Season 0: Theme Keycard #1 C2: That Time my Duel Disk Turned into a Weird, Alien Cube-Thingy?

Alternate Title: This Title is Way Too Long, but I'm Contractually Obligated to Make it as Absurd as a Modern Japanese Light Novel Title.

Lenix declared, "Draw!" and reached for the offered cards: Nobleman of Crossout, Solemn Judgement, Brain Control, Sakuretsu Armor, Giant Germ.

His Life Points were only half his usual starting amount, but the standard rules still seemed to be in effect.

As the starting player, he drew five cards. Grinning at the Control Deck most duelists would consider infuriating, Lenix announced, "I set one monster and two cards face-down. I end my turn."

His set monster was Giant Germ, a temporary stall tactic until he could get his Nephthys on the field.

The face-downs meanwhile were Sakuretsu Armor and Solemn Judgment, respectively. Not the worst opening hand, granted it's highly unlikely for him to brick with the new Deck. Chuckling at what many would perceive a timid first turn, the robber sneered. “Thought you were something special… What's with that pathetic first turn?"

Lenix shrugged, subtly shifting to his cards away from sight. "You play the hand you're dealt. Now shut up and play. We haven't got all day."

"Tch! I set one monster and one card face-down. I end my turn!"

Lenix glared at the robber, obscenities knocking at the back of his throat like a dangling ball of snot that just begged to be unleashed. "That play was identical to mine…"

“So?“

“Do you have a habit of pissing on your own legs, perchance?“

The robber growled, "Why don't you take your own advice? Shut up and play!"

“I DRAW!“ Flipping over his new card, Lenix Normal Summoned Hand of Nephthys in face-up position and began the exposition.

Hand of Nephthys

Level: 2

WIND

Spellcaster/Effect

ATK: 600

DEF: 600

“What can such a weak monster do?!“

“You'll see soon enough! I activate Hand of Nephthys' effect! By Tributing this card and another monster on my side, I Special Summon—”

His Duel Disk whirred to life, ejecting a card at his beckoning.

Lenix flinched as a wave of heat and spectral flames lashed out from the card, coiling around his hand and wrist even as he displayed the card to the robber. "Arise and incinerate the skies, Nephthys!!!“

On the field, holographic projections of Nephthys' Hand and the pulsating Giant Germ dissolved into beams of light—one green, one purple—shooting skyward as they intertwined, igniting a growing inferno which gradually formed the silhouette of the Winged Beast.

From the heart of the scorching flames, Nephthys descended, prowling the field as she screeched a challenge at his opponent.

Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys

Level: 8

FIRE

Winged Beast/Effect

ATK: 2400

DEF: 1600

Lenix had witnessed numerous monster Summonings that day, from Level 4 up to Levels 7 and 8, but none were as spectacular as his ace. Closing his eyes, he felt a surge of fiery energy coursing through his veins, a sensation he couldn't quite put to words. 'Duel Energy?'

“A Level 8 monster in just three turns?!"

"Crap, he's not a newbie!"

"Damn it, I can't activate my Trap!"

The robbers traded panicked, almost NPC-worthy lines, while their leader paled.

"Nephthys, destroy his face-down!"

His ace monster took flight at his command, circling the face-down card like a hawk before swooping down, talons extended.

Magical lines erupted from the face-down, coalescing into a towering giant with interwoven fingers. But a single swipe from Nephthys easily shattered the Protector.

Protector of the Sanctuary

Level: 4

EARTH

Fiend/Effect

ATK: 1100

DEF: 1900

Status: Destroyed

“My Protector!“

A smug grin on his face, Lenix crossed his arms and ended his turn.

“I-I draw! I set one monster and three other cards! I end my turn.“

Most Duelists would be fearful of the set cards, but as a filthy Nephthys-abuser, Lenix had no such fear.

In fact, he found the man's struggle rather amusing. “Man, you hard-bricked first turn, didn't you?“

“Shut up, you little bastard! I'll turn this around soon!"

“I'm sure you will.“

Whatever his Traps were, it wouldn't matter unless they could banish Nephthys, and that kind of removal was rare this early in the game's history. Caius the Shadow Monarch and Bottomless Trap Hole were possibilities, but the robber didn't seem the type to play either.

Even if it were Bottomless Trap Hole, Nephthys was already on the field, there's no banishing her now, while Caius required a Tribute, or his effect wouldn't kick in… “My turn, I draw!“

He drew Torrential Tribute.

The card's presence seemed to drain the last vestiges of warmth from his smile. His prey was cornered. All that remained was to deliver the final blow, but first, he needed to clear the path for his Phoenix. "I activate Nobleman of Crossout, targeting one face-down monster on the field to destroy!"

"Not so fast! I activate Spiritual Earth Art - Kurogane! By tributing one EARTH monster, I Summon a Level 4 or lower EARTH monster from my GY! Return to the field, my Protector!"

"I chain Solemn Judgment! By paying half my Life Points, I negate the activation of your Trap Card!"

Lenix Owens: 2000LP

The Protector, barely back from the graveyard, was instantly discarded again, along with the Golem Sentry—the Level 4 monster the robber had Tributed to his Trap.

It had only been a week since Lenix had returned to Yu-Gi-Oh, drawn back like a moth to a flame, but he still remembered the Sentry vividly. It was one of the few cards that could bounce his Nephthys back to his hand, after all.

"No!"

"Now, Nephthys! Attack him directly!" Spreading her fiery wings, Nephthys launched a barrage of flames at the robber who scrambled for his life to activate—"Mirror Force!"

A shimmering force field materialized in front of him, deflecting Nephthys's flames.

The Sacred Phoenix was quickly consumed by her own attack, disintegrating into embers.

Gasping for breath, the robber erupted in manic laughter.

"Ha... Hahahahaha! How do you like that, you little punk?! I win! I, Takimaru, win!" His reaction was understandable. Unlike the readily available card information online in the TCG, Duelists in this world had to encounter or own a card to really know its effects, unless it's a card frequently used by pros.

Even the option to read an opponent's card during the game was exclusive to Kaiba's Next-Gen Duel Disks, not to mention the incredibly narrow window of time for a Duelist to react with a Quick-Spell or Trap, or so Sugoroku had told him.

Takimaru had unwittingly set the stage for his own downfall, and he didn't even know it.

"Appreciate the name-drop, Takimaru, but it was unecessary, I'm not gonna remember it anyway… I set just this one card, and end my turn.“

From his peripheral vision, Lenix caught Duel Energy converge to the man's hand as he drew.

He knew exactly what it was. 'Destiny Draw?'

Even with the knowledge, he felt no fear.

The game's as good as won.

“DRAW!“ Grinning ear-to-ear, the robber declared gleefully, "Heh! You shouldn't have sacrificed your LP earlier, idiot! I activate Monster Reborn and resurrect my Protector from the GY! Next, I Normal Summon another Protector—"

The moment the two monsters appeared, Lenix's Torrential Tribute washed them right back to the graveyard. "Yo-You!!!"

"No cards in hand, and only two traps on field? Tsk, tsk! What happened to that smug grin of yours?"

Never been one to shy away from trashtalk, the Nephthys-main cackled.

“End your turn already, I have someplace else to be!“

“Don't so sure about that! Your field's as empty as mine now!“

“Is it, though?“

“Don't tell me... Your face-down is Call of the Haunted?!" The robber scoffed.

"Even better," Lenix replied. Within his GY, Nephthys pulsed with a fiery aura that echoed her anticipation. "End your turn, and I'll show you."

"Tch. I–" The robber began, and Lenix couldn't contain his laughter.

"End–" The robber continued, each word sending a wave of excitement through Lenix, who was understandably thrilled to see his ace monster in action once again.

"My turn."

With that announcement, the chains of mortality shackling his Phoenix instantly melted into a hot mess, allowing the Phoenix to rise again from the ashes of her defeat.

"I activate Nephthys' effect! Once per turn, during the Standby Phase after she is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the graveyard, I can Special Summon her! Arise again!“ Fire pooled overhead as the Sacred Phoenix poked her head through the portal, amused cerulean eyes leering mockingly at his opponent. “N-No! It can't be!!!“

“Oh, but it CAN! Nephthys, get rid of his pesky tricks!“ Her flames washed over the field, incinerating all the remaining Spell and Trap cards as the Phoenix descended, including Lenix's own Sakuretsu Armor and Takimaru's Trap Hole.

"NO!“

Drawing his next card, Lenix Summoned Don Zaloog in ATK position and declared, “Attack his LP directly!“

“NOOO!!!“

The first to respond was Nephthys, her scared flames knocking the wind out of Takimaru, followed by the leader of the Dark Scorpion Gang, whose swords ripped the robber's LP to ribbons.

Takimaru: 200LP

“No... No! NO!!! I can't lose! Not like this!"

Duel Energy surged to his Deck again, replacing the top card, but it was too late. “I activate Don Zaloog's effect! When this card inflicts battle damage, I can send the top two cards from your Deck to the GY! Begone!"

The first card discarded was Swords of Revealing Light. The second was Morphing Jar #2, one of the few removal effects Nephthys was vulnerable to. It could have turned the tide of the Duel if allowed to play out, alas…

"I end my turn."

Takimaru collapsed to his knees, pressing his forehead against the ground and spitting out a disappointed, "No. No more... I've lost. Just pick the cards you want, then we'll leave.“

The robber, to his credit, seemed ready to honor the agreement.

His accomplices, however, had other ideas.

"Aniki! You promised us those Decks!"

"I lost! What do you want me to do?!"

"There are three of us, and only one of him…"

Gritting his teeth, Takimaru shoved the underclassmen back. "What kind of bastard do you think I am?"

'The kind to rob a defenseless old man?' Lenix thought, but wisely kept the observation to himself.

“The kind to lose like a scrub!" It didn't take much for the 'wolves' to challenge their leader. A single moment of weakness was enough. Such was the law of the jungle. "That Deck's wasted on you!"

One of the underclassmen growled and punched Takimaru in the face with the fury of someone whose parents had been murdered, fridge raided, bed soaked in urine, and rice bowl desecrated.

“That's enough!“ A scream stayed their fists.

The shout didn't come from Lenix. While he had his principles, they didn't extend to mercy to his opponents.

The more they fought amongst themselves, the fewer problems he'd have to deal with.

No, the yell came from a blonde in a green jacket, a white t-shirt with a single blue stripe, and light-wash jeans.

'Two supporting characters in one day… I'm really hitting all the jackpot today.' Lenix thought as Katsuya Jounochi burst into the scene.

"What're you punks doing? Leave that guy alone!"

"Crap! It's Jounochi! Run!" Like startled ducks, the two underclassmen hurried in the opposite direction.

Jounochi didn't give chase, even though Lenix was sure the Red-Eyes Black Dragon lurking behind him could have easily enhanced his physical abilities beyond human limits. "Yeah, you better run!" Lenix offered a hand to the downed robber, his glare unwavering. "And you," He turned to address Takimaru, "What possessed you to rob Yugi's grandpa?"

"I-I-I just wanted to help my underlings. They wanted to become Duelists, but we're spent after buying the Duel Disks so… I was going to pay the owner back, I swear! I just needed to gather the money." A nervous wreck, Takimaru stammered.

"And were they worth the troubles?" Lenix's words pierced Takimaru like daggers, forcing him to lower his head in shame.

"I'll let you go this time," The 'gambler' continued, his voice thick with warning. "But if I catch you doing this again—"

A crimson glint flashed in Jounochi's eyes, of malice and hatred, yet not his own, but the Red-Eyes Spirit floating just inches away. “Now go.“

“I-I will! But a deal's a deal. I lost, so he–” Although the robber glared at Lenix, he could sense the heat and passion earlier had been completely doused by the loss. “He gets to pick out three cards from my Deck. Here, take it.“

Almost on the verge of tears, Takimaru offered his Duel Disk to Lenix, who took it eagerly and began looking through the Deck.

Few cards caught his eye, but among them were Graceful Charity, a Block Dragon, a Big Piece Golem, a Legendary Jujitsu Master, a D.D Warrior Lady, three copies of Golem Sentry and even a card Lenix could add to his Deck immediately: Breaker the Magical Warrior. Most of these Grandpa Muto either didn't have in stock or were priced exorbitantly, far beyond Lenix's budget.

The Block Dragon and Golem practically radiated an aura of 'Take us and your Deck will be cursed for a century.'

Lenix quickly averted his gaze from them.

While Special Summoning was powerful, these two monsters only really worked in a dedicated EARTH Deck. Besides, their stats and effects couldn't compare to his Phoenix. "I will take… Breaker the Magical Warrior, Graceful Charity, and D.D. Warrior Lady."

Seeing his key cards untouched, Takimaru exhaled in relief, murmuring, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Lenix replied. "I took what I needed. And a word of advice: Put the Trap Hole away, replace it with Bottomless Trap Hole instead.“

While once a staple, Trap Hole had become obsolete. It was powerless against Special Summoned monsters, and its destruction effect, not banishment, was a critical weakness in a meta soon to be dominated by monsters thriving the Duel Monsters' 'Great Beyond.'

“I see… I'll keep a look out for it.“

Defeated and betrayed, Takimaru's dejected figure disappeared down a side street, leaving Jonouchi and Lenix outside Kame Game. "Heya! Lenix Owens, was it?"

"The one and only." Lenix extended his hand for a handshake, but Jonouchi slapped him on the back instead. "I'm Jonouchi Katsuya, but my international fans call me Joey Wheeler! Nice to meet ya!"

Jonouchi puffed up his chest, seemingly expecting a thunderous applause and a fifty-page essay extolling his virtues. Unfortunately for him, out of all the supporting characters throughout Duel Monsters, GX, and 5D's, Joey was one of the few Lenix had genuinely never cared for. The reason?

His playstyle... Jonouchi could call it however he liked, but spamming the same Time Wizard-Baby Dragon combo for like fifty Duels straight made watching the man excruciating for Lenix at the time.

Not to mention how distasteful the RNG-heavy deck the blonde mained was to Lenix.

Time Wizard already had a 50% chance of backfiring, and the anime version could even weaken specific monsters, including Jonouchi's. Snipe Hunter offered a far better alternative. While still reliant on luck, a two-in-six chance of failure was considerably better than 50/50 odds.

Even his aces were underwhelming.

Thousand Dragon had no effect and proved a pain to bring out reliably thanks to Time Wizard's unpredictable nature. His Red-Eyes Black Dragon, a first edition Ultra Rare was without any effect and barely better than Jinzo and Nephthys in terms of stats (DEF-only). As for artwork, and just overall utility… Yikes.

Things did not look good for Yugi's best buddy.

From Lenix's perspective, Mai Valentine and her Harpies should have won their Duel.

And she'd have, if not for plot.

But that's only as far Lenix's dislike extended.

As a person, Lenix considered Jonouchi… Decent, if a bit lazy, unambitious, happy-go-lucky, and extremely prone to gambling.

Not the most flattering description, sure, but with the Universe's abundance of crazies, Jonouchi would definitely rank among the top ten in terms of integrity.

“Nice to meet you too.“

“T-That's it?“

“… Do you want me to pretend to be awed?“

“Somehow, I think that'd hurt my self-esteem even more.“

“Touché.“

The awkward silence was broken by Grandpa Muto, who poked his head through the doorway and beckoned. "Owen, my boy! Come, come! You too, Jonouchi!“

“After you, Katsuya-san.“

Joining Mr. Mutou in his card shop, Lenix settled in with the old man and Jonouchi, even sharing dinner with them before excusing himself to check on his Duel Disk outside with the promise he'd repay the debt as soon as possible.

A promise the old man shrugged off.

The moment he departed, Jonouchi and Grandpa Mutou exchanged a knowing glance. “That boy's Duel Spirit seemed quite arrogant."

"But she's definitely strong! Thousand Dragon and Red-Eyes were itching for a fight. And did you see how he dueled? He controlled the fight from beginning 'till end! The other guy couldn't go on the offense at all!“

“Let's hope he visits us again."

"Why? If it's the money he owes you, I can cover it."

"Nonsense! I'm thinking of you and Yugi."

"How so?"

"Doesn't he seem like a fun kid to duel?“ Grinning, Katsuya Jonouchi tossed another fried shrimp into his mouth and laughed. "You know us too well! Next time he visits, be sure to call me. Mai will definitely be interested in his Phoenix."

“Speaking of which… How went your date?“ The two continued to talk late into the night. With Yugi on his last tour before retirement, Anzu in the States for another dance competition, and Hiroto in his last year of enlistment, the once bustling store felt strangely quiet… It was the end of an era.

New threats would soon emerge, and a new 'King of Games' would rise to curb them, but that was no longer their concern. As Yugi had put it, it was time to pass the torch to the next generation.

Meanwhile, Lenix's sprintng back to the boarding house and fiddling with his blinking Duel Disk until a burst of light erupted from the orb installed in it.

The holographic interface flickered, once, twice and thice over the Duel Disk, before stabilizing and displaying his options.

Status

Messages (2)

Contacts

KaibaCorp Database

Exit

"Huh... So a Duel Disk doubles as a phone?" The tiny device could already Summon literal Duel Spirits, so why not?

He wasn't surprised KaibaCorp had integrated the feature, but it was surprisingly thoughtful of Kaiba nonetheless.

And it's free of charge, too!

Lenix slowed to a crawl, scrolling through his unread messages. The first was from KaibaCorp, congratulating him on his first victory and awarding him a grand total of 500 DP. He paused, momentarily puzzled.

Why were capitalists giving away free money? Because of Duel Energy; the mystical force which granted Duelists the ability to pull someone into a Shadow Game against their will; manifest their Thought-Form monsters; and reshape reality itself… Magic, in simper words.

Magic which KaibaCorp satellites collected, absorbed, and refined into specialized canisters they then sold to the world as a safer (Debatable), cleaner and far more potent alternative to traditional energy sources.

Kaiba probably got the idea after witnessing firsthand the power DE(Short for Duel Energy) was capable of.

The DP paid, which was proportional to the amount of DE created would get split 70/30 to the participating Duelists.

70 to the victor, and 30 the loser.

Even Lenix must admit the whole system was fucking ingenious.

The professional Dueling circuit ran like clockwork, elevating the game from a fun hobby with occasional tournament prizes to a legitimate, aspirational career.

A single duel by a pro could generate triple the duel energy (DE) of an average Duelist.

While seemingly a small increase, these gains added up rather quickly.

Coupled with private events where pros would take a cut of ticket sales, merchandise, and endorsements, some players—Yugi, cough, cough—were earning in the millions annually.

Lenix accepted the DP and, after exiting KaibaCorp's message, checked his Status.

Name: Lenix Owens

Title: None

Duel Points: 500

Duel Record: 1 Total / 1 Win – 0 Loss – 0 Draw

Win Ratio: 100%

“They work fast," Lenix thought, surprised to find the DP already deposited in his account. Nodding in approval at KaibaCorp's efficiency, he then clicked on the first message ever sent to this Duel Disk.

On its title, “[GX]” were written in uppercase.

“Welp, here goes nothing..." Lenix muttered.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but a Trial message certainly wasn't it.

[Warning: Your Trial Will Expire in 13:26:53.

Continue?]

[Yes] [No]

For the briefest of moments, he hesitated. Thoughts of his dream od becoming a...

He thought of his deceased family next…

Then his girlfriend…

'Oh, right! I was busy playing Master Duel and mopping.'

The decision had been made for him years ago.

“Yes.“

Suddenly, his shiny new Duel Disk collapsed, transforming into a glowing orb that burrowed into his forearm. "Kurk!" Lenix doubled over instantly, sweat pouring down his face as he clutched his arm and slumped against the wall in agony.

[Connection Established ●●●]

[Duel Disk Appearance:]

[DiaDhank: Created by the ancients to summon Duel Spirits, the DiaDhank is a remarkable device resembling a spreading wing with only three Monster Zones… Though unwieldy, unconventional and perhaps a bit ostentatious, it's important to appreciate the OG.]

The device was as bulky as Lenix remembered. “Hard pass.“

[Prototype: It's basically a holographic projector slapped on top of a deck-holder... What? What did you expect? It's a prototype! Choose this if you want your monsters to look like they're from a PS2 game.]

The thought of picking it just for the meme flickered through Lenix's mind, but a sharp, piercing cry instantly banished the idea.

Nephthys was not amused. “Vain much?“

[KC Mass Production Disk]

Surprise-Surprise, it was the Battle City Disk, another Classic used for the majority of Duel Monsters. It was both clunky, cumbersome and totally awesome.

[Duel Links Duel Disk: Complete with a headset that monitors Duel Energy (DE) ouput, Activation prompts, and other vital duel data, it is the most advanced Duel Disk in the world. Unfortunately, this model is not linked to the KaibaCorp Database, so a physical Deck is still necessary. Everything else, however, from card visualization to hand management, is fully virtualized.]

This was the Duel Disk Kaiba used in Dark Side of Dimensions—his so-called 'cheat' against Atem's spammable Destiny Draws.

Lenix wanted to make up his mind then and there, since Virtual cards did significantly reduce the risk of cheating, but there were still a few more Duel Disks to check out. Directly under Kaiba's was Aigami's Quantum Cube, an artifact of great power, alas…

[Quantum Cube: Purged of its power, this Artifact now functions only as a Duel Disk.]

The news was disappointing, but not unexpected to Lenix.

“There's another one?“

[Vorona-1 Duel Disk (Experimental): Developed by TranStar Industries, this Duel Disk is a mass of inch-wide obsidian cubes, a fragmented Tesseract with simultaneous solid, liquid, and gaseous properties. Every component, from Graveyard to Cards and Zones, is formed from these cubes. Near indestructible, it also enables Installation Mode which transcends mere Enhancements, Spellcasting and Destiny Draws when Bond Progress with a Duel Spirit reaches a certain percentage.]

It took Lenix no more than five seconds to realize he wasn't just choosing a Duel Disk's appearance; he was choosing his path forward in this 'game.'

While classic Duel Disks definitely had their appeal, the Vorona-1 was the only model which had Installation Mode integrated.

Lenix could not be certain about its function, but he had a hunch he'd regret it if he picked anything else. “Vorona-1, it is… Show me what you got.“

—/——/——/——/—

Duelist Profile

Name: Lenix Owens

Title: None

Duel Points: 500

Duel Record: 1 Total / 1 Win – 0 Loss – 0 Draw

Win Ratio: 100%

Level: 1

XP: 52/100

Duel Energy: 271/700 (Regen: 1 Unit/Sec)

Bonded Spirits: Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys (0.3%), Hand of Nephthys (2.15%)

Spirit Enhancements / Skills: Destiny Draw (Lv1)

Starter Deck:

Monsters: 20

1. The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys ×1

2. Hand of Nephthys ×2

3. Man-Eater Bug ×2

4. Mimicking Man-Eater Bug ×1

5. Giant Germ ×3

6. Mystic Tomato ×1

7. Sangan ×1

8. D.D Assailant ×1

9. Spirit Reaper ×1

10. The Legendary Jujitsu Master => D.D. Warrior Lady ×1

11. Exiled Force ×1

12. Don Zaloog ×1

13. D.D Warrior ×1

14. Penguin Soldier ×1

15. Morphing Jar #2 ×1

16. Twin-Headed Behemoth => Breaker the Magical Warrior

Spells: 13

1. Pot of Avarice ×1

2. Nobleman of Crossout ×1

3. Giant Trunade ×1

4. Mystical Space Typhoon ×1

5. Premature Burial ×1

6. Scapegoat ×1

7. United We Stand ×1

8. Brain Control ×1

9. Upstart Goblin => Graceful Charity ×1

10. Book of Moon ×2

11. Soul Exchange ×2

Traps: 9

1. Mirror Force ×1

2. Torrential Tribute ×1

3. Solemn Judgment ×2

4. Bottomless Trap Hole ×2

5. Sakuretsu Armor ×2

6. Magic Cylinder ×1

Trunk:

The Legendary Jujitsu Master ×1

Twin-Headed Behemoth ×1

Upstart Goblin ×1

—/——/——/——/—

A/N: Apparently, there's a remake of GX in the making. Most haven't taken the news well, but honestly? Imagine GX with Demon Slayer, Fate or the Broly Movie level of animations and fight scenes. Instead of stationary monsters, they now move and act and make small gestures while idle, not to mention the effects of cards like DNA Surgery!