Takes place before th Tournament
And I am honestly not sure where to take this.
Now
The sky tears open. Cracks of pure energy split the fabric between worlds. Spectators from four dimensions materialize as ethereal observers:
Standard Dimension: Yuya, Yuzu, Sora, and others watch through shimmering barriers.
Fusion Dimension: Serena and other Fusion dimension duelists observe with cold interest.
Synchro Dimension: Jack and Crow lean forward, analyzing the energy signatures.
XYZ Dimension: Shun and the Lancers watch, ready for anything.
In the center of it all: Andrew and Kaigu.
Kaigu's form is obscured, shadowed—but the deck he holds is unmistakable. Ice barriers shimmer around his figure.
Andrew (narrowing eyes): "That deck… I recognize those cards."
Kaigu (voice cold): "Then you understand what's at stake. Your bond with your cards means nothing here. In this arena, only power matters."
TURN 1 - ANDREW
Standard Dimension Viewers:
Yuya (gripping the barrier, concerned): "That's his friend's deck… The one he told us about."
Yuzu (eyes widening in recognition): "Wait, that's an Ice Barrier deck? But only Andrew told us about—"
Yuya: "Yeah. Kaigu must be a Shadow Duelest. Andrew's been telling us about these."
Sora (confused): "What are you two talking about?"
Yuzu: "We'll explain later. Just watch."
Andrew draws.
Andrew: "I summon Berry Magian Girl in Attack Mode!"
(ATK 300)
[Berry Magian Girl - Effect: When summoned, add one "Magian Girl" from your Deck to your hand]
Andrew: "Her effect—I add Lemon Magian Girl from my deck to my hand."
Andrew: "I activate Dark Magical Circle and set one card. Turn end."
[Dark Magical Circle - Continuous Spell: When you Pendulum Summon, reveal the top 3 cards of your Deck; add one that mentions "Dark Magician" to your hand, send the rest to the Graveyard]
Synchro Dimension Viewers:
Jack: "What is this? Some kind of dimensional phenomenon?"
TURN 2 - KAIGU
Kaigu's form shifts. Frost spreads across the arena.
Kaigu: "I summon Ice Barrier Dragon."
(ATK 1800)
Kaigu: "I activate its effect—Special Summon Frozen Barrier Guardian from my hand."
(ATK 1200)
Kaigu: "Guardian's effect—negate your Berry Magian Girl's ATK. It becomes 0."
(Berry Magian Girl ATK: 300 → 0)
Kaigu: "Dragon attacks your weakened monster."
Berry Magian Girl is destroyed. A shimmer of light disperses.
Fusion Dimension Viewers:
Serena: "What is happening right now? Why are the dimensional barriers opening?"
Unknown Fusion Duelist: "I don't know, but that energy signature is unlike anything I've felt."
Andrew (feeling the absence): The warmth that usually surrounded Berry Magian Girl's card is gone. He can feel it—something is missing.
Andrew: "Tch…"
Kaigu: "I set one card. Turn end."
TURN 3 - ANDREW
XYZ Dimension Viewers:
Shun: "This is a Shadow Duel? I've never seen anything like this before."
Unknown XYZ Duelist: "The dimensional barriers are completely open. Something unprecedented is occurring."
Andrew draws, trying to push through the emptiness.
Andrew: "I summon Apprentice Illusion Magian!"
(ATK 1400)
[Apprentice Illusion Magian - Effect: When summoned, add one "Dark Magician" from your Deck to your hand]
Andrew: "When she's summoned, I can add Dark Magician to my hand."
Andrew: "I activate Magician's Binding Circle. I discard Lemon Magian Girl to search Dark Magician from my deck again."
[Magician's Binding Circle - Spell Card: Discard one Spellcaster-type monster; add one "Dark Magician" from your Deck to your hand]
Andrew: "I now have two Dark Magicians in hand."
Andrew: "I activate Dark Magic Attack on your Frozen Barrier Guardian!"
Guardian is destroyed.
Kaigu: "I activate Ice Barrier Reflection. When a Barrier monster is destroyed, I Special Summon another from my deck."
A new Ice Barrier creature materializes.
Kaigu: "And now, Ice Barrier Lock activates—you cannot Special Summon for two turns."
Andrew (gritting teeth): "I end my turn."
Standard Dimension Viewers:
Yuya: "Wait—he's being locked down already? That's Andrew's main strategy!"
Yuzu: "This Kaigu person… they know how to counter him."
TURN 4 - KAIGU
Kaigu: "I summon Barrier Resonator."
(ATK 1600)
Kaigu: "When summoned, I can Special Summon another Ice Barrier from my Graveyard."
Another creature rises.
Kaigu: "Now I activate—Dimensional Erosion Field. For each monster I control, you take 200 damage."
(Andrew LP: 4000 → 3200)
Kaigu: "I end my turn."
The ice spreads further across the arena. The dimensions' spectators feel the cold reach.
TURN 5 - ANDREW
The Special Summon lock is still active. Andrew draws, frustrated.
Andrew: "I summon Illusion Magician Specialist."
(ATK 1600)
Andrew: "I activate Magician's Ascension—Tribute Summon Dark Magician!"
(ATK 2500)
[Magician's Ascension - Spell Card: Tribute 1 Spellcaster-type monster; Tribute Summon one "Dark Magician" from your hand]
Andrew: "When Dark Magician is summoned, Dark Magical Circle activates! I banish your Barrier Resonator!"
One of Kaigu's monsters vanishes.
Andrew: "Dark Magician attacks your remaining Ice Barrier Dragon!"
Kaigu: "I chain—Ice Barrier Fortification. Negate this attack."
Andrew: "I end my turn."
Synchro Dimension Viewers:
Jack (watching intently): "Interesting. This duelist's drawing pattern—he's calculating his moves precisely. There's strategy here."
—
XYZ Dimension Viewers:
Shun: "What kind of duel is this? Why are the dimensions opening like that?"
Unknown XYZ Duelist: "I don't know, but the energy is off. This isn't a normal duel."
—
Fusion Dimension Viewers:
Serena: "The dimensional barriers are fracturing. Something is forcing them open from the inside."
TURN 6 - KAIGU
The Special Summon lock expires, but Kaigu doesn't care. He's built for attrition.
Kaigu: "I summon Ice Barrier Sentinel."
(ATK 1400)
Kaigu: "Sentinel's effect—when summoned, I can add Ice Barrier Avalanche from my Graveyard to my hand."
Kaigu: "I activate it immediately. I select your Dark Magician—freeze its ATK to 0 until the end of your next turn."
(Dark Magician ATK: 2500 → 0)
Kaigu: "And now, I activate Ice Barrier Dominion. While this card is on the field, Spellcaster-Type monsters you control lose 500 ATK."
Every one of Andrew's potential monsters drops in power.
Kaigu: "I end my turn."
Fusion Dimension Viewers:
Serena: "This is systematic destruction. Not of monsters—of strategy itself."
Unknown Fusion Duelist: "Kaigu is suffocating him. Andrew can't breathe."
TURN 7 - ANDREW
Andrew draws. His deck feels heavy in his hands.
Andrew (thinking): "I need to break this lock. But every move he has a counter…"
Andrew: "I summon Chronograph Sorcerer!"
(ATK 1200)
[Chronograph Sorcerer - Effect: When summoned, add one Spell Card that mentions "Magian" from your Graveyard to your hand]
Andrew: "I activate Dark Magical Circle. I reveal the top three cards…"
He reveals: Dark Magician, Magian's Road, and a Trap.
Andrew: "I add Dark Magician to my hand."
Andrew: "I set one card and end my turn."
He's buying time. Just trying to survive.
XYZ Dimension Viewers:
Shun: "He's stalling. That's not like Andrew at all."
Unknown XYZ Duelist: "He's losing confidence. The pressure is mounting."
TURN 8 - KAIGU
Kaigu: "Enough stalling."
Kaigu: "I summon Ice Barrier Invoker."
(ATK 1900)
Kaigu: "When summoned, I can search Ice Barrier Counter from my deck."
Kaigu: "I activate it now. For the next three turns, you cannot activate Trap Cards."
Kaigu: "Invoker attacks your Chronograph Sorcerer!"
(Andrew LP: 3200 → 2500)
Kaigu: "I end my turn."
TURN 9 - ANDREW
Andrew's trap line is now useless. His deck's ability to respond is crippling.
Andrew: "I summon Berry Magian Girl again."
(ATK 300)
Andrew: "Her effect—I add Lemon Magian Girl to my hand."
Andrew: "I activate Dual Magician's Genesis. I Special Summon Dark Magician from my deck."
[Dual Magician's Genesis - Spell Card: Special Summon one "Dark Magician" from your Deck; that monster gains 1000 ATK this turn]
(ATK: 0 due to Avalanche freeze)
Andrew: "This turn, Dark Magician gains 1000 ATK from Magian Road."
[Magian Road - Continuous Spell: All "Magian" monsters you control gain 500 ATK]
(Dark Magician ATK: 1000)
Andrew: "I end my turn."
He's barely scraping by. Every play is desperate.
Standard Dimension Viewers:
Yuya: "Andrew's in trouble. He's not confident anymore."
Yuzu: "I can feel it from here. Kaigu is grinding him down."
TURN 10 - KAIGU
Kaigu: "I summon Cryomancer of the Ice Barrier."
(ATK 1700)
Kaigu: "Cryomancer's effect—destroy one Spellcaster-Type monster you control."
Andrew's newly summoned Dark Magician is destroyed. The spirit connected to it flickers and fades.
Andrew (feeling it keenly): He's gone. Another one gone.
Kaigu: "I activate Ice Barrier Genesis. Special Summon two Ice Barrier tokens."
Two ethereal creatures appear.
Kaigu: "I end my turn."
TURN 11 - ANDREW
Andrew (drawing): "Come on… give me something…"
Andrew: "I summon Lemon Magian Girl."
(ATK 1300)
Andrew: "I activate Magician's Binding Circle. I tribute my monsters to search Dark Magician."
Andrew: "I Tribute Summon—Dark Magician!"
(ATK: Still frozen at 0 from Avalanche)
Andrew: "I end my turn."
He's just… going through the motions now. The confidence is draining.
Synchro Dimension Viewers:
Jack: "He's losing. Not just the duel—his will to fight."
Crow: "If this continues, he won't last much longer."
TURN 12 - KAIGU
Kaigu: "You're weakening. I can feel it."
Kaigu: "I summon another Sentinel."
(ATK 1400)
Kaigu: "When summoned, I activate Ice Barrier Convergence. All Ice Barrier monsters I control gain 500 ATK and cannot be destroyed by battle."
His entire field glows with frozen power.
Kaigu: "I attack directly with all my monsters."
Multiple Ice Barrier creatures surge forward.
(Andrew LP: 2500 → 800)
Andrew: "Ugh—!"
Kaigu: "I end my turn."
Fusion Dimension Viewers:
Serena: "He's about to break. One more push and—"
TURN 13 - ANDREW
Andrew's LP at 800. One more strong attack ends it.
Andrew (drawing, hands shaking): "I… I need to find something…"
Andrew: "I summon Apprentice Illusion Magian."
(ATK 1400)
Andrew: "I activate Dark Magic Attack on your Sentinel!"
[Dark Magic Attack - Spell Card: While "Dark Magician" is on the field, destroy all Spell/Trap Cards your opponent controls]
Kaigu: "Ice Barrier Shield negates Spell Card activation."
[Ice Barrier Shield - Trap Card: Negate the activation of one Spell Card your opponent controls]
Andrew: "I… I end my turn."
His deck isn't responding. His strategy is broken. The bonds feel distant.
TURN 14 - KAIGU
Kaigu: "This is the end."
Kaigu: "I summon Depth Charlatan."
(ATK 1600)
Kaigu: "When summoned, I add Ice Barrier Desolation from my Graveyard to my hand."
Kaigu: "I activate it. Destroy all Spellcaster-Type monsters you control."
Andrew's field is wiped clean. Every spirit connected to those monsters vanishes in an instant.
Andrew (gasping): The absence is overwhelming. He feels truly alone for the first time since arriving in this world.
Kaigu: "Your companions are gone, Andrew. Your bonds are meaningless."
Andrew: "No… they're…"
Kaigu: "I end my turn."
TURN 15 - ANDREW
XYZ Dimension Viewers:
Shun: "His LP is dropping fast. The next turn might end this."
Unknown XYZ Duelist: "This Shadow Duelest is operating on a completely different level."
Andrew draws. His hand trembles.
Andrew (thinking): "Berry Magian Girl… Apprentice Illusion… all of them… they're gone. How do I… how do I keep going?"
Andrew: "I summon Chronograph Sorcerer."
(ATK 1200)
Andrew: "I activate Dark Magical Circle…"
But his voice is hollow. The usual warmth in his summoning chant is gone.
Andrew: "I end my turn."
He's barely present. The self-doubt is consuming him.
TURN 16 - KAIGU
Kaigu: "Crumbling already? How disappointing."
Kaigu: "I summon one final monster—Absolute Zero Barrier."
(ATK 2000)
Kaigu: "When summoned, I can destroy all your face-down cards and negate your Trap zones for the rest of the duel."
Andrew's last protections are shattered.
Kaigu: "I end my turn. Next turn, I'll finish this."
TURN 17 - ANDREW
Andrew draws. His LP is 800. He has almost nothing on field.
Andrew (voice barely a whisper): "I… I can't do this alone."
He looks at his deck. The glow is faint now. Distant.
Andrew: "I summon Berry Magian Girl."
(ATK 300)
Andrew: "I end my turn."
Standard Dimension Viewers:
Yuya (alarmed): "Andrew… he's giving up?"
Yuzu: "No… he's drowning. The self-doubt is taking over."
Sora: "Without his spirits to anchor him, he's lost."
TURN 18 - KAIGU
Kaigu: "This is pathetic. I expected more from the one Reiji found interesting."
Kaigu: "I attack your Berry Magian Girl directly."
(Andrew LP: 800 → 500)
Kaigu: "One more turn. I'll end this duel."
TURN 19 - ANDREW
This is it. Next turn, Kaigu finishes him. But before Andrew can draw…
A high-pitched cry pierces the arena.
Dark Magician Girl (manifesting from his graveyard, desperate): "Andrew! Don't give up!"
She's trying to break through, but her form flickers. The sustained destruction has weakened her connection.
Andrew (looking up): "Dark Magician Girl…?"
Kaigu (cold): "Still trying? How touching."
Andrew draws.
Andrew (determined suddenly): "I summon Lemon Magian Girl!"
(ATK 1300)
Andrew: "I activate Magician's Binding Circle—I discard Berry to search Dark Magician!"
Andrew: "I Tribute Summon—Dark Magician!"
(ATK 2500)
Andrew: "Dark Magician attacks your Absolute Zero Barrier!"
The battle erupts.
Kaigu: "I chain—Ice Barrier Resurrection. Negate the attack."
Andrew: "I activate my trap—Magician's Warding! Negate your trap!"
Kaigu: "Doesn't matter. I activate Ice Barrier Counter!"
The attack is blocked.
Andrew: "I end my turn…"
But then—Kaigu makes his move.
Kaigu: "I summon Avalanche Empress, the pinnacle of the Ice Barrier."
(ATK 2200)
Kaigu: "Empress's effect—when summoned, I can target any monster you control and freeze it completely. But more importantly… I can destroy a Spirit Card directly."
The ice shoots forward.
Dark Magician Girl (screaming): "Andrew!"
She jumps in front of the attack meant for him—a direct strike meant to destroy his spirit connection entirely.
Dark Magician Girl (as the ice engulfs her): "I'll… always be with you…"
She vanishes. Completely. Not just her monster form—her presence is erased from the duel.
Andrew (dropping to his knees): "NO! Dark Magician Girl!"
The arena goes silent. Even the dimensional observers feel the impact.
Andrew (voice breaking): "She's… she's gone. My closest companion… she…"
Kaigu (merciless): "Your bond is severed. You're alone now. Next turn, I finish this."
TURN 20 - ANDREW
Andrew draws, but his hands are shaking. Tears stream down his face.
Andrew (barely coherent): "I can't… without her, I can't…"
Andrew: "I summon… I…"
He can't complete his sentence. The self-doubt is absolute now.
Synchro Dimension Viewers:
Jack: "That's the moment. Something shifted in that duelist. He's not giving up."
Crow: "What changed?"
Jack: "His will. You can see it in how he's drawing his cards. He's fighting back."
TURN 21 - KAIGU
Kaigu: "Pathetic. This is what happens when you rely on bonds."
Kaigu: "I attack directly with all my monsters."
Ice Barriers surge forward.
(Andrew LP: 500 → 0… but wait—)
The arena trembles. Not from the attack—from something else.
A shadow falls across the duel field. Not darkness—presence.
THE MOMENT OF DOUBT AND CLARITY
In the shadows that surround Andrew, a figure materializes.
ATEM.
The Pharaoh stands before Andrew, and for a moment, no one else can see him. Only Andrew.
Atem (voice ancient and powerful): "You stand at the precipice of despair. Your closest companion has fallen. Your bonds seem broken."
Andrew (looking up, tears in his eyes): "I… I can't do this. Not alone."
Atem (stepping closer): "You believe you are alone. But that is the greatest lie despair tells."
Atem: "Your bonds are not broken—they are tested. Dark Magician Girl did not fall because your bond was weak. She fell because it was strong enough for her to sacrifice herself for you."
Andrew: "But she's gone—"
Atem: "Not gone. Transformed. And now, I grant you what I once wielded."
Atem places his hand over Andrew's heart.
Atem: "The power of a God. The will to transcend."
A card materializes in Andrew's hand. Not from his deck—from beyond.
OBELISK THE TORMENTOR
The god card glows with divine power.
Atem: "Summon it. Not with doubt, but with will. With the certainty that you fight for more than yourself."
Andrew (gripping the card, determination returning): "For Dark Magician Girl… for everyone watching… for the bonds that matter…"
Andrew (standing up, voice resonating): "I WILL NOT LOSE!"
TURN 22 - ANDREW (THE FINAL TURN)
The dimensional cracks widen. All observers lean forward.
Andrew: "I draw!"
He draws, and the card glows with divine power.
Andrew: "I activate my Trap—Pharaoh's Blessing!"
Andrew: "This card Special Summons three monsters from my Graveyard that were destroyed by Kaigu's effect!"
The graveyard erupts with light.
Andrew: "Come forth—Dark Magician Girl, Apprentice Illusion Magian, and Lemon Magian Girl!"
Three spirits materialize on the field, still glowing with residual power from their previous battles.
Kaigu (shocked): "Impossible… they were destroyed…"
Andrew: "Bonds can't be destroyed so easily, Kaigu."
Andrew holds up the god card. Obelisk materializes behind him, towering, immense, divine.
Andrew (voice echoing across dimensions): "I tribute all three of them to summon—OBELISK THE TORMENTOR!"
(ATK 4000)
Atem's voice (ethereal, resonating): "This is the true power of sacrifice, Andrew. Your companions willingly stand with you—not as victims, but as pillars of your strength."
The god card descends. Pure divine power floods the arena. The Ice Barriers freeze in place, unable to move.
Andrew (fist clenched, determination absolute): "Kaigu, do you understand now? This isn't about power—it's about standing together. My friends gave everything so I could reach this moment!"
Kaigu (for the first time, uncertain): "What is this power?"
Andrew: "The power of bonds. The power of sacrifice. The power of a Pharaoh and a duelist united."
Andrew: "Obelisk—ACTIVATE YOUR EFFECT!"
Obelisk raises its hand. Divine energy concentrates.
Andrew: "Obelisk's God Palm annihilates all monsters you control!"
Kaigu's entire field is obliterated by pure divine force.
(Kaigu LP: ??? → 0)
WINNER: ANDREW MUTO
THE AFTERMATH
The dimensional cracks begin to close. The battle is over.
Andrew collapses to his knees, exhausted. Obelisk fades, returning to the spiritual plane.
In the dimensional observers' sections, reactions ripple through:
Standard Dimension:
Yuya (tears in his eyes, shouting): "ANDREW! YOU DID IT!"
Yuzu (crying, smiling): "He actually came back!"
Sora (in awe): "I don't even understand what I just witnessed…"
—
Synchro Dimension:
Jack (eyes widening): "That duelist… he pulled off something extraordinary. The way he recovered from that position. That's not normal skill."
—
Crow (watching from his section, jaw dropped): "What the—what just happened? That power…"
—
Fusion Dimension:
Serena: "That god-level energy… I've felt something similar before, but never like this."
—
XYZ Dimension:
Shun: "What… what was that?"
Unknown XYZ Duelist: "I have no idea. But whatever it was, it was beyond anything I've seen."
**—
But as the divine light recedes…
Dark Magician Girl (materializing, gasping): "Andrew…?"
Andrew (eyes widening): "Dark Magician Girl!"
He catches her as she solidifies, her form glowing softly.
Dark Magician Girl (tears in her eyes): "I felt you. Even when I fell, I could feel your will calling me back."
Andrew (holding her tightly): "You came back. You came back to me."
Dark Magician Girl (nuzzling into him): "Always. I will always come back to you. That's our bond."
Dark Magician appears beside them, placing a hand on Andrew's shoulder.
Dark Magician: "You learned an invaluable lesson today, Andrew. Bonds aren't about never falling. They're about rising again, together."
Andrew (smiling through tears): "We did it. We actually did it."
The dimensions' observers all witness this reunion. Yuya and Yuzu are crying. Jack and Crow nod in respect. Serena watches with understanding. Shun smiles.
In that moment, across all dimensions, everyone understands: Andrew Muto's bond with his cards is not weakness. It is the greatest strength of all.
FINAL SCENE
As the dimensional cracks fully close and the observers fade back to their worlds, Andrew sits in the center of the arena with his spirits beside him.
Andrew (whispering to his deck): "Thank you. All of you. For believing in me when I stopped believing in myself."
Dark Magician Girl (tilting her head, smiling): "That's what companions do."
The shadow duel is over. Andrew has been tested, broken, and rebuilt—stronger than before.
The tournament awaits. But for now, he rests with his truest friends.