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// Link into the Shadow Realm 
// Story: Duel Monsters Are Magic: The Original King of Games 
// by snivygamer97 
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“Come on! Don’t break down! I don’t know about you and I don’t really care but I don’t wanna be digitized to kilobits!”
“Just calm yourself. I have three reasons why I cannot and will not be defeated. One: I must uncover the truth about my past. Two: I must free Kolter’s brother from the darkness that haunts him. And three: I must absolutely save the one who saved me!”
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“I’m not logging out of Link VRAINS just yet.”
“That’s it! Your motherboard’s officially glitched beyond repair! Ya mind explaining why you zigged instead of zagged?”
“I could’ve logged out, but there are three good reasons why I didn’t. First, the Gore is presenting me with unexpected strategies and techniques, moves and techniques that I am able to learn from to improve my own dueling. Second, continuing this duel may provide insight as to who would go to such lengths to trap us here inside this quantum cage for the sole purpose of acquiring you, Ai. And third, I’m choosing to continue this battle with Gore and not log out because I feel like it.”
“After listening to you, my mind needs a reboot!”
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“It’s Yusaku, right? You got a sec?”
“Uh, yeah. What’s up?”
“I don’t want to keep you from class if you’re busy…”
“...So why exactly did you decide to join the duel club?”
“Well I didn’t technically-”
“They’re kinda like family. But don’t tell my brother that.”
“I heard your brother works for SOL Technologies. Some say he might run the whole company someday.”
“Ah, so that’s why you joined the club.”
“Uh…”
“It happens all the time. ‘Hey, can you ask your brother for the new Duel Disk?’ or ‘Can you pull a few strings and get me a job at SOL Technologies?’ It seems like it never ends.”
“That’s not what I-”
“Yeah, don’t even try. It’s not like Akira even listens to what I say anyway.”
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“Playmaker. I-I don’t know what to say. You’re going to duel him to save my sister, even after everything that I put you through, refusing to believe anything that you said. But you will still fight to help me when you really should despise me.”
“I forgive you. But I will never forgive the Knights of Hanoi.”
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“So goes your last ditch effort, Playmaker. I stopped it like all the others, with not a single problem. You’re like a pebble in my shoe. Annoying and uncomfortable, yes, but ultimately small and worthless, not given a second thought once it’s tossed away. And when you lose, you’ll be lost to history.”
“You’re wrong. I must win. And there happen to be exactly three reasons why I will. For one I must avenge the horrors that the Knights of Hanoi put me through a decade ago. Two: Defeating you is a step towards uncovering the truth about that incident. And three: I must rescue the one who rescued me.”
“Did you say three? No way…Can it be you? After all these years?”
“Ten years to be exact. But I’m back to get justice!”
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When Yusaku woke up, he found himself stuck in an empty purple void. For a moment, it seemed like he was all alone…or he would have been if it weren’t for Ai.
“Aw, glitch! I told you that opening that letter from Industrial Illusions was a bad idea! ‘It could be a trap from the Knights of Hanoi’ I said! ‘Listen to your best buddy’ I said! But no! You had to jump in without thinking once more! You meat bags are just as unpredictable and frustrating as ever!” Ai yelled.
“I have to admit that you make a valid argument for once,” Yusaku said.
“For once?! What about all the time?!” Ai demanded.
“But…I have three good reasons why it was best to play the video file sent with that letter. For one, it would answer why the company would want to talk to me after all that we’ve been through so far. Second, if the company has any connections with the Knights of Hanoi or SOL Technologies, we would find out about it. And third, if Industrial Illusions isn’t on either side, they could prove to be of help in finding out the truth of what happened ten years ago,” Yuaku answered.
“That’s insane, Playmaker! And besides, what happened to not wanting help from Gore? You gonna flip flop already?!” Ai demanded.
“No. I never said I’d work with them to stop the Knights of Hanoi. I just said that they could know what happened to me and the others and why. Still, perhaps my haste did get me trapped here. I just wish I remembered why,” Yusaku answered.
“Wait…so you’re Playmaker?” A third familiar voice said. The duo turned around and saw that they weren’t alone in this place. They saw that Skye Zaizen was also here in this void. It was at this point that Yusaku looked and saw that he was still Yusaku, not Playmaker. His cover had been blown.
“Um, why no, meat bag. We don’t know who this Playmaker guy even is! He’s as much of a mystery to us as the correct final number of pi is to scientists!” Ai lied badly. “Did I do great, best buddy?”
Yusaku sighed for a moment before answering, “Yes. You got it. I’d rather no one find out, but I am Playmaker.”
“Well…looks like I now know who the elusive Playmaker now is,” Skye admitted factually.
“I’d recommend you keep that information to yourself, Skye. The last thing I need is to be swarmed by the media and be found out by the Knights of Hanoi so soon,” Yusaku said.
“Ya know…you could have also said that it’s because you didn’t wanna see me gone when either SOL Tech. or the Hanoi come after you!” Ai snarked.
“Relax. I won’t say anything…for now. Anyway,…I can now see why you brought up my brother the other day. You wanted help with your quest, right?” Skye asked.
“No. I wanted to know if I could find out what the purpose of the Lost Incident was that occurred ten years ago,” Yusaku shook his head.
“Okay…so quick questions. Why are you fighting the Knights of Hanoi alone? And…Why are you keeping this information to yourself?” Skye asked.
“Well…to keep it simple, I don’t want to be in the public eye if I can help it. I don’t want anyone else to join my fight against the Knights. This is not anyone else’s battle but mine and Kolter’s,” Yusaku answered.
“I take it Kolter is a friend then? At least you aren’t doing this alone…Anyways, do you have any idea where we happen to be at? This doesn’t look like any part of Link VRAINS that I’ve seen. Last I remember, Akira opened up an email from Industrial Illusions and then…I was here,” Skye wondered.
“This is new to us as well. All I remember is that one moment we’re opening a file sent by Industrial Illusions, just like you, and the next Ai and I are trapped in this strange place with you, Blue Angel,” Yusaku responded, with Skye gasping.
“Yeah…because revealing that lovely little piece of info is definitely gonna help us all out! What happened to keeping secrets?” Ai demanded.
“Circumstances have changed, Ai. I figured it would be best to reveal that we know Skye’s identity so that we can deter her from telling others mine. Besides, what’s important now is that we find a way out of this strange place,” Yusaku explained.
“What? I said I’d keep quiet!” Skye complained.
“Correct, Blue Angel. But…I’m afraid that keeping secrets is impossible with me around,” A new voice said. Suddenly, Pegasus appeared in front of the trio, looking ready to Duel.
“So, wait…This is the meat bag that captured us and wants to steal me now? Ha! Like he’s gonna be a threat! He isn’t from Sol Tech or the Hanoi!” Ai laughed.
“Don’t be too overconfident, Ai. For all we know, he could be a powerful Duelist,” Yusaku warned.
“Play- I mean, Yusaku is right. I recognize him. He’s Maximillion Pegasus from Industrial Illusions. The creator of Duel Monsters!” Skye revealed.
“So…the card game tons of little kids, lonely adults, and handsome programs like me, play on a near daily business  was made by him?! Hmm…I thought Lightning said that there was some foreign magic at work to cause this game to exist,” Ai noted.
“Actually…he is right. You see, there are other dimensions out there where spirits and monsters live and have been existing for years. Some of them have been brought into existence thanks to Shadow Games in Ancient Egypt,” Pegasus revealed.
“I heard about this in Duel Club. There are rumors where people used dark magic to bring about dangerous monsters to fight each other, often to the death,” Skye confirmed.
“Sounds a little far-fetched to me. What is the real history of this game then?” Ai demanded.
“I assure you. What I’ve just said is the truth. In fact, we're in the Shadow Realm right now. But…I didn’t come here to tell you more about my card game…I came here on business. You see, I’d like to invite you to compete in a tournament called Duelist Kingdom in less than a week. More information will be brought to light once you get your mail and packages containing all you need to know,” Pegasus said.
“No thanks. I only Duel in order to fight the Knights of Hanoi and get my revenge for all they put me through…,” Yusaku declined.
“Couldn’t even give it an I’ll think about it?” Ai asked.
“No. I don’t have any need to face other opponents that are just your run of the mill opponents. Remember, I only Dueled Gore and Blue Angel due to other circumstances,” Yuskau said.
“	You were the one who challenged me!” Skye complained. “Well…I don’t know about this guy here, but…I don’t think I’ll go either. My older brother has been extra protective ever since I was put into a coma by the Hanoi. I…don’t wanna get involved in Dueling again just yet…”
“Oh, you silly kids, Playmaker and Blue Angel. You talk as though you’re being given a choice in the matter,” Pegasus laughed.
“Red flag, Playmaker. Maybe we shouldn’t say no here,” Ai warned.
“I wouldn’t think like that, Ai,” Yusaku said.
“But…I’ll give you a chance to walk free, you two,” Pegasus began.
“Three!” Ai butted in.
“I’ll Duel Playmaker here, and if you win I’ll let you go and this experience will become a distant memory. Lose, and you’ll be joining the Duelist Kingdom one way or another…,” Pegasus said ominously.
“The whole being forced into this tournament thing is kinda freaking me out here, Playmaker!” Ai warned.
“I agree with the program here, Yusaku. Can’t I Duel for my own freedom?” Skye asked.
“Hmm…I’m afraid not. Yusaku it will be!” Pegasus declined.
“Don’t worry, you two. There are three reasons why I will win and not lose. First, if this Pegasus person wanted to indeed hurt us, he would have done so by now. Second, this Pegasus person appears to be cocky, which could be a sign as either his immense skill or overconfidence, both of which could prove to be helpful for us. And third, I have too much riding on a win to let myself lose so easily here!” Yuskau said.
“Perfect! And, to make this Duel even more interesting, I’ll give this Shadow Game a time limit! When the clock hits zero, the Duel will be over! The one with higher Life Points by then wins. You ready, Playmaker?” Pegasus asked as the Master Duel field appeared in front of them.
“You’re not giving me a choice. But…I won’t be losing so easily!” Yusaku said as he drew his hand.
"Uh...you're looking very confident for being in this void and being challenged by a stranger to a darkness game," Ai said.
"Technically, it's a Shadow Game...though it's doubtful it's real," Skye noted.
"The conditions don't matter right now. All that matters is that we win!" Yusaku yelled out.
“Let’s Duel!” Both Duelists yelled.
“I’ll start this off! And…I summon my Bitron in Attack mode(200 Attack)!” Yusaku played as he selected the card in front of him.
“Uh, Playmaker? Mind telling me why you summoned such a weak monster in Attack mode? Don’t tell me you’re giving up already,” Pegasus teased.
“I wouldn't count him out yet, Pegasus,” Skye said.
“Yeah! My buddy Playmaker is much tougher than you’re giving him credit for! After all, I taught him to be a great Duelist myself!” Ai falsely claimed.
“Uh…no. That’s not how I learned to Duel, Ai,” Yusaku said, causing Ai to comically fall down on the Duel Disk.  "Create the Ultimate Circuit! Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are one Normal monster. I set Bitron in the Link Arrows! I Link Summon Link 1 Link Spider (1000 Attack)! Now, I’ll use the effect of my Link Spider in order to summon a Normal monster next to it’s Link arrow! I summon my second Bitron(200 Attack)! Next, I’ll use Backup Secretary’s effect to special summon her from my hand while I control a Cyberse monster (1200 Attack)! Create the Ultimate Circuit! Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters! I set Bitron and Backup Secretary in the Link Arrows! I Link Summon Link 2 Link Bumper(1400 Attack)! Now…I’ll Link Summon one more time! Create the Ultimate Circuit! Link Arrows authorized! The summoning conditions are at least two Effect Monsters. I set Link Spider and Link Bumper in the Link Arrows! I Link Summon Link 3 Decode Talker(2300 Attack)!”
“My oh my. That sure was a lot of Link Summoning to summon out just one monster, Playmaker. That really all you plan on doing this turn?” Pegasus mocked.
“Uh…he has a point. Decode Talker may be tough, but he’s still a monster with only 2300 points. Oh…I bet you have a move to summon a monster and power him up! Good old Playmaker! Always one step ahead of the competition!” Ai chirped.
“I end my turn with a facedown. Your move, Pegasus,” Yusaku ended his move.
“Really?! That’s all?! What, you want to lose here and risk me?!” Ai was shocked.
“Now, now. This is the same guy who beat me and the Gore. He probably has a move in mind…I hope,” Skye noted.
“Not a bad turn, Playmaker. Now…to show you a real special turn. I draw! Do you like cartoons, you two?” Pegasus asked.
“Uh…not really. Never been into them,” Yusaku said.
“Haven't watched any in a few years,” Syke agreed.
“What are they, anyway?” Ai asked.
“Well then, get ready for the plot twist of the century as I start my turn by playing an entire cartoon world! Welcome to Toon World! At the cost of 1000 Life Points, I can send us to this world, allowing my Toons to be ready for battle (Pegasus-3000 LP)! Next up, I summon my Toon Gemini Elf in Attack mode(1900 Attack)! Sadly, they can’t attack this turn, but I have someone who can! But I’m getting ahead of myself. First off, say hello to Toon Harpie Lady(1300 Attack)! She can be summoned from my hand when I control another Toon monster. And now…I Overlay my two lovely Toons in order to build the Overlay network! I Xyz Summon Toon Parrot Dragon (2000 Attack/1300 Defense/Wind/Rank 4/Dragon/Toon/A toon that resembles Parrot Dragon with darker highlights/If you control Toon World and your opponent controls no Toon monsters, this card can attack directly. Once per turn, you can detach an Overlay Unit. This card gains 500 Attack until the End Phase. Also, this card can’t be destroyed by card effects this turn.)!” Pegasus revealed.
“That’s…an Xyz monster! Looks like we’re dealing with a wild card here, Playmaker! Nothing we can’t handle, though,” Ai cried out.
“We can’t underestimate him, Ai. He must be planning something,” Yusaku warned.
“He’s right. We don’t know what his effect is, after all,” Skye agreed.
“Not that he’ll tell us. He holds more secrets than a magician does!” Ai snarked.
“Now, now. Don’t be rude! I’ll tell you! You see, my monster can use an Overlay unit in order to  gain 500 points of power for one turn (2000->2500 Attack)! Now, use Swift Bombarding Beak on Yusaku’s Life Points!” Pegasus yelled out.
“But…he can’t perform a direct attack so easily! I mean, this meat bag still has a monster out!” Ai complained.
“His monster must have an effect to work around that little hiccup, Ai,” Yusaku said.
“Correct, Playmaker! Toon monsters can attack you directly if you have no Toons to absorb the damage instead. So, now Toon Parrot Dragon, direct attack!” Pegasus cried out.
“Guess again! I play my set Sakuretsu Armor in order to destroy your monster and shield my Life Points!” Yusaku countered.
“Guess again! My Toon has another ability to defend herself from destruction due to card effects! So, back to business, Yusaku (Yusaku-1500 LP)!  Good try, but no dice!" Pegasus smirked.
Suddenly, Yusaku began to pant heavily. "Uh, you okay there, buddy? You're panting very hard from one attack."
"I know! I was fine right before the attack, but now...I can barely stand!" Yusaku groaned.
"I don't get it...unless...this really is a Shadow Game!" Skye realized.
"I’ll end my turn with a simple facedown. Not a bad start to a Duel. Still, I’ve yet to see anything that can be of note. You’re second rate compared to me!” Pegasus gloated.
“I wouldn’t be so sure. I mean, I’ve learned from experience that the more a Duelist trash talks, the more they’re trying to cover up for their own insecurities or a secret of some sort,” Skye noted.
“Skye has a point. Not everyone who seems to be confident always is. Still, it’s not our place to judge him, especially seeing as how it’d just waste the limited time we have left,” Yusaku pointed out as the time said 7 minutes remained.
“Good point. Is good. But…you couldn’t have made it sooner?!” Ai complained.
“It’s my turn. I start off by playing the spell Pot of Greed to draw two cards! Next, I summon Cyberse Magician in Attack mode(1800 Attack)! And…since he’s next to my Decode Talker’s Link, my monster gains 500 extra points(2300->2800 Attack)! Next up, I play two cards facedown. Finally, I’ll use Cyberse Magician’s effect, switching your monster to defense mode and allowing my monsters to deal piercing damage in exchange for them being the only target of attacks this turn!” Yusaku cried out.
“Perfect! Now that Parrot Dragon is in Defense, Yusaku can now deal more damage, leaving the  Duel to end in a Draw at least!” Skye points out.
“Which is good, how?! Remember that Peggy here could still turn things around given he has a facedown. And…even if the Duel ends shortly after he never said he’d let us go with a draw! Seriously, you meat bags need to remember this stuff more!” Ai huffed.
“Then I’ll just have to win then, won’t I?” Yusaku bit back. “Decode Talker, strike at Pegasus’s dragon (Pegasus-1500 LP)! And with that, I end my turn. Make your move, Pegasus,” Yusaku said.
“Yeah! Though, to be honest, you could be up a creek without an oar! I mean, how can you deal with two decently beefy monsters and two face downs so easily? This Duel is won!” Ai claimed.
“I thought you were scared a moment ago. Why the change?” Skye asked.
“Well, it’s clear now that his set card was a bluff, meaning we had nothing to worry about this whole time! We also only have four minutes left. As long as Pegasus doesn’t stall, we can win on our next turn easy!” Ai sighed. “We’re gonna win, like I knew all along!”
“Right,” Skye rolled her eyes.
At this, Pegasus began to laugh to himself.
“Uh, looks like we spoke too soon,” Ai noted.
“We?” Yusaku asked sarcastically.
“Oh, Ai, you think I’m gonna lose, don’t you? Well, what if I were to tell you that this game of ours has gone exactly to plan so far?” Pegasus asked.
“Wh-What?!” Ai was shocked.
“I’d say you were reading the board poorly, for three reasons. One, you may have a facedown on your field, but it isn’t one to stop attacks, seeing as how you didn’t use it to save your dragon earlier. Second, you have no more monsters to attack with, and even if you do gather more, I read the text of your two Normal effect monsters and they said they can’t attack when summoned that turn. And third, you may be making that claim to psyche me out, whether you believe it or not,” Yusaku said.
“Some very good points, and I can say you have a couple facedowns as well. But…will they save you? Your left facedown is Shrink, which can be used to halve the attack of one of my Toons, should I get an attack off. While your right one is Cyberse Computer Virus, which can destroy a monster that just attacked if you control at least one Cyberse monster. Clearly, you plan on wiping out my monster and saving yourself in one turn, then attacking me directly the next! But since I know your game plan, I doubt we’ll be able to see you pull it off,” Pegasus explained, much to the trio’s shock.
“B-But how did-?” Ai was shocked.
“Is he telling the truth, Playmaker?” Skye asked.
“He is. Pegasus, how did you know what my move was going to be?” Yuskau asked.
“Simple. I have a lovely toy with me called the Millenium Eye, which allows me to see into the minds of anyone I please! Your cards and strategies aren’t new to me. I’ll admit you are a smart opponent, smarter than most I’ve met, but you can’t beat me with my eye!” Pegasus boasted.
“So, he’s a cheater then!” Ai cried out.
“I agree! Being able to see an opponent’s cards and strategies isn't fair! It can’t be allowed!” Skye yelled.
“We’ll see…remember, I decide what is fair and what isn’t in this game. Anyways, it’s my turn! First, I summon Toon Goblin Attack Force(2300 Attack)! Next up, since I control a Toon, I can special summon Toon Dark Resonator from my hand(1300 Attack/300 Defense/ Toon/ Fiend/ Level 3/ Dark/ Tuner/ A toonified version of Dark Resonator/Cannot attack the turn it’s summoned/Can’t be destroyed by battle the first time it’s attacks or is attacked in a turn/ If you control a Toon monster, you can special summon this card from your hand. Can attack directly in you control Toon World and your opponent has no Toon monsters)!” Pegasus prepared his ultimate move.
“He has a Tuner monster!” Yusaku realized.
“Meaning…we’re going to be in hot water!” Ai sadly noted.
“Of course you are! I tune my Toon Dark Resonator with my Toon Goblin Attack Force! Toon forces mesh together in order to form a nightmarish toy the likes of which haven’t been seen before! I Synchro Summon! Toon Bickuribox (2300 Attack/2000 Defense/ Toon/ Fiend/ Level 7/ DarkA toonified version of Bickuribox/ Can attack directly in you control Toon World and your opponent has no Toon monsters. When this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects until the End of the damage step)!”
“Gotta say, this guy’s taste in monsters is kinda poor. I mean, this guy looks UGLY if you ask me!” I whispered to Yusaku.
“But…he must have an effect ready against us to make up for it,” Yusaku reminded.
“How right you are! My Bickuribox prevents spells or traps from being used when I attack! But that’s not all I have in store! I play my facedown card Special  Des Shot! With it, I can destroy a facedown spell or trap, while also keeping it from activiating! So, say bye bye to your facedown Shrink!” Pegasus said as he overconfidently laughed as Yusaku looked on in shock.  
“Please tell me you have another move in store to stop ol’ creepy dude’s attack, please!” Ai pleaded.
“I-I don’t,” Yuskau was feeling defeated.
“Now, now, Playmaker. I thought that you were a greater Duelist than this, defeating even the mighty leader of the Hanoi after all. But…don’t worry. I have big plans in store for you yet…provided you survive,” Pegasus smirked. “Now then, Toon Bickuribox, attack Yusaku’s Life Points directly and end this Duel!”
“Y-You can’t! It can’t just end like this! You must have another move, Playmaker!” Ai cried out once more.
“I don’t think he does…,” Skye sadly noted.
Fortunately, before the final attack could hit, the timer hit zero. “Oh…right. The timer…,” Pegasus grumbled. Worked for you once and now works against you. How ironic,” Pegasus snarked. 
“What was that?” Skye asked.
“Oh, nothing! Fortunately, you managed to get off easy this time with a draw. But…don’t think I’m just gonna be quiet. We both know that I would have won if the timer took a little longer. So, I expect to see you three at Duelist Kingdom in a few days. After all, if you wish to keep your identities a secret and to save some lost souls, you’ll need to come after me,” Pegasus warned.
“Look, don’t steal the souls of others! I won’t let you get away with doing a nasty trick like the Knights would pull!” Yusaku yelled.
“Like you can talk after realistically losing? Besides, I think you’ll come after me one way or another. Because the souls I’m stealing…are those of your closest people!” Pegasus revealed as he stole the souls of Akira Zaizen and Kolter, both in separate cards.
“N-No!” Yuskau and Skye yelled as Pegasus smirked.
“You low down…I may not care much for these people, but that was evil! How do you sleep at night?!” Ai demanded.
“Not the easiest, I must admit. But…this may only prove to be a temporary accommodation, provided those two enter my tournament. When they do enter, I still plan on being nice enough to keep their identities secret. I’ll have my best hackers working to hide their identities,” PEgasus revealed.
“Y-you’ve gone too far, Pegasus! They didn’t do a thing to you!” Skye was furious.
“Give Kolter and Akira back now!! I don’t plan on standing by while you continue to do this stuff to hurt many innocents!” Playmaker yelled.
“Oh, I will…once they’ve served their purpose…Goodbye for now, though,” Pegasus smirked as the trio left their current prison, knowing that, as much as they loathed it, the only way to fix things was to risk going after Pegasus.