Monday, 03/19/2001, 5:59 p.m.
Inside RPG Hobby Trading Cards, a group of children and teenagers had gathered in a circle around a table occupied by two boys, Eijiro Kanada and Shin Osako. Their murmurs filled the shop. Among those kids, one with square grey glasses, black eyes, blond hair, a slim build, and short stature spoke in a sarcastic tone. The others listened without taking their eyes off Shin and Eijiro.
"I've played against big brother Osako many times and never reduced his Life Points by more than five hundred. That kid, Kanada, is finished."
Meanwhile, the game referee, Reizo Omori, placed the timer right in the middle of the black and purple game board. He had previously checked both duelists' decks for irregularities. Except for showing a slight expression of surprise when reviewing Shin's deck, he said nothing. Consequently, Shin and Eijiro exchanged decks and shuffled. They stated their respective names and ages, then placed their decks on the game board. The referee's right hand pressed the button that started the timer countdown. Immediately after, he exclaimed:
"Game!"
Displayed in large print on posters placed on the store's walls, the district championship rules read as follows:
Each player started the Duel with 2000 LP.
Only one normal monster summon per turn was allowed.
Players were not allowed to attack their opponent's Life Points directly.
Players could summon monsters of any level without offering a tribute.
Only one monster could declare an attack per player per turn.
When a monster was destroyed by a card effect, its owner would receive damage equal to half of the destroyed monster's attack points.
The use of direct damage spell cards was not allowed.
Set spells on the field could be activated during the opponent's turn.
If a player failed to summon a monster during their turn while not controlling one, they would automatically lose the duel.
A player who committed two rule infractions would be disqualified and lose the game.
The official limitation and ban list by Industrial Illusions had to be respected. Any irregularity detected in the decks before the match would result in the immediate disqualification of the offender.
If the fifteen-minute timer expired, the player with more Life Points would win.
The younger player would go first, and in case of a tie, a coin toss would decide.
Shin Osako 2000 LP / 2000 LP
Eijiro Kanada
Eijiro and Shin drew five cards each.
Following the rules, Eijiro played first. After a brief pause, he narrated in a low voice. His expression was anxious. His voice came out broken.
"I summon Larvas in attack position a-and end my turn."
A chorus of whispers spread among the group of duelists watching the match around them. Eijiro shifted nervously in his seat.
"Tsk, tsk."
The boy with the glasses made a grimace. Then he muttered sarcastically:
"Yeah, right, playing head-on against big brother. Ha! Making it past this turn would be a real miracle. Amateur."
On Eijiro's side of the board, the Larvas monster card lay in attack position. Its artwork showed a green creature with pink pincers and a puny appearance.
Larvas LV3 ∆Earth∆ (Normal) {Beast} [800ATK/1000DEF]
After his opponent's turn ended, Shin began his own by drawing a card from his deck. His expression remained calm at all times, and after a short pause, he made his move. Simultaneously, he narrated his actions in a composed tone.
"I summon Masked Sorcerer in attack position and then set these two cards face-down. Now I attack your Larvas."
On the board, in addition to the two face-down cards in Shin's spell and trap zone, the cards of Larvas and Masked Sorcerer stood face to face in the central monster zones. The latter depicted a creepy-looking sorcerer with pink hair, enchanted items in his hands and on his head, wearing a horrible monocular mask on his face.
Masked Sorcerer LV4 ∆Dark∆ (Effect) {Spellcaster} [900ATK/1400DEF] O
v.s
Larvas LV3 ∆Earth∆ (Normal) {Beast} [800ATK/1000DEF] X
With a wrinkled face and trembling hands, Eijiro placed Larvas in his Graveyard zone. A troubled murmur escaped his lips.
"My Larvas..."
There wasn't much reaction among the observers.
Meanwhile, Shin continued narrating his play, undisturbed. His right hand reached toward his deck without pause.
"Thanks to my Masked Sorcerer's effect, I can draw one card from my deck."
Shin's hand now held four cards.
Taking the opportunity, the referee spoke his calculations in a routine tone.
"Kanada, pay attention. You lose one hundred Life Points. Now you have nineteen hundred. Osako, you're in the lead with two thousand Life Points. Time left: thirteen minutes and counting."
Shin Osako 2000 LP / 2000 LP
Eijiro Kanada
»»»
Shin Osako 2000 LP / 1900 LP
Eijiro Kanada
After Omori's announcement, Shin continued narrating his turn with a slight nod.
"I end my turn."
With a sigh, Eijiro moved his hand toward his deck. His narration followed, accompanied by a downcast look.
"Haaa... My turn. I draw... Huh...? Oh, yes! I summon Ancient One of the Deep Forest in attack position!"
Trembling, Eijiro placed his monster card in his field zone.
Shin showed little reaction on his face.
Ancient One of the Deep Forest LV6 ∆Earth∆ (Normal) {Beast} [1800ATK/1900DEF]
It was a card depicting a gray, ram-like creature with large red eyes, small wings, and multiple tails.
With a big smile on his face, Eijiro exclaimed, continuing his play:
"I attack your Masked Sorcerer with my strongest monster! Your Masked Sorcerer is finished!"
The observers began murmuring, their faces excited.
"What luck!"
exclaimed a chubby, naïve-looking boy with small eyes and reddish hair.
Then a teenager with a slim build, brown hair, and blue eyes murmured, his face uncertain:
"Who would've thought that kid had a high-level card?"
Meanwhile, the boy with the glasses scoffed. "Humph!" With a grimace on his face, he said with a broken smile:
"A-as if it were that easy, idiots... D-did you forget big brother Shin still has two face-down cards...? Ha! Watch. Just like I told you..."
Shin's hand reached toward one of his face-down cards and flipped it. His measured words followed as an explanation. His previously serene face now bore a faint smile.
The card, depicting a group of dark violet viruses, was revealed.
"I offer my Masked Sorcerer as a tribute to activate my trap card, Crush Card Virus. Your Ancient One of the Deep Forest is... history. All your monsters with more than fifteen hundred attack points are useless now... Tell me, Eijiro... Do you still want to go on with this?"
A defeated gaze, watery eyes, and a runny nose were all Shin saw across the table.
"Huh?...".
With a drop of sweat running down his forehead and the reproachful gaze of almost everyone in the room upon him, Shin's once confident expression twisted. A dry muttered curse slipped from his mouth.
"Huh? Damn it... H-heh... Ahem!... I think... I got a bit carried away by the excitement..."
AN/One chapter per day. 100 power stones today means one extra chapter the next day. Each chapter is made up of four acts, plus a prologue and an epilogue, and finally a special act — each ranging from 800 to 2000 words. Leave a comment and report any issues below. You can buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/s/8e7c3d4725