Incomplete Deck vs Incomplete Deck
"Director Goodwin, can you give us a reasonable explanation for what just happened?"
Inside the Security Bureau HQ, Goodwin turned slightly, looking at the screen to his side. It displayed the elite upper echelon of New Domino City—the Council of Elders. The city's governing body sat stiffly before the screen, scrutinizing him with icy stares.
"Our very first duel with someone from another dimension, and we suffer a crushing defeat. This does not bode well for the reputation of our world," one elder said sternly.
"It may have only been a test duel with civilian duelists, but if too many Satellite residents lose, the public perception will be disastrous."
"Why didn't we just send in the King? With Jack Atlas, there's no chance of losing."
They trusted Jack completely. Until now, he hadn't lost a single duel. He was their undefeated champion—New Domino's indisputable KING.
Goodwin stood silently, hands behind his back, calmly enduring the rebukes from his superiors. From the outside, he looked composed: tall, sharply dressed, gloved hands, immaculately combed hair. The kind of man whose face alone could sway voters.
The perfect politician's mask.
Despite rising to the role of Director of Security, in the eyes of the Elders, he was still a mere upstart.
A child, in their minds.
"Well, Director Goodwin? Are you just going to stand there and say nothing?"
"No," Goodwin replied warmly. "I was merely waiting."
"Waiting?"
"Waiting for our duelist to deliver us a victory."
The elders traded skeptical glances.
"You're placing your faith in a Satellite boy?"
"Of course. The one currently on the field—Yusei Fudo—is an old friend of the King."
"Oh?"
"Now that's something worth watching."
"If that's true, then let's see if this boy can win—"
Their tone shifted from reprimand to interest. In this world, Dueling wasn't just sport—it was sacred. Thanks to the perpetual motion reactor that ran on Duel energy, Dueling was the city's most exalted industry. It powered the city, enriched the elite, and fueled New Domino's dominance. Even the highest ranks of society—yes, even the Elders—were fervent duel fans.
So if this Satellite boy was Jack Atlas's friend, he was worth keeping an eye on.
Goodwin remained composed, but behind his back, his fists clenched.
He cut the feed and turned to the window. From the top floor of the Security Bureau, Satellite couldn't be seen. But he had intentionally moved his office so that it faced what little remained of the Daedalus Bridge—and the dilapidated outskirts beyond.
Rex Goodwin had a secret.
He wasn't originally from the upper district. Once, he rode his Duel Runner across the fractured remains of the Daedalus Bridge. The very legend that circulated among the Satellite residents—that someone had once jumped the unfinished bridge into the city—wasn't a myth. It was him.
He alone built the bridge in secret. He alone made the leap while being chased by Security. He alone became a legend.
He'd worked his way up to become Director of the Bureau, but even then… he learned he wasn't at the top. There was something above even him—this so-called Council of Elders.
Pathetic.
Rotten old relics.
He glanced back to the broadcast.
The arrival of interdimensional duelists gave him new ideas, a new opportunity.
He reached into his sleeve, pulled out several cards, examined them, and then clapped softly.
From the floor, a shadow rose—skeletal, humanoid. Goodwin smiled and handed him the cards.
"I've found something interesting," he said, eyes locked on Hikaru Amagi. "If we can't keep the power of the Duel Dragons in this world… perhaps it's better to send them away. That way, they'll never fall into the wrong hands."
He had no interest in other worlds.
He just wanted to erase his disappointment in this one.
If Hikaru was trustworthy—and from his duels and speeches, he certainly seemed like it—then maybe…
…just maybe, this was the opening he needed.
Back in Satellite, the duel raged on.
John Anderson, representing Duel Academy's Arctic Branch, was locked in battle with Yusei Fudo, a mysterious Satellite duelist.
On Yusei's field: a perched bird and a weird little airplane. On John's side: four glowing crystals—the Gem Beasts—orbiting him protectively, and a mighty Amber Mammoth standing guard.
Yusei glanced at his hand. "Normal summon, Junk Synchron."
"When this card is summoned, I can special summon a Level 2 or lower monster from the graveyard. I special summon Speed Warrior!"
"Now I tune my Level 2 Speed Warrior with my Level 3 Junk Synchron—"
"The gathered stars form an eternal bond! The shining light will carve a new future!"
"SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
"Appear now—Junk Warrior!"
A red-eyed mechanical warrior burst forth in a spray of stardust, landing in a split and launching a fist.
Junk Warrior – Level 5 – DARK – Warrior – ATK 2300
"When Synchro Summoned, Junk Warrior gains ATK equal to the combined ATK of all Level 2 or lower monsters I control! Tuning with Quillbolt Hedgehog (300 ATK) and Jet Synchron (500 ATK), its ATK becomes 3100!"
Junk Warrior ATK: 2300 → 3100
"Awesome, Yusei!" John called, now casually on a first-name basis.
Yusei nodded back, calm. "Next, I activate Quick-Play Spell: Scrap Fist!"
"Target 1 'Junk Warrior' I control. This turn, if that monster battles an opponent's monster:
– Your opponent can't activate Spell/Trap/Monster effects until the end of the Damage Step
– It inflicts piercing damage
– Any battle damage it deals is doubled
– It cannot be destroyed by that battle
– And it's destroyed at the end of the turn"
Jaden stood up from the crowd. "Uh-oh! John's Amber Mammoth only has 1700 ATK. If that punch lands, even with 2500 LP left, it's game over!"
John wasn't panicking. "I activate my Trap—Crystal Raigeki! If I have 7 different 'Crystal Beast' monsters in my field or graveyard, I can Special Summon 1 'Ultimate Crystal' monster from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard!"
"That's your ace!" Yusei narrowed his eyes.
If he summons something strong enough, Yusei planned to use Quillbolt and Jet Synchron to climb higher.
The seven colors of the Crystal Beasts lit up, beams piercing the sky. Jaden cheered excitedly, but Yusei looked serious, cautious.
Then the light faded.
And… still just the Amber Mammoth remained.
"Uh, sorry," John scratched his head. "We haven't dug up the Ultimate Crystal monsters yet in the ruins, so… I don't have one."
Chazz faceplanted, Jaden let out a long groan of disappointment. Even Hikaru Amagi, watching from the sidelines, raised an eyebrow.
In the original timeline, John's Crystal Beasts were one-of-a-kind gifts from Pegasus. But here, without Rainbow Dragon excavated, the trump card was still missing.
Even Yusei, normally stoic, chuckled and shook his head. "That's a shame… Maybe next time we'll duel again—your completed deck against my completed one."
Translation: we're both working with scraps.
"Battle! Junk Warrior attacks Amber Mammoth!"
The mecha fighter leaped high and punched straight into the mammoth's skull. Shards of crystal exploded. Game over.
Yet unlike what happened with Yuya, this time the authorities didn't show hostility. The crowd cheered for the victor. Back behind the barricade, Yusei noticed Yuya sulking on the ground, flipping through his deck.
"Man, if I'd played this earlier… maybe I could've survived another turn."
"You should've used Denden Daiko Duke's effect!" someone chimed in.
"How was I supposed to know he could fuse with my graveyard?! I've never seen a Fusion Tuner monster before! Not falling for that again!"
Yusei smiled.
With promising younger duelists like this—and friendly rivals from another dimension—maybe this world still had hope.
"Hey, Yusei, why're you still here? Didn't someone call for you earlier?"
"It's done. I won."
"Already?! That fast?"
"Yeah… opponent didn't have his full deck."
He explained casually, but in his mind, he reflected on his own missing cards.
Stardust Dragon had been stolen by Jack. Now all he had was Accel Synchro Stardust Spark.
If he'd had Stardust Dragon, this duel might've been even better.
In any case—one win, one loss for each side.
A promising start.