"In every duel, there's a moment where you feel it slipping away. It's what you do next that counts."
— Old Arena Saying
The village square filled with excitement, though Tomoki could hardly hear it over his heart pounding. He stood there, staring at the deck in his trembling hands, trying to steady his breath. Across from him, Goro was already grinning, completely at ease. It was like the outcome had already been decided in his head.
Maybe it already has, Tomoki thought.
"I've beaten you, what, a hundred times now?" Goro's voice dripped with mockery. "You want to do this again, Tomoki?"
Tomoki clenched his teeth, forcing his hand to stop shaking. He did want to do this again. He had to.
"Yeah, I do." His voice wasn't as steady as he wanted, but he hoped Goro didn't notice.
Goro's grin widened as he lazily flicked through his cards. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."
With a dramatic flourish, Goro slapped his card onto the ground. "I summon Blazing Wolf."
The familiar growl of the wolf filled the square as it erupted from the card, its fur flickering with flames. The crowd, as always, gasped and whispered. Tomoki's gut twisted, but he wouldn't back down now. He had practiced for this. I planned for this.
Goro stood with his arms crossed, that smug grin still plastered across his face. "Your move, Tomoki."
Tomoki swallowed hard and drew a breath. He slapped his own card down. "I summon Mud Tortoise."
There was a beat of silence before the chuckles started rippling through the crowd. Tomoki's face burned, but he didn't let it show.
His tortoise is in front of him, slow and heavy, dripping with mud. Sure, it didn't look like much, but it had a hidden strength. It had to.
Goro laughed, shaking his head. "That again? Man, Tomoki, are you even trying anymore?"
Just wait.
Goro wasted no time. "Blazing Wolf, attack!" The fiery wolf leaped forward, its claws glinting in the sun.
"Mud Tortoise, use Swamp Shield!" Tomoki called out, his voice filled with determination.
The ground beneath the tortoise rippled, mud swelling around its shell to create a thick barrier. The wolf struck it hard, but the mud held firm, slowing the beast down. For a moment, Tomoki thought he'd done it. The crowd even seemed to quiet, as if they were unsure of what they were seeing.
Goro's smile faltered, just for a second. "Not bad," he muttered, flipping another card from his deck. "But it's not enough."
He placed his card on the ground, and a dark glow surrounded the Blazing Wolf, doubling the size of the flames licking from its fur.
"Attack again!" Goro shouted.
The wolf charged, crashing into the shield with renewed strength. This time, the mud gave way instantly. Tomoki watched, helpless, as the Mud Tortoise let out a low groan and vanished back into its card. Defeated.
Tomoki stood there, frozen. His heart sank as the crowd erupted in laughter, not at the duel, but at him. The humiliation washed over him in waves.
"It's over, Tomoki," Goro said, strolling over with a satisfied smirk. "You don't have what it takes. Just give up. Go back to fetching water or whatever it is you're actually good at."
Tomoki's grip tightened on his deck. He wanted to scream, wanted to fight back — but what could he say? He'd lost. Again.
Without another word, he turned and ran.
"Hey, where're you going?" Goro's voice chased after him, but Tomoki didn't stop.
His legs carried him as fast as they could, away from the square, away from the village, away from insults. He didn't care where he ended up. All he wanted was to get away. His chest ached, but he kept running, past the houses, past the fields, until the village was nothing but a memory behind him.
Why? Why can't I win?
Tears burned at the corners of his eyes, but he blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. His feet pounded against the dirt, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The world around him blurred, the trees of the forest closing in on all sides. He kept running, deeper and deeper into the woods, his mind spinning with frustration and shame.
His foot caught on something, and he fell, face-first into the dirt with a heavy thud.
"Oww…" Tomoki groaned, wincing as he pushed himself up. He wiped the dirt from his face and glanced around. The ground looked strange here. Cracked, uneven, like something had disturbed it. He frowned, leaning closer, but before he could figure it out, the earth shifted beneath him.
With a gasp, Tomoki felt the ground crumble away. He screamed as he plunged into darkness.
He hit the stone floor hard, pain shooting through his limbs as he lay there, stunned. For a long moment, he couldn't move. Everything hurt, his body protesting every little twitch.
When he finally managed to sit up, he realized he wasn't in the forest anymore. He was underground. Deep underground.
The walls around him pulsed with a faint blue light, etched with glowing runes and strange symbols. Tomoki blinked, trying to make sense of it. It didn't take long for the realization to sink in.
A Card Dungeon.
His heart raced. He'd heard stories about these places. Ancient, dangerous, filled with rare cards… and the creatures that protected them. Most people avoided dungeons. They were deadly.
Tomoki groaned, rubbing his sore arm. "Just my luck…" he muttered.
As he got to his feet, filled with pain in his leg, he noticed something strange on the ground. A card, half-buried in the dirt. But it wasn't like any card he'd ever seen before. Its edges shimmered with an unnatural glow, and the image on it shifted, as if the creature inside was alive, waiting.
Tomoki hesitated before reaching down and picking it up. The moment his fingers brushed the card, a strange warmth spread through his hand. The card pulsed with energy, and his heart pounded in response.
"What… is this?"
Suddenly, the walls around him shook. The glowing runes on the walls brightened, and a low, rumbling growl echoed through the dungeon. Tomoki's stomach dropped. He looked up, and from the shadows, a massive figure emerged.
It was huge, its red eyes glowing like embers in the dark. A Dungeon Guardian.
Tomoki took a step back, his breath quickening. He was no match for this thing. His cards were too weak, and he was alone. There was no way out. The creature let out a bone-chilling roar, charging straight for him.
His hands fumbled with his deck, but he knew his regular cards wouldn't be enough. His eyes fell back on the glowing card in his hand. It pulsed brighter now, as if it was calling to him.
With no time to think, Tomoki slammed the card down on the ground, praying it could help.
The ground beneath him cracked, light pouring out as the card's power unleashed. For a brief moment, everything went silent — then the dungeon roared to life.