A massive speed boat rushed through the calm waters, more than halfway to its destination. On the deck, several teenagers were chatting amongst themselves, while others were sticking to themselves, thinking much about the situation, and others planning their strategies for when they finally get to the island.

Then, there was Wesley Mizuhara.

Sitting as far from everyone else as he could, the lone 15-year-old had much on his mind, especially given the fact that, all things considered, he probably shouldn’t be here. Hell, he knew he was barely presentable; his medium-length black hair was a mess, his cyan hoodie had several dirt marks on it, and his jeans had a new hole on the left knee. He looked like he’d been thrown down the street several times over – part of him wouldn’t have doubted he was.

The most presentable aspect of him was the strange device attached to his left arm. He knew what it was – a Duel Disk, much like the ones used in the GX era. Under normal circumstances, this would have been something that would have made him extremely excited.

But today, not quite…

‘Okay, calm down Wes,’ he told himself, remaining in his own head like he’s been since arriving him. ‘Maybe it won’t be so bad. At least at this academy, I’ll be in one place, and I’ll be close to the mainland. If Becky or Hikaru make it there, I’ll be able to learn about it real quick. And while I’m here, I can also Duel to my heart’s content, so… bonus, I guess.’

Wes could practically feel a pit forming in his stomach, as he reached for the Deck of cards that he’d found in the Duel Disk. It was something that required a second glance, for several reasons. First and foremost, there was the fact that he recognized very few of these cards. And plus, they were a deck he probably wouldn’t have piloted anyway, at least if he’d had a say in the matter.

‘I mean, it’s not bad, it looks to have some synergy. And hey, I like Rituals. But I kinda wish that I could have gotten something I actually play. Like my Cyber Dragons. Or my Ancient Gears. Or my Morphtro-… Huh, a lot of Machine decks, now that I think about it.’

Part of him had to suppress a chuckle at his thoughts wandering to something so trivial when he had much bigger problems – problems it would honestly make sense to be panicking about. But then again, it was probably a good thing that he wasn’t dwelling on it obsessively.

Looking through the cards gave him a sense of relief in that he knew he had a way to fight back in this world. And as said, he had access to an Academy full of Duelists to help him grasp his new deck and learn what’s going on with Dueling here.

And it was all thanks to-

“Hail, Mr. Mizuhara!”

Wes chuckled. ‘Speak of the Devil…’

A cursory glance to his left revealed the source of the voice. Blue eyes met red as Wes came face-to-face with the man who made this all possible: Atlas de Medici, Obelisk Blue professor, and alumnus of Crossroads Academy.

Wes was sitting down right now, but even when he’d been standing, the man’s 6’2 towered over his own 5’3, and his appearance and attitude seemed far more laid-back than what one would expect from someone in his position. He had long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and a bit of stubble upon his chin, as well as his Duel Blazer worn open to reveal a black tank top and a ship wheel necklace around his neck. To Wes, he looked more like someone playing a pirate in a movie than a Professor.

Though, those piercing red eyes certainly helped to sell the image of ‘master of his craft’.

“So, adjusting well?” the Professor asked, to which Wes rolled his eyes.

“Well, it’s only been an hour, so I think it’s too early to say,” he answered honestly.

“Heh, suppose so. Guess I’m just concerned, given that you’re among three special cases on this vessel.”

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask about that…”

Atlas chuckled. “Oh? Careful now, Mr. Mizuhara. Don’t want that gift horse to bite you, now, would you?”

“Humor me?” Wes asked, hopeful to get at least something.

Unfortunately, said hopes were dashed as the Professor shook his head. “Can’t do anything about it. I’ve sworn to keep their secrets just as much as I have with you. Speaking of which, I do hope you remember the alibi we agreed upon.”

“I applied for early exams due to having a doctor’s appointment on the test day,” Wes answered, stating it as if reciting a prayer. “My Exam Duel was incredible, but my written exam left a bit to be desired, so I’ve been placed in Ra Yellow.”

“Indeed. You’ll meet your roommate once we’re on the island, but for now, just relax. I’m going to go talk to the other two individually.”

And with that, Professor Atlas wandered off, leaving Wes once again to his thoughts.

‘Two more like me, huh? And I know they’re not Hikaru or Becky… then who?’

Wes sighed. He supposed he’d just have to find out soon enough…

Crossroads Academy was the world’s first Duel Academy, established 18 years ago, and serving as a place for the best and brightest to learn the ins and outs of Duel Monsters. While not exclusively a Duel Academy, having a standard curriculum to go along with the lessons on Dueling, it still produced some of the greatest the professional scene has ever seen.

And now, Wes was walking through these hallowed halls, all thanks to a chance encounter.

Not even having his backpack with him, Wes was not pleased to give up his hoodie and jeans, but thankfully, when he got his uniform, they gave him a bag and told him where the laundry room was in the Ra Yellow dorms.

Speaking of the Ra Yellow dorms, much like the Duel Academy from GX, they were the middle of the road house, and got a decent dorm, both in size and in quality. Entering it along with the rest of the students, Wes found his eyes wandering to the paintings on the walls, and the chandelier hanging in the main hall.

It was still relatively average, what with the plain beige walls and simple oak doors, but it was definitely a lot better than he assumed Slifer Red was. He had a roof over his head, food on the table, and both of which were presumably of good quality.

While he was wandering through the halls trying to find his dorm, he looked to the note for only a split second and didn’t see her coming down the hall. She had turned a corner too fast, and the two of them collided, falling flat onto the ground.

“Watch it, bub!”

Looking up, Wes saw the source of that disgruntled voice, and was both shocked and mesmerized when he did. She was someone he recognized, though vaguely. In fact, were it not for her hair being three different shades of blue, she might have looked like a normal human. But that, coupled with the goggles, and those yellow eyes gave her away.

“Sorry about that…” he said, standing up as he considered the implications of this. “Need some help up?”

“Uh… sure, thanks,” she said reluctantly, placing her hand in his as he helped her stand. “Honestly, does nopony in this stupid school keep their eyes open or something!?”

That little slip of the tongue was not lost on him, but he did not feel like starting something when he still didn’t even know where he’d be sleeping. So, instead, he played along.

“You alright? You seem upset.”

“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m just… on edge.”

“That’s fair, first day jitters. I still haven’t even found my room.”

Suddenly, the girl’s eyes widened, as she remembered something. “Horsefeathers! I need to find my room too! I’m outta here!”

“Hang on!” Wes called out as she rushed past him. “Can I at least get your name?”

To his surprise, the girl stopped, though was still jogging in place. “Oh, uh, Indigo. Indigo Zap. What’s yours?”

“Wes Mizuhara.”

She raised one of her eyebrows in confusion. “’Mizuhara’? What is that, Neighponese?”

To that, Wes stifled a chuckle. “Close enough. Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Indigo. I’ll see you around.”

She didn’t say anything more, instead giving him a nod and a light grin before heading off to find her room. And once she was out of sight, Wes continued toward his goal of finding his own lodgings.

Within another 5 minutes of searching, Wes had found his room, Room 127. He was on the first floor, thankfully, and as soon as he entered, it was made apparent that the interior of the student rooms were as plain as the rest of the building.

Wes himself did not mind this, as he could easily make this place his own later.

Well, at least halfway. He still did have a roommate to contend with, and he didn’t even know who it was he’d been paired with.

It was at least another 15 minutes before that person showed up, and within that time, Wes had placed his normal outfit in the laundry basket, and was going over moves when they finally showed up.

Sure enough, it was another vaguely familiar face.

This boy was perhaps the tallest he’d seen, at least among the student body, and perhaps the most muscular as well. Large, barrel-chested, with a dirty blonde crew cut, shock-white complexion and a chin that looked like it could cut through granite, Wes had genuinely wondered for a second if this was actually a student or a teacher.

But of course, the moment the boy’s red eyes caught sight of Wes, he smiled.

“Hi there!” He exclaimed happily, placing his backpack on the other bed. “You’re my roommate, right?”

“I mean, I guess so, big man. I’m Wes Mizuhara.”

“I’m Bulk Biceps! It’s real nice to meet you, Wes!”

Wes grinned. “Right back at’cha.”

The next few minutes were spent exchanging a few little tidbits about one another, from which Wes was able to glean which version of Bulk he was dealing with.

‘Honestly kind of glad I’m dealing with human Bulk here,’ he mused. ‘I can’t imagine having to be roommates with someone who’s in a new world AND a new body…’

But of course, being roommates with someone like that was more cause for concern in young Wes’ mind. Was this one of the three special cases Atlas mentioned? It had to be, right? And if so, then that meant that when he saw Indigo earlier, he’d ran into the third case. And they were all in Ra Yellow, by the Professor’s choice. He supposed that made sense…

“Hey, Wes?”

The shorter boy looked over to see Bulk had his Duel Disk on.

“So, I have a favor to ask,” Bulk continued, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I’ve uh, not had much of a chance to practice with my deck. Think you could help me?”

“I suppose I could,” Wes answered almost immediately, grabbing his Duel Disk. “I gotta warn you though, I’m pretty good.”

Bulk’s eyes lit up. “Really!? That’s great! I’m gonna need a good training partner!”

“Heh, I like your attitude, big man. Let’s do this!”

“YEAH!”

The two rushed out the door, speeding down the hall and past their fellow students. They’d been told by the House Head that the main Dueling Arena was out back, and since neither of them had anything better to do, they were going to take advantage of it before anyone else did. Fortunately, everyone was either still unpacking or discussing things with their roommates, so the Arena was not being used yet.

Though there were still a select few who were either too curious or not doing anything at the moment, and so, followed the new roommates as they got up onto the raised platform.

“Alright Bulk, you want the first move, or should I take it?” Wes asked.

“You go first,” Bulk answered. “I wanna see what my deck can do!”

With that decided on, both Ra Yellow students activated their Duel Disks. The newer models of the device whirred to life, their built in D-Pads turning on and linking up, while the blades of the disk extended outward and sparked with energy.

And as their fellow students gathered around, the stage was set.

DUEL!

Wes Mizuhara (4000 LP)

Vs

Bulk Biceps (4000 LP)

[Turn 1, Wes, Hand: 5]

A cursory glance to his opening hand, and Wes had already hatched a plan. There was plenty he could do with these few cards, but he intended to start off small. Something simple to test the waters, no pun intended.

“So,” Wes began, placing a single card on the field. “I’ll Normal Summon my Chaos Ocean Twin Blader!”

As if bursting forth from some inexplicable waters underneath the arena, the mighty monster was revealed to everyone. In the middle of the field, a lone man stood, his pale blue hair and long coat fluttering in the breeze, while the swords in his hands gleamed in the light.

(1700/1600)

“When this card is Summoned,” continued Wes. “I can either add a Chaos Ocean monster or from my Deck to my hand or a Chaos ritual spell from my graveyard to my hand. I’ll add my Chaos Ocean Guardian Shark! And with that, I’ll set two cards face-down, and end my turn!”

[Turn End, Hand: 3]

By now, murmurs had already formed within the crowd, and Wes could hear all of them. The main point of focus among them seemed to be people wondering about what the ‘Chaos Ocean’ was, asking others if they'd ever heard of it, and getting a resounding 'no' in response. This only caused further concern for the poor boy. Did he really have access to an Archetype that didn’t exist in this world?

That didn’t sit right with him, if so. He wanted to win because he was good at the game, not because no one had ever seen his cards before.

‘Hm, I wonder if I could get Atlas to spread the word about these cards,’ he mused. ‘But then again, maybe that could get me in trouble with whoever makes Duel Monsters in this world…’

[Turn 2, Bulk, Hand: 5]

“Alright! Let’s do this!”

Bulk drew his card with such incredible force behind it that Wes swore he saw a gust of wind shoot outward from the Duel Disk. And when he saw what it was, he grinned and pumped his fist.

“So, I can Special Summon this guy when I have no Spells or Traps in my grave,” Bulk explained, remembering Atlas telling him that was proper manners. “And that means I still got my Normal Summon for the turn! So, I’ll Special Summon all three copies of my Superheavy Samurai Big Waraji!”

And in an instant, the middle three monster zones on Bulk’s side of the field were occupied by three copies of the same strange machine. To the rest of the audience, it might have looked like a strange frame of an incomplete war machine, but to those here who spoke or knew some Japanese, the joke was not lost on them.

And Wes had to admit, the image of a master swordsman being stared down by three sets of giant straw sandals was amusing.

(800/1800)

“Now, Big Waraji can be used as two tributes for a Tribute Summon of my Machine Monsters! And because I haven’t Normal Summoned, I’ll Tribute Summon my Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei!”

The middle of the three mechs vanished, and in its place rose a massive, towering robot, built vaguely to resemble an ancient warrior monk. The lightest of blue auras covered it, indicating that it had switched from Attack Position to Defense Position.

(1000/3500)

“Next, I’ll equip both my Soulbang Cannon and my Soulbuster Gauntlet to my Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei! These’ll both boost his defense even further!”

(Benkei’s DEF: 3500 + 1000 + 400 = 4900)

Wes raised an eyebrow. “Well, unless you can attack while in Defense Mode, I’m not sure how much good that’ll be.”

Bulk smirked. “Funny you say that, Wes! I enter my Battle Phase! BIG BENKEI! ATTACK!”

A collective gasp could be heard, while Wes could only watch in shock as the giant mech slammed his fist – adorned with the Soulbuster Gauntlet – straight into the ground, the resulting shockwave shattering Twin Blader before he could even hope to defend.

(Wes’ LP: 4000 – 3200 = 800)

Wes picked himself up off the ground, wiping his face after that attack had left him flat on the floor. Looking at his Life Point counter, it wasn’t that difficult to figure out what had happened.

“So, he actually COULD attack in Defense Mode.”

“Yep!” exclaimed Bulk. “But not just him! Big Benkei lets ALL my Superheavy Samurai attack while in Defense Mode! And they use their Defense instead of their attack when they do it.”

Wes smirked. This was his first time facing such a deck, but already, he liked what he was seeing.

“Not bad,” he said, taking a card from his hand. “But I have a retort. When Chaos Ocean Twin Blader is destroyed, I can discard a card to Special Summon up to two more from my hand or deck!”

And so, he did just that, the two blades of his monster stabbing into the ground and materializing as two more Twin Bladers. Due to their effects, he added two of his Ritual Monsters from his deck to his hand.

And all for the cost of discarding a card he really did not need nor want…

“Alright then! Big Waraji! Attack one of the other Twin Bladers!”

The second Twin Blader was destroyed, rather unceremoniously, as the great robot slammed into Wes’ warrior with incredible force. Immediately as it did, Wes activated the effects of two cards, a very specific order in mind.

“I activate Defense Draw!” He said, revealing the Trap card. “I take no damage from that last battle, AND I get to draw a card! And next, because you’ve destroyed a Chaos Ocean monster, I can activate this! Blood Taints the Waters!”

The instant the Spell card was revealed, it began to glow a powerful red, sending a shot through the air above one of Wes’ monster zones. Once the light was there, it fell quickly, splashing onto the square as if it was a drop of water, and painting the entire section in a similar crimson glow.

“The conditions are met when one of my Chaos Ocean monsters gets popped while you have 2000 or more Life Points than me.” Wes explained calmly, though his eyes betrayed how eager he was to see this. “I can Special Summon any of my Chaos Ocean Ritual Monsters straight from my deck. And the best part? It’s treated as a RITUAL Summon!”

A pillar of crimson energy shot up from the monster zone Wes had selected, and quickly turned to blue as a monster’s silhouette took shape.

“I Ritual Summon my Chaos Ocean Ancient Swordmaster!”

The light faded, revealing the monster in question. He looked akin to an older, wizened, and more grizzled version of the Twin Blader still on Wes’ field. And instead of the two swords, he only had one this time, one much more decorated, and almost as long as he was tall.

(2400/2000)

“When Chaos Ocean Ancient Swordmaster is Ritual Summoned, I can target one card on your field and destroy it. And since your other Big Waraji hasn’t attacked yet, I think that’ll be my target!”

Ancient Swordmaster nodded, stabbing his greatsword into the ground with great fervor. From a crystal embedded in the pommel, a beam of light shot out faster than anyone could have anticipated, and Bulk’s monster was destroyed in an instant. Whispers began again among the students, and Wes watched carefully, to see how Bulk would react.

To his surprise, the muscular boy had a huge smile on his face and pumped his fists in triumph.

“That was awesome, dude!” He shouted. “You came back from a beating like that like it was nothing!”

All Wes could do was grin at that. Bulk’s attitude really was infectious.

“Alright, so since I got no more monsters and no cards, I end my turn! It’s your move, Wes!”

[Turn End, Hand: 0]

[Turn 3, Wes, Hand: 5]

“I draw!”

Upon getting a glimpse of the card in his hand, Wes realized he’d yet to actually see this one.

‘Huh? That’s strange. Must have missed this one earlier… let’s see, when Ritual Summoned, ne-’

His train of thoughts cut off the moment he saw that single word, and he had to fight to keep himself from grinning like a madman. He could not have hand-picked a better card to draw, and he was going to milk this for all it was worth. But first, he needed some proper setup.

“Entering the Main Phase, I’ll Normal Summon my Chaos Ocean Ancient Scholar! And when he’s Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon my Chaos Ocean Guardian Shark!”

The first monster appeared in between Twin Blader and Ancient Swordmaster, a much smaller, stockier bespectacled man in decorated robes, carrying a basket full of scrolls upon his back.

(1000/2000)

And no sooner than he was summoned did the man place down his basket and pull from it one specific scroll. Opening it up revealed an image of a great shark, who would then appear on the opposite side of Twin Blader. It was bigger than any great white, and a deep blue in color, adorned with armor plating on its head and segments of its body.

(2000/0)

“When Guardian Shark is Summoned, his special ability lets me take a Chaos Ritual Spell from my deck, and place it face down on my field! So, I’ll set my Chaos Form! But it won’t be set for long…”

“Excellent, Mr. Mizuhara! Maybe this time we can get a summoning chant from you!”

That sentence almost made Wes do a double take – had he been drinking something, he was sure he’d have done a spit-take. He turned around and saw Professor Atlas in the crowd that had gathered since the beginning of the Duel. The murmuring had stopped, almost as if all those present couldn’t believe the head of Obelisk Blue had deigned to visit their humble little lodgings.

“Uh, what are you doing here, Professor?” Wes asked, trying his best to remain calm.

Atlas pointed to his temple. “My ears were ringing, you see. That means one of two things, and I am VERY relieved to see it is the former. But don’t mind me, just pretend like I’m not here, but do try to give us a proper chant.”

Wes looked away, mildly embarrassed. “Kinda putting me on the spot, Professor. I’ve barely had any time to think of one.”

“Well, you’re going to have to work on that, now aren’t you?” the Professor asked with a grin. “After all, a Duelist is as much a performer as he is a competitor.”

Reluctant to disappoint, Wes took in a deep breath, and said “I’ll try. I activate Chaos Form! And for tribute, I sacrifice Ancient Scholar and Guardian Shark!”

The two monster’s transformed into orbs of flame, slamming into the ground to form another pillar of light, this one as sickeningly crimson as before.

“Master of the raging waves! Show yourself to the world, ready to paint the field of battle red!

Ritual Summon!

Level 7! Chaos Ocean Blood Magician!”

The light finally dissipated, revealing this newest monster, standing shorter than Ancient Swordmaster, but carrying himself as though he were larger than Big Benkei. His red cape and hood left his upper body exposed, revealing various scars on his chest and stomach, and his right arm, ash grey in color from an obvious burn that covered it all the way to the shoulder.

He finally floated down to the field, his bandage-clad feet touching the ground, the monster himself wincing as if the simple act caused him great pain.

(2500/2100)

And while the monster itself certainly made an entrance, Wes found himself cringing at his own words. And from the sounds of it, the whispers, and the snickers he could hear from the sidelines, no one was impressed by his words.

“Okay, the monster looks super cool,” Bulk said. “But I gotta say, that chant was kinda weak.”

Wes rolled his eyes. “Gee, it’s almost like I was forced to come up with something on the fly in order to not upset a high-ranking Professor! But don’t worry, his effect will more than make up for it! When Ritual Summoned while I control another Chaos Ritual Monster, he can activate this; Chaos Blood Curse!”

The magician raised his arm, as if he was pointing to Big Benkei, leaving both Bulk and the audience confused as he just stood there doing nothing. No one was quite observant enough to notice it, other than the one who activated the effect.

From his pointer finger, a single drop of blood formed, falling off of the pale digit and onto the ground. As soon as it hit, it was as if a ripple had been sent through the very battlefield itself. In an instant, both Big Waraji and Big Benkei had black lightning sparking off of them, and visibly seemed to be struggling to keep their positions, despite being machines.

And when Bulk saw the result on his D-Pad, his eyes widened in shock.

(Big Waraji’s DEF: 0)

(Big Benkei’s DEF: 0)

“Pretty good, right?” Wes asked, his grin as cheeky as he felt he could get away with. “When the conditions are met, the Blood Magician can negate the effects of all monsters on the field until the End Phase. And as an added bonus, their attack and defense become zero while they’re under the curse.”

“Whoa… that’s totally RAD!”

That was not the answer that Wes had been expecting, but honestly, he couldn’t help but feel his smile becoming more genuine. This was his first Duel on the island – hell, his first duel with this kind of technology – and against an opponent like this, it only made the experience far greater.

“Well, it’s time for this to end, Bulk,” Wes told him. “First! My Twin Blader has the ability to attack twice in a single Battle Phase! So, I’ll have him cut down your samurai!”

Soon as the command was given, the dual swordsman jumped off the ground, his blades gleaming as he sliced through Big Waraji like a hot knife through butter. The first of his blades stopped glowing after attack one had been completed, and despite Big Benkei raising his arm in an attempt to strike, he was far too slow. Twin Blader sidestepped the attack effortlessly, and swung his blade, a shot of energy piercing the mech’s defenses, and causing it to explode.

Bulk’s field was empty, and Wes’ opportunity to strike had been made.

“Ancient Swordmaster, attack Bulk directly! Blood Magician, you attack directly too!”

With the stage set and the field empty, Ancient Swordmaster wasted no time at all. He picked up his mighty blade, now covered in a mysterious blue aura, and swung it, a beam of energy shooting off from the blade and hitting Bulk head on. To everyone’s surprise, despite the massive shot, he did not budge.

(Bulk’s LP: 4000 – 2400 = 1600)

Blood Magician was next, and his approach was far more graceful, albeit more gruesome. All it took was a simple snap of his fingers, and Bulk Biceps was enveloped in the same black lightning that had crippled his monsters so severely. Though it was clear by Bulk’s pained groan that this one was meant more for damage than for restricting, as the student felt the last of his life points drain away.

(Bulk’s LP: 1600 – 2500 = -900)

[Duel Over! Victory: Wes Mizuhara!]

The crowd went wild as Wes went over to where Bulk was. His fellow Ra Yellow was standing there, his eyes hidden by the brim of his hat.

“Hey, Bulk, that was a real good duel,” Wes told him, extending his arm outward. “You were awesome.”

Suddenly, those bright red eyes beamed with joy, as he took Wes’ hand, almost crushing it accidentally with the sheer strength behind his grip.

“YEAH!” He said excitedly. “Dude, that was awesome! You really have a knack for this game!”

“H-hey, you weren’t too bad yourself. Those Superheavy Samurai cards were friggin’ cool!”

“Thanks man. I just wish I’d been able to do more with ‘em.”

Wes smiled. “Well, sometimes I like to think about what I could have done better after a duel. Maybe we can look over your cards later and think about it together.”

“For real?”

“Yeah!”

The taller boy had on perhaps the biggest smile Wes had seen in literal years and agreed to the arrangement. From behind the two of them, a light clapping could be heard, and both of them could easily surmise who it was, given that the crowd had dispersed.

“Oh, hi, Professor!” Bulk said, waving at him. “Who’s that?”

Sure enough, when Wes looked back, he saw Indigo, standing by the Professor with a small grin on her features.

“Well, like what you see, Indigo?” Wes asked.

“Yeah, not bad, hotshot,” she answered. “And Bulk Biceps did a good job too.”

Bulk raised an eyebrow at that. “Wait, you know my full name?”

“Of course,” she said happily. “I haven’t forgotten that massage you gave me during my trip to Ponyville.”

“… Ponyville? I live in Canterlot.”

“Really? That’s one heck of a commute for a spa job.”

It was clear that Bulk was seriously confused, and it was clear by the look on his face. “No no, I mean I’ve ALWAYS lived in Canterlot. Never been to any ‘Ponyville’. And I don’t work in a spa. I’m still in high school.”

She chuckled. “Come on, big guy, you don’t have to pretend. Your secret’s safe with me.”

When Bulk said nothing, her bravado began to fade. “You ARE pretending, right?”

“Nope. I don’t ever remember meeting you.”

It was astonishing for the three to watch, as any and all glee had drained from Indigo’s face and been replaced with a mix of shock and fear in an instant. As if her entire worldview had been shattered, and she was trying to keep at least some semblance of calm.

Atlas decided upon seeing that to intervene.

“You’ll have to forgive Ms. Zap,” he said. “She’s been having a bit of trouble adjusting to everything that’s been thrown at her. I’m sure you boys can relate.”

Both of them nodded, and it seemed to finally click for the girl.

“So then, these two are the other ‘special cases’ you mentioned, Professor?”

Atlas nodded. “Indeed they are. And since you three are all in the same place, perhaps now is the best time for you to get to know each other.”

"I thought you said you swore to keep our secrets, Professor," Wes responded, already seeing where this was going.

"Ah, but it's not ME revealing anything. What you three say to each other is your own business."

Wes sighed. This was going to be an interesting conversation, he could already tell…

Author's Note

Alright, so this is my first time ever posting something on this site, and I'll readily admit I might be starting off a bit too ambitious for my own good. See, this is a project I've had in my mind for a few years in different variations, and now I think I actually have it solid enough to do something with it. Being that I'm a YGO fan, I'm going to try my hand at this, but I want to be reasonable about it.

So for any returning readers I might make, here are some ground rules:

• I am basing this more off the eras I played (Synchro/Xyz/Pendulum). Anything past that I don't know well enough.
• Despite drawing from the Pendulum Era, I will NOT be using Pendulums.
• I'll be switching between two main groups, and alternating between them from chapter to chapter.

With that in mind, I hope you all enjoyed it, and I hope you'll let me know.