Chapter Text
The night was slick with rain, and the neon signs reflected on the wet pavement like fractured glass. Zackery Arc pulled his trench coat tighter around his shoulders as he rounded the corner of an alley in the Industrial District. The tip he'd received led him here — to the remnants of an old warehouse turned underground gambling den, now abandoned. But Zack wasn't looking for contraband or mobsters. He was looking for one man.
Mr. N.
A former Duel Monsters champion turned rogue, Mr. N had vanished after being accused of using forged cards and hacking duel disk systems to cheat official matches. But that was just the surface. Rumors swirled of shadow duels, of players who collapsed with blank eyes and forgotten memories. And Zack? He was always nearby when it happened.
Zack reached the door and scanned his duel disk's tracker. A faint red signal blinked on his visor screen. Mr. N's Duel ID was nearby. Very close.
He stepped through the creaking steel door into the hushed dark. The warehouse was cavernous and mostly bare, save for crates stacked in haphazard towers. The scent of oil, damp wood, and something else — electricity, maybe — hung in the air. A sharp voice sliced through the silence.
"Still chasing ghosts, Mr. Arc?" came the voice from the shadows.
Zack turned. A figure emerged from behind a pillar, the edge of his long cloak trailing the floor, glinting faintly like a blade. Mr. N looked older, but his smirk hadn't changed.
"You've been busy," Zack said, keeping his tone steady. "Two more players dropped into comas after a duel. You going to deny it again?"
Mr. N's eyes gleamed. "No need to deny it. You came for answers. I'll give them to you — if you can defeat me. Just like old times."
He raised his arm, and with a flick of his wrist, his duel disk activated, the mechanical wings spreading out in a fan of metallic light. The holographic systems sparked to life with a low hum.
Zack followed suit. "Let's finish this."
The disk on his wrist spun open, the Life Point counters flaring to 4000. Mr. N's eyes narrowed with satisfaction.
"This duel," Mr. N said, "is a Shadow Duel. You win, I'll surrender and answer everything. You lose…" His voice dipped into something colder. "You'll be just another memory lost in the static."
The arena crackled to life — a dome of shadow energy pulsed around them, the temperature dropping instantly. Zack's breath misted in front of him, but his fingers stayed steady on his deck.
[Zackery Arc VS Mr. N]
"Heads or tails, Mr. Arc?" Mr. N asked as he held the coin.
"Tails never fail!" Zack stated.
The man tossed the coin into the air. The coin made blinding flips as the light reflected off the metal. After a couple of seconds, it fell back down onto Mr. N's palm. He then pressed the coin on the back of his other hand, before revealing the results.
"Hmm… looks like Tails fails this time," Mr. N said, to which Zack clenched his fist.
"Damn it!" He cursed, causing Mr. N to chuckle in amusement.
[Turn 1: Mr. N, LP: 4000, Hand: 5, Deck: 35]
"Let's start things off with a draw!" Mr. N declared as he drew the top card of his deck.
After spending a couple of seconds reviewing his hand, Mr. N laughs at what he had just drawn.
"Heh heh… looks like this duel will be over sooner than I thought! First, I activate Graceful Charity!" Mr. N declared as he tapped the card on his Duel Disk.
[Graceful Charity (SPELL)]
[Normal]
[Draw 3 cards, then discard 2 cards.]
A larger holographic version of the spell card manifests next to Mr. N, showing a picture of an angel cupping a card made of light in her hand.
"This will allow me to draw 3 cards. But in return, I have to discard two." Mr. N explained.
The cloaked man drew the top three cards of his deck and selected two cards from his hand to be inserted in the GY slot.
"Would you look at that? I've gotten another Graceful Charity." Mr. N said before activating the second copy.
[Graceful Charity (SPELL)]
[Normal]
[Draw 3 cards, then discard 2 cards.]
Once again, Mr. N performs the same action as before before giving a sinister chuckle at his cards.
"Kukukukukukuku… and why stop there without a little Pot of Greed?"
[Pot of Greed (SPELL)]
[Normal]
[Draw 2 cards.]
A green pot with a grinning face design on it manifested before Mr. N. A pair of hands emerged from the pot and gifted him two cards before shattering into pieces.
"Next, I'll activate Poison of the Old Man." Mr. N declared as he played the spell card.
[Poison of the Old Man (SPELL)]
[Quick-Play]
[Activate 1 of these effects;
● Gain 1200 LP.
● Inflict 800 damage to your opponent.]
"With this card, I can either gain 1200 life points or inflict 800 points of damage to you, Mr. Arc. But for this event, I'll be choosing the former option."
A vial of green liquid manifested before Mr. N. He took the vial and popped the cover off before gulping the green liquid down his throat.
[Mr. N, LP: 4000 - 5200]
"Ahh… that tasted good." Mr. N said before tossing the empty vial away.
"Then, I'll normal summon Magical Scientist to the field!" Mr. N declared that the monster manifested on the field.
Magical Scientist looks like a cartoonish blend of a deranged inventor and a sinister alchemist. He's a short man with long purple hair, thick shades over his eyes, and a twisted grin that suggests unstable genius. His oversized lab coat is rumpled and cluttered with scrolls, vials, and strange devices peeking from his pockets.
His design evokes a mad scientist stereotype — brilliant, eccentric, and dangerously unpredictable.
[Magical Scientist (DARK)]
[Level 1]
[Spellcaster / Effect]
[Pay 1000 Life Points to Special Summon 1 level 6 or lower Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck in face-up Attack or Defense Position. That Fusion Monster cannot attack your opponent's Life Points directly, and is returned to your Extra Deck at the end of the turn.]
[ATK 300 / DEF 300]
"Then, I activate Monster Reborn!" Mr. N stated.
[Monster Reborn (SPELL)]
[Normal]
[Target 1 monster in either GY; Special Summon it.]
A larger holographic version of the card shows a picture of a green ankh, glowing brightly to showcase its power to bring a monster back from the dead.
"Chain! I'll discard Maxx "C" in response to your Monster Reborn!" Zack declared as he inserted the Monster Card in his GY. "Now, for the rest of the turn, every time you special summon, I'll be allowed to draw a card from the deck for each summoning!"
"Hmph! No matter, for the duel will be ending this turn anyway. Now I resurrect the discarded Catapult Turtle!" Mr. N declared.
A dark purple portal opened from the ground, causing the selected monster to rise out of it.
Catapult Turtle looks like a massive, armored turtle fused with a mechanical war machine. Its rugged blue-green shell resembles a tank, reinforced with thick plating and rivets. Mounted atop its back is a large cannon-like launcher — the "catapult" — made of gleaming metal and arcane tubing. Its head is low and grim, with red eyes that peer out like a silent, determined war veteran. It crawls forward on stubby but sturdy legs, dragging the weight of both its own body and the siege weaponry it carries.
[Catapult Turtle (WATER)]
[Level 5]
[Aqua / Effect]
[You can Tribute 1 monster; inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the Tributed monster's ATK on the field.]
[ATK 1000 / DEF 2000]
"And now… I activate Magical Scientist's special ability! By paying 1000 of my own LP, I can special summon a level 6 or lower Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck!" Mr. N declared.
With a mad cackle, the Scientist raises a bubbling beaker in one hand and waves a glowing wand in the other. Purple sparks shoot out in all directions as an unstable summoning circle forms beneath him, etched not with ancient glyphs, but with scientific equations warped by dark energy.
[Mr. N, LP: 5200 ~ 4200]
A surge of power drains from the Duelist's Life Points — not a cost, but fuel. The Magical Scientist taps directly into the Duelist's soul energy, converting it into a burst of twisted fusion magic.
The summoning circle flares open like a portal, spewing static and eldritch fumes. From the Extra Deck, a Fusion Monster emerges — summoned without Polymerization, without materials, just raw magical shortcut.
"Come forth, Soul Hunter!"
Soul Hunter is a chilling and ominous entity — a jester figure clad in grim robes, wielding a scythe and riding a yellow, blue-eyed dragon with a green underbelly.
[Soul Hunter (DARK)]
[Level 6]
[Fiend / Fusion]
["Lord of the Lamp" "Invader from Another Dimension"]
[ATK 2200 / DEF 1800]
But Mr. N was far from done.
And then…
The Scientist does it again.
[Mr. N, LP: 4200 ~ 3200]
Another 1000. Another Fusion.
He laughs louder, gears in his head and on his coat whirling madly as he opens more portals — building a small army of borrowed Fusion monsters in a single turn.
"Make way for the next one, Great Mammoth of Goldfine!"
The Great Mammoth of Goldfine is an undead colossus — a massive mammoth resurrected as a golden skeletal zombie.
[Great Mammoth of Goldfine (DARK)]
[Level 6]
[Zombie / Fusion]
["The Snake Hair" "Dragon Zombie"]
[ATK 2200 / DEF 1800]
[Mr. N, LP: 3200 ~ 2200]
"For the third one, Bracchio-radius!"
Bracchio-raidus is a Brachiosaurus, but with green eyes and blue, thick skin.
[Bracchio-raidus (WATER)]
[Level 6]
[Dinosaur / Fusion]
["Two-Headed King Rex" "Crawling Dragon #2"]
[ATK 2200 / DEF 2000]
"Now, I'll use Catapult Turtle's special ability to tribute my three Fusion Monsters to deal damage to you!" Mr. N declared.
The ground trembles as Catapult Turtle lumbers into position. Its heavy, iron-plated shell gleams in the low light of the battlefield, and from its back rises a massive mechanical launcher — a siege weapon built not for stones or missiles, but for something far more unconventional.
With a hiss of steam and a whirr of gears, the Turtle's loading mechanism comes to life. Its eyes glow with cold calculation. Soul Hunter doesn't resist — its fate has been sealed by Mr. N's command. With a great mechanical groan, the launcher shifts its aim upward, locking onto the opponent's Life Points like a tactical warhead system.
The Fusion Monster begins to glow, surrounded by energy rings as it's pulled into position atop the catapult. Energy readings spike. The Turtle's entire frame vibrates from the pressure building inside.
In a flash of blinding light and a crack like a thunderbolt, Catapult Turtle fires.
The Fusion Monster is launched directly at Zack — a streaking silhouette burning with raw Duel Energy.
"Shit!" Zack cursed.
He focused on the incoming blast and maneuvered out of the way just as it got close. The missed blast still causes a big explosion that causes Zack to stumble forward a bit.
[Zack, LP: 4000 ~ 2900]
Thanks to the Shadow Duel, anything that is manifested by the cards is capable of physically hurting the Duelists.
"Again!" Mr. N declared.
The next Fusion Monster, the Great Mammoth of Goldfine, loaded itself onto the Catapult Turtle. Once again, the monster used its effect to inflict damage on Zack.
Zack, once again, moved out of the way by crouching to make a high leap into the air, performing a somersault as the blast flew past under him.
The force of the explosion, however, causes Zack to be pushed onto the floor.
[Zack, LP: 2900 ~ 1800]
Mr. N wordlessly ordered the final Fusion Monster to be tributed. Catapult Turtle aimed at Zack, getting right back up on his feet before shooting the tributed Bracchio-raidus directly at him.
This time, Zack doesn't attempt to dodge the blast. Instead, he performed a vague Tai Chi movement and caught the blast with his hands. His teeth clenched by holding the blast in his palms… before spinning around and throwing it somewhere else.
[Zack, LP: 1800 ~ 700]
"Now… for the finale!" Mr. N declared as he paid 1000 more of his LP for the cost of the Magical Scientist's effect.
[Mr. N, LP: 2200 ~ 1200]
"For our final member, let's give a warm welcome to-"
However, Mr. N was interrupted by Zack.
"Not so fast! I discard Effect Veiler to prevent you from using Magical Scientist's effect further!" Zack declared by inserting the Monster Card in his GY slot.
The spirit of the spellcaster flew over to the Magical Scientist. She sent a blistering wind of magic at Mr. N's monster, causing his powers to no longer work.
However, Mr. N was undaunted.
"Clever, you might think you're safe just because I can't activate my monster's effect anymore, but I still have this card!" Mr. N declared with a grin.
[Meteor of Destruction (SPELL)]
[Normal]
[Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.]
"Say goodbye, Mr. Arc!"
A giant meteor manifested above Mr. N, before it flew at the unaffected Zack. As the meteor impacted, it created a huge explosion, covering the Duelist from Mr. N's sight. Mr. N began breaking out in insane laughter.
"WHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! I DID IT! I-" However, Mr. N stopped his gloating when seeing his opponent's LP still intact.
"WHAT?! How are you still alive?!" He demanded.
Zack merely folded his arms before explaining.
"By discarding Hanewata, its effect allows me to take no effect damage this turn," Zack cooly explained, much to Mr. N's anger.
"Damn it… You're lucky to survive my onslaught. But no matter, for my next turn will send you to the shadows!" Mr. N declared as he finished his turn by setting the rest of the cards in his hand.
'And if you try to summon a monster, my face-down cards will be able to counter it!'
Mr. N grinned as his three face-down cards were Trap Hole, Bottomless Trap Hole, and Black Horn of Heaven. Feeling completely assured that he had cornered his opponent.
[Turn 1 ended: Mr. N, LP: 1200, Hand: 0, Deck: 26]
[Turn 2: Zackery Arc, LP: 700, Hand: 6, Deck: 31]
"Draw!" Zack declared, causing a small force to be generated from drawing the top card of his deck.
"Don't think that you'll have the advantage anymore!" Zack declared.
He selected five cards from his hand and inserted them into the GY slot before slamming the spell card on his Duel Disk.
"I activate… Final Destiny!"
[Final Destiny (SPELL)]
[Normal]
[Discard 5 cards from your hand. Destroy all cards on the field.]
Mr. N's original calm and arrogant front quickly delved into shock at the sight of the spell card showing a man witnessing a nuclear fallout.
"NO! Not that card!" He shouted in panic.
In that instant, the atmosphere shifts. The wind stills. The sky dims. Reality bends.
Zack's field is empty, and his hand, all but one card, is now gone.
But then it begins.
A thunderous rumble echoes from above. The sky cracks open in the holographic dome, and a celestial fireball—burning with unnatural light—descends toward the field. Magical Scientist looks up in a frozen moment, mouth agape, hands raised in vain.
BOOM.
The meteor slams into the field. A shockwave of golden energy explodes outward, engulfing both sides in roaring, white-hot light. Magical Scientist and Catapult Turtle are vaporized mid-roar, and Mr. N's Traps are disintegrated before they can snap shut.
The dust settles.
The field is empty. Silent.
Both Duelists stare at the devastation — Mr. N still reeling from the loss of his field, the other standing with clenched fists, one card in hand, no field, but a chance.
"From my hand, I summon Hitotsu-Me Giant to the field!" Zack declared by slamming the Monster Card on his Duel Disk.
Hitotsu-Me Giant is a towering, musclebound giant cyclops with greenish-gray skin and a single blazing eye in the center of his forehead. His jagged, yellow teeth are locked in a snarl, and he exudes brute power and unwavering loyalty, radiating a presence that's more beast than man.
[Hitotsu-Me Giant (EARTH)]
[Level 4]
[Beast-Warrior / Normal]
[A one-eyed behemoth with thick, powerful arms made for delivering punishing blows.]
[ATK 1200 / DEF 1000]
"This can't be happening! How can I lose?!" Mr. N wailed.
"Go! Attack Mr. N directly, and end this Duel!" Zack commanded as he pointed at Mr. N.
With a bellow that echoes like thunder, the one-eyed giant steps forward, debris flying with every footfall. His single, glowing eye locks onto the enemy monster with primal hatred.
He charges.
Each step shakes the ground, the giant's fists raised high. Dust and debris swirl around his legs as he barrels forward with unstoppable momentum.
Mr. N, however, didn't try to run away.
Instead, he strangely began twitching like crazy.
"ERROR... ERROR! DEFEAT... IS... INEVITABLE!" Mr. N stutters with a noticeable electronic tone.
The Cyclops brings his fists down with a roar that pierces the heavens.
The blow lands with a crash.
As the fists of Cyclops made contact, it caused a huge explosion that squashed Mr. N flat. As Cyclops raised his fists from the crater, the cloaked man was nowhere to be found.
The Life Point counter ticks down with a jolt, as if struck by a meteor.
[Mr. N, LP: 1200 ~ 0]
[WINNER: Zackery Arc]
"I'll be lying if I said that I enjoy the duel. But thank you for one nonetheless," Zack said to the fallen Duelist.
Soon, the area around them started to dematerialize, with the sounds of digital pixels being broken down. The area then reveals itself to be a blank room with a large screen located on one side, while there's a huge round glass on the ceiling.
"A job well done, Zack. The data collected from the Duel has given the Interdimensional Transporter the accuracy needed to communicate throughout the multiverse." A male voice called out from the intercom.
"Of course, Professor," Zack said before walking to the exit.
"Also… Ray asked if you're available tomorrow. She wishes to discuss some strategies with you." The Professor said.
"Sure…" The door opened. "...and we shall see just what sort of "fun" there'll be from here on out."
With that said, Zack walked into a hallway, leading to places unknown.