Li You had been waiting for a while.
He didn't yet realize that, due to his system, he had already been flagged by the hidden overlords of Duel Links as a subject of extreme interest—but he had his suspicions. A presence like his wasn't going to go unnoticed.
"Well, if soldiers come, I'll block them; if water floods, I'll build a dam," he said with a shrug.He wasn't too worried. Not with a system like his guarding him from the shadows.
Finally, a system message popped up in front of him.
[We apologize for the delay!][Due to your extraordinary potential, we've carefully selected your first opponent: 8-Star Duelist — Mars!][Do you accept the match?]
A brief player profile appeared beneath the prompt.
Li You raised his brows.
"An 8-star duelist?"
In Duel Links, the ranking system went from 1 to 10 stars. New users started at 1-Star. The more matches you played and the higher your win rate, the faster your rank climbed.
And an 8-Star duelist… was essentially near the top of the food chain.
"Huh. So they really think highly of me." He chuckled. "Throwing me straight into the deep end, huh? Fine. Let's see what the upper echelon of Duel Links is made of."
[Accept Match]
[Thank you for your participation. Mars is one of the platform's most popular duelists—this match will be live-streamed on the front page for Duel Links' viewers worldwide.][Would you like to allow this match to be streamed publicly? A public match can earn you fans, gifts, and virtual rewards!]
"Streaming, huh?" Li You smirked. "So I get to experience being a top-tier influencer too? Fine, let's give it a shot."
Once he'd accepted all prompts, a portal of light unfolded in front of him.
Li You stepped through.
FLASH!
His vision exploded in white. When it cleared, he found himself standing atop a floating duel arena, suspended high above the clouds—eerily similar to the Duel Tower used in Kaiba's Battle City tournament back in Yu-Gi-Oh! DM.
The wind howled. The height alone made his skin prickle.This was where the strong fought.
Across from him stood his opponent—tousled silver hair, a crimson scarf fluttering in the wind, and eyes like burning coals.
The famous 8-Star duelist: Mars.
Mars narrowed his gaze, scrutinizing Li You.
"Welcome to Duel Links. I'll be your opponent—Mars."
Li You offered a calm smile."I'm Zarc. Pleased to duel you."
Mars gave a nod, his eyes sharp.
"Didn't expect to be matched with a rookie today. But since the system paired us, I assume you're no ordinary beginner. I won't hold back. Let's make this a duel worth remembering."
"Gladly," Li You replied, eyes flashing.
By now, the stands surrounding the arena had begun to flicker with arriving spectators.
In the corner of his vision, usernames scrolled past rapidly:
[SkySoars] has joined the stream.[FourfoldArithmetic] has joined the stream.[BlackWindStrike] has joined the stream.[LoveAndCourage] has joined the stream.[BigBroShutUp] has joined the stream.[BlackMamba] has joined the stream.[TooBeautifulToHandle] has joined the stream.[AfflictionNamedLove] has joined the stream.
The flood of usernames made Li You's eyes blur.He decided it was best not to bother reading them all.
The live chat, however, was another story altogether.
"Mars!! I'm your biggest fan!!""HE'S SO COOL! I'M GONNA FAINT!""Wait... his opponent's a 1-Star?! Did the matchmaker break?!""Zarc? Who the hell is that? Some nobody who just made an account?""Dude, this is totally a smurf account dunking on newbies…""Can't believe this new guy actually accepted the match. Bold or brainless?""Poor rookie. Rip his dreams.""Mars! Pulverize him!! Show no mercy!"
Mars, a seasoned vet, activated his "Noise Filter" skill—an invisible sound barrier wrapped around the arena, cutting the audience volume to a faint murmur.
"Ahh, much better," Li You said with a smile.
Mars raised his duel disk.
"No more words. Let's duel."
Li You's eyes narrowed. He mirrored the gesture, and both duelists shouted as one:
"DUEL!!"
Despite Li You being ranked at the bottom, Mars wasted no time claiming the first move.
"My turn! I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Salamangreat Circle! I add Salamangreat Gazelle from my Deck to my hand!"
He held up a card.
"I Normal Summon Salamangreat Gazelle! Gazelle's effect activates—I send Salamangreat Jack Jaguar from my Deck to the Graveyard!"
—Salamangreat Gazelle:Level 3 / ATK 1500
From a swirling data stream, a sleek mechanical beast took form—its chassis brimming with neon-orange fire lines, its limbs bending like a wild cat ready to pounce.
Li You's interest perked up.
Salamangreat.
Now that brought back memories.
In the Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS anime, this deck was the signature build of side-protagonist Homura Takeru, aka "Soulburner."In real life, Salamangreat was the deck that took the 2019 World Championship.
But so what?
Li You's deck was a former World Champion too—Blue-Eyes, the winner of the 2016 World Championship. That version may have been ancient, but his had evolved. He even had a Link-1 version now.
Champion vs. Champion.
This would be a duel of titans.
Mars noticed his expression.
"Zarc, you recognize my deck?"
Li You smiled faintly. "Just a little."
Mars didn't press.
Instead, he continued his smooth, practiced combos.
He raised his arm—and a glowing blue square panel appeared before him. At each of its edges and corners were glowing triangles—eight in total.
Li You immediately recognized the signature tell.
Link Summoning.
Gazelle leapt forward, diving into the downward-pointing arrow beneath the panel.
Mars called out:
"Appear now—the blazing circuit of souls!"
"Link Arrow confirmed—DOWN!"
"Summon condition—1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster."
"I use Salamangreat Gazelle as Link Material, set into the circuit!"
"Circuit combine—ignite the soul's eternal flame, and light the path ahead!"
"LINK SUMMON! Salamangreat Balelynx!!"
—Salamangreat BalelynxLink-1 / ATK 500
A streak of fire burst from the altar below, forming into a nimble half-mechanical lynx. A burning core hovered at the tip of its tail, crackling with stored heat.
The duel had only just begun.