Author's Note

Most of you who read this are likely to compare it to the works by Banshee53. I would consider that an honor. If you don't know who they are, the author has combined the EQG world with Yugioh and has made Flash the main character.

The author does excellent work, and I suggest reading their stories before this one. To cap it off, I agree with Banshee that Flash Sentry could use more spotlight. Hopefully, you all enjoy this new story.

The New Era

Introduction
Duel Monsters is a game known far and wide with players of every size, shape, and make. They try to push their limits and rise through the ranks with varying strategies. This is the new era of duel monster history.

With every era recorded, darkness appears to threaten the world. That is why it is up to the new generation of duelist to rise and claim their place in history. This is Yu-EQ-Gi-oh:Road to Quantum.

Canterlot: Park, Midday…
A boy around 10 years old, Forward Base, was being led into the park by his older brother Flash Sentry. The park was huge with paths for biking, walking, or jogging. While that was well and good, Forward was here for the playground. The older brother smiled at his brother’s excitement.

Flash himself was roughly 13 with no real differences in his height or weight from any other guy his age. He had yellow-orange skin, blue hair, and forest green eyes. His attire was a black shirt with matching pants. A black duel disk was strapped to his arm.

The younger boy had a slightly darker skin tone than his brother and his eyes were a light purple; however, he had the same blue hair as his older brother. He wore a white shirt with golden trim and golden colored shorts. On his wrist he had a white duel disk.

The pair soon made it to the play area, and the younger boy was fit to burst. “Alright Forward, I’ll be near the benches if you need me. Have fun but remember that father expects us home in two hours. I mean it.”

“Alright.” Forward sighed. “I promise I’ll be ready to leave.”

Flash nodded. “Then, enjoy yourself.”

Forward took off before Flash received a call from Sunset. “Hey Sunset. What’s up?”

“Flash, I don’t know how to say this.” She sounded rather concerned which was unlike her.

“Sunset’s usually more composed than this. Whatever she has to tell me must be pretty bad.” Flash thought. “Sunset, whatever you have to tell me, I can handle it. Especially if it comes from you. After all, even bad news is okay when it comes from your girl.”

“You can be sweat at times Flash.” Sunset took a deep breath. “I don’t know the whole story, but shortly after you left school, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie stormed off. I overheard they were angry with you and each other.”

“Angry with each other and me?” Flash was confused since everything seemed fine when he left. “How angry are we talking? The usual anger that will blow over or something more?”

He didn’t want the group to fall apart. Part of it was the fact that they were his friends, some of the only ones he had, but another part was that the friendship they had with each other was something special. They were all different, yet those differences never seemed to divide them.

There were obviously arguments before this, but they always seemed to work it out. The fact that they could accept Flash at all meant something to him. Sure, people found it odd that he was their friend given that he was a guy, but with them, he never cared what others thought.

“I’ll tell you what I can, but I don’t know much…” Sunset began.

With Forward
Forward was running towards the playground when he heard what sounded like a guy screaming in the distance. He looked around only to notice that no other children, nor the adults within eyesight, seemed to have heard it.

“Should I get Flash?” Forward looked at his brother only to see that he was busy on his phone. “He seems busy, and since no one’s heard that scream, it’s up to me to help whoever’s in trouble.” He clenched his fist before taking off. “Sorry bro.”

Forward knew he would worry his brother by doing this, but father always said to help someone in need. Hopefully, Flash would understand. He rounded a thicket of trees and saw a soccer field that would normally be empty if it weren’t for the duelists on it.

There was a boy, roughly Flash’s age, standing over a defeated duelist. The guy Flash’s age had dark red skin, purple hair, and cyan eyes. His attire was a dark purple gi with matching pants and shoes.

The boy had just taken the fallen duelist’s deck with an arrogant smile. “Well, I won our little duel, so I’ll be taking this as my prize.”

The boy flinched. “We didn’t agree on an ante duel.”

“No, we didn’t.” He stood and tucked the boy’s deck inside his gi. “Out here, any duel with me is an ante duel. You lost, so your deck is mine.” He smirked. “If you want it back, and happen to have another deck, I’d be happy to wipe the floor with you again.”

The boy went silent, but he didn’t have to say anything more as Forward ran onto the scene. “Hey, you big bully! What you’re doing isn’t nice.” The young and older boy looked at him. “If this guy didn’t agree to an ante duel, you have no right to take his deck.”

“Oh man, just my luck.” The older boy sighed. “Look short stack, your words mean nothing to me because the only thing I respect is the duel. Unless you want to take me on, I suggest you buzz of.”

Forward looked at his deck before nodding. “You know what, a duel is what I want, and I’ll put my deck on the line. If I win, you give this guy back his deck. If you win, you can have my deck. Deal?”

“Normally, I’m not for crushing a kid, but I’ve seen that look in your eyes on other duelist.” He shrugged. “Might as well get this out of the way.” The guy walked back to get proper distance. “Name’s Nathan Castor, but don’t bother telling me yours.” He faced Forward. “I only care about those who make an impression.”

“I’ll just have to make an impression then.” Forward activated his white duel disk causing a golden energy blade to appear before he looked back at the defeated duelists. “Get out of here, and I promise he’ll return that deck to you later.”

“You don’t have to do this.” The duelist stood. “His deck is unlike anything I’ve seen before.”

“You’re wrong.” Forward turned back to his opponent who activated a purple duel disk with a green energy blade. “I can’t let him get away with this because no one in my family would. If you’re that concerned, get my brother. He’s at the benches and looks like me.”

The duelist looked from Forward to Nathan before running off.

“You’re having that guy bring your brother into this.” Nathan shook his head. “Just another duelist for me to beat, but let’s focus on you for now.”

“Bring it on.” Forward grit his teeth. “I’m ready to take you down.”

Flash Industries
A man with yellow-orange skin, red hair, and light blue eyes sat in his chair going through his deck. He wore a sleeveless crimson red shirt and matching pants while a gray trench coat was hung on the chair behind him. This was Flash Magnus.

The man finished his deck, put it together, and gently set it down before turning his chair around to face the large bay window which looked out at the city below. The sun was setting casting everything in a beautiful orange.

“A day like this…” Magnus closed his eyes enjoying this moment. “…was the day my life truly started.” He had a sense of peace as he opened his eyes. “Tonight, I put everything on the line. Everything for you, my sons.”

The door to his office opened and Magnus turned to see two men who looked related. That was rather apt considering they were brothers. The first, and oldest, was a rather skinny man with light gray skin, dark blue hair, and light blue eyes. His attire was a beige suit. This was Stygian.

The other man was a little more muscular with the same gray skin as his brother. His hair was black, and he had light green eyes. His attire consisted of a black suit with the jacket open and sunglasses around the collar. A gray duel disk was on his arm. This was Shadow Lock.

“Magnus, we came as soon as we could.” Stygian stated. “What’s going on?”

Magnus gave a small smile. “I thank you for coming my old friends.” He stood up and threw his trench coat on. “I’m sorry to ask this of you two, but I’m about to undertake the duel of my life. While I think I’ll come back, I won’t leave my boys without someone should I fail.”

Both men blinked in shock.

“Magnus, what are you talking about?” Shadow Lock asked.

Magnus put his deck away and walked up to them. “If something were to happen to me, do you think you could take care of my kids?”

“W-what… I mean, of course we would if something ever happened to you.” Shadow stated.

“Of course.” Stygian nodded. “What’s this about? What duelist are you taking on?”

“I have a lead on where The Cipher will be, so I’m going to put an end to his path of devastation.” Magnus stated. “Hopefully, I’ll bring back everyone we and others have lost.” He closed his eyes. “Especially Somnambula.”

“Wait, you know where The Cipher will be?” Shadow asked. “Then, why are you going alone? We should tell the public and gather a team to take him down. You don’t have to risk yourself like this.”

“You know that won’t work because this guy isn’t your average duelist. He’s defeated so many that he may very well be on a higher level than I, The Phenomenon. If I fail, no one I brought with me could do this. I need to go alone.”

“Magnus…” Shadow clenched his fist because he knew his friend was right.

“Rockhoof, Mage Meadowbrook, Mistmane, Star Swirl, and my dear Somnambula.” Magnus shook his head. “Besides you Shadow Lock, they were the best duelist under me and some of the best friends a guy could ask for. With them gone, you’re the only true friends I have. Please, don’t come after me and look after my boys.”

“Begging doesn’t befit you.” Stygian sighed. “Alright, I promise we’ll look after your sons if anything happens, but you have to promise us something in return. Promise you will give The Cipher everything you got.”

“I give every duel my best.” Magnus walked out the door. “See you two later.”

The door closed leaving the brothers behind.

Stygian frowned as he walked to the bay window and looked outside. “I’m sorry old friend, but you cannot win no matter how much I wish you could.”

Shadow turned to the door with a concerned look. “Please, don’t let his duel disk turn up without him.”

Park: Soccer Field
Nathan and Forward were ready to duel.

“Let’s duel!”

(Forward 4000/Nathan 4000)

“Alright kid, you can pick who goes first because it doesn’t matter to me.” Nathan declared.

“I’ll go first!” Forward declared. “I’m starting with Hinotama which deals you 500 life points of damage.” Nathan was pelted by small balls of fire (Forward 4000/Nathan 3500).

“Seriously, you play Hinotama?” Nathan chuckled and shook his head. “What a pathetic card.” He wasn’t upset about losing some messily life points. “Got anything better?”

“I’ll show you better.” Forward declared firmly. “I activate Arduous Decision. Now I pick up the top two cards of my deck and have you pick one at random. If you select a monster, I can special summon it and add the other card to my hand. Any other card results in both going to the grave.” Forward drew and held the cards out. “Make your choice.”

“This ought to be good.” Nathan rolled his eyes. “I choose the card on the left.”

Forward smiled. “You just choose my Silver Fang(LV 3/1200/700).” A white wolf appeared on the field.

“Silver Fang?” Nathan chuckled. “You really don’t get how duel monsters is played these days, do you?”

“I know more than you think.” Forward declared.

“The bar isn’t high, so it’s likely.” Nathan stated.

“Shut up!” Forward shouted angrily. “I activate the other card I was able to add to my hand Black Pendant, and I’ll equip it to my Silver Fang(LV 3/1700/700 effect).” A black pendant appeared around the wolf giving him greater strength.

“Since Silver Fang was a special summon, I can still normal summon, so I’ll tribute my wolf to summon my ace. Reptilian and machine are one when it comes to Cyber Tech Aligator(LV 5/2500/1600).” A bipedal green alligator with cybernetic, red attachments appeared.

“That’s your ace?” Nathan just shook his head. “The best monster in your deck? That may have worked in the time of the first King of Games, but that’s worthless these days.”

“Keep talking, but my turn is still going.” Forward stated. “Since Black Pendant was attached to my wolf when it was sent to the graveyard, you are dealt another 500 life points of damage.” Dark energy washed over Nathan (Forward 4000/Nathan 3000).”

Nathan crossed his arms. “Are you done, or do you want to continue chipping away?”

Forward hated how this guy was talking down to him. Sure, there were many cards these days that could deal damage, but it was a feat to get someone’s life points down this much on the first turn. The least the guy could do was be a little impressed.

“I set one card ending my turn.” Forward declared. “Let’s see what you got.”

“I’m more than happy to show you how a real duelist takes a turn.” Nathan drew. “In fact, I’m a little miffed as this is all just a waste of time, so I’m ending this farce.”

“You’re just bluffing.” Forward stated with certainty. “You can’t end this in one turn.”

“I pity you kid.” Nathan shook his head. “You can’t see how outclassed you are.”

Bench Area
Flash was leaning against a tree rubbing a hand over his face. “…Sunset, I’ll have to sort this out with the others tomorrow. Right now, I got to watch my little bro, and my father’s expecting us home soon.”

“I’ll try digging up information to find out what’s happened.” Sunset stated. “Just come find me on the roof at lunch, and I should have something.”

Flash sighed in relief. “Thank you, Sunset.”

“No problem.” Sunset stated.

Flash hung up his phone only to see some guy running towards him. This wasn’t anything new because he was the son of The Phenomenon; however, the guy seemed rather panicked which did raise some concern in Flash.

“Whoa, are you okay?” Flash asked.

The duelist came to a stop before him. “Hey, you look like that kid back there, so he must be your little brother, right?” He sounded rather panicked. “Your little brother is dueling some guy at the soccer field. He has a strong deck and took my deck without there being an ante rule.”

Flash immediately looked in the direction of the soccer field. “Thank you for telling me, but you should get home.” He ran off towards the field. “I’ll make sure you get your deck back.”

“Wait, the guy is really skilled!” The duelist called out.

Flash didn’t care how skilled this duelist was. If his little brother had even the slightest possibility of being in trouble, he would be there to help him.

Soccer Field
Nathan continued his turn. “I summon Gladiator Beast Retiari(LV 3/1200/800).” A bipedal, green lizard man with a trident appeared. “Since I control a Gladiator Beast, I can special summon Test Tiger(LV 3/600/300).” A small tiger in battle armor appeared.

“Neither of those monsters can defeat my ace.” Forward declared.

“You poor child.” Nathan shook his head. “A duelist can do more than special summon some monster. Observe as I activate Gladiator Rejection. Now, you can only target my beasts with card effects during the Battle Phase.

That’s not all. Once per turn, should a Gladiator Beast be special summoned from my main deck, I can special summon an additional Gladiator Beast of a different type from the monsters I currently control. On that note, I tribute Test Tiger to activate his effect.

I can target a Gladiator Beast on the field, shuffle it into my deck, and special summon another Gladiator Beast from my deck. I’ll target Retari returning it to the deck to special summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo(LV 3/800/400).” A blue merman with a turbine appeared.

“Since Murmillo was special summoned, I can special summon any Gladiator Beast, as long as they are not a Fish like Murmillo, from my deck. Come to me Gladiator Beast Bestiari(LV 4/1500/800).” A green, bipedal birdman appeared.

“After using Test Tiger’s effect, Murmillo is treated as though it were special summoned through a Gladiator Beast’s effect allowing me the ability to blast a monster off the field. Say good-bye to your ace.”

Forward watched as Murmillo blasted his alligator to pieces with compressed water. “No way.”

“You are such a weakling.” Nathan stated.

“You can call me a weakling all you want, but even with those monsters, you can’t end things this turn.” Forward declared now a little worried.

“I’m nowhere near done yet.” Nathan sighed. “Observe as two become one through fusion. The beast of the sea with the beast of the air forms a completely new beast. Come to my field beast who eradicates my foes defenses from above.

Contact Fusion Gladiator Beast Gyzarus(LV 6/2400/1500).”A heavily armored birdman descended on the battle field. “When he is special summoned, I can target up to two cards on the field and destroy them.”

“I would use the card I set, but his Rejection prevents me from targeting his monster.” Forward thought as he sent the face down Shrink to the grave.

“Now Gyzarus, attack my opponent with Feather Bombardment.” Gyzarus took to the skies and rained down feathers on Forward (Forward 1600/Nathan 3000). Before you speak, allow me to end this with one last play. Since this is the Battle Phase, I can activate Gladiator Beast United. This lets me conduct a Fusion Summon using cards in my hand, grave, or the field.”

“During the Battle Phase!” Forward stepped back frightened of his opponent. “That means whatever you summon can immediately attack.”

“The card does restrict me from attacking with any monster that’s not a Gladiator Beast, but that is hardly a problem. I now combine Gladiator Beast Gyzarus on the field with Gladiator Beasts Octavius and Augustus from my hand.

Fusion of the air merge with your fellow brethren from my hand to bring about our ultimate evolution of ariel combat. Fusion Summon Gladiator Beast Nerokius(LV 8/2800/1900).” A huge, hulking multi-winged bipedal bat appeared. “This is the end!”

Forward stared up at the monster in shock. “He beat me in one turn.” He dropped what remained in his hand. “I never stood a chance.”

Flash rounded the trees only to stop as he saw his brother, completely defenseless, facing off with a powerful looking Fusion monster.

“Nerokius, show this loser your Supersonic Screech!” Nathan declared.

Nerokius flew high into the air before bombarding Forward with sound (Forward 0/Nathan 3000). That got Flash moving as his brother collapsed to his knees and hands. Nathan approached him and took Forward’s deck before stepping back to avoid Flash.

Flash stood protectively in front of his brother with a stern glare. “What are you doing to my little brother?”

“Ah, you’re his older brother.” Nathan stated. “Name’s Nathan Castor, and your brother challenged me to an ante duel. He lost, so I claimed my prize. End of story. Now, if you’d like to take the same shot, I’m always up for crushing weak duelists, but your deck goes on the line.”

Flash looked back at his devastated brother and noticed the tears forming in his eyes. “Forward, is what he says true?” He knelt beside him. “I heard the same story from the duelist who found me, but some part of me didn’t want to believe it. You put up your deck.”

“I’m sorry.” Forward clenched the grass and the tears flowed. “I was overconfident, and now I lost the deck mom helped me make before… before… I wish she were here.”

Flash took a deep breath before bringing his brother in for a hug. That deck was something Forward and mom did on a whim. It shouldn’t have meant any more than a fun afternoon, but after she vanished, it took on a whole new meaning.

“Don’t worry because your big brother is here Forward.” Flash stood and faced Nathan. “You want a duel, let’s go. I’ll duel you twice and put my deck up each time. First win, you give my bro back his deck. The second will see you return that other kid’s deck.”

“You think those are the only decks under my belt.” While Nathan now felt a little bad for taking the kid’s deck, he’d won fair and square. “What kind of a duelist do you take me for?” He moved back the appropriate distance. “Including your brother’s, and excluding the one I use, I got 99.”

Flash activated his black duel disk, and a blue energy blade shot out. “I’ll duel as many times as it takes to reclaim every deck you’ve taken.”

Forward looked up at his brother in amazement. Whenever he needed him, Flash was there and had yet to disappoint. If anyone could beat this guy, in his mind, it was his big brother.

Forward rubbed his eyes as he stood. “Take him down bro.” He ran over to the sidelines. “I’ll be here to cheer you on.”

Flash gave his brother a thumbs up while Nathan focused on his new opponent.

As such, Nathan rolled on back to what Flash said before. “That’s assuming you can even win the first time.” Nathan reactivated his energy blade. “Since your bro went first during our duel, I’ll go first when we start this time.”

Flash nodded. “Fine by me.”

“Let’s Duel!”

(Flash 4000/Nathan 4000)

“I’ll start off with Gladiator Beast’s Respite to shuffle two Gladiator Beast from my hand back into my deck. Then, I get to draw three new cards.” Nathan started.

“Gladiator Beast?” Flash nodded. “I think I’ve heard about them. This is going to be tough, but I can’t give up just as the duel starts.”

Nathan continued. “Next, I’ll activate three copies of Gladiator Proving Ground allowing me to add three Gladiator Beast, level 4 or lower, from my deck to my hand. I’ll finish by setting one card. Your move”

“He didn’t even summon a monster like last time.” Forward commented.

“Yeah, what’s the deal with that?” Flash asked. “You performed a good draw and hand set up only to summon nothing.”

“Oh, I didn’t need to summon anything.” Nathan shrugged. “You’ll see why if this turn goes as I assume. Go on, show me what you got. Hopefully, it’s a better showing than a bunch of boring, normal monsters.”

“I’ll show you exactly what this deck is capable of, and what’s more, I don’t need some extra deck to make my deck shine.” Flash drew. “I’ll start by summoning Masked Dragon(LV 3/1400/1100).” A beige and red dragon appeared. “He will attack you directly.”

“At least it’s an effect monster.” Nathan smirked. “Since you’ve issued a direct attack, I can special summon Gladiator Beast Noxious(LV 5/0/1000) and I’ll do so in defense.” A bipedal, muscular leopard appeared.

“Now, your attack is redirected, and he can’t be destroyed by this battle.” Masked Dragon breathed a stream of fire, but Leopard held his ground blocking the attack with shadows from his claws leaving things in a stalemate.

“Since that’s all you got for a Battle Phase, and Noxious battled, I can shuffle him back into my deck and switch him for any Gladiator Beast except himself. I choose Gladiator Beast Augustus(LV 8/2600/1000).” A bipedal birdman with bat wings and four arms appeared.

“Wait, for there is more. Since Augustus was special summoned by a Gladiator Beast, he can special summon a Gladiator Beast from my hand to the field in defense position, but that monster will shuffle back into my deck at the end of the turn he’s summoned.

I choose Gladiator Beast Tygerius(LV 4/1800/800).” An old, white leopard in dark purple armor knelt before Nathan. “When he is special summoned by a Gladiator Beast’s effect, I can discard a Gladiator Beast to add another from my deck to my hand.”

“I’m starting to sense a trend with your deck, but don’t think those effects scare me.” The opposite was true, but Flash wasn’t about to reveal that. “That said, there isn’t much more I can do, so I’ll set a card.”

“This guy, Nathan, has great defense.” Forward thought. “I barely scratched the surface of his power in our duel.”

“With the end of your turn, Tygerius is shuffled into my deck.” Nathan took the card back. “My move.” He drew. “I activate Gladiator Beast’s Comeback allowing me to special summon a Gladiator Beast from my hand or grave.

I’ll choose Gladiator Beast Andal(LV 4/1900/1500) from my hand.” A bipedal, black bear appeared. “I’ll normal summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo(LV 3/800/400).” A blue merman with a turbine appeared.

“He just got three monsters like it was nothing.” Forward declared shocked.

Nathan looked at him. “Your brother isn’t well educated like a duelist should be, huh?”

Forward hung his head.

“Lay off him.” Flash declared protectively. “He hasn’t been into dueling as long as I or you. Now, I suggest you continue your turn before I show you what happens to people who insult my family.”

“Whatever.” Nathan shook his head. “It’s time for the ultimate form of fusion summoning. One without the use of spells. The air, sea, and land come together creating a beast of true might and great power.

Come to me great dino of the Gladiator Beast. Contact Fusion Gladiator Beast Andabata(LV 8/1000/2800).” A bipedal dino in dark blue and red armor appeared wielding a sword and shield ready for battle.

“A level 8 fusion with only 1000 ATK?” Flash questioned. “It may have a high defense, but I’m not buying that as the selling point.”

“You’re right on the money.” Nathan declared. “As I said, this monster doesn’t come alone. When he is Contact Fused, I can special summon a level 7 or lower Gladiator Beast Fusion Monster from my extra deck.

Join you’re companion dinosaur of superior damage and great stature.” Andabata tore open a wormhole next to him. “Come forth Gladiator Beast Gaiodiaz(LV 7/2600/1500).” A hulking, dino with a battle axe stepped through the wormhole before it closed.

“Two fusion monsters in one turn!” Forward thought. “Flash is good, but can he really deal with this without an extra deck?”

“Even to someone like you, I’ll admit that’s impressive.” Flash stated. “That said, I’m not going to turn tail and run.”

“At least you have bravery.” Nathan stated. “Let’s see if you feel that way once my turn it over. I activate my face down Defensive Tactics. For the rest of this turn, Gladiator Beast I control can’t be destroy by battle and any damage I take is reduced to 0. This trap is also put at the bottom of my deck rather than my grave.”

“With ample opportunities to shuffle, you have a good shot at seeing it again.” Flash stated. “What’s more, you activated that card with a clear advantage leading me to believe your fusions have abilities like your main deck monsters meaning you want them to attack and stay on field.”

“Very good.” Nathan nodded. “You may be a weak duelist, but at least you got a brain. Now, let’s get down to business. I’ll attack with Andabata.” Andabata clashed with Masked dragon, but the dragon repelled the attack. “Gaiodiaz will destroy Masked Dragon with Bestial Charge.” The hulking dino ran at Masked Dragon slamming into it (Flash 2800/Nathan 4000).”

“It’s alright Flash because you can recover.” Forward cheered.

“You bet I can because my Masked Dragon has an ability all his own.” Flash declared. “You’re not the only one who can special summon from the deck.”

“Just a moment, for my fusion has the added effect of dealing you damage equal to the DEF of the monster he destroys.” Nathan declared. “Gaiodiaz show my opponent your Defensive Chop!” Gaiodiaz ran forward and chopped into Flash’s gut (Flash 1700/Nathan 4000).”

“This guy is unreal.” Flash was legitimately sweating. “When Masked Dragon is destroyed, I can special summon a dragon from my deck with 1500 or less ATK. Come, Armed Dragon Thunder LV 3(LV 3/1200/900).” An orange dragon with lighting fists appeared.

“You know, credit where credit is due.” Nathan stated. “You two are pathetic, but your bravery is to be applauded. Now, time to put my Gladiator Beast back in the Extra Deck. With each one, I can special summon two Gladiator Beast from my deck equaling four monsters total.”

“Since they’ll be summoned by the effect of a Gladiator Beast, that’s four affects you can activate.” Flash stated with wide eyes.

“Exactly.” Nathan smirked. “The first is Gladiator Beast Bestiari(LV 4/1500/800).” A green, bipedal birdman appeared. “His effect allows me to destroy that face down of yours. “Second, Gladiator Beast Murmillo(LV 3/800/400).”

A blue merman with a turbine appeared. “Murmillo will blast your LV 3 Armed Dragon off the field leaving you defenseless. Third, Gladiator Beast Hoplomus(LV 4/700/2400 effect) in defense mode.” A bipedal rhino in bulky, tan armor appeared.

“Since he was summoned through the effect of a Gladiator Beast, his DEF becomes 2400. Finally, Gladiator Beast Vespasius(LV 7/2300/0).” A bipedal, blue serpent in armor and with a golden sword appeared.

“I really was out of my league.” Forward realized. “He wasn’t going all out at all.”

“Just how strong is this guy?” Flash thought. “Could he give father a run for his money?”

“If you think this is the end, you are vastly mistaken.” Nathan declared. “I am merging the two of the sea with the one of the sky to bring about the ultimate Gladiator Beast. He who reigns above the others. Come to the field sea serpent of overwhelming power.

Contact Fusion Gladiator Beast Domitianus(LV 10/3500/1200).” A whirlpool of water appeared on Nathan’s field before a huge, colossal bipedal serpent with a trident and armor appeared finally causing Flash to step back in shock.”

Forward was frozen as he stared at the monster.

“That monster is stronger than any of my LV 10 Armed Dragons, and I have nothing left on my field.” Flash shook his head and clenched his fist. “No, I can’t give up. My dragons may not be as strong, but their effects will see me through.”

“With that, I end my turn.” Nathan stared at Flash. “Make your move, but you won’t overcome my behemoth.”

“I have four cards in my hand, but nothing can grant me access to Armed Dragon Thunder LV 10.” Flash looked at his deck. “With one draw, I can change that.” He put his hand on his deck. “We’ll see about that.” He drew and smiled. “Perfect.”

“Oh, did you get what you need?” Nathan asked.

“I got exactly what I need.” Flash looked at his opponent. “Now, I’m putting it all on the line! I activate Star Blast. By decreasing my life point in increments of 500, I can decrease the level of a monster in my hand or on the field by 1 for every 500 life points paid.

I’ll pay 1500 life points (Flash 200/Nathan 4000) to decrease the level of Armed Dragon Thunder LV 7(LV 4/2800/1000) by 3 allowing me to normal summon him without tribute or his effect.” A huge, red dragon with silver accents and lighting around its wings appeared.

“Brother’s going for one of his best monsters. With him he has a chance.” This brought Forward back to the duel as he smiled. “Go for it, Flash! Show him the strength of your deck!”

“Interesting, but I hope this isn’t all you got.” Nathan stated sounding uninterested.

“It’s not because I can take it one step further.” Flash declared. “I send the Armed Dragon on the field to the grave along with one card from my hand to summon a dragon of the highest level. The dragon who reigns over thunder and lighting.

Powerhouse of the Levels heed my call in my time of need and descend to my field. I special summon Armed Dragon LV 10(LV 10/3000/2000).” A colossal dragon, near enough to match Domitianus, appeared roaring.

“You aren’t your average duelist, but you haven’t dealt me any damage.” Nathan shrugged. “To top that off, your overgrown lizard is about to be destroyed wasting all your hard work.”

“We’ll see.” Flash declared. “Because this dragon was put on the field through its effect, it has effects based on how much ATK he has upon hitting the field, but the most important one is the ability to discard a card and destroy a monster you control. Your serpent is out of here.”

“Go for it, big brother!” Forward cheered.

“Just like that, you’ve lost.” Nathan smirked. “Once per turn, my sea serpent can negate the activated effects of a monster and destroy it. Domitianus, time for Negation Surge!”

Domitianus thrust his trident forward launching a stream of water which tore through the lighting imbued blades Armed Dragon shot at it. The attack continued tearing through Armed Dragon like it was nothing. Flash and Forward watched this with utter shock.

Flash looked at the ground. “I-I end my turn.”

There was nothing he could do as he already used his normal summon, and his hand was left with nothing save for monsters. He was beat. Forward just stared at his brother in shock and disbelief.

“Flash lost to this guy. Not only did he lose, but it wasn’t even close.” Forward shook his head. “I knew he wasn’t the best, but I thought he stood a chance. Now, our decks are lost. Does this mean everything I’ve learned about dueling is incorrect?”

“With that, we have reached our end.” Nathan drew. “Domitianus use Trident Devastation!”

Domitianus took his trident and held it aloft causing it to change into water itself before throwing it at Flash causing the water to wash over him (Flash 0/Nathan 4000). Flash collapsed to his hands and knees defeated as the massive fusion faded.

Nathan approached and held out his hand. “I’ll be taking that deck of yours now.”

Flash said nothing as he fulfilled those instructions. The guy was a duelist of his word and would not go back on his pride by trying to keep what he lost. Nathan tucked the deck away and walked off without a word.

“Perhaps those two have some level of potential.” Nathan thought as he walked on without looking back. “If they overcome this crushing defeat, I wouldn’t mind handing them another at a later date.”

Flash stayed on his hands and knees while Forward was trying to make heads or tails of what he was supposed to learn. One thing was for sure, he was seriously reconsidering all he’s learned about this game. Especially if that was the strength you could gain from a different path.

Near the Park: On a Hill
A gray skinned man with a full mane of black hair and red eyes stood on a hill. He had been observing the duels on the soccer field with binoculars as he had been looking for recruits. This man wore a long-sleeved black shirt underneath a red sweater vest.

To complete the outfit, he had black pants with matching loafers. A ring with the symbol of the millennium eye rested on his finger. With the duels finished, he removed the binoculars and got back in the car as it drove away.

“I was scouting you Nathan Castor, and while I got to see you, I was fortunate enough to scout the sons of The Phenomenon. Both Nathan and Flash are a little too strong minded, but the youngest of the brothers is a different story.”

The car drove through the city as the man began to plan how he’d acquire his latest recruit.

Yugioh: Road to Quantum Opening

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXx21ivOCLU)

Don’t you dare replace
Your first and only want
(Young Flash Sentry stares up at Flash Industries with his father and brother as Magnus ruffles their hair.)
Don’t give up on the chase
Keep holding on!
(Teenage Flash is riding through Canterlot atop a duel runner before coming to a stop outside the open gates of a large complex with multiple buildings.)

Everything had gone to failure
(Young Flash stands in front of Canterlot Middle School’s statue and watches in despair as young Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash leave him going separate ways from himself and each other.)
My ambition turned into my broken dreams
(Flash is sent flying outside of a dark building and into the grass outside as lighting arcs through the sky followed by thunder. A downpour falls on him.)
I left a promise out to die
(Flash kneels beside his younger brother, Forward Base, who is currently crying. He stands before facing Nathan with a determined expression.)

Every word I still remember
(Young Flash looks up at the sky with a contemplative expression as Magnus seemingly appears in the sky before being replaced by Shadow.)
They’ve been ringing in my head on full repeat
(The scene transitions to the park at night as Flash stands across from Sunset in shock while she laughs at him. His fists clench and he activate his black duel disc causing a blue energy blade to appear.)
Can’t get your talk to ever leave my mind
(Young Flash is panting with tears in his eyes as he stands in the middle of his father’s office. Books are scattered about and anything that could be wrecked was.)

But now, from the clouds
There’s a wind that gives me a boost
(Young Flash sits on his knees before a coffee table. Laid out before him is a blank deck of cards, a laptop, and a flash drive. He inserts the flash drive into the computer and plays a video.)
My heart, burning hard
Is about to light my fuse
(Young Flash watches as his father appears on screen. After a moment, his expression changes to a smile.)
(Let’s try again!)

Live in the now and break your confines
Take ahold of this precious time (precious time)
(The sun shines through the window of a hotel room as Flash finishes packing his things. He tucks the blank deck into his deck box before walking out of the room.)
Glory days (glory days)
‘Cause your life is not to trade
(Flash is walking down the sidewalk with Shadow conversing happily with him before they enter a car and drive off.)
(Let’s try again!)

Bring back the color as you advance
Paint it red, and then take a chance (take a chance)
(Young Flash and Shadow stand across from each other in a room of the Duel Sanctuary. Both wield black duel disk as Flash’s blue energy blade and Shadow’s black energy blade come out.)
Shout it loud (shout it loud)
‘Cause your style’s worth a bow
(Flash stands outside the sanctuary and stares down the stairs as he imagines a transparent version of his brother running up to meet him before he vanishes. Rather than be sad, Flash gives a small smile before walking back inside.)

Don’t you dare replace
Your first and only want
(Teen Flash gets off his duel runner and looks back at the transparent version of his younger self who smiles and gives him a thumbs up before vanishing. Flash smiles and puts his hands in his pockets before walking onto the grounds of the large complex.)
Don’t give up on the chase
Keep holding on!
(Flash looks up at the building as he draws closer to the entrance with a look of resolve. He stops as transparent version of the Humane 6 as their current ages appear before him. Flash nods to them before they vanish. He then walks into the building.)