After effortlessly disposing of Gaia the Fierce Knight, Aomori took to the skies. He flew toward the area where he sensed the densest concentration of dark energy; there, he would surely find even more powerful monsters.
Kuriboh's tiny paws gripped Aomori's clothes tightly. As the distance from the ground grew, it squeezed its eyes shut in terror.
In the sky, aside from a few stray crows and the long, slender silhouettes shimmering faintly behind the clouds, there was only the streak of black light that was Aomori.
A few minutes later, a towering mountain appeared before him, its color as black as ink. A five-headed dragon lay atop the peak with its eyes closed, its body a shimmering, brilliant gold.
"Five-Headed Dragon?" Aomori blurted out. This monster almost always appeared as a villain in the story; he was no stranger to it. "But with 5000 ATK, it seems... just okay."
He felt no threat from the Five-Headed Dragon. The truly powerful entities would be Holactie the Creator of Light or Zorc Necrophades. Even the Three Egyptian Gods or Exodia the Forbidden One could likely trample this dragon.
Deciding not to disturb its slumber, Aomori thought for a moment and then tore open the space in front of him. Rather than fighting mindless monsters here, it was better to head to the real world and find some "Duelists" for a proper card game.
"Kuriboh, you stay here like a good boy." Ignoring its squeaky protests, Aomori flicked his finger, sending the puffball drifting safely toward the ground while he dove into the spatial rift.
…
Yu-Gi-Oh! World, Domino City.
In a secluded alleyway, a light suddenly flared, and Aomori's figure gradually solidified. Since it was already dark, he activated his Mind's Eye. After a quick scan, he flashed into a nearby internet cafe. He "randomly" secured the help of a kind soul, granting him free use of a computer.
Aomori browsed the web for a bit to pinpoint the current timeline.
"Battle City, huh? How nostalgic."
This arc contained some of his favorite storylines from his past life. It was the first formal appearance of the Three Egyptian Gods, showcasing their unparalleled might.
"Interesting. I think I'll join in," Aomori mused, rubbing his chin with a smile. It wasn't just a "card addiction"—in this world, the fundamental rule was that everything was settled through Dueling. By participating, he could further refine his own rule-based abilities.
After accumulating power across so many worlds and speaking with Tet, Aomori's repertoire of "Rule Commands" was vast. However, Battle City was set to begin tomorrow. Before that, he needed to secure an invitation, a new Duel Disk developed by KaibaCorp, and construct a powerful deck.
It looked like he'd need the help of another "kind soul."
After thanking the person who lent him the computer, Aomori arrived at a card shop. The shopkeeper, wearing round glasses and a yellow bandana, squinted at Aomori as he walked in. "Welcome. Looking for anything in particular, traveler?"
"I assume you have the new Duel Disks here?"
"I do, I do! But they aren't for sale," the shopkeeper laughed. "Give me your name, and I'll look up your profile. If your Duelist Level is 5 or higher, you get a Duel Disk for free."
"Perfect. I should qualify," Aomori said with a smirk. "The name is Aomori."
"Ah, Aomori." The shopkeeper typed the name into the computer. "Hmm, Level 5... just made the cut. Wait..."
As he saw the registered "Rare Card" in the database, the shopkeeper's pupils shrank.
'Elemental HERO Neos Wiseman? A rare card I've never seen... 3000 Attack Points?! And that terrifying effect... Hahaha, what a perfect target.'
This shopkeeper was a low-level pawn of the Rare Hunter organization, Ghouls. His job was to scout high-value targets and notify the organization to ambush and rob them. Aomori, already knowing this, had specifically chosen this shop and falsified his data.
While Neos Wiseman might be overlooked in later generations, in this era where most people were swinging "Vanilla" (Normal) monsters like Axe Raider, it was stronger than Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"Well, dear guest, your data checks out. Here is your free Duel Disk." The shopkeeper pulled a box from the shelf and handed it over.
Aomori took it and set it on the floor. "Actually, I'd like to buy some cards to flesh out my deck."
As a hero himself, it felt right to use a "HERO" deck. However, in this era of "Normal Monster Beatdown," using a modern HERO deck would be bullying. Aomori planned to use a standard deck as a frame and then, if possible, incorporate some custom "Special" cards.
"Understandable! With the tournament starting tomorrow, one can never be too prepared," the shopkeeper said, rubbing his hands. "Would you like to buy individual singles from the display, or open some packs?"
"I'll open packs. It feels more like a ritual."
"Right you are! How many? We have 5-card small packs and 40-card large booster boxes."
"I'll take 100 large booster boxes."
'I didn't realize he was so rich! Truly a fat sheep!' The shopkeeper beamed. "Right away! The boxes are here; take your pick."
Aomori didn't hesitate, picking 100 boxes and hauling the massive hoard to a side table. He sat down and began opening them with a calm expression.
Skull Servant... Oppressed People... Mokey Mokey...
Most of the monster cards were low-level vanillas, but the Spell and Trap cards contained many "Forbidden" powerhouses: Pot of Greed, Raigeki, Harpie's Feather Duster, Magic Cylinder, Mirror Force...
Aomori pulled these out without hesitation. He added some Level 4 monsters with around 1800 ATK to serve as his "Axe Raiders" and left a few slots open.
Glancing at the shopkeeper (and using a subtle mental command to make him stare at the wall), Aomori picked up a blank-looking card, his eyes glowing with a purple light. Within moments, the illustration and description on the card shifted.
HERO - Mumen Rider (Monster/Effect) Level 4 / ATK: 2000 / DEF: 2000 / Warrior / FIRE Effect: > 1. When a friendly unit is attacked, you can Special Summon this card from your Deck to take the attack in its place. 2. When this card is sent to the Graveyard, draw one monster card with "HERO" in its name from your Deck.
"It works," Aomori nodded in satisfaction. His understanding of Rules had deepened. Unlike the protagonists who "shining draw" or print cards mid-duel, he had to prepare them beforehand and register them in KaibaCorp's database to avoid being flagged as using "Counterfeit Cards." It was a bit of a hassle, but Aomori didn't mind if it made the matches more interesting.
He proceeded to create several more HERO-themed cards with great enthusiasm. Once finished, he stood up to leave.
The shopkeeper blinked, coming out of his daze, and said happily, "Safe travels, guest! Come again!"
"Don't worry, I won't be back," Aomori waved, stepping out the door.
Watching him leave, the shopkeeper picked up a phone, a predatory grin on his face. "Hey, it's me. I found a massive sheep. His rare card is even stronger than the Red-Eyes Black Dragon from last night! Yeah... I look forward to the good news."
After hanging up, he walked over to the table piled with empty wrappers. "Wait... did that guy actually pay?"
…
Carrying his Duel Disk box, Aomori strolled leisurely down a narrow path. Suddenly, three figures in hooded black robes blocked his way.
"Walking around in outfits like that... aren't you afraid someone will call the police?" Aomori quipped.
"The police are far too busy," the man in the middle sneered, tilting his head up to reveal a row of white teeth. "Besides, we in the Ghouls are all law-abiding citizens."
"Robbing people of their cards is law-abiding?"
"Don't get it twisted. We defeat our opponents fair and square. Taking the opponent's card is simply the price of the wager," the Rare Hunter said. "Aomori, I challenge you to a Duel!"
"And if I refuse?"
"Then don't blame us for being impolite."
The other two Ghouls moved behind Aomori, cutting off his escape.
"Fine, fine. I accept the challenge," Aomori sighed.
"Smart move. Now, break out that brand-new Duel Disk."
"Sure."
KaibaCorp products were top-tier; no assembly required. He tore the packaging open, and it was even pre-charged.
Both men strapped the disks to their left arms. The Ghoul shouted, "We use Battle City standard rules! And the Ante rule applies—if you lose, Neos Wiseman is mine!"
"Deal."
"DUEL!"
Both players drew five cards. Looking at his opening hand, Aomori let out a pitying smile and metaphorically lit a candle for his opponent.
"I'll go first!" the Rare Hunter shouted, drawing a card. He smirked and immediately played it: "I activate the Spell card Graceful Charity! I draw three cards and discard two to the Graveyard!"
He moved with practiced speed. "Next, I set one monster in face-down Defense Position. I end my turn."
'Hmph, a 'Grandpa's Cards' (Exodia) stall deck? Too bad you met me.' Aomori smiled. "My turn. Draw!"
"I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Then, I activate a second Pot of Greed to draw two more!"
The Rare Hunter watched as Aomori's hand size ballooned. 'Doesn't matter. I already have four pieces of Exodia in my hand. One more and I win! He can't possibly OTK me.'
But Aomori's next move floored him.
"I activate the Spell Card Destruction! Both players discard their entire hands and draw the same number of cards!"
"What?!" The Rare Hunter's face turned pale. He was forced to dump his near-complete Exodia into the Graveyard. He drew five new cards, but his luck had turned, he only had three pieces, and two were duplicates: Right Arm of the Forbidden One.
"Tch!" He glared at Aomori. If this deck didn't contain three full sets of Exodia, he would have surrendered right then.
Aomori ignored him. "I activate the effect of HERO - Mumen Rider from my Graveyard. I draw one 'HERO' monster from my deck."
'I've never heard of that card...' The Rare Hunter began to have a very bad feeling.
"I choose HERO - Blizzard of the Gale, Fubuki." Aomori revealed the card: a graceful, striking woman.
HERO - Blizzard of the Gale, Fubuki (Monster/Effect) Level 4 / ATK: 1800 / DEF: 1300 / Warrior / WIND Effect: If this is the only monster on your field and there is a 'HERO' in your Graveyard, you can discard 3 cards to Special Summon HERO - Terrible Tornado, Tatsumaki from your hand or Deck.
Aomori shuffled and slotted his deck back in. "I summon Fubuki! Then, I activate her effect! Come forth, Tatsumaki!"
Two stunningly powerful women appeared on Aomori's field.
"I activate the effect of HERO - Terrible Tornado, Tatsumaki! When Special Summoned, she destroys all monsters on the opponent's field and inflicts damage equal to the difference between her ATK and the destroyed monsters' DEF!"
"What?!" The Rare Hunter looked in horror at her stats.
HERO - Terrible Tornado, Tatsumaki (Monster/Effect) Level 7 / ATK: 2800 / DEF: 2500 / Warrior / WIND
'2800 Attack?! My monster only has 1800 Defense... wait, that's only 1000 damage. But now my field is empty! They can both attack me directly?!'
2800 + 1800 was more than enough to wipe out his 4000 Life Points. 'Impossible! How can I lose?!'
"Go, Fubuki! Direct Attack!" Aomori commanded.
Fubuki's eyes flashed as she unleashed a swarm of wind blades. The Rare Hunter groaned as his Life Points dropped to 1200.
"Due to her effect, the Special Summoned Tatsumaki cannot declare an attack this turn."
"Phew!" The Rare Hunter looked up, relieved. 'I knew it. I won't lose that easily.'
However, Aomori's next words sent him into a frozen abyss: "...However, I activate the Spell card Will of the Fallen Hero. When two 'HERO' monsters are on my field, I can discard my entire hand to inflict 1000 damage to my opponent for every 'HERO' monster in my Graveyard."
Aomori revealed the two HERO cards already in his Graveyard and delivered the final judgment: "You've already lost."
"No! Noooo!" The Rare Hunter clutched his head and collapsed in agony.