Season 0: Theme Keycard #1 C12: Friend & Foe

A/N: I'm considering structuring each season to consist of 22 chapters, 23 if you count the Season Sumary. It isn't set in stone or anything, but for now, this approach will help me avoid getting too deep into details at the expense of story progression.

“Seriously, why are you Dueling in this state?” Sachiko asked, one hand balancing an ice cream cone and the other hesitantly reaching for Lenix before pulling back and grimacing at the dark bruises dotting his chest—it wasn't a pretty sight, he had to admit as much. “As you can see, when I said I was in an accident—”

“You weren't kidding, I know.” Her nose wrinkled as she let her nails graze his skin, the coldness of her touch making Lenix flinch in response. “Sorry, did it hurt?“

“Not really, just… Uncomfortable, that's all.“

“What are you doing outside anyways? With injuries like that, you should be hospitalized.“

“I was; I checked out."

Unlike her, Lenix had settled for a vanilla popsicle with a crunchy chocolate shell that was slowly dripping all over the table.

Catching a droplet with his thumb, Lenix licked the chocolate clean, and then bit into the dessert, shivering as the freezing cold ran from his teeth to his brain.

"I had a meeting scheduled, but the guy was a no-show."

"Surely it could wait until you're well?"

"Not this," He replied, shaking his head and repeating to really hammer in the point. "Not this, trust me."

"If you say so..." Shoving the last of her ice cream cone into her mouth with the same fervor of a girl who had been starved for days, before waving the waiter over with the same amount of enthusiasm.

"Can I get two strawberry ice cream crepes too? Thanks!"

"You're gonna end up with an upset stomach." Lenix warned.

"It's a small price to pay," Sachiko responded dramatically. "You want one? It's on me."

"I'll pass." Too much sugar wasn't good for him or anyone for that matter.

Never mind all the terminal diseases it's scientifically documented to cause; sugar slowed the brain, turned the body sluggish and was essentially a drug that offered a quick, but oh-so incredibly addicting rush of dopamine.

"C'mon, let loose a little. You look like you could use it." Sachiko teased.

"One moment you're letting loose, the next you're a guest on 'My 300lb Life' because you need two towels to fully clean the grease from your stomach rolls, and a goddamn fire station to cart you out of your own house. No thanks."

Crinkling her nose in disgust, Sachiko groaned. "Ew... You didn't have to be that descriptive."

"I didn't, but it hammered home the point much better, didn't it?"

“Urgh, now I don't even want the crepes anymore.“

Ignoring Sachiko, who, contrary to her earlier words, was happily shovelling the desserts down her gullet, Lenix pulled up his Trunk and examined his card collection.

After over seventy Duels, all he had to show for his effort were 23 Low-Leveled Vanillas with next to no redeeming qualities and a bunch of highly specialized Traps and Spells that even the Pharaoh and his Millennium Cheat Code would know better than to throw into the same Deck… And then there were the even more worthless Level 5 and above. 'Stone Dragon...'

Not only did it require two whole Tributes to Summon, which was exorbitant without a proper engine to support it, its stats both were under 2500—a frankly pathetic number for a Level 7, and to top it all off? Despite its name, the thing wasn't even a real Dragon but instead a dragon-shaped Rock. Lenix wished he could say it was the worst card in his possession, but there were still thirteen more where it came from.

"H-Hey—"

Sachiko sputtered, nearly choking on her crepes as she leaned over the table to sneak a peek at his Deck, freezing solid when met with his stern glare.

On his Earth, letting someone catch a glimpse was no big deal; Yu-Gi-Oh was just a game, at the end of the day.

But here, where Duel Monsters practically ran the world, looking at someone else's Deck without their permission—whether intentional or not—was a major taboo. It was an offense serious enough to get a Duelist disqualified from Tournaments if discovered.

"So... I was wondering, how did you get so good at Duel Monsters?"

"I'm not," Lenix responded with a shrug. He didn't consider himself all that skilled.

After all, he only ranked Silver II in Master Duel and had never won any Tournaments himself.

"I'm just more informed than most, plus I had some help."

Without Sugoroku Mutou, he would've been stuck playing that lousy Starting Deck for quite some time.

"Heh... You're surprisingly humble compared to your on-stage persona."

"Not humble, just truthful. I'm only good because 99% of the Duelists in the world suck."

"And there you go, back to being your arrogant-self," Sachiko giggled, batting her lashes at him. "Your confidence... I kinda like that about you."

Little did she know, it wasn't confidence but rather an honest assessment after 74 Duels.

Most of the Decks he'd faced were unimaginably subpar, the kind his seven-year-old self wouldn't even with. As grateful as Lenix was for the opportunity to play his Pet Decks and win, plus a break from the monotony of seeing the same monsters every Duel, it was starting to piss him off.

Where was his epic Anime Duel?

When would it arrive, because this shit just ain't enough to boost his dopamine anymore.

"... Okay, seriously, are you trying to trap me? This feels like entrapment." Sachiko's very presence stunk.

Why was a 9 out of 10 reaching out and being proactive to a 7 on his best day?

He wasn't exactly rolling in money either.

Most of his earnings were being funneled into more cards or living expenses.

"Why would I do that?"

The girl rolled her eyes, rightly offended.

"What kind of person do you think I am? What charge could I even pin on you?"

"I don't know. You tell me.“

His answer and the pinched look he wore only upset her further. “Where is this distrustfulness coming from?“

“A lifetime of experiences and a most recent betrayal.“

Truth be told, Lenix didn't blame Fushio for ditching him; he'd have done the same thing in the man's shoes.

What he couldn't tolerate was that Fushio didn't even bother to come back to check on him. If Skullie had killed him that night, given the location, his corpse would probably still be there, stinking up the place.

"Talk about being paranoid."

"It's not paranoia if it's true." Especially since someone might really be out to get him, someone whose appearance he couldn't even identify.

While Sachiko did play a Beatdown Deck instead of Skull Servants, he knew most people carried around two or three Decks anyway. He had four in his heyday.

"Are you sure you're not a guy in makeup and women's clothing?"

"Now you're just being hurtful on purpose."

"I'm just asking...“ Lenix shrugged. “You never know these days."

Given the timing of their meeting, he wouldn't have been surprised if Sachiko suddenly revealed she was actually a shapeshifted Skullie in disguise, even if he couldn't quite fathom why anyone would go to such lengths just to mess with him, of all people.

"..." The glare Sachiko gave him made him turn and cough. “Rude. Who asks a girl that?“

“Me, I guess. Anyways… So what do you want? And be honest.“

"Well... I was suggested like 12 of your Duels on DuelingBook, saw where you were, and thought maybe I could get a few pointers?"

Although still suspicious, her admission did ease his fear somewhat. "I'm not very good at Beatdown, though."

Especially when it came to one without an impressive Ace. The only Beatdown Lenix had ever had a good time playing was Gladiator Beast, and it's largely due to how smooth their Special Summoning mechanic felt, coupled with the unimaginably rewarding experience of getting Heraklinos onto the field.

“I doubt that. Here,” Spreading her Deck across the table, Sachiko cupped her hands together and bowed. “Please! I've tried everything, but my winrate is still so low!“

“How's that possible?" In spite of Lenix's general dislike of Beatdowns, they were staples for a reason.

Not only were they typically straightforward and thus relatively easy for beginners to learn, but Beatdowns were also incredibly powerful in the current Meta. "Just mix in some Control, bring out your strongest monsters, and beat down every wall your opponent tries to put up—how hard is that?“ Every single person who watched Yu-Gi-Oh must've wondered the same thing at one point in time.

Granted, with its wide variety of cards, Duel Monsters could seem intimidating at first glance, but the rules were simple to grasp, and if people would just take the time to read the card texts, they'd be halfway decent Duelist. “Destroy your opponent's backrow, put out three copies of Goblin Attack Force, and keep attacking until their LP runs dry. It's not that hard if you put some thought into it.”

“Yeah, but how do I draw those Goblin Attack Forces in the first place?”

“Put it together, then continuously draw in your free time until you feel your Starting Hand is consistent enough to win matches. If it's not enough, remove cards that have caused you to brick and replace them with Draw cards like the Pot Series, Upstart Goblin and so on.”

That's how Lenix approached it. Unlike so many who would dive straight into the thick of it after a long stretch of inactivity, he'd dedicate hours, sometimes days, to studying whichever Deck that happened to pique his interest at that particular moment, before practicing its combos and fine-tuning it for consistency on an offline platform until executing it became second nature.

"The key to Deck-Building is finding your 'Win-Con.' Once you know what it is, you can start to work toward it."

"Wow... I never thought about it that way. I just put in whichever monsters I think are strong. You're so smart, Lenix!"

The Duelist in question cringed at the frankly undeserved compliment.

He didn't like it.

It's like being praised for knowing how to change out of his own clothes or put dirty laundry in the machine… It almost felt like an insult to his intelligence. "It's Duel Monsters 101, Fujita-san. Any Duelist worth their pinch of salt could and would tell you the same if you just asked."

“Then how do—”

Time passed quickly when you're having fun. As basic as most of her questions turned out to be, it would be a lie to say Lenix hadn't enjoyed himself.

Teaching someone to play Duel Monsters was quite the experience.

Not only was it fun, but it's a quick and easy way to refresh his own understanding of the basics.

Occasionally, she'd ask a question that genuinely stumped him, giving his brain that much needed workout. By the time they noticed, darkness had blanketed the street outside.

"Oh, dear... Look at the time."

"Let's wrap this up here." Jumping out of his seat, Lenix nodded at the girl and headed towards the exit in a hurry.

He still had one last stop before ending the day: The card store.

While his Deck was adequate for the Meta, his Insects weren't going to cut it against Skullie and his Skull Servants. He needed something to level the playing field… A whole new Deck if possible. "Thanks for the ice cream. We're even now."

"Goodbye, Lenix! Don't be a stranger!“

Stopping at the card store near the mall, Lenix summoned his spirits and gazed at the array of colorful packs on display. "Sir, may I interest you in our newest shipment—" the shopkeeper began.

"It's alright. I already know what I need," Lenix replied. The Wight Deck was incredibly fun to play with, which in Yu-Gi-Oh often meant it was also incredibly flawed.

Although Skullie had managed to sneak in cards that weren’t originally part of the Tineline, much like Lenix did with Mimicking Man-Eater Bug, the Deck was still quite vulnerable to graveyard disruptions and Control strategies.

"Search for Skill Drain, Beatdown monsters, Dimension Shifter, Forbidden Droplet, Called By The Grave, and as much Negate as possible."

Quite a few of these cards shouldn't have existed yet, but if they did, Lenix saw no reason not to acquire them if they're up for grab, and although Lenix wasn't fond of Beatdowns, his personal preferences mattered very little when it came to matters of life and death.

The Spirits exchanged brief glances before getting to work.

Those who could read, like Nephthys' Hands, immediately began searching for the Spell and Trap cards while her mistress perched on his shoulder in her Chibi form.

Meanwhile, the Insects busied themselves with the hunt for Goblins and other monsters.

Tapping his feet and pretending to occupy himself with the Booster Packs to keep the employees from complaining, Lenix paced around the shop until, around the ten-minute mark, a member of the staff finally came up to him. "Sir, do you need any help?"

"Nah, just give me these—"

He pointed at various Decks but paused when he heard a low, ominous grumble behind him.

Suddenly, Mimic darted past him, quivering as it hid from the enthroned Archfiend it had discovered.

“Lowly filths…”

"And those... I want those."

Lenix originally intended to create a pure EARTH Deck but figured adding two or three DARK cards wouldn't hurt.

"You want all these?"

He had selected five Booster Packs in total—three EARTH and two DARK. Even with his KaibaCorp Membership Plan discount as a regular, which reduced the cost by 30%, the total still came to a staggering 10,500 Duel Points.

Lenix could already feel his wallet groaning, but money could be earned back, whereas he only had one life... Probably.

"That'll come up to 10,500 DP, sir. Should I pack these up for you?" The employee asked.

"Please do. Wait a minute!“

Unfortunately, he was still 200 DP short.

Fortunately, he had plenty of terrible, disposable cards he had collected from all the Duels he had won. "You guys also buy cards from Duelists, right?"

"We do, sir," The employee confirmed, and elaborated further. “We'll appraise your cards and determine how much they're worth based on the market price.“

"That's fine," Lenix answered as he pulled out 32 Normal Monsters and 13 Effect Monsters that didn't fit his playstyle. He neatly arranged them into a Deck and handed them over to the cashier. "Please help me get rid of these before finalizing the total."

"Alright, let's see what we've got here... Giant Mech Soldier, Hieratic Seal," Even the staff member couldn't help but grimace at the cards. "... My apologies, customer, but these aren't exactly in high demand. They're mostly for collectors, but they're quite common as well, so we can only offer you dimes for each."

"I understand," Lenix replied. "I just need the DP to pay off the Booster Packs."

"Well, I see five high-leveled monsters with... decent stats. Coupled with the rest, we can get them off of you for the price of..." The cashier hesitated, scratching his cheek before stating, "755 Duel Points."

Although it's barely more than what Lenix usually netted from one Duel, he still nodded. "It'll do."

DP: 10,347 » 11,102


"Your bill's 10,500, so..."

After the transaction, his Duel Points fell from 11,102 to a mere 602.

Practically broke, Lenix steeled himself, barely holding back tears as he exited the card store. Just then, a voice called out to him, "Lenix, you haven't gone back yet?!"

"I should be asking you that, Fujita-san."

"Fujita-san this, Fujita-san that—isn't it a mouthful? My friends call me Sachi!“

Lenix pursed his lips. “Are we friends, though?“

“You bet your ass we are!“

"Sachi?" He mumbled, rolling the name around on his tongue as if trying to taste the sound.

"Again! More confidently this time.“ Urged the girl.

"Sachi.“

"There you go!" She smiled, linking her arm with his. “This must be fate! Are you headed home now?“

“I am, yeah.“

“Which direction is home?“ Lenix pointed, and Sachi immediately beamed.

“My apartment's that way too! This must be fate! Let's get married!“

Lenix Owens, flat be thy tone. “No.“

"Aw," She said with a playful pout, continuing to drag him along. "Can we at least walk home together?"

"Sure,” Agreeing after a moment of thoughts, Lenix attempted to pry his arm from hers, only to feel Sachi tighten her hold. “I don't mind.“

"Let's go then!"

They ventured onto the dark street. While Sachiko appeared completely unfazed by the seemingly all-encompassing darkness, her companion was as nervous as could be, his eyes darting wildly as he scanned for any potential threats.

"Don't be so tense. Security's good in this district," Sachi reassured, oblivious to the supernatural threats abound.

"Yeah..." Lenix muttered under his breath, tensing up again as thunder rumbled across the sky in mesmerizing patterns that seemed to linger. The first droplets of rain startled his wandering mind into focus as black clouds began to gather—the Wrath of Nature itself Summoned in full.

“Oh, crap!“ Ducking under the front porch of a house, they nestled to avoid the heavy rainfall that had just descended out of nowhere. Only slightly wet, Lenix gave the girl his jacket and sighed. “Let's—”

His tongue stilled as he remembered something crucial: He had used up his fund on Booster Packs. If "broke as a dog" were a person, it'd be him right now, which meant he couldn't even afford a cab home. "Fuck..." Lenix cursed loudly.

“What's wrong?“

“Nothing.“

"My apartment's right around the corner," Sachiko hesitantly offered. "If you want to, you—well, you can spend the n-night?“

"I don't think that's a good idea," Lenix hesitated.

"Maybe, but it's not like you can run home in this weather, right? Just head over and wait out the rain at least.“

"I—"

"C'mon, whoever gets there first has to get the other person's lunch!" Sachi challenged with a mischievous grin.

"But I don't even know where your apartment is!"

Lenix yelled as she dashed into the rain, laughter echoing through the downpour. "Shucks to be you then!" Staring at Sachi's disappearing silhouette, he chuckled wryly, a strange feeling blooming in his chest as he jokingly gave chase, purposefully slowing down until they reached what looked like a mansion, complete with a pool, green grass and a BBQ area. “Holy shit, you're loaded.”

“Loaded? The whole building isn't mine; I just rented a room here.“

“Even still,” Lenix remarked. He had checked the catalog, and from what he understood about the local real estate market, even a small room in a communal house this grand could cost up to 40,000 to 50,000 DP per month. That was basically his entire paycheck after nearly a month of grueling away in the dirt.

"How much does it cost you per month?"

"I don't remember exactly, but I think my parents mentioned they're paying around $7,000 a month?"

“You still live with your parents?"

"No, silly. I live on my own, my parents just send me stipends."

Waving at the distracted guard, she carefully sifted through her large keychain, eventually unlocking the door with a flourish. "Welcome to my humble home!"

Lenix and the guard exchanged looks as they surveyed the living room, which was nearly three times the size of their entire apartment. They both snorted in an unspoken, but shared moment.

"If you're spending that much, why not rent a whole house for yourself?"

"My parents thought I needed to socialize more," Sachiko admitted. "Between you and me, I don't really get along with anyone here. It's not that I dislike them; our interests just don't align. They want to learn about business, exchange contact information, make deals, and things like that, while I just want to play Duel Monsters. Anyway, there's my room. Do you want to hit the shower first, or should I?"

"... You know I'm a guy, right? You're inviting a wolf into your nest, taking your armor off while it's still prowling nearby and hoping it doesn't bite."

"Oh, so you do feel attracted to me!" She quipped with a smirk, prompting an eye-roll from Lenix.

"Just go..."

Plopping down on the sofa, because her room had its own living room apparently, Lenix grabbed the towel she had tossed him, silently drying himself while the cheerful hum from the bathroom grew ever louder and more enticing.

Gritting his teeth, he decided to distract himself with arguably the best part of Duel Monsters: Drawing. With his new Deck slotted in, he raised Vorona and declared, "Draw!"

Test Hand #1: Solemn Judgment, Mirror Force, Goblin Attack Force, Reinforcement of the Army, and Fusilier Dragon the Dual-Mode Beast.


"Not bad..." He mused.

But it could be better.

Unless he drew into Skill Drain, Dimensional Fissure, Forbidden Droplet, or Called by the Grave on the first turn, Lenix knew he wasn't going to win against a Deck as consistent as the Wight. Not with his current setup. Shuffling the cards back in, he commanded, "Draw." The Duel Disk obeyed, spitting out five cards into his hand.

Test Hand #2: Elite Goblin Attack Force, Graceful Charity, Hand Destruction, Exiled Force, and Skill Drain—


"Now we're talking. Again."

The Duel Disk clicked and spat out cards.

“Again… Again…”

Out of the ten Draws he had tested, six had included either Skill Drain, Soul Release, or Dimensional Fissure. It wasn't perfect, sure, but it was the best he could come up with in a hurry and on a tight budget. "Lenix?! I'm done."

Half-expecting to see her wrapped in naught but a towel, Lenix felt a twinge of disappointment when he saw the girl drying her hair in pink pajamas.

"Disappointed?" Sachi teased, noting his expression.

"Honestly? A bit, yeah." He admitted with a playful grin.

After some playful banter, they settled in for the night. Sachi would get the bed, seeing as it was her apartment they're in, while he would spend the night on the sofa.

"Here's your blanket.“

"Thanks.“ Lenix nodded in response.

"Sweet dreams, Lenix, and don't sneak into my bedroom at night."

"Hah, you wish!" Lenix chuckled loudly as he got himself comfortable on the sofa, leafing through his new Deck, before succumbing to sweet oblivion.

He didn't dream. Even as a child, Lenix had never dreamt or had nightmares, so imagine his surprise when he awoke to find a strangely putrid gray and purple gas hovering above him.

"Wh-Where?" The word caught dead in his throat as an invisible weight pinned him to the sofa, rendering his limbs utterly immobile, all while his mind screamed for movement that his body refused to acknowledge.

Dread flooded his system as he tried to make sense of his surroundings, catching a tall, lanky figure from the corner of his eyes—the only part of him that seemed to function properly. 'What's happening to me?' His mind instantly jumped to the most likely suspect, but it didn't add up. Why would Sachiko invest time getting close only to reveal herself so soon?

'It can't be her.'

Lenix thought, though he couldn't deny his personal feelings had factored into the conclusion.

"What's that?" Twitching on top of the smooth, white leather, he glared down at his foot, feeling something bony and lanky clutching it. Soon, another claw reached for his other leg, then his hands, arms, and biceps, until every inch of him was gripped and torn at by skeletal claws. “G-Grasschopper!“

Lenix hissed, sending out a call to the Gemini Monster, who responded by crushing the Skull Servants into dust, but draining him dry of his Duel Energy in the process.

"That wasn't very nice, kid.“ The figure chided.

"Skullie..."

"Me!"

The masked figure moved nimbly atop the table, crouching over him and oozing of death and decay.

Even through the thick mask, Lenix could 'see' the amused grin playing on the Necromancer's lips.

"You wanted to see me, here I am... I hope you'll make the right choice. I really wouldn't mind a second Player joining me. It gets terribly boring interacting with these fucking Bots all the time,”

Skullie remarked, crossing his legs and eliciting a collective screech from a hundred captures Souls, a sound that accompanied his laughter. “Although, I wouldn't mind a nemesis either. There has to be a Kaiba to my Yugi, wouldn't you agree?“

"I-I have—" Lenix started, but a sudden, chilling breeze swept through, carrying with it the eerie groans of the Dead and the Damned. He shivered involuntarily. "I have questions."

"Of course you do..." The Necromancer responded with a resigned sigh. "Very well, I'll humor you."

He had about a dozen questions and had mentally rehearsed them all, yet now that the only other 'Player' was in front of him, Lenix couldn't recall a single one for the life of him… Funny how the human brain worked.

And hence, he settled for the simplest yet most informative—"Why?"