Takeda arrived at Second Chance Games at 9:47 AM, which he considered a personal victory given that he had no alarm clock, no phone, and had spent the night on a park bench being periodically woken up by what he was fairly certain was the same pigeon from yesterday conducting what appeared to be an ongoing territorial dispute with his forehead.
"You're early," the owner—whose name Takeda had learned was Mr. Saito—observed, looking up from the inventory list he was reviewing. "That's either enthusiasm or you have nowhere else to be."
"Can it be both?" Takeda asked.
"Honesty. I respect that. Come on, I'll show you the testing area."
The testing area turned out to be a small section of the shop cordoned off by a rope that had clearly been borrowed from a movie theater at some point. There were two dueling stations with functioning holographic projectors, a table with various pre-constructed decks in deck boxes, and a whiteboard with "BASIC RULES" written at the top in increasingly frantic handwriting.
"Your job," Mr. Saito explained, "is to teach absolute beginners the fundamentals of dueling. How to summon monsters, how to activate spells and traps, how to not accidentally set their entire hand face-down in the spell zone because they panicked."
"That's... very specific."
"It happened yesterday. The kid was very enthusiastic but had no idea what he was doing. Anyway, you'll use these teaching decks—" he gestured to the deck boxes "—which are designed to be simple and easy to understand. No complicated combos, no Extra Deck mechanics, just Normal Summons and basic effects."
Takeda looked at the deck boxes with their labels: "Warrior Beatdown," "Spellcaster Control," "Dragon Power," "Machine Assault."
"What if I want to teach them more advanced mechanics? Like Fusion Summoning or—"
"Start with the basics. Once they understand the fundamentals, THEN we can introduce the complicated stuff. Most beginners get overwhelmed if you throw too much at them at once."
Says the man whose life has been nothing but overwhelming since arriving in this world, the voices of his deck commented.
Shut up. I'm trying to look professional.
"Understood. Basics first, then advanced mechanics."
"Good. Your first student arrives at 10:30. Until then, you can practice with the teaching decks or study the rulebook on the counter. I recommend the rulebook—it's been updated for the unified tournament rules and includes all the modern summoning mechanics."
Mr. Saito returned to his inventory, leaving Takeda alone with the teaching decks and a rulebook that was approximately the size and weight of a small phonebook.
Takeda picked up the rulebook.
DUEL MONSTERS: UNIFIED RULES EDITION - COVERING ALL ERAS AND SUMMONING MECHANICS
He flipped it open to the table of contents.
Chapter 1: Basic Rules and Turn StructureChapter 2: Normal Summoning and Tribute SummoningChapter 3: Fusion SummoningChapter 4: Ritual SummoningChapter 5: Synchro SummoningChapter 6: XYZ SummoningChapter 7: Pendulum SummoningChapter 8: Link SummoningChapter 9: Advanced Mechanics and TimingChapter 10: Tournament RegulationsAppendix A: Banned and Limited CardsAppendix B: Common Ruling QuestionsAppendix C: How To Tell If Your Opponent Is Cheating
"This is a LOT of summoning mechanics," Takeda muttered.
This world has accumulated multiple generations of game mechanics, the voices explained. Each era introduced new summoning methods. The Unified Rules allow all of them to coexist.
"And I'm supposed to learn all of them?"
You don't have to master all of them. But understanding them would help. Especially since your deck seems to be collecting cards from multiple eras.
Takeda flipped to Chapter 8: Link Summoning.
LINK SUMMONING
Link Monsters are a special type of Extra Deck monster denoted by a hexagonal frame and Link Rating instead of a Level or Rank. They are summoned by sending the required number of monsters from your field to the Graveyard as Link Material.
Key Points:
Link Monsters have no DEF and are always in Attack PositionLink Rating determines how many materials are needed (minimum)Link Arrows indicate which zones the Link Monster affectsMonsters summoned from the Extra Deck must be placed in Extra Monster Zones or zones a Link Monster points to
"Okay, that's... wait, Extra Monster Zones? Zones that Link Monsters point to? What?"
There was a diagram showing a modified field layout with two additional zones above the normal Monster Zones, labeled "Extra Monster Zone (Left)" and "Extra Monster Zone (Right)."
"I don't have Extra Monster Zones," Takeda said, looking at his duel disk. "My duel disk barely has REGULAR Monster Zones that work."
This is a problem, the voices agreed. Link Summoning requires field infrastructure that your duel disk doesn't support. However...
"However?"
You've been performing impossible fusions through sheer spite and luck. Perhaps the same principle applies to Link Summoning. The rules say you need proper zones. But what if you believe hard enough that you don't?
"That's a terrible strategy."
It's YOUR strategy. You made it work with Blue-Eyes White Dragon. You made it work with Mokey Mokey King of Rage. Why not Link Monsters?
Takeda continued reading, trying to understand the mechanics.
Link Materials can be any monster on your field unless the Link Monster specifies requirements (e.g., "2+ Effect Monsters" or "2 Cyberse monsters"). A Link-2 Monster requires at least 2 materials, a Link-3 requires at least 3, etc.
Link Arrows point to adjacent Monster Zones, Spell/Trap Zones, or the opponent's field. Monsters summoned from the Extra Deck (Fusion, Synchro, XYZ, Pendulum) must be placed in an Extra Monster Zone OR a zone a Link Monster points to.
His head was starting to hurt.
"This is so much more complicated than just 'play monster, attack opponent.'"
Welcome to modern Yu-Gi-Oh. It's been accumulating complexity for over a decade.
The door chimed, and a young girl—maybe eight or nine years old—walked in with her mother.
"Excuse me," the mother said, "we called earlier about beginner lessons?"
Mr. Saito emerged from the back. "Ah, yes! Takeda, this is your first student. Her name is Yuki, and she just got her first starter deck for her birthday."
Yuki was clutching a deck box with a holographic Kuriboh on the cover. Her eyes immediately locked onto the real Kuriboh on Takeda's shoulder.
"IS THAT A REAL KURIBOH?" she shrieked at a volume that suggested her previous career had been as an air raid siren.
"Kuri!" the Kuriboh confirmed.
Yuki made a noise that only dogs and dolphins could properly hear.
This was going to be a long day.
Teaching Yuki the basics of Duel Monsters was an exercise in patience that Takeda hadn't known he possessed.
"So I can only Normal Summon one monster per turn?" Yuki asked for the third time.
"Yes."
"But what if I REALLY want to summon two monsters?"
"Then you need a card effect that lets you Special Summon."
"What's Special Summon?"
"It's when you summon a monster not using your Normal Summon. Some cards let you do this."
"Can I Special Summon from my hand?"
"Some cards let you, yes."
"Can I Special Summon from my deck?"
"Some cards let you do that too."
"Can I Special Summon from my opponent's deck?"
"That's... very specific, but yes, some cards can do that."
"Can I Special Summon from the FUTURE?"
Takeda blinked. "What?"
"Can I summon a card I WILL draw but haven't drawn yet?"
"No. That's not how time works."
"But what if I believe REALLY hard?"
I like her, the voices said. She has the right attitude.
By the end of the hour-long lesson, Yuki had successfully learned:
How to Normal Summon a monsterHow to attack with a monster (after trying to attack with a Spell Card twice)How to set cards face-down (in the correct zones, after initially trying to set her entire hand in the Monster Zone)The difference between Attack Position and Defense Position (after asking "What if my monster wants to do BOTH at the same time?")
It was progress.
Slow, chaotic progress, but progress nonetheless.
"You did well," Mr. Saito said after Yuki and her mother left. "Patient, clear explanations, didn't lose your temper when she tried to tribute summon using cards from her graveyard. Here's your payment for today—1000 yen, plus there's curry in the back room if you're hungry."
Takeda accepted the money with the reverence of someone who had started the week with literally nothing.
"Thank you. This is... this is really helpful."
"You've got two more students this afternoon—teenagers who know the basics but want to learn Synchro Summoning. Think you can handle that?"
Takeda, who had watched Yusei perform Synchro Summoning multiple times during their duel and had read Chapter 5 of the rulebook during Yuki's bathroom break, nodded with more confidence than he felt.
"I can handle it."
Fake it till you make it, the voices encouraged.
The afternoon sessions went more smoothly—the teenagers were enthusiastic and actually understood the basic rules, which made teaching them Synchro Summoning significantly easier than teaching Yuki not to try to Normal Summon in the Battle Phase.
By the time 5 PM rolled around, Takeda had earned his 1000 yen, eaten curry that was probably the best thing he'd tasted since arriving in this world, and successfully taught three different people the fundamentals of dueling without anyone's duel disk exploding.
He considered it a rousing success.
"Same time tomorrow?" Mr. Saito asked as Takeda prepared to leave.
"Absolutely."
"Good. And Takeda? Get a real duel disk. Seriously. That thing is a safety hazard."
Takeda looked down at his duel disk, which was currently held together by electrical tape, optimism, and what appeared to be a piece of chewing gum he didn't remember adding.
"Working on it."
With 1000 yen in his pocket (plus the 20 yen left over from yesterday), Takeda's first thought was: I should save this for important things like food and shelter.
His second thought was: But what if there are cards in dumpsters nearby?
The second thought won.
You have a problem, the voices observed as Takeda made his way toward the shopping district where high-end card shops disposed of their excess inventory.
"It's not a problem, it's a hobby."
Your hobby is literally going through garbage.
"My hobby is RECYCLING. I'm environmentally conscious."
You're homeless and desperate.
"I'm RESOURCEFUL and PROACTIVE."
The Kuriboh, sitting on his shoulder, seemed to be enjoying the internal argument immensely.
The first three dumpsters were disappointing—mostly damaged packaging and promotional materials that had been rained on. The fourth dumpster, behind a shop called "Elite Duelist Supplies," was more promising.
Takeda opened the lid and peered inside.
And nearly fell in from shock.
There were cards.
Not just commons or damaged cards.
Actual, legitimate, GOOD cards.
He dove in (metaphorically—he wasn't actually desperate enough to climb into a dumpster, he had SOME dignity) and started sorting through the haul.
First discovery: Fusion Monsters.
Someone had thrown away an entire stack of fusion monsters, probably from an old collection they were liquidating. Most were from the early eras—the original series and GX—but there were a few from later generations too.
Takeda found:
Dark Flare Knight (Dark Magician + Flame Swordsman fusion)Amulet Dragon (Dark Magician + any Dragon monster)Master of Chaos (Black Luster Soldier + Blue-Eyes White Dragon)Elemental HERO Flame Wingman (Elemental HERO Avian + Elemental HERO Burstinatrix)Elemental HERO Thunder Giant (Elemental HERO Sparkman + Elemental HERO Clayman)
None of which he had the proper materials for, of course. But if his theory about impossible fusions was correct, that didn't matter. Mokey Mokey King of Rage had proven that with enough spite and desperation, he could fuse anything with anything.
But then he found something that made his heart stop.
At the bottom of the fusion pile, in a protective sleeve that was slightly bent but still intact, was—
DARK MAGICIAN
Not a fusion monster.
The actual, original, iconic Dark Magician.
The signature card of Yugi Muto himself.
Level 7, Dark, Spellcaster. 2500 ATK, 2100 DEF.
Takeda pulled the card out with trembling hands, half-expecting it to vanish like a dream.
It didn't vanish.
It was real.
"Why would anyone throw this away?" he whispered.
Check the card, the voices suggested.
Takeda examined it more carefully. The artwork was pristine, the text was clear, but there was a small mark in the corner—a tiny stamp that read "PROMOTIONAL REPRINT - NOT TOURNAMENT LEGAL."
"It's a promo reprint," Takeda said, his heart sinking slightly. "That's why they threw it away. It's not tournament legal."
But you're not entering tournaments anymore. You lost in the first round, remember? And even if you were, the Unified Tournament rules are... flexible about reprints. Some local tournaments allow them.
"And I can still use it for teaching at the shop. And for practice. And for—"
The card began to glow.
Softly at first, then brighter, until Takeda had to shield his eyes.
When the glow faded, he was no longer alone in the alley.
Standing before him, translucent but unmistakably present, was the Dark Magician himself.
Purple robes flowing in a wind that didn't exist. Green staff crackling with arcane energy. Eyes that held centuries of magical knowledge and the patience of someone who had dealt with countless duelists' nonsense.
So, the Dark Magician said, his voice echoing in Takeda's mind, you're my new master.
Takeda stared.
The Dark Magician stared back.
"Kuri?" the Kuriboh said, sounding as surprised as Takeda felt.
I'm not your master, Takeda thought frantically. I'm just a guy who found you in a dumpster. I don't even have the proper support cards. I can't tribute summon you properly half the time because my duel disk barely works. You should go find someone worthy. Someone like Yugi. Or any competent spellcaster duelist. I'm terrible.
The Dark Magician tilted his head, considering.
You have a Kuriboh as a duel spirit. You possess Mokey Mokey King of Rage—a fusion monster that, according to the collective knowledge of card spirits, should not exist. And you just referred to me as someone who should 'go find someone worthy,' as if I have agency and choice in this matter.
...Yes?
Most duelists treat their cards as tools. Resources to be used and discarded. But you speak to your deck. You listen to them. You believe they're alive, not as a metaphor, but as reality.
They ARE alive. They talk to me. They give me advice. Sometimes they insult me, but mostly they're helpful.
The Dark Magician's expression shifted to something that might have been amusement.
Then I will stay. But know this: I am Dark Magician. I have high standards. I expect strategic play, respect for the art of spell-casting, and proper support cards eventually. Find me a Dark Magic Circle and a Dark Magical Veil and we'll discuss long-term arrangements.
I don't know what those cards are.
Learn. In the meantime... The Dark Magician gestured with his staff, and three more cards floated up from the dumpster, glowing with magic. These were beneath me. I suggest you take them.
The cards drifted into Takeda's hands.
Thousand Knives - Spell Card. If you control "Dark Magician," destroy all monsters your opponent controls.
Dark Magic Attack - Spell Card. If you control "Dark Magician," destroy all Spell and Trap Cards your opponent controls.
Illusion Magic - Normal Spell. If you control a "Dark Magician": Add 2 "Dark Magician" cards from your Deck to your hand.
"These are all Dark Magician support cards," Takeda said, his voice still shaky from talking to an actual legendary monster spirit. "This is... this is actually a viable strategy core."
Indeed. I do not accept mediocrity. If I am to be part of your deck, we will make it work properly.
The Dark Magician faded back into his card, leaving Takeda alone in the alley with a suddenly much more valuable deck.
Did that just happen? Takeda asked his deck.
That just happened, the voices confirmed, sounding impressed. You just acquired Dark Magician. And he LIKES you. Do you understand how rare that is?
I found him in a dumpster!
The best things in your life come from dumpsters. Embrace it.
Takeda carefully sleeved the Dark Magician and his support cards, adding them to his deck with the reverence they deserved.
He kept digging.
Second major discovery: ZEXAL era cards.
Near the bottom of the dumpster, in a small box labeled "Old Meta - Outdated," Takeda found a collection of cards featuring a distinctive design—monsters with black borders and the word "Xyz" in their type line.
XYZ Monsters, the voices explained. Pronounced "Exceed." From the ZEXAL era. They're Extra Deck monsters summoned by stacking monsters of the same Level on top of each other.
"How is that different from Fusion or Synchro?"
Fusion requires specific materials and a Fusion Spell. Synchro requires a Tuner and specific Levels that add up. XYZ requires monsters of the EXACT same Level, and they become materials attached to the XYZ Monster rather than going to the graveyard.
"This game has too many mechanics."
You're just now realizing this?
Takeda sorted through the XYZ cards:
Number 39: Utopia - Rank 4, Light, Warrior/Xyz. 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF.
"2 Level 4 monsters. Once per turn, you can detach 1 material from this card; negate one attack."
This is Yuma's ace monster, the voices said reverently. The protagonist of ZEXAL. Utopia is iconic.
Gagaga Magician - Level 4, Dark, Spellcaster. 1500 ATK, 1000 DEF.
"Once per turn: You can declare a Level from 1 to 8; this card becomes that Level until the End Phase."
Level manipulation! This can be ANY Level for XYZ purposes!
Gagaga Girl - Level 3, Dark, Spellcaster. 1000 ATK, 800 DEF.
"Once per turn: If this card is in your hand, you can declare a Level from 1 to 8; this card becomes that Level, then you can Special Summon it."
More level manipulation! The Gagaga archetype is designed for flexible XYZ Summoning!
Zubababancho Gagagacoat - Rank 4, Dark, Warrior/Xyz. 2800 ATK, 1800 DEF.
"2 Level 4 monsters. Once per turn, you can detach 1 material; Special Summon 1 'Gagaga' monster from your Deck."
That name is ridiculous but the effect is powerful.
Utopia Ray - Rank 5, Light, Warrior/Xyz. 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF.
"3 Level 5 monsters. Can be Xyz Summoned by using 'Number 39: Utopia' you control as material. When your LP are 1000 or less, this card gains 500 ATK for each Xyz Material attached to it."
An evolution of Utopia! When you're losing, it becomes stronger!
There were more—various Rank 3, Rank 4, and Rank 5 XYZ monsters, plus support cards like Xyz Gift, Xyz Reborn, and Gagagabolt.
"These all require monsters of the same Level," Takeda said. "Do I have monsters of the same Level?"
He mentally reviewed his deck.
Level 1: Kuriboh, Watapon, Mokey Mokey, Skull Servant
Level 2: Penguin Soldier, Skelengel, Man-Eater Bug, Morphing Jar, Hane-Hane
Level 3: Jerry Beans Man, Baby Dragon, Petit Dragon, lots of his new Cyberse monsters, Gagaga Girl
Level 4: Gagaga Magician, several Cyberse monsters, some of his other cards
"I actually have multiple monsters at each Level," Takeda realized. "I could summon XYZ Monsters if I had two monsters of the same Level on the field at once."
Precisely. And with cards like Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Girl, you can manipulate Levels to match. This opens up an entire new dimension of strategy.
"How do I summon them? Is there a special spell like Polymerization?"
No. You simply stack the materials and place the XYZ Monster on top. The materials stay beneath it as 'Xyz Materials' and can be detached for effects.
"So I could have two Mokey Mokeys on the field—both Level 1—and summon a Rank 1 XYZ Monster?"
If you had a Rank 1 XYZ Monster, yes.
"Do I have any Rank 1 XYZ Monsters?"
No.
"Of course not."
But the ZEXAL cards were still valuable. Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Girl gave him Level manipulation, which was useful for both XYZ and Synchro Summoning. Number 39: Utopia was a solid beater with defensive capabilities. And several of the support cards worked with any XYZ Monster, not just specific ones.
Takeda added them to his deck, which was rapidly becoming an incomprehensible mess of cards from six different eras with seventeen different strategies that barely worked together.
Your deck is chaos, the voices observed.
"My deck is ADAPTIVE," Takeda countered.
Your deck is forty-seven cards of confusion held together by spite.
"Forty-seven? I thought I had forty."
You keep adding cards without removing anything. You need to trim it down to forty for optimal consistency.
"But they're all useful!"
That's what hoarders say about old newspapers.
Takeda ignored the criticism and kept digging.
At the very bottom of the dumpster, beneath everything else, he found one more card.
Link Spider - Link-1, Earth, Cyberse/Link. 1000 ATK.
"1 Normal Monster. Cannot be used as Link Material the turn it is Link Summoned."
Link Arrow: Down
A Link Monster.
A Link-1 Monster, which meant it only required one material.
And it had one Link Arrow pointing Down.
"This is a Link Monster," Takeda said slowly. "I was just reading about these. They use Link Arrows to indicate which zones they affect."
Link Spider is one of the most basic Link Monsters. It requires any Normal Monster—monsters with no effects, like Skull Servant or Mokey Mokey. You summon it by sending one Normal Monster from your field to the graveyard.
"And then it points Down, which means the Main Monster Zone directly below it becomes a zone I can use for Extra Deck summons?"
Exactly. It's a basic Link climbing card. You summon Link Spider, then use it to enable other plays.
Takeda looked at the card.
Looked at his duel disk, which absolutely did not have proper Link Zones.
Looked at the Kuriboh.
"Kuri," the Kuriboh said, which meant either "You should try it" or "I'm hungry." Hard to tell.
"I'll figure it out," Takeda decided, pocketing the Link Spider.
By the time Takeda emerged from the alley, his deck had grown to approximately fifty-five cards, he had Dark Magician and his support cards, he had a foundation for XYZ Summoning, and he had one Link Monster that he had no idea how to actually use.
You need to trim your deck, the voices insisted.
"I will. Eventually. After I test everything."
That's not how deck building works.
"It's how MY deck building works."
Takeda found another park bench (this one pigeon-free, mercifully) and spread out his entire collection.
Main Deck monsters, organized by Level:
Level 1: Kuriboh, Watapon, Mokey Mokey, Skull Servant
Level 2: Penguin Soldier, Skelengel, Man-Eater Bug, Morphing Jar, Hane-Hane
Level 3: Jerry Beans Man, Baby Dragon, Petit Dragon, Cyberse Gadget, Backup Secretary, Flame Bufferlo, Gagaga Girl, Sangan, Mask of Darkness
Level 4: Gagaga Magician, Balancer Lord, Ryu-Kishin Powered, Castle of Dark Illusions
Level 5: Linkslayer
Level 7: Dark Magician
Spells: Polymerization, Dark Hole, Monster Reborn, Pot of Greed, Book of Moon, Swords of Revealing Light, Mystical Space Typhoon, Scapegoat, Creature Swap, Thousand Knives, Dark Magic Attack, Illusion Magic, Cynet Fusion, various Gagaga support cards
Traps: Sakuretsu Armor, Gravity Bind, Waboku, Call of the Haunted, various XYZ support traps
Extra Deck:
Fusion Monsters: Mokey Mokey King of Rage, Fusionist, Darkfire Dragon, Thousand Dragon, Dark Flare Knight, Amulet Dragon, Master of Chaos, Flame Wingman, Thunder GiantXYZ Monsters: Number 39: Utopia, Utopia Ray, Zubababancho Gagagacoat, various othersLink Monsters: Link Spider
"This is a mess," Takeda said.
It's YOUR mess, the voices said fondly.
"Can it work?"
We have no idea. But it's interesting. You have:
A Cyberse engine for swarming and advantageA Dark Magician package for spell-based controlGagaga cards for Level manipulationXYZ capability for power playsFusion capability for Mokey Mokey King of Rage and other fusionsLink capability if you can figure out how to use itA collection of random flip effects and utility cards
It shouldn't work. But you've made impossible things work before.
"The key is desperation," Takeda said. "Every time I've done something impossible, it's been when I was desperate. Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared because I was about to lose to a child. Mokey Mokey King of Rage manifested because I was facing Yusei's ultimate monster. I won against Hana because I refused to accept defeat."
So your strategy is 'get into terrible situations and hope something impossible happens'?
"My strategy is 'believe that impossible things are possible, and then make them happen through sheer stubbornness and luck.'"
That's the worst strategy we've ever heard.
"It's worked so far."
...Fair point.
The Kuriboh made an approving sound and curled up in Takeda's lap.
Takeda started practicing.
He drew opening hands. He calculated what plays he could make. He tried to figure out combos between his different card groups.
Practice Hand 1: Dark Magician, Gagaga Magician, Gagaga Girl, Polymerization, Dark Magic Attack
"If I could get Dark Magician on the field—by tributing two monsters—I could use Dark Magic Attack to wipe my opponent's backrow. But I need two tributes, which means I need to summon Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Girl first..."
He worked through the sequence:
Turn 1: Summon Gagaga Magician, set PolymerizationTurn 2: Special Summon Gagaga Girl by making it Level 4, XYZ Summon using both for a Rank 4 like UtopiaTurn 3: Get more monsters somehow, tribute them for Dark Magician, use Dark Magic Attack
"That's too slow. By turn three against a competent opponent, I'd be dead."
Practice Hand 2: Linkslayer, Mokey Mokey, Skull Servant, Monster Reborn, Swords of Revealing Light
"I could discard Mokey Mokey and Skull Servant to Special Summon Linkslayer... but that gives me one 1500 ATK monster and an empty hand except Monster Reborn. Then I could..."
He couldn't finish the combo. It led nowhere.
Practice Hand 3: Cyberse Gadget, Backup Secretary, Flame Bufferlo, Cynet Fusion, Number 39: Utopia
"Now this has potential. Summon Cyberse Gadget, revive something from the graveyard—wait, nothing's in the graveyard yet. Summon Flame Bufferlo, discard a Cyberse to draw two cards, build up resources..."
He practiced for hours, the sun setting around him, other park-goers occasionally glancing at the homeless guy muttering to himself about Dark Magicians and Mokey Mokeys and XYZ Summoning.
Somewhere in the distance, hidden behind a tree, a familiar figure watched.
Yusei had been on his way home from the tournament venue—he'd won his bracket, obviously, and was now qualified for the finals—when that same intuition from before had pulled him toward this park.
And there was Takeda again.
Practicing alone. Talking to his cards. Working through combos with an intensity that suggested he was preparing for war rather than casual duels.
The Dark Magician card on his makeshift practice mat glowed softly, occasionally manifesting as a translucent spirit to offer advice or correct a misplay.
Yusei recognized the signs. This wasn't just a duelist with duel spirits. This was something more. The way the cards responded to Takeda, the way reality bent around his plays, the impossible fusions and the sheer luck that seemed to follow him—
It reminded Yusei of himself, years ago. Before he'd fully understood his connection to the Crimson Dragon. Before he'd learned to trust in the bond between duelist and deck.
Takeda was raw, untrained, chaotic. But he had potential. More potential than he realized.
Yusei watched for a few more minutes as Takeda successfully calculated a combo that would let him summon both Utopia and Dark Magician in the same turn using Gagaga Girl's level manipulation and Monster Reborn.
Then Yusei smiled, nodded to himself, and left.
He didn't need to announce his presence. Didn't need to offer advice or encouragement.
Takeda was finding his own path.
And Yusei would be watching.
Takeda practiced until his hands cramped and his brain felt like it had been put through a blender.
By the time he finally stopped, he had:
Trimmed his deck down to a slightly more reasonable forty-three cards (still too many, but progress)Identified three potential opening strategies depending on his handFigured out how to use Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Girl to enable both XYZ and Tribute SummoningLearned that Dark Magician's spirit form was extremely critical of his spell card timing and would absolutely judge him for suboptimal playsDiscovered that Link Spider could theoretically be summoned using Skull Servant or Mokey Mokey, but he still had no idea if his duel disk would support it
You've improved, the voices said. Not dramatically. But measurably.
"High praise."
We're being honest. Yesterday, you barely understood XYZ Summoning. Today, you have a functional XYZ package. Yesterday, you had no spell-caster synergy. Today, you have Dark Magician and support cards. You're growing.
"Thanks." Takeda gathered his cards and slid them back into his deck box. "Tomorrow I'll practice more. Test some of these combos against actual opponents at the shop."
And trim your deck further.
"And trim my deck further. Maybe."
Definitely.
"Probably."
The Kuriboh yawned, which was adorable and also a reminder that Takeda was exhausted.
He found a bench that was relatively dry and not currently occupied by pigeons.
He lay down, using his jacket as a pillow.
The Kuriboh curled up on his chest.
The stars overhead were still unfamiliar, still arranged in patterns he didn't recognize.
But Takeda was getting used to them.
Getting used to this world.
Finding his place in it, one duel at a time, one dumpster dive at a time, one impossible play at a time.
Tomorrow he'd teach more beginners.
Tomorrow he'd earn another 1000 yen.
Tomorrow he'd practice more and improve more and slowly, gradually become something resembling competent.
But tonight, he had Dark Magician in his deck, XYZ Monsters in his Extra Deck, and the satisfaction of knowing that he was no longer completely terrible.
Just mostly terrible.
Which was progress.
Sleep, the voices murmured. Dream of victory. And remember: you have Dark Magician now. Act accordingly.
What does that mean?
It means carry yourself with the dignity befitting someone who wields one of the most iconic monsters in the game.
I'm sleeping on a park bench.
Carry yourself with INTERNAL dignity.
Takeda smiled despite himself.
"Kuri," the Kuriboh said softly, already half-asleep.
And Takeda, homeless duelist with a deck of chaos and impossible dreams, drifted off to sleep.
The universe had killed him with celery.
But today, he'd found Dark Magician in a dumpster.
He'd call that a win.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges.
New duels.
New opportunities to turn garbage into gold and chaos into strategy.
But that was Future Takeda's problem.
Present Takeda was tired.
Present Takeda had earned rest.
And so, beneath the unfamiliar stars, surrounded by his living deck and his loyal Kuriboh, Takeda slept.
And dreamed of impossible plays and legendary monsters and the day when he'd be good enough to make them all work together.
Not today.
But someday.
And that was enough.
For now.