"So if I can't become the Duel King, I'll have to stay in this world for the rest of my life? That actually sounds like a pretty good deal!"
Drifting leisurely through a tunnel that crossed time and space, a young man sat with his legs crossed, hands behind his head as if lying on his own bed.
Beside him, a round, brown creature with blinking eyes nodded slightly in agreement.
The young man's name was Youmi. In his original world, he had been playing Master Duel when, not watching where he was walking, he fell into a construction site's open sewer. The workers had apparently stepped away for a bit, so he was the only one who fell and lost consciousness—his soul sent to this strange place.
This conversation had started not long after he woke up.
"Ow, ow, ow... should've turned on the flashlight." Rubbing his head, Youmi realized he hadn't lost any parts of it, and stood up. Looking at himself, he found he wasn't even dusty. "Man, since when were sewers this spacious? You can't even see the ceiling."
Just as he was looking for a way out, a deep voice echoed from all around him. "I've observed many humans, but few as slow on the uptake as you."
"Just think of me as a carefree optimist. My friends always say I'm heartless and happy-go-lucky." Searching his body for belongings, Youmi realized his phone and everything else were gone—except for a Duel Disk now attached to his right wrist.
"Oh~" He reached to his lower back, pulling out a leather deck box. Flipping it open with his thumb, he peeked inside. "Huh? You give me a Duel Disk, but no Deck?"
"I don't think they were complimenting you." A golden dragon emerged from the void, pressing its gleaming head close to Youmi's forehead. "You're not even curious about who I am? You only care about your Deck? You really are a true Duelist."
Though he was a bit thick-skinned, the sudden appearance still made Youmi flinch. "Well, isn't it obvious? If you're giving me a Duel Disk, you must want to Duel, right? As for who you are…"
The dragon before him had a golden body accented with silver-white, its wings tipped like fountain pens. Youmi immediately called out its name: "[Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand]!"
"It's [Ten Thousand Dragon]! You knew that, you're just teasing me, aren't you?"
The dragon exhaled a multicolored breath that didn't harm Youmi, merely lifted him up onto a platform formed out of nothing.
"While observing this world, I saw you fall into that hole because of your Dueling obsession. Out of curiosity, I pulled your consciousness here. Don't worry—the flow of time here is different, so you won't die for now. As for the Deck, that box will generate real cards from your imagination. You can build any Deck you can think of. Since it's your first time, you might need a moment—"
Before Ten Thousand Dragon could finish, Youmi shook the deck box, revealing a full stack of sleeved cards inside. "Done."
"Already?!" The dragon's eyes glowed red. All of Youmi's cards floated up, arranging themselves before her gaze. "In the time it took to say that, not only did you build a Deck, but you even sleeved it—and with… me? You really know how to flatter. If only you hadn't built a Buster Blader Deck."
The red glow faded, and the cards neatly flew back into Youmi's deck box, perfectly aligned.
"Well, seeing as you're obviously the one challenging me to a Duel—and you're a dragon—it's only fair that I prepare for that, right? A Duelist's gotta hedge his bets." As he spoke, the card sleeves on his Deck shimmered, changing into the design of [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle]. "Anyway, don't mind me. Since you noticed, I'll just switch Decks~"
"So now it's a Trap-heavy Deck, huh? Fine, I was only looking for some fun anyway. Doesn't matter what you use." Five cards appeared in front of Ten Thousand Dragon, each with Youmi's card back design—a clear response to his earlier teasing. "Then let's Duel. If you win, I'll restore your body to its complete form."
The dragon tilted her golden head a bit; her deep voice carried a faintly feminine tone.
"And if I lose?" Youmi asked. Winning had consequences… so what about losing?
"Then you'll stay here with me and Duel until your soul fades away. It's rare for me to find a Duelist from another world who actually interests me," she said, excitement creeping into her tone.
"So you dragged me here just to have a sparring partner, huh? Fine by me. Honestly, I should be dead by now anyway—might as well make the best of it." Youmi nodded, sliding his Deck into the Duel Disk. It was a classic Duel Monsters model.
"You certainly see things clearly. Then let's begin~"
And that was how it all began. As for how that Duel ended…
The moment Youmi lost the coin toss, it was over. Still, Ten Thousand Dragon didn't really intend to trap him here forever. Instead, she gave him a chance: if he could earn the title of Duelist in several worlds she designated, she would heal his body and send him home. She even assigned the card spirit Sphere Kuriboh to accompany him.
"Hmm… wait a sec, doesn't that mean all the insurance payments I made are wasted? Guess I'll just have to Duel my way to the Duel King title in this world." As he drifted through the tunnel, Youmi waved his left hand, summoning a few cards that floated around him. "Starter Deck… or not even that. My initial ace is only one card from this bunch. Well then, I choose you."
[Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle]
The reason was simple—he'd lost to Ten Thousand Dragon using the Labrynth Deck and still felt a bit sore about it. Plus, he had to admit, he found Lovely Labrynth rather appealing. Since he already had a Sphere Kuriboh spirit, wouldn't it be nice to have a Labrynth spirit too?
With that slightly indecent thought, Youmi made his choice.
Then Ten Thousand Dragon's voice came through Sphere Kuriboh: "You're lusting after that woman's body? Fine, I'll grant you that little wish~"
…
The Author's Notes: Considering how many people ignore the synopsis, before complaining, here's the (expanded) introduction again for new readers:
PS: If you dislike stories with transmigrators other than the main character, prefer a lighthearted tone, don't want the protagonist to face hardships, dislike the idea of a transmigrated MC having family, or dislike the MC turning into a male Duel Monster, feel free to skip the GX arc. Starting from 5D's, after DM, won't cause any continuity issues.
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