.
Takeda looked at what he had summoned.
The crowd looked at what he had summoned.
Yusei looked at what he had summoned.
It was... still Mokey Mokey.
But different.
Its eyes, previously blank and indifferent, now burned with an inner fire. Its rectangular body had sprouted wings made of crystallized light. Its overall aura screamed "I have been inconvenienced and I am NOT HAPPY about it."
A card materialized in Takeda's hand—a fusion monster card that definitely hadn't existed five seconds ago.
Mokey Mokey King of Rage - Level 10, Light, Fairy/Fusion. ? ATK / ? DEF
"What is that?" Yusei asked.
"I don't know!" Takeda looked at the card. "It says... 'This monster's ATK and DEF are equal to the combined ATK and DEF of all monsters you control and in your graveyard, plus 100 for every card in your opponent's graveyard, plus 1000 for every Synchro Monster your opponent controls.'"
He started calculating.
On his field: Three Sheep Tokens (0+0+0 ATK, 0+0+0 DEF). Face-down Mask of Darkness (900 ATK, 400 DEF). Face-down Skull Servant (300 ATK, 200 DEF).
In his graveyard: Giant Soldier of Stone (1300 ATK, 2000 DEF). Watapon (200 ATK, 300 DEF). Mokey Mokey (300 ATK, 100 DEF). Junk Warrior (2300 ATK, 1300 DEF—wait, was a stolen monster sent to his graveyard? He wasn't sure).
Let's say Junk Warrior counts: 1300 + 200 + 300 + 2300 + 900 + 300 = 5300 ATK. 2000 + 300 + 100 + 1300 + 400 + 200 = 4300 DEF.
In Yusei's graveyard: Speed Warrior, Turbo Synchron, Junk Synchron, Stardust Synchron... that was at least 4 cards, probably more.
4 × 100 = 400 bonus.
Yusei controls Shooting Quasar Dragon, a Synchro Monster: 1000 bonus.
Total ATK: 5300 + 400 + 1000 = 6700.
Total DEF: 4300 + 400 + 1000 = 5700.
Mokey Mokey King of Rage - ATK: 6700 / DEF: 5700
"Wait," Takeda said, staring at the numbers. "Wait. That's... that's higher than Shooting Quasar Dragon."
Yusei stared at the monster.
The monster stared back at Yusei.
"Kuri," the Kuriboh whispered, awestruck.
"ATTACK!" Takeda screamed, pointing at Shooting Quasar Dragon. "MOKEY MOKEY KING OF RAGE, ATTACK SHOOTING QUASAR DRAGON! INDIFFERENT RAGE!"
The fusion monster—the impossible fusion monster, the monster that had been willed into existence by spite and desperation—opened its rectangular mouth and unleashed a beam of pure, concentrated annoyance.
"I activate Shooting Quasar Dragon's effect!" Yusei countered. "I negate—"
"You already used that effect this turn!" Takeda shouted. "You used it on Dark Hole! It says ONCE PER TURN!"
Yusei's eyes widened.
He'd used the negation effect.
He couldn't use it again.
The beam struck Shooting Quasar Dragon. The cosmic dragon, the Level 12 Synchro Monster, the final boss that had been summoned to end the duel in spectacular fashion—
—shattered.
Yusei LP: 7800 → 5100
"HE DESTROYED SHOOTING QUASAR DRAGON!" someone in the crowd screamed.
"WHAT WAS THAT MONSTER?" someone else shouted.
"IS THAT LEGAL?" a third voice demanded.
Takeda stared at his own monster, still not entirely believing what had just happened.
"I... I did that," he said quietly. "I actually did that."
YOU did that, the voices confirmed. You bent reality. You refused to lose. And you DESTROYED A LEVEL 12 SYNCHRO MONSTER.
"Kuri!" the Kuriboh cheered.
But then Yusei smiled.
It was not a defeated smile.
It was not a worried smile.
It was the smile of someone who was having fun.
"When Shooting Quasar Dragon is destroyed," Yusei said, "I can Special Summon one Shooting Star Dragon from my Extra Deck."
From the remnants of the cosmic dragon, another dragon emerged.
Smaller than its predecessor, but still radiating power. Still radiating danger.
Shooting Star Dragon - Level 10, Wind, Dragon/Synchro. 3300 ATK / 2500 DEF
"Shooting Star Dragon," Yusei continued, "can attack multiple times in one turn, once for each Tuner monster I excavate from the top of my deck."
He picked up the top five cards of his deck and revealed them.
Three Tuners.
"Three attacks."
Takeda's Mokey Mokey King of Rage had 6700 ATK. But Takeda had no way to protect his other monsters. And if Shooting Star Dragon attacked those first—
"I end my turn," Takeda said weakly. "I... can't do anything else."
Turn 9 - Yusei
"Draw." Yusei looked at his card. "You've impressed me, Takeda. More than I expected. That fusion... I've never seen anything like it."
"I haven't either, to be fair."
"But this duel has to end. Shooting Star Dragon, attack his Sheep Tokens! Stardust Flash!"
The dragon launched across the field, its body becoming a blur of motion. One Sheep Token vanished. Then another. Then the third.
Takeda LP: 2800 → -7100
Wait.
Negative seven thousand?
TAKEDA LOSES
Takeda blinked.
"What? How? The Sheep Tokens had 0 DEF! 3300 minus 0 is 3300! Three attacks is 9900! I only had 2800 LP! That's... that's way more damage than necessary!"
"Shooting Star Dragon deals piercing damage," Yusei explained. "And I attacked three times."
"But I... I destroyed Shooting Quasar Dragon! I summoned an impossible fusion monster! I was doing so well!"
You were doing well, the voices agreed. But you still lost.
"I KNOW I STILL LOST! I CAN SEE THE NUMBERS!"
The arena was in chaos. Half the crowd was chanting Yusei's name. The other half was screaming about what the hell that Mokey Mokey thing had been and whether it was legal and demanding that the judges review the footage.
Mokey Mokey King of Rage faded from the field, returning to wherever impossible fusion monsters went when they weren't needed anymore.
The duel was over.
Takeda had lost.
Again.
But as Yusei walked across the platform toward him, the legendary duelist was smiling in a way that suggested this wasn't quite the defeat it appeared to be.
"That was a good duel," Yusei said, extending his hand. "One of the most interesting I've had in a while."
Takeda stared at the offered hand.
"I lost," he said flatly. "I lost by over seven thousand life points. I'm eliminated from the tournament. How is that a good duel?"
"Because you made me summon Shooting Quasar Dragon in the first round of a preliminary tournament. Because you stole my Junk Warrior and used it against me. Because you created a fusion monster that doesn't exist through sheer force of will and used it to destroy my ace monster."
Yusei's smile widened.
"I came to this tournament expecting easy matches until the finals. You gave me a challenge in round one. That's worth more than a win."
Takeda looked at Yusei's hand.
He looked at the Kuriboh on his shoulder.
He looked at the crowd, still buzzing with confusion and excitement.
And then, despite everything—despite the loss, despite the elimination, despite the fact that he was still homeless and hungry and completely out of his depth in a world that made no sense—he smiled too.
"Rematch someday?" Takeda asked, grasping Yusei's hand.
"Absolutely. Next time, I won't hold back."
"YOU WERE HOLDING BACK?"
Yusei's only response was another smile as he turned and walked away, leaving Takeda standing on the platform with his shattered deck, his exhausted body, his frustrated Kuriboh, and the faint, impossible hope that maybe—just maybe—he wasn't as terrible at this as he thought.
You forced a protagonist to use his ultimate monster in round one, the voices said. That's not nothing.
"I still lost."
You lost with STYLE. That's what matters.
"I'm pretty sure winning is what matters."
In this world? No. In this world, it's the drama that matters. The narrative. The story. And you just became part of Yusei Fudo's story. Do you know how few people can say that?
Takeda sighed.
He was eliminated from the tournament.
He was still homeless.
He was still hungry.
But he had punched above his weight class, forced a legendary duelist to go all out, and created a monster that technically shouldn't exist through the power of spite and desperation.
That had to count for something.
Right?
...Right?
"Kuri," the Kuriboh said, patting his cheek reassuringly.
"Thanks," Takeda muttered. "At least someone believes in me."
The crowd was dispersing, moving on to watch other matches. The screens were already displaying new matchups, new brackets, new duelists with better decks and actual strategies.
Takeda walked off the platform, his legs shaking, his mind reeling, his deck—his impossible, terrible, somehow alive deck—pulsing gently against his chest.
He had lost.
But somehow, it felt like he had won something too.
He just wasn't sure what yet.
Onward, the voices encouraged. There will be other tournaments. Other duels. Other chances to prove yourself.
"First, there will be food," Takeda said firmly. "I haven't eaten in—I don't even know how long. If I'm going to keep doing impossible things with this deck, I need to not be starving while I do them."
Fair point. We believe there's a dumpster behind the arena cafeteria that might have—
"I'm going to find REAL food. Somehow. Even if I have to duel someone for it."
Now that's the spirit.
Takeda walked out of the Central Duel Arena, into the aggressively cheerful sunlight of Domino City, with absolutely no plan and absolutely no resources and absolutely no idea what he was going to do next.
But he had spite.
He had a deck that was somehow alive and rooting for him.
He had a Kuriboh.
And he had the memory of a protagonist looking at him with respect.
That was enough.
For now.