-- it started with a single card.

　One day in the afternoon, as I was lounging in the grocery store, which was still empty of customers, I suddenly noticed a card on the counter.

''...Alice?　What's this card?
'Oh?　Oh, I guess I forgot to put it on the 'deck' when I put it together...
Deck?
Yes, the cards are called 'Trineer Battle Cards', commonly known as TBCs... well, it's an early card game.
Wow, I didn't know there were card games in this world.

　 I, myself, had a bit of a taste for it.
　Well, it cost too much money and I didn't have a partner to play against, so I gave it up in the end...

'There are three types of cards in this TBC: monsters, magic and traps. The winner is the one who uses them to cut down the opponent's HP. Monsters have different levels, and advanced monsters require sacrifices: from 1 to 13, level 5 or higher requires 1 sacrifice, level 8 or higher requires 2 sacrifices, and level 10 or higher requires 3 sacrifices. There are special summonses and such, though.
Wait a minute, I know something about that.
'You have a deck of 50 cards and an initial hand of 5 cards and you can draw one card per turn. Kite, you don't know this but it's a card game that's quite popular in this world, and you can sign up to play against most of them with 'Hey, go battle!'
I don't know, but I know.

　That's the thing, right? It's a world-famous card game that was in my world, a Guinness Book of World Records, right? You don't think that came from playing a brave man in the past, do you?
　It's a strange feeling... it's the first card game I've heard of, and yet I feel like I can play it without having to listen to the rules in detail.

'The biggest feature is this!　It's the 'blank card' that comes with every card pack you buy!
'I don't know about that I don't know what the card means...'
''Actually, this one contains a piece of magical crystal.......If you trace the edge twice, 'that person's own card is automatically generated'. Its effects and status are also automatically determined!　The higher the quality of the magic, the stronger the card tends to be, though.
Oh my God.

　
　It should be called quintessential magic, or perhaps it transcends common sense.

　【Grocery Store Owner, Alice】 Level 13 ATK 2500 DEF 2500
　Effect: This card is not subject to any opponent's magic, trap, or monster effects and is not affected. If this card is on the field, the player of this card can draw 2 cards from the deck once per turn.

'It's a card for that person only. By the way, I can change the quality of my magic power, so the card will change accordingly.
'Hmmm... or rather, what is this card effect... even I don't know the rules, but I know it's a cheat...'
''Well, you see, that's where I'm the Sixth King... and by the way, this is what happens when you make it with the magic of no face.
"...too much of a bogus card...

　Phantom King, No Face] Level 13, ATK 4000, DEF 4000
　Effect: This card cannot be normally summoned. You can only special summon it if you sacrifice three dark-attribute monsters that exist on the field. Your opponent cannot activate Magic, Trap, or Monster effects against this card's summons. This card is not subject to the opponent's magic, trap, or monster effects and is not affected. When this card is on the field, the controller can summon any number of level 4 or lower monsters from your hand, deck, or graveyard once per turn. As long as this card exists on the field, the other player must reveal his or her hand.

'Well, like mine, the Six Kings and Supreme God cards are all super powerful. So there are many people who want them, and there are certain rules in place.
What's that?
If you win the battle card against yourself, you'll get a card. This is also true for other players. You can make as many blank cards as you want in the card pack.
'I see... but that would be a huge number of challengers...'
''Yes, so you can challenge the Six Kings and Supreme God only once a year... and in order to challenge them, you have to win five consecutive battles against your subordinates... except for Isis-san. Well, to begin with, it's hard to meet the Sixth King and Supreme God, so the only time you can challenge is basically at the Festival of Heroes.

　I see, so if the average player gets a card of the person in question if they win, I guess that's how you collect cards to strengthen your deck and take on the Sixth King or Supreme God?　Sounds interesting.

''Well, I'm sure Kite-san would give me one if I asked for it without having to battle... but wouldn't you want to collect it through regular means anyway?''
Well that's, well...
'Five cards plus a card pack with blank cards, one 3R. If you buy a box, I'll give you a discount, okay?
'So there you go... hmmm. I'm honestly a little curious. Alice, I'll buy it, so tell me more about the rules and stuff.
'Okey. Then, if you win against me, I'll raise the card for Alice, the grocery store owner.

　This is how I got my hands on TBC, a very popular card game in this world.

'Well, let's start with Kite's card. Come on, go ahead~

"...Hey Kite. I know you called my card a cheat and a cheat a lot but your card is terrible too.
... um, yeah, sure...

　[Miyama Kite] Level 1, ATK 10, DEF 10
　Effect: This card's summons is not nullified. On the end phase of the turn this card is destroyed by your opponent's card, return this card to your hand. You can return this card on the field to your hand and Special Summon a monster card in your hand 'ignoring the summoning conditions and restrictions'. You can only activate Miyama Kite's effect once per turn.








　At that time, I still didn't understand it.

''My turn!　Sacrifice a magic token on the field and summon my own card!
.....
''........Kite, you're amazing. You beat Ayn and the others to get to me.......but you still can't beat me!

　[Pluto, Chromeaina] Level 13, ATK 5000, DEF 5000.
　Effect: This card cannot be normally summoned. You can only special summon it if you sacrifice 3 monsters that exist on the field. Your opponent can't activate Magic, Trap, or Monster effects against this card's summons. This card is not subject to any magic, trap, or monster effects other than this card, and you can add any magic card from the deck or graveyard to your hand once per turn. This card's ATK and DEF are increased by 1000 points per magic card in the graveyard. When this card leaves the field, it destroys all cards on your opponent's field.

　Black's card appeared on the field. Its ability was an impressive one. Powerful resistance, overwhelming stats, powerful effects that allow you to use magic cards indefinitely... and even if you eliminate it, you'll still get a strong counterattack.
　There's no card in my hand that can defend against this Black card's attack.......can't we win?　I mean, I challenged Black in a flirtatious manner... but he was definitely not the first Sixth King to challenge me!

''d*mn I wanted the Black card so badly, but this is a quandary...''
Well, do you really want my card?
'What?　Oh, yeah I know it's my "favorite" Black card, and I wish I had, but I'll try again in a year... now, just a thought Do it to!

　Black's card currently has 15,000 attack power he'll get hit in one hit even if he has full HP. And the monsters on my field are displayed attacking I lose.

''Okay okay I'm going to!　
...What?

　Yes, it was indeed the beginning of that one card. I got attention for my victory over the undefeated Black, and as if in a hurry, I decided to challenge the other six kings.
　I was also troubled by the god of creation, who urged me to reach his place, and the god of the earth, who came to me to learn the rules.