With my introduction to the system done, I took a moment to check my bank account. Feeling gleeful at the sight of the huge amount- to me- of Lumins in my account, I decided to celebrate and went shopping to pick up some higher quality food to celebrate.
I made sure not to go overboard though; I only bought enough for a proper feast- to make sure all of us could eat until we were full. I didn't buy so much that we wouldn't be able to finish all of it, even though I was sorely tempted to do so.
"So, Master," Silent Magician- Alice, as she called herself- spoke as I did my shopping, "Why are you buying so much food?"
"It's to celebrate," I answered easily. "I don't live alone. I live with my three siblings. My oldest sister- Nicole- adopted me ten years ago. She gave me a home, treated me like family, and gave me cards even though she could have kept them for herself and finished her deck a long time ago."
Though I had always wondered why Nicole didn't just finish her deck so we could have money- and had even asked her- the reason was very simple. The first 40 cards that you registered with became 'Bound' Cards. They were locked to your Duel Account. You could take them out of your deck, but nobody else would be able to use the cards besides you until you died and your Duel Account was erased.
With that in mind, while you could slap together a 40-card deck- you had to really consider if the cards you were adding to your deck were a good fit and if it was worth keeping them over trading or selling them. That was why Nicole gave all of us cards. Both because she wanted us to become Duellists too, but also because some of the cards just weren't a good fit for the Deck she was building.
But it was also because Nicole cared about us more than she cared about herself. We- her family- were everything to her, and so she didn't mind giving us a little more instead of keeping it for herself. We weren't even upset about not having the money, so long as we had each other than that was enough for all of us.
The money was just a nice bonus.
"I see~ It seems you've got a good family, Master~" Alice smirked, clearly pleased.
I just chuckled as I soon finished up my shopping and paid for everything and began to make my way home, planning to cook up a storm for my siblings.
As I began to walk home, however, I stopped as I heard a familiar cry of pain nearby.
Dropping everything- not literally, these groceries were expensive- I immediately ran towards the cry of pain, finding Billy was lying on the ground with a group of guys around him all while he was clearly trying to cradle and hide something. He was also protecting his face, stopping them from reaching for his mask.
I saw red.
"Hey!" I roared with rage, making them all look at me. "What the fuck do you think you're doing to my brother!?"
One of the guys- a hulking muscular guy- snorted in dark amusement at my words as he sneered at me, "This cowardly little shit is your brother?" He scoffed. "Beat it, kid. He's got a pretty powerful card, and we're taking it. It'll make a fine addition to my deck."
"B- Bro," Billy coughed. Despite his muscles, he didn't like fighting- he probably barely fought back, "G- get out of here, or else they'll target you."
My eyes narrowed darkly, "If you want to mess with my brother..." I lifted my hand up, revealing the deck on my wrist, "Then how about you put your Lumins where your mouth is?"
Billy's eyes widened behind his mask as he looked at me. "A full deck? Bro, you became a duellist?"
The other guys all murmured, while the leader's eyes narrowed, "A duellist... I'm surprised a squirt like you was able to wrangle together forty cards for a deck..." He smirked as his Terminal entered Duel Mode, sliding his deck into place. "Fine, brat. You're on... But how about we make this interesting?"
"Let me guess... Winner takes a card from the loser's deck?" I asked him.
This was the only exception to the 'Bound' Rule. The Ante Rule. By wagering a card, ownership could be transferred even if a card was bound to a user's account.
He just smirked, "You down, brat?" He tapped the hologram, sending me a Duel Request.
I glanced at the request.
Duellist Zack requests a Duel.
Wager: 1,000 Lumins.
Bonus: Ante Rule Proposed. Winner may take one card from the loser's deck.
Do you accept?
A thousand Lumins... That was half of the money I got from my Stipend, and this guy was offering it casually.
Still... He messed with my brother, and I wouldn't accept that.
I hit accept, and the Duel blade activated- the cards shuffling in our decks before we both drew five cards.
"DUEL!"
Yukio LP: 4000
Zack LP: 4000
"Rookies go last!" Zack sneered. "I'll take the first move! Draw!" He drew a card and smirked. "Haha! This is way too sweet!" He smirked and slid a card into place. "I activate the Spell Card - Ancient Rules! This lets me Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Normal Monster from my hand!"
"A high level summoning already!?" Billy exclaimed in shock.
Zack grinned and grabbed a card from his hand. "Let me show you what despair looks like! A Legendary Card is about to descend! I summon- Red-Eyes Black Dragon!!"
Billy's eyes widened, and even my own were staring in shock as Zack slammed the card onto his Duel Disk. The legendary jet-black dragon roared to life as it appeared on the field, crimson eyes glaring down at me.
Red-Eyes Black Dragon
Level 7 | DARK | Dragon | Normal | ATK 2400 | DEF 2000
"Impossible..." Billy gasped. "That's... How do you have such a legendary card!? This is the slums- there's no way you could have that!"
One of Zack's henchmen sneered, "Heh, Boss has his ways, brat! With Red-Eyes on the field, your 'bro's' chances of winning just dropped to zero!"
"Especially when I have this!" Zack smirked and lifted a card. "I can't attack on the first turn, but I'll still deal damage with this- Inferno Fire Blast!"
Crimson eyes glowed as the dragon began to gather an orb of flames in its mouth.
"While I control Red-Eyes, I can activate this card! Red-Eyes can't attack this turn, but in exchange you'll take damage equal to Red-Eyes original attack!" He pointed at me. "Take 2400 points of damage, loser!"
"I don't think so," I told him, lifting a card from my hand and revealing it to him. "This is Junkuriboh. When you activate a card or effect that would inflict damage to me, I can send Junkuriboh from my hand to the Graveyard to negate the activation and destroy the card."
The ball of flames gathering in Red-Eyes mouth suddenly fizzled out, becoming mere embers that faded away into the wind.
"Bro..." Billy teared up a little seeing Junkuriboh. After all, he was the one who gave me Junkuriboh. He said it would be his way of protecting his brother, even in duels. And now- he got to see it work first hand.
"Tch," Zack clicked his tongue, "I'll set 1 card face-down and end my turn. You got lucky, punk. But luck can only take you so far!"
"It's my turn then, I draw!" I pulled a card free from my deck and instantly see crimson energy gathering around one card in particular... Silent Magician was eager to come out and show me what she could do.
"I'll start my turn by Normal Summoning my Blue Dragon Summoner!" I declared, placing the card onto the field and revealing a young man with blue hair in black robes.
Blue Dragon Summoner
Level 4 | WIND | Spellcaster | Effect | ATK 1500 | DEF 600
"Heh, what's that little thing gonna do to my Red-Eyes?" Zack sneered "It can't do anything!"
"That's why I'm tributing him," I responded. "By tributing a Spellcaster Monster on my field, I can Special Summon this card from my hand..."
Blue Dragon Summoner smirked as he vanished from the field, and crimson particles of light filled the air.
"O' Master of the Ancient Magics, descend now! I summon Silent Magician!"
Everyone's eyes widened as I spoke that name, crimson particles of light gathering on the field as Alice took to the stage.
Her body was extremely voluptuous, her dark skin glistening in the light as her crimson eyes gleamed with dark intentions. Her burnt black dress clung to her body, a black and crimson staff twirling in her hands as she took to the field.
Silent Magician
Level 4 | DARK | Spellcaster | Effect | ATK 1000 | DEF 1000
"Legendary card..." Zack grit his teeth. "I didn't expect a brat like you to also have a legendary card!"
"Blue Dragon Summoner's effect activates in the Graveyard," I responded. "If Blue Dragon Summoner is sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can add a Dragon, Warrior, or Spellcaster Normal Monster from my Deck to my hand."
A card slipped out of my deck and I revealed it, "I'll be adding Gemini Elf to my hand. Silent Magician also has an effect- she gains 500 ATK for every card in my hand!"
Zack's eyes widened. "Wait, what!? But you're holding four cards, so-!"
"So Silent Magician gains 2000 ATK!"
ATK: 1000 - 3000
"Battle Phase! Silent Magician attacks Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Silent Burning!"
Alice lifted her staff with a sexy smirk on her lifts, black and crimson energies gathering on her staff before she swung it forwards- sending the fireball hurtling towards Red-Eyes!
"Do you think it'd be that easy?" Zack sneered. "I activate my face-down! Quick-Play Spell Shrink! I can target 1 monster on the field and halve its ATK! So, your Silent Magician's ATK will become 1500!"
"Silent Magician's effect activates," I spoke, unafraid. "Once per turn, when a Spell Card is activated, I can negate the activation! So, your Shrink fizzles out!"
Silent Magician's eyes glowed as invisible energy surged towards her, shattering into visible glass shards that dissipated into nothing.
The corrupted fireball slammed into Red-Eyes, violently exploding as the dragon shattered with a scream of pain.
Zack LP: 4000 - 3400
"Tch, you little brat," Zack grit his teeth. "Luck, that's all this is! But next turn, I'll crush you!"
I didn't respond, "I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn."
ATK: 3000 - 2000
"Finally, it's my turn!" Zack declared. "I draw-!"
"In the Draw Phase, I activate a trap," I tapped my Duel Disk. "Ring of Destruction."
Zack's eyes widened in shock. "What!? Why do you have that card!?"
I didn't respond as I just stared at him darkly, "Ring of Destruction lets me target one monster on the field. It is destroyed, and then we both take damage equal to that monster's attack."
"That means we'll both be taking 2000 Points of damage!" Zack gritted his teeth and looked at his hand. "Tch, I have no choice! Don't think you're the only one with a Junkuriboh, kid! I'll activate the effect of my own Junkuriboh! I'll send it to the Graveyard to negate and destroy your Ring of Destruction!"
I just closed my eyes, "A fool who doesn't know when he's being baited. You don't deserve that Red-Eyes, and you don't deserve any more of my time!"
Everyone's eyes widened at my words, even Billy was shocked since he'd never seen me like this before.
"I activate my other set card. Counter Trap: Damage Boost," the card flipped over. "I can only activate this card when you activate a card effect that negates one of my effects that inflicts damage to your Life Points. I negate that effect, and destroy the card... And the damage you're taking becomes Double!"
Zack's eyes widened, "D- Double 2000... That's...!"
"Game Over," I told him. "Silent Magician- let's send him on his way."
Alice grinned as a bomb collar appeared around her neck, not at all perturbed by the fact she was about to be destroyed. Instead, she lifted her middle finger up to Zack... Before the collar violently exploded.
Yukio LP: 4000 - 2000
Zack LP: 3400 - 0
Overkill Damage: 600!
WINNER: Yukio
I checked my rising account balance... Not only did I obtain 1000 Lumins from beating Zack, but I also obtained another 600 from defeating with Overkill. Overkill damage was basically extra money you obtained if you dealt more damage than needed to win a Duel- coming out of the loser's account.
[You have defeated Zack! You have obtained 1000 VE.]
[Zack's Affection Increasing... Zack has reached 100 Affection. You have obtained 1 'Random Red-Eyes' Ticket.]
I blinked in surprise and felt an uncomfortable chill down my spine, snapping my gaze to Zack... To my relief, the look he gave me wasn't a perverse or affectionate one- it was just one of pure respect and even admiration.
I also noticed a faint red mark in the shape of an Ouroboros was now present on his shoulder that wasn't there before- but I was pretty sure I was the only one who noticed.
Zack took a deep breath and then exhaled hard, "... You beat me, kid," he said, voice full of respect. "Fair and square- I lost..." He looked at his group. "Leave the kid alone. I lost, and I honour my agreements."
"But boss-!" One of them complained.
"I said- leave the kid alone!" He roared, glaring at them.
They all flinched and quickly moved away from Billy, who got up and ran over to me.
"Bro!" He cried and hugged me tight. "I'm so proud of you, bro! You used my card to win that duel! Oh, Nicole and Anby are gonna be so thrilled about this!"
Zack stepped forward, offering a card to me without question, "You won, this is yours."
I looked down at the card he was offering to me.
Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
"This is the card you wanted, right?" He asked. "It's yours- I'm a man of my word. Take good care of it, kid."
I nodded as I reached out and took the card, tapping it on my Terminal and registering the card to my account.
"Let's go boys!" Zack barked at his group, all of them turning and walking away.
"Bro, I can't believe it!" Billy's eyes lit up. "A real Red-Eyes! I can hold it later, right?? Oh, and you also found a Silent Magician today!? Your luck is on point, bro! Nicole and Anby will be so upset that they missed this!"
I chuckled softly and gestured down to the grocery bags at my feet. "Come on, help me carry this home," I told Billy warmly. "Tonight, we're gonna celebrate!"
Billy cheered and happily grabbed some of the bags, and the two of us began to make our way home.
Alice giggled as she floated behind me, out of sighed and out of earshot as she looked at me with a wicked grin, "What a truly evil power my Master possesses..." She licked her lips. "I can't wait to see just what will happen in the future...~"