Chronicle: A Yu-Gi-Oh! Anthology

Chronicle

DISCLAIMER: the people dueling in the intro are merely amateurs and are just playing casually, so PLEASE no comments relating to any of the cards depicted or on the meta of the card game.

*Narration*

In a park inside a city, a group of kids gathered around a developing occurring on a nearby picnic table. They were spectating a card game between two rivals played on a mat with 14 zones on each side with another 2 between them. The kids were excited as the two competitors drew 5 cards for their starting hands, two electronic displays on each side showing 8000 lifepoints. The first turn was decided with a coinflip, and the player going first starts by putting a yellow-colored card with 3 stars on a "Monster Card Zone; "Chosen by the World Chalice," then he sets one card down in his "Spell & Trap Card Zone."

While the kids watched on as the opponent drew a card and starts his turn, a glowing ball of light floats above the crowd unseen, seemingly speaking in a disembodied voice.

Ah... another friendly duel. People sure love this game...

The other player Normal Summons a level 4 "Dark Blade," and with it having 200 more ATK than his opponent's monster, he declares an attack, only for his opponent to flip over his Trap Card: "Sakuretsu Armor," destroying the attacking monster and sending it to its owner's "Graveyard." The kids cheered as the turn player bitterly sets 2 cards in his "Spell & Trap Card Zones" and ends his turn.

You know this game... It's the one they say is "overly complicated." For nerds with IQ's over 200...

The ball of light flew off elsewhere to another game that was commencing. With her opponent controlling more monsters than her, the player Special Summons level 7 "Dinowrestler Pankratops" from her hand, and uses its effect to tribute a face-up "Dinowrestler" monster to destroy one of her opponent's cards.

You know the gameplay... and it's countless mechanics and strategies.

At another game, a player plays a Spell Card: "Fusion Substitute," using his 2 "Flamvell Guard" on the field as material to Fusion Summon "First of the Dragons" from his Extra Deck. When he declares an attack, his opponent flips over his Trap Card: "Urgent Tuning", sending his level 3 Tuner monster "Dark Resonator" and Level 2 "Caligo Claw Crow" to the Graveyard as material to Synchro Summon Level 5 "Ally of Justice Catastor" from the Extra Deck. With them at a stand-off, he waits for his opponent to decide whether or not to continue attacking.

And better yet... you know the cards...

A nearby duel shows a player using his Link-2 "Underclock Taker," Link-1 "Link Spider" and a level 2 "Bitron" to as material to Link Summon "Apollousa, Bow of the Goddess."

You might've even heard some the lingo around this card game, like "a hand trap."

A player tries using the Spell Card "Reinforcement of the Army" to add a Warrior-type monster from their deck to their hand, but his opponent activates the effect of the monster "Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring" from the hand to negate his Spell Card effect.

Or how about... "getting kaiju'ed"?

Another player has ended his turn, having a hard-to-destroy monster on his side of the field with a very ATK stat, confident that his opponent could not possibly defeat it. However, once his opponent drew a card and saw the smile on her face, his heart sank as sure enough, his opponent tributed his "unbeatable" monster by summoning a "Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju" in its place.