A/N:
Another semester means more time dedicated to school work instead of writing. It sucks, I can only use up 2 days for writing, meaning only 2 chapters on my Patreon instead of the usual 3-4.
Plus, I've kind of am being addicted to Persona again—Persona 5 X is just so peak—and it's causing me to focus more on a new fanfic.
I know, I am horrible at fully dedicating my time on a specific fic.
Hell, Patreon only has till Chapter 26, I'll try to write more, but I'm swamped with stuff.
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Opening the lower compartment of his luggage, he instinctively swallowed as he caught sight of the Duel Disk resting on a pillow that he laid before the trip to avoid scratching anything. His hand hesitated for a moment before he reached out and picked it up.
... Was it always this heavy?
The familiar weight on his arm brought back a rush of memories, but he pushed it down in his mind. Attaching the Duel Disk to his left arm, he turned his attention to the four deck boxes he'd brought along, each one sitting neatly in the same compartment.
Ken stared at them, his mind racing, before a second later, with his decision made, his arm reached out to grab the singular deck box, unpacking it to take the cards out before sliding the deck into the deck slot with a soft click.
Exiting the room, he made sure to lock the door securely behind him, sliding a "Do Not Enter" tag onto the handle to keep hotel staff from wandering in while he was gone.
Stepping into the hallway, he found Edo waiting patiently just opposite the door. The gray-haired teen was leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed as though he had all the time in the world. His blue eyes flicked to Ken's Duel Disk, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Ready?"
Ken adjusted the Duel Disk on his arm, his expression neutral as he nodded.
"Let's get this over with."
Edo pushed off the wall, standing as tall as Ken, and gave a slight smirk.
"Good, then let's find a place to duel."
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While there were Nexus Pods located on the first floor of the hotel for their customers, Edo mentioned as they walked that he personally preferred to duel using Duel Disks and physical cards.
"It feels more... real."
Edo said, glancing at Ken as they waited for the elevator.
"The sound of the cards, the weight of the Duel Disk, the impact of your decisions as you play—it's more satisfying, don't you think?"
Ken nodded slightly, his own experiences aligning with Edo's sentiment as a finger brushes on the compact Duel Disk.
"Yeah... the Nexus Pods are fine for virtual matches, but nothing beats the feel of an actual duel. It's more immersive, more... alive."
Edo smirked, seemingly pleased with Ken's agreement.
"Exactly. There's something about the atmosphere of a physical duel that the digital platforms can't replicate, no matter how much it's advertised."
The elevator ride was brief, and they soon stepped out into the hotel's courtyard. The space was cleverly designed to serve dual purposes—a relaxing park-like area for guests and a dueling arena situated in the center.
It wasn't much, but the intended area for duels in the courtyard was a simple yet functional space. The open, circular arena featured a smooth, polished stone floor, its surface gleaming faintly under the soft evening lights. On opposite sides of the circle, white-painted markings clearly indicated where duelists were meant to stand, leaving no doubt that this area was specifically designated for dueling.
Surrounding the arena were neatly trimmed hedges, with a few benches that were scattered nearby for spectators who might want to watch a match or simply relax in the serene atmosphere.
Edo stopped once he walked to one of the marked areas painted in white, turning to face Ken as he rested an arm on his hip, looking around.
"This should do nicely."
Ken glanced around, taking in the serene atmosphere. It was a stark contrast to the metal platform that he dueled on during the week with Bandit Keith. He exhaled and tightened his Duel Disk to prevent it from moving while they dueled.
"Definitely, I prefer this a lot more."
Without a word, their Duel Disks simultaneously came to life, accompanied by a series of sharp mechanical clicks. In perfect synchrony, they smoothly shifted from their compact forms into full Duel Mode.
His own Duel Disk was the standard, mass-produced model manufactured by Kaiba Corp—the same design you'd see during the Battle City Tournament. As the Duel Disk activated, the blades unfolded with a satisfying snap, both halves of the card platform coming together before shifting to the side perpendicular to his arm with a beep to signify its activation.
In stark contrast, Edo's custom-made Duel Disk stood out with its distinct appearance, unlike the standard models. Edo's Duel Disk had a much subtler transformation, with only the top section of the card platform shifting forward with a quiet click before extending outward, revealing all five zones, the center gem lighting up as it synced with his opponent's Duel Disk.
"Don't hold back, Yusou Ken!"
Edo called out with a sharp voice as Ken drew a deep breath, meeting his opponent's competitive gaze before they both shouted at the same time.
""DUEL!""
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""DUEL!""
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Yusou Ken: 4000 LP
Edo: 4000 LP
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"So, do you want to coin flip for turn?"
Edo asked casually as they drew their opening five cards.
Ken glanced at his hand, taking a moment to assess his options before replying.
"You can go first."
Edo blinked before he nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Oh, thanks! Guess I'll set the pace, then. Here goes, I draw!"
Drawing with style, Edo looked at his hand before playing the first card of the game.
"I activate the spell from my hand, Destiny Draw! I discard one Destiny HERO monster from my hand to draw two cards!"
Ken's face paled as Edo discarded a monster card to draw two cards.
Destiny HERO... Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer? The name flashed in his mind and sent an involuntary shiver down his spine. He'd lost count of how many times that HERO fusion monster had obliterated his field and crushed his win streak in Master Duel, dropping him back down from Plat to Gold or even Silver.
Edo didn't seem to notice his reaction as he continued with enthusiasm.
"Nice! I now play Graceful Charity! I can draw 3 cards, with the cost of discarding two after."
Ken stared as the spell card flashed on the field before disappearing... What an overpowered card, though he can't really say much about it; it'd be hypocritical since he also used the same card for the discard effect in his own deck.
"I normal summon Marauding Captain (LVL 3 / 1200 / 400) in Attack Position!"
The hologram of a middle-aged knight wielding twin swords materialized on Edo's field, brandishing his blades as he took his stance.
"When Marauding Captain is normal summoned, I can special summon one Level 4 or lower monster from my hand! Come on out, Elemental HERO Stratos (LVL 4 / 1800 / 300) in Attack Position!"
In a flash of white, a sleek, blue-armored figure with wings descended from the sky, landing in a dramatic superhero pose before flexing confidently.
"Since Elemental HERO Stratos is special summoned, his effect activates! I can add one HERO monster from my deck to my hand. I choose Destiny HERO - Dogma!"
The Duel Disk beeped softly as a card slid out mechanically from Edo's deck. Ken raised an eyebrow, caught off guard.
"Wait, did your Duel Disk just find that card for you?"
Edo glanced at Ken, his smile widening.
"Yeah, it's the latest model by Kaiba Corp meant for Duel Academia students. I got it early because of some connections. It can automatically find and shuffle cards with voice commands, and it even shows the information of the cards on the field with this gem here."
Edo explained the features of the deck, pointing at the large gem on the Duel Disk that actually displayed Destiny HERO - Dogma's details, with buttons just below the gem to control the screen's target for card information.
Duel Academia? Right... Rei mentioned something about a school that teaches Duel Monsters.
"Moving on, I activate the effect of Destiny HERO - Malicious in my Cemetery! By banishing this card from the Cemetery, I can special summon another copy of him from my deck to the field in Defense Position (LVL 6 / 800 / 800)!"
The hologram of Destiny HERO - Malicious appeared, looking eerily similar to Devilman, crouched into a defensive stance with his large arms protecting his body.
"Three monsters on the field with five cards left in your hand. And the way you set Malicious up with either that Destiny Draw or Graceful Charity; you're good."
Ken gave praise where it's due; with the amount of Pro Duelists that were simply using beatstick after beatstick without any plans, this Duelist in front of him was the real deal, setting up a good board with multiple cards remaining to be played.
"I like to think so, but we're just getting started. Let's see if you'll still think that by the time I'm done."
Edo smirked before he raised a card from his hand, flipping it over to reveal Destiny HERO - Dogma.
"I now have three monsters on the field; that means that I can do this! I activate Destiny HERO - Dogma's effect from my hand! By tributing three monsters, including at least one Destiny HERO monster, I can special summon Destiny HERO - Dogma to the field! Come to me, my ace monster!"
His field lit up as Marauding Captain, Elemental HERO Stratos, and Destiny HERO - Malicious shattered into glowing motes, spiraling upward as the energy combines in a storm at the center of the arena.
The space around the storm bursts like glass as a massive figure emerged from the vortex. Clad in black, organic-like armor, with devil-like wings spread wide and a large blade embedded into his fist, Destiny HERO - Dogma floated down to the field, its crimson eyes glowing as it gave a low growl.
[ Destiny HERO - Dogma (LVL 8 / 3400 / 2400) ]
Edo crossed his arms, his smirk never fading as he questioned the stone-faced Ken.
"How's that for an entrance?"
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