Sunday — 10:17 AM
The canal is quiet. The sky is overcast, but the temperature is perfect for riding.
Yugo pedals at a relaxed pace. He glances at the screen mounted on his handlebars. No duel today. Just endurance. Letting go.
Beside him, Kael follows closely, posture firm, arms resting steadily on his aero bars. His eyes are locked forward, focused, like he's in the middle of a race.
— "You trying to break some invisible record or what?" Yugo laughs.
— "Just trying to keep a steady pace. I noticed I lose speed on slight inclines. I'm working on my accelerations."
Yugo rolls his eyes.
— "You're the only guy who talks about inclines on a flat canal."
— "There are irregularities. The terrain shifts, grip changes. Haven't you noticed your rear tire slipping more after puddles?"
Yugo doesn't answer. He's impressed, but he won't admit it.
— "Okay, fine, you're locked in. But are you ready for a practice duel in ten minutes?"
Kael nods.
— "You want to activate the disks?"
— "Nah. Just you and me. Decks in our pockets. We'll stop at that lock over there and set up. No helmets, no pressure. Just a classic duel. On the backpack."
10:32 AM — At the Red Bridge Lock
They've set up on an old metal barrier. The wind rustles through the trees.
Yugo pulls out his HERO deck, shuffling it slowly.
Kael takes out his own. It's not his usual one.
— "Huh?" Yugo notices. "That's not your deck from last night."
— "Nope. It's my little brother's. He kept losing at locals. I wanna figure out why."
Yugo grins. He respects that.
They begin. Nothing explosive. Just two players testing, chatting, stopping mid-turn, restarting.
Between turns, Kael asks:
— "You think Cycloduels will catch on?"
— "Honestly? No clue. But I like the idea of us suffering physically while throwing Fusion monsters at each other."
— "You want it to get serious? Like... competitive?"
Yugo looks down.
— "I don't know yet. But... I want this thing to be real. For real."
Kael nods. He gets it.
— "You never just wanted to play casually? In your room, on Master Duel?"
— "Sure. But in my room, there's nothing waiting. No brother. No dad yelling at me. Just me and a screen. And it feels like I'm fading away."
Kael goes quiet. Then, softly:
— "My dad stopped talking to me after I quit prep school. Says bikes and cards are for kids. Not for building a future."
Yugo looks at him.
— "Do you listen to him?"
— "No."
They share a knowing smile.
End of the duel: Yugo wins. Barely.
They slip their decks back into their pockets and stand up.
Yugo turns on his screen, eyes fixed on the Cycloduel interface.
— "You ready?"
Kael smiles.
— "Start the match. Let's ride."
The Cycloduel begins.
They ride. Arms steady, breath sharp. The screen shakes a little with the vibrations, but their fingers slide with precision across the controls.
A "Masked HERO Anki" slashes out. In response, a "Raigeki" hits. All at full speed.
But neither slows down.
They don't even lift their heads. Everything plays out between their legs and their hands.
At the end of the run:
They stop. Heart pounding. The duel's over. This time, Kael wins.
— "Damn," Yugo mutters, sitting down. "You've gotten better."
— "I adapted. You were more predictable today."
Yugo hands him a warm can of soda from his bag.
— "You won. You get to start the next test session."
Kael takes a sip. Grimaces.
— "Warm. Gross. But I like it."
They get up.
— "Alright," says Yugo. "Next week, I want us to bring in more players. Real duelists. Let's run a four-player Cycloduel."
Kael grins.
— "Got anyone in mind?"
— "Yeah. Two guys from school. One used to play regionals. The other... he's never lost to me."
Kael nods.
— "Then we'll show them what it means to ride while dueling."