The classroom fell quiet as everyone glanced at the clock as it ticked down to its final minutes. Each one painfully slower than the last.
Mr Rayne had given up trying to teach anyone long ago. He sat slumped in his seat reading whatever book to keep himself entertained. But if one looked closer, they too, could see that he was also waiting for the final bell.
Arya sat slouched in her chair, chin resting on her hand, her eyes tracking every second.
Two minutes left. Why are you moving so slowly? She grumbled inwardly.
With a sigh she shifted her posture and rested her head on the table. All the counting was starting to make her dizzy.
After a long torturous moment, the bell finally screamed its release. Sharp, echoing and final.
" Finally!" Someone at the back said in relief. Before bolting for the door.
Weirdly, Mr Rayne was the first one out. Then others soon followed.
Arya sat upright. Her back and neck ached, understandable, she had been sitting for hours. The chair had probably moulded into her shape at this point.
She rolled her shoulders, muscles stiff as if they'd forgotten how to obey. A long breath left her lungs as she leaned back, the sound of her vertebrae cracking softly in the silence.
Then she straightened, stretching her arms above her head until her joints popped and her sleeves tugged at her wrists. The motion drew a faint pull across the old scars on her hand. Thin, pale, unsightly things that caught the light for just a moment.
The stretch wasn't graceful. It was the slow, instinctive kind that came after sitting too long with thoughts that refused to quiet.
She exhaled and let her arms drop, shoulders easing. The world seemed to settle again, just a little looser than before.
She stood up, ready to leave. But before she could complete packing her things, her duel disk lit up with a familiar chime. Dread slowly filled her stomach as she took her duel disk.
A flashing MANDATORY DUEL NOTIFICATION took over the screen, forcing everything else into the background. Arya frowned then tapped it.
The screen flashed black for a moment before it lit up again with another notification:
[School Mandated Duel Initiated:
Arya Grey
Rank: Low Tier
Class: 4A
Points: 100
------------------------------------------
Location: North wing, Sector C
Opponent: Mina Hoshikawa
Rank: Mid Tier
Class: 4C
Points: 900
-------------------------------------------
Points Wagered: 100
Start Time: 20 minutes. ]
" Fuck,"
~💥~
The hallway buzzed with the usual end-of-day energy, lockers slamming, laughter echoing, the stomp of footsteps rushing toward freedom.
Arya moved against the current, her duel disk casting a soft blue glow against her hip as it counted down the minutes to the match.
She took a sharp turn down a quieter hallway and pushed into the nearest restroom.
The place would have been quiet, if it weren't for her pounding heart.
She walked up to the sink, dropped her bag by her feet, and looked at herself in the mirror. Her reflection stared back. The same tired eyes, same steely calm underneath. And an undercurrent of panic.
A few cold splashes of water later, she was a little more focused. Arya stepped into the farthest stall and locked it behind her. The fluorescent lights overhead hummed softly.
She slid the toilet lid closed and sat, bag on her lap. A quiet breath left her as she activated her duel disk.
She let out a sigh through her nose. " Fuck, fuck. Fuck!" she murmured.
" Nyx?"
With a soft chime, her disk powered up. Lines of code flickered along the edges of the interface before settling into a teal interface. Then a cool, feminine and measured voice greeted her.
" Yes, Arya. How may I be of assistance?"
" Pull up Mina Hoshikawa's current deck profile," She said. " I want her Win rates and card trends."
There was a flicker on the screen before the Ai responded.
"Accessing school duel records… Compiling last ten matches. Mina Hoshikawa favours a Shaddoll Archetype. She relies on Graveyard effects. Recent data suggests the addition of a new fusion spell (unconfirmed)."
Arya's eyes scanned the data on the screen.
" Would Arya like recommendations?" Nyx mentioned.
As Arya was about to answer, the bathroom door creaked open. Then laughter and footsteps broke through the quiet. Four girls entered.
Arya remained quiet. Her disk dimmed slightly, still running in standby.
" Did you see the Duel roster update? SHE'S duelling today."
" Who's duelling?"
" Mina and Arya."
" Ugh, again? Damnit, Mina's so lucky."
They laughed. One of them turned on the sink.
" Honestly, I don't know why the school keeps putting her into ranked duels. She's not even doing anything."
" Right? She's giving our class bad rep."
Arya remained silent. For deep down she knew they were right. She just sat still, watching the soft glow of her duel disk on her lap.
Eventually the girls left. The door swung shut behind them and silence returned once more.
" Would you like me to do further analysis of your opponent's playstyle?" Nyx offered.
Arya let out a small self-deprecating laugh.
Her fingers twitched as her eyes fell on her scars again. " What's the use? I'm not even going to draw a fucking card!?"
" Would Arya like me to do further analysis of oppone- "
"You can shut down," Arya mentioned, cutting the Ai off.
" …. As you wish."
She sat there for a long while. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead filling the silence with a low hum. She stared blankly at the restroom stall's door hoping that some miracle would take place and the duel would be cancelled.
But nothing happened. Minutes ticked past until she heard another chime from her duel disk.
[ Time remaining: 7 minutes]
Her stomach twisted further. She felt like throwing up now.
As she was about to get ready, she was struck with an insidious thought. She could stay here.
Or leave.
If she didn't show, she'd obviously lose by default. She'd lose her remaining points. Get another mark on her record. Something she was already used to at this point.
And it would be easy. She'd be spared the embarrassment of losing. Spared from the many beady eyes watching. Laughing. Mocking.
The silence of the restroom pressed in around her again. Somewhere outside, the distant echo of a bell, laughter or closing door brought her back to reality.
She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. " …. Seven minutes," she murmured to herself. " Let's get this over and done with."
~❄️~
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime. Arya stepped out humming the catchy song that played on repeat during her elevator time. She moved forward into the wide, bright and echoing expanse of Sector C Duel Field.
At least it wasn't a rooftop this time. The school's indoor duelling complex stretched across multiple floors, a mix of training grounds and sanctioned arenas. From above, the place looked like a glowing grid of light: duelling platforms sectioned off by shimmering energy walls that hummed with faint static.
Each square was its own world. And each wall shimmered with different colours. Each colour represented which year the people duelling were in.
Brown. Purple. White. Black. Teal. Blue. The colours of the academy. And Years.
As she walked by two duellists were facing each other across a holographic field, cards flashing, monsters roaring in digital colour.
The air buzzed with the rhythm of combat and commentary. And excitement.
Never forget excitement.
Arya moved along the outer walkway, scanning the numbered platforms until her duel disk pinged:
[ Assigned Zone: Z-9a.
Opponent: En route.
Estimated arrival: 1 minute.
Time remaining: 3 minutes. ]
She started down the steps toward her section when movement caught her eye.
Across the way, in another duelling zone, someone was setting up their field. It was Tess.
She was tightening her disk strap, head bowed in focus. She looked up just as Arya's eyes found her.
No words were spoken. Just a faint smile from across the barrier and a small lift of the hand, the kind that said you got this.
Then Tess formed a bird with her hands, waving them around in mock flight.
Reluctantly, Arya let a snort and shook her head but the corner of her mouth refused to go back down.
Her boots clicked softly against the arena floor as she crossed into Zone 9a. The light walls shimmered to life around her, enclosing her in a pale black glow. The hum of the energy grid vibrated faintly through her feet.
"You have arrived," Nyx announced.
" Initializing…. Duel Parameters. Would you like to review your opening probabilities?"
" No, " Arya said, her eyes fixed on the opposite side of arena.
The projection pads under her duel disk flared to life, awaiting the match signal.
All around her, other duels exploded into bursts of holographic fury. Dragons, blades, fire, light but her square was still.
A calm before the storm.
Then, from the opposite entrance, the wall parted with a digital hiss.
Mina Hoshikawa stepped in. Taller, confident, but not smug. Her black uniform jacket hung half-open, duel disk already lit with a steady crimson glow. She spotted Arya across the shimmering field and offered a small, apologetic smile.
" Sorry I'm late," She said, raising her hands in mild surrender. " Teacher held me back for an after-lab cleanup. Didn't mean to keep ya' waiting."
Arya shook her head lightly. "You're fine. Rules say we've got five minutes extra when you're late. "
"Still." She gave a short laugh. "Not exactly the entrance I wanted."
She walked to her platform, stepping onto the glowing circle opposite to hers. Her duel disk synced automatically with the arena's systems, and the light barriers solidified. The two zones were now sealed in, ready to broadcast.
A mechanical voice announced from above:
"Official Match: Sector C, Zone 9a. Mina Hoshikawa versus Arya Grey. Stakes: 100 points. Begin coin toss for turn order."
A holographic coin appeared mid-air, suspended between them, its faces glowing red and blue.
"Call it," Mina said.
"Tails," Arya replied.
The coin spun fast, flashing with light before landing flat in a burst of energy.
"Result: Heads. Mina Hoshikawa takes the first turn."
Arya exhaled quietly and adjusted her stance.
Mina raised her duel disk, the card tray locking into position with a mechanical clack.
"Alright," She said, voice steady. "Let's make this a good one."
"" Let's Duel! "" Both voices rang out, overlapping.
Life Points appeared in glowing holograms above them.
[Mina Hoshikawa – LP: 6000 ]
[ Arya Grey – LP: 6000 ]
Mina drew her opening hand in one smooth motion, eyes scanning the cards. Her entire demeanour had changed. Gone was the relaxed air she previously held, she was calculating and calm now.
The arena lights dimmed slightly as the system detected an active phase.
"My turn," Mina declared, placing her hand on her deck. "I'll start strong. Draw!"
Mina looked at Arya and spoke with a smile, " Looks like Luck's on my side today,"
" I'll start by activating the spell card Shaddoll Fusion from my hand,"
The holographic spell flared to life, an ethereal swirl of violet energy bursting across the field. The duel disk announced the effect in a calm tone, its voice blending with the arena systems.
{ Shaddoll Fusion – Spell Card – Effect: Fusion Summon '1' "Shaddoll" Fusion monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as material.
If your opponent controls a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, you can also use monsters in your Deck as material. You can only activate 1 "Shaddoll Fusion" per turn. }
Mina continued smoothly, "Since you control no monsters, I'll fuse from my hand instead!"
The holographic Interface displayed two cards from her hand, flipping them forward:
" I'll fuse Shaddoll Squamata and Reeshaddoll Wendy!"
She slid both cards into the duel disk, the two spirits burst into pixels. One green the other one gold, swirling together as a dark gate opened behind her.
The violet energy pulsed once, and then:
" With these two, I'll fusion summon! El Shaddoll Winda!"
A burst of violet energy tore open the arena floor. From the portal stepped a tall, ghostly, female figure draped in purple robes. Her presence filled the square with oppressive calm.
{ El Shaddoll Winda ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ DARK – Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2200 | DEF: 800 }
{ Must be fusion summoned. Cannot be destroyed by an opponent's card effects. Each player can only Special Summon once per turn while she's on the field. }
Arya's stomach dropped slightly. " Great…. Performing a fusion summon on your first turn,"
But Mina wasn't done. She pointed at one of her discarded materials as it faded. " From the graveyard, Squamata's effect activates-
Squamata: When sent to the Graveyard, I can send another Shaddoll card from my Deck to the Graveyard. I'll send Shaddoll Beast."
Her deck whirred softly as the card ejected. She slid it into the grave slot with crisp precision.
"Then, Beast's effect activates- since it was sent by a card effect, I draw one."
She drew a card, glanced at it, and smirked faintly.
"I'll set two cards face-down."
Two panels of glowing blue appeared on her field, snapping into place behind Winda.
"And that ends my turn."
The duel disk interface reset to Arya's side, her blue hologram pulsing to life.
"Your move, Arya."
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