Yu-Gi-Oh! Ties That Bind (IC)

[Xenotrix Metamorph]

(OOC and Sign-Up is here: OOC)
​

Domino City, home of the Kaiba Corporation, and one of the most significant hot spots for the worldwide phenomenon known as Duel Monsters. Within the borders of this city, great battles for the future have been fought, as well as far above it in the skies, when a great evil threatened to take over the world. These days, however, the city has remained as bustling as ever, though times have been peaceful. Duel Monsters continues to grow both as a hobby and as a potential career among the youth and adult crowds as well. With the recent announcement that Seto Kaiba would be sponsoring another tournament, something he hadn't done in quite some time, a new rush of excitement has begun to wash over the collective duelists of the world. Now, the city's various card shops are seeing a spike in business the likes of which they can barely keep up with, with two of them in particular taking it in stride. The first is the Kame Game Shop, formerly owned by Solomon Moto, a former archeologist turned game store owner, who retired and left the shop to his grandson, Yugi Moto. This game shop receives a lot of patronage among die hard fans of duel monsters, as Yugi Moto was once known as the greatest duelist in the world.

Opposite this shop, is the Black Clown. This shop is often considered second to the Kame Game shop, but has it's own share of die hard fans and players who call it's card shop home. Famously owned by Duke Devlin, the inventor of a separate game, the shop has remained quite popular. Though its primary game is Dungeon Dice Monsters, the upcoming tournament has brought a great deal of interest back to Duel Monsters there, with Mr. Devlin deciding that he would gladly sponsor duelists to compete. Today, registration has officially begun, but continues throughout the week. With the size of the upcoming tournament, each shop is given a week to cement the team it chooses to support. Many card shops, The Black Clown and Kame Game included, have elected to hold small local tournaments to help determine the best local players, and of course, who would be sponsored by the shops.

In Kame Game, several tables are filled with players of varied ages, many are opening booster packs or engaging in duels with their friends, while the owner of the shop stood behind the counter, his brightly multi-colored hair sticking out like a sore thumb. His hands worked skillfully to divide up booster packs for a customer, a warm smile on his face as memories of his days as a duelist in the spotlight swam through his mind. A deep resonant voice resounded as he handed the packs to the young man opposite him. "Here you are. Have a great time dueling, and come again!"

The young man happily nodded and headed to the back where more tables were to open up the packs he just bought.

------------

Meanwhile, in the Black Clown, the tables reserved for Duel Monsters weren't packed, but did have a few duelists set up. They were surrounded by booster pack wrappers, going through their new cards as they plotted on what to build to bring them closer to their goal of leading the shop as the best players. The owner of the shop was keeping a close eye on them. After all, it had been a while since Duel Monsters had been a popular spot here, what with Kame Game being located fairly close. Still, he was happy to give more adventurous kids the opportunity to compete. Plus, maybe in this small way, he could remind Yugi that he wasn't the only big name in Duel Monsters around here.

 

[foodforpigs]

Ogawa Masaru

Masaru sat by himself at a side table in Kame Game. He arranged his cards on the table in an orbit around Helios - The Primordial Sun, looking at his cards and wondering if he should shell out more money for new packs of cards. He knew generally what his game plan was, but he hadn't played a lot of duels before, so he didn't know if it was any good. HIs father had encouraged him to at least try out the event. He looked around on the off chance that he could see anyone he recognized, and if that didn't work, see if there were any other loners and see if he could make an alliance. It reminded him a lot of being one of the last picks in gym glass.

---
Morgana Fischer

At the Black Clown, Morgana had binders and collectors boxes full of cards in her backpack beside her legs. She had asked Duke for the usual order of boosters after a day of combing through the draft chaff in assorted boxes, and ogling the super singles on display. She put all the neatly open wrappers into the garbage can placed beside her as she analyzed each card with intense focus. Her deck wasn't yet optimal, she knew, but she the process of tuning engrossed her attention. She split the opened cards and placed them into piles, seeing what synergies could be made.

Her deck was also organized neatly into monsters by level, spells, then traps. She agonized over the balance of her polymerization cards and her alternate fusions cards, as well as her balance of monsters to spells to traps. She knew the truth of whether her deck was good or not could only be tested through battle, but she was here to win.

 

[Flame]

Alva Crowe

Spoiler

Alva had been to Kame Game before. Only for occasional small tournaments that were held here. This was the place he'd gotten miss Doriado from... Most of the rest of his deck was comprised of cards his father had gotten for him, or ones he'd ordered online, seeing as how going out during the day to visit card shops was impractical with how his health had been up til recently. He'd managed to get things under control enough that at least coming here to apply for the Team Trial Circuit wasn't too bad, but walking all over the city to duel might be somewhat impractical. He'd been working on his fitness lately, something that would be required if he should be forced to walk around a lot... a silly thing to have to do for a normal person, but since he spent most of his time at home, his life was mostly a sedentary one.

Speaking of which, as he entered the shop, closing his parasol as he did so, he looked for a nearby place to take a seat and rest before getting in line to sign up, finding a boy his age sitting to the side at an empty table, apparently looking over his deck. Alva made his way over to the dark-haired boy's table, and gave him a nod. "I... hope you don't mind.", he softly apologized, giving the boy a small bow of his head, before pulling back one of the chairs, and taking a seat, laying his parasol on his lap, as he looked at the cards on the table through his red-tinted shades. The light wasn't harsh enough in here that he needed them, but he was so used to wearing them when outside his home, and so unused to interacting with others (outside of occasional outings for tournaments) that he didn't consider that such a thing might seem odd to be wearing indoors.

"Are you applying for the Team Trial Circuit as well?", he asked, making small talk as he relaxed at the table. Unused to much physical interaction as he may be, it wasn't as if he was entirely afraid of it. It was enjoyable to be able to go out like this, and talk to people. He was a bit soft spoken, but friendly and polite, offering the boy opposite him a small smile as he asked the question, then waiting patiently to see if he wished to answer. He supposed if this boy were sitting away from the others like this, where there were gaps that could be filled in other tables, he may not wish to be bothered, but Alva took the chance that he could have a friendly chat with this stranger regardless.

---

Charlie Schwartz

Spoiler

Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, a limo arrived at Black Clown. A wholly uncommon thing to happen. From out of the limo stepped what would at first seem to be a blonde woman. The strange individual in the orange jacket and midriff-baring shirt turned back to the open limo door and was handed what appeared to be a somewhat large sword, which he then fastened to his belt, before turning to the game store and walking in, tilting the sword attached to his waist so that it didn't catch on the doorframe as he pushed open the shop doors and made his way inside, the bell at the shop entrance jingling as he walked in with purpose, his stride graceful, long golden hair flowing behind him as he made his way to the counter, turning various heads around the store as he did so. A couple paces behind him, two men in black suits and shades followed silently, acting almost like his shadow as he stopped at the counter.

"Excuse me, sir. This would be the Black Clown, no? I've heard this is one of the stores offering signups for the Team Trial Circuit. I've not been given the wrong info, have I?", he asked, his voice sounding just as beautiful as his appearance, as he looked down at the game shop owner, then back to his guards as if to suggest they were the ones who had supplied this information. Neither reacted as he turned back to the shop owner. The blonde young man standing at the counter was surprisingly tall, even without the rather thick-heeled boots he was sporting, and while he probably didn't mean to come off that way, the way he was... looking down at the shopkeeper might have come off as condescending, especially as one arm rested on the handle of the sword-like implement strapped to his waist, with his other propped on his hip.

 

[Quake]

Wiley Barrow

"...Originally designed for automotives, the cyprus gear is a seven hundred point spur gear in the latest model of military grade i700 machine. It's previous model, the i600-..."

Sprawled out across his bed in the attic of a Domino City duplex laid a young man with his nose deep in a book. A boyish youth of seventeen with bleached hair and kind eyes, William Barrow (Wiley to his peers) was enjoying a rather peaceful afternoon with his hardcovers and a half-eaten bag of gummy fruit candy. The Mind of the Machine by K.B. Golditz was his latest rental from the local library, and he had found it quite useful for his current studies on automation and robotics; two things he obsessed over daily.

"...a seven hundred point gear..." he mumbled to himself, deep in thought. "Unbelievable." For as long as he'd been able to read, the young bookworm had thirsted for knowledge regarding how things worked; be it the human mind or a car engine or the family watch around his wrist that was ticking, steadily counting away as if it had all the time in the world.

Second by second.

One after the other.

.......


Hey waittaminute.

"Oh shoot!" Wiley sprang up off his bed, gummy chews flying every which way. "I'm gonna be late!" Normally a very disciplined and punctual young man, Wiley had actively spent the morning taking care of chores so as not to be late for the days appointment. Unfortunately, the early completion of said tasks had resulted in him relaxing and falling back deep into his own world for way too long. Snatching his weathered satchel and flat cap off his deskchair, Wiley bolted out of his room and down the Barrow household's second floor stairs, awkwardly attempting to pick at a squashed cherry gummy that had somehow managed to catch onto his sock and was now hanging for dear life.

Passing his father on the phone in the kitchen, Wiley gave a quick wave goodbye with the tournament flyer visible in his hand; a reminder of the day's importance. A nod of recognition and accompanying thumbs up was all he needed. The stressed boy hurriedly pulled his creased shoes on and darted out the door.

~~~​

The bus ride over was around twenty minutes long, during which Wiley sat silently, eyes glued to the commotion of Domino City racing by his window. His bag was pressed tightly to his gut, and although he could feel the comfort of his book through the thin pleather material, he dared not read it now for fear of missing his stop. Just the thought of it shook him and the added pressure of participating in a Duel Monsters tournament only exacerbated his anxiety.

Wiley glanced at the destination sign as it lit up, silently counting the amount of stops left under his breath. The last thing he needed was to end up lost in his own city. A part of him still couldn't believe he was doing this. A real live Duel Monsters tournament. What was he thinking? A year ago he wouldn't have even considered signing up! Unfortunately, his parents experience as shopowners meant they were nothing if not persuasive. One way or another, they had managed to convince him that his future self would likely look back and ultimately regret spending his whole childhood in a book instead of actually out living life. And so Wiley had begrudgingly agreed to compete in the Team Trial Circuit as a way to get them off his back- a decision he was now actively regretting. He could only hope he was being ridiculous and blowing the entire thing way out of proportion. It wasn't even the game that bothered him; just the thought of all that attention. Duel Monsters was one of the few things Wiley actually really enjoyed outside of reading, and treasured memories of late night duels with his father over his childhood years meant the game held a special place in his heart.

Arriving at his stop, Wiley stepped off the bus and hustled his way across the street. A few minutes of brisk walking soon found the boy at his destination: the Black Crown. Wiley took a deep breath. He had never been inside, but had passed it quite a few times growing up. It always seemed oddly intimidating to him. Maybe it was just the name. A parked limo nearby caught his attention, but Wiley didn't give it too much thought. Duel Monsters was a popular game that was likely to draw its share of big names to the Circuit. Doing his best to steel his nerves, the Barrow boy stepped inside. Fortunately, it didn't seem too busy, something Wiley greatly preferred. Without a word, the young man quickly slipped around the people in suits and found an empty chair at the table supposedly for Duel Monsters. Settling down into it, he fished through is bag for his deck and book, placing them both on the table in front of him. He wasn't sure what would happen next or if he was supposed to sign some document beforehand, but the important part was over. He had made it on time without drawing unwanted attention. Now he just had to go with the flow and follow everyone else; something he'd done his entire high school career. That didn't seem too hard. Add in a few duels here and there. Maybe he'd even get some reading done...

 

[Xenotrix Metamorph]

Interactions: @Flame - Alva and @foodforpigs - Masaru

Kame Game was lively, a fair number of patrons spread out among the various tables, as well as the individuals going to and from the counter for their purchases. Two patrons in particular were joined together at a table, and they were joined shortly after by another. A young woman sat at down at the table, nervously twirling her hair as she flipped her deck box around in circles with her fingers. Undoubtedly a nervous habit. Her eyes fell upon the two boys that were already at the table. One of them looked grossly preoccupied while the other looked fairly nervous himself. She didn't immediately recognize them, and found herself hoping that she hadn't just made herself out to be rude for imposing on them.

"Uhm, hey. Are you guys here for the tourney too? I'm sorry if this is rude, but, I'm pretty new to the game, and I was hoping I could maybe talk shop with someone beforehand? I tried at another shop here, but, they didn't really feel right to me, you know?" The young woman's bright blue eyes bounced back and forth between them, her blond hair partially covering her face but leaving her casual and friendly smile visible.

???

-------------
Interactions: @Flame, Charlie

The owner of the Black Clown wasn't terribly amused by the antics of the aristocratic newcomer. It wasn't terribly uncommon for people of the obvious upper crust to come into the shop and throw their money around, but, Mr. Devlin definitely preferred when they were throwing that money into his cash registers and not his face. His eyes narrowed a bit as he absently flicked one of the dice earrings hanging from his earlobes, a trick he used to calm his nerves. The man cleared his throat and folded his hands on the counter in front of him. At least he hadn't said anything terribly rude. Yet.

"You have not, sir. This is indeed the Black Clown, and we are indeed offering signups for the circuit. However, in order to enter you must be sponsored by a shop. Which means you need to place in the top 4 of today's shop tourney." Duke spoke clearly and made sure to enunciate the requirements, as he had already dealt with a few customers who got snarky over the requirement.

--------------
Interactions: @foodforpigs - Morgana and @Quake - Wiley

Meanwhile, two more people had entered the shop, seated in the seating area. One of which had been there for a bit, a girl that was recognized fairly easily as something of a regular. She was definitely a good spender at the shop, which earned her stars with Mr. Devlin, and of course some of the patrons because she was a regular and played the game. One such patron was a young man named Claude, he had been leaning forward in his chair a few seats from Morgana, before he noticed the newbie that had entered and got up with a mischievous grin, moving over to the boy before he spun a chair around, sitting in it backwards as he offered the boy a clearly false smile and raised his hand in greeting.

"Hey! Never seen you before! You must be new! I see you have a deck, already. What do you say you be my friend and show trade me some of your super rare cards, huh?" Claude grinned, his dark brown hair pointed down towards his jaw, held in place by the bright red headband he wore.

He hadn't paid Morgana much attention aside from a casual glance, but a couple of the guys who also frequented the shop who were clearly there with him had been muttering to themselves, occasionally chuckling about something before going back to their game. When they noticed Claude was beginning to bother a new kid, they moved over to join him, beginning to mutter amongst themselves again.

Claude

 

[foodforpigs]

Interactions - Masaru, @Flame Alva, @The Dapper Mog - ???

Masaru was surprised to see someone come to his table, but he tried to act non-chalant.

"I don't mind. You new here as well? Cool shades by the way." replied Masaru. "Yeah, I'm here for the Team Trial Circuit too."

His deck was still arranged in an orbital pattern around it, which wasn't the usual way someone looked at a deck. He cleaned up the table to make space for Alva to set his things. Nobody around had paid attention to him since he had entered the store with so few cards.

"Name's Masaru." he said. Just as the two were introducing themselves, another newcomer had come to their table and tried to introduce herself. Masaru introduced himself again to her so she could introduce herself in turn. He was starting to feel way less nervous and alone now, and was smiling radiantly. It had been just a few moments ago, he had no one to talk to, and now the three people had been pulled into each other's gravity.

"Talk shop?" Masaru replied. "Yeah, we can do that. You don't mind, right?" he asked Alva. "My dad told me that the most important thing for a deck is a victory condition. I'm kinda new to this game as well, but if we put our heads together, we might increase our chances to win. The Team Trial Circuit is taking the top 3, right? It seems to me like alliances are a natural part of this competition. Seems like everyone else is doing it."

"But..." Masaru whispered conspiratorially. "We'll have to be quiet. As of right now, I'm not going to trust anyone outside this circle. If any of you two make it to the top 3, I'll be happy."
---

Interactions Morgana, @Quake Wiley, @The Dapper Mog Claude

Morgana stopped shuffling her cards around when she saw in her peripheral the setting was starting to change from a serene environment where she could analyze her deck in peace into shark infested waters. There was a pretty and obvious rich woman talking up Duke Devlin with her bodyguards, though Duke didn't need saving at all. He always had a cool head. Playing Dice Monsters demos against him had always been fun because he never took it easy on her. Like her, Duke played to win. He was a fair and kind soul, nonetheless, and cool as a freezer. The woman would have to work extra hard though in order to really run out his patience.

The other guy, not so much. He looked like a prep and green to the tournament scene. Morgana knew Claude, as Claude knew her, as Claude was a sometimes visitor to the Black Clown. Morgana shot Claude and his goons a look, but they didn't seem to back off any.

"Yo Claude," Morgana said aloud. "Did he give you permission to invade his space? Usually when I see someone reading a book, that means that they expect to be left alone."

 

[Flame]

Alva​

Another person showed up soon after Alva arrived, and he nodded to her when she asked if it'd be OK to sit with them. "Of course. I'm Alva.", he replied, pulling a deck box out of his coat, and gingerly setting it on the table. He could very, very faintly make out the rainbow of colors that the deck box shined with. It's outer material reflected light in the way holographic rare cards might, though given it was a deck box, it was obviously not made of the same material. Typically everything looked like a shade of gray to Alva unless a color was particularly vibrant, and this deck box and the holographic cards inside were an exception. He'd had them for some time now, and they were like treasures to him. A hint of a world he may never see like others did. Still, he was more than pleased to share these treasures with friendly strangers.

He opened the deck box and slid his deck out, carefully laying out the colorful cards in an array. Each shined with it's own color, the colors of the six main elements of Duel Monsters. "A win condition is certainly important... but I think if you place all of your strategy on one card, and just don't pull it, well... that makes it hard to win, right? I think a balance is more important. Cards that work well with each other, and are useful no matter what you pull.", he explained, singling out the 4 elemental charmer cards and their familiars, before finding his prized Doriado and showing it. "This card sure is strong, but if I pulled it first, then it'd be hard to use anyway... This card works best when the rest of my deck has already been played a bit. But I don't have to pull it to win.", he told the two with a firm nod. There were some duelists who focused on nothing but getting their favorite or most strong card out the quickest, but he was fine with whatever he pulled, because he liked all his cards.

---

Charlie
​

"I see...", Charlie reached up and tapped his chin in thought at Duke's statement of the requirements. "Well then, it's a simple matter. With so few entrants, the tournament should proceed quickly enough, that's a relief.", he giggled to himself, as he looked at the various duelists opening their packs and talking amongst one another. "I shall await your announcement of this tournament, then. Thank you, good sir.", he gave Duke a warm smile, and a deep bow, before walking off to find a place to sit, his guards silently following him as usual. However, he turned to them before he found himself a table and made a shooing motion with his hand. "I doubt greatly that children and their decks should be of any threat here. Won't you make yourselves useful outside instead of intimidating patrons of this quaint little establishment?", he asked. The guards nodded, each giving a "Yes, Sir Schwartz.", before turning on heel and walking out of the shop.

Meanwhile, Charlie had found a table with a gap in seating. It seemed there was a bandana-clad lad pestering another patron he'd noticed had entered shortly after he'd arrived. "Now, now, I'm sure a duelist like yourself is in great need of rare cards, but you shouldn't stoop so low as to go begging for them!", he lectured, wagging a finger and smiling at the bandanna boy. "A duelist must have honor. Indeed... perhaps if you beat me in this little tournament the shop is holding, I may offer you some rare cards. One should work for their rewards.", he stated, before removing his Duel Saber from his belt, and taking a seat at the table, resting one hand on the hilt of the sword-like object as it stood vertically, the tip resting on the shop floor like he was some sort of lord or knight. "However, I find it quite unlikely you should do so. Know now, that you are talking to the next King of Games. Sir Charles Schwartz!", he beamed, offering a wink and a smug smile.

 

[Quake]

Wiley Barrow

What the hell was going on.

Wiley had taken his seat for all of two seconds before he had a bunch of no good bullies show up, clearly trying to intimidate him. A kind stranger had attempted to stand up for him, and then out of nowhere someone else was drawing a sword? The boy felt his stomach gurgle. Was this what all Duelists were like? Wiley had only ever played the game with his father, and so the situation he now found himself in was quite jarring.

Glancing back and forth, the young man pondered his options. This wasn't his first time in a situation like this. Wiley had dealt with his fair share of bullies growing up. He knew that if he said nothing it would probably only get worse, even if it appeared that the attention was currently being drawn away from him thanks to the sword wielding lunatic.

"H-hey, let's calm down. I don't want to make trouble you guys.." Wiley stammered, grabbing his satchel."Uhm, look! Here. Let's see..." Wiley scrounged through the trash and wrappers at the bottom of his bag, stopping when he found a loose, bent card. Straightening it out, the boy handed it to Claude face down, his hand shaking with fear and also a hint of excitement.

"I-it's all yours! I, uh... think it really suits you, ya'know? D-describes you to a T!"

The Card

 

[Xenotrix Metamorph]

Interactions: @foodforpigs - Masaru and @Flame - Alva

The girl was pleasantly surprised by the friendly demeanor of the two strangers, but was thankful for it. Her smile broadened when they introduced themselves, and she was happy to return the favor. "You can call me Mika, it's nice to meet you both!"

Her cheerful attitude only strengthened as they began pondering strategy, though it did seem to dim a bit as she seemingly got a little embarrassed, tapping her fingers nervously on her deck box. "Oh...a victory condition, huh? I, just kinda found some cards I liked and tried really hard to get them. Hehe...maybe a tournament is a little over my head, huh?"

Mika chuckled a little, eying the boys and their displayed cards. She wasn't sure what any of those cards did, but they sure looked tough. Alva's addition made her feel a little better, but left her wondering how many of her cards would be deadweight if she drew them early?

"Uhm, anyway, I'm sure you both are great duelists. It wouldn't surprise me at all if you two won the whole thing!" Mika remarked with renewed enthusiasm.

---------------
Interactions: @Flame - Charlie, @foodforpigs - Morgana, and @Quake - Wiley

While Mr. Devlin was still certainly getting some strong vibes or condescension, one didn't thrive in the world or business without being able to ignore such things. He simply smiled politely and waved the man off, helping other customers. He would freely admit that he felt better once the bodyguards were sent off. They definitely weren't good for business. His eyes spared a glance at a growing commotion in the playing area, but unless things got really out of hand, he wouldn't interfere.

Claude raised a brow and spared a glance to the young woman Morgana. Chuckling as he shook his head. "Nonsense! He's in a cardshop, and anyone who's in a card shop is fair game for a duel or a trade, right?"

Of course, then the others showed up, seeking to ruin his fun. "First off, you're a guy? Second off, I am pretty sure I could beat pretty much anyone in this room with my eyes closed. And honor? Come on, you sound like that nerd from the other game shop. King of Games is a worthless title, anyway."

The two boys that surrounded him were chuckling and muttering amongst themselves, clearly amused by the situation, watching with glee as the boy nervously responded by handing a card to Claude. As the headband clad boy flipped the card over his expression melted into of surprise and horror, then rage.

"W-what?! Just what are you implying, you scrub?! You and me, right now, a duel! I'm gonna put you in your place and teach you not to talk trash about your betters!"

The two boys accompanying Claude were losing it, falling into the chairs to try and calm down their laughter when they realized how angry the boy was.

 

[foodforpigs]

Inteactions: Masaru, Alva - @Flame, Mika - @The Dapper Mog

Alva's presentation had been inspiring to Masaru. The deck box, the card sleeves, and the
holographic cards captured Masaru's full attention in its kaleidescope of colors. His words about strategy has struck a cord with Masaru as he had thought of the way he constructed his own deck. He hadn't really thought about just how much importance he put into his Helios cards. They were only 3 cards out of a deck that had to contain at least 40 cards.
Compared to Alva's deck, Masaru's looked mundane. He did have starry sky sleeves, pictures taken form the Hubble Space Telescope, but he had no deck box and his only holographic cards were the Helios cards, specifically purchased by his father. Masaru cleared his throat.
"My deck is called Chariot of the Sun. It's main strategy is to mill and banish cards. It has cards from the Different Dimension archetype as support." He pointed to D.D Survivor as a primary example. "It's to bring out my favorite cards." Masaru revealed his Helios - The Primordial Sun, Helios Duo Megistus, and Helios Trice Megistus Cards. However, when he was about to explain it, he was choking up a bit.

It had been a birthday gift from his father after Masaru had expressed interest in becoming an astronaut and in Yu-Gi-Oh, talking about the Legendary Planets. With the three Helios cards, there was also a greeting card that came with an inscription in it. It read: 'You are my Sun, My World. May these cards remind you to never give up even in the darkest of times, and to share your light to everyone around you.'

"They have a very special meaning to me." was also Masaru could manage to say as he started to get visibly teary eyed. Duo and Trice had the intrinsic ability to come back from the graveyard when destroyed by battle - that was what Dad was referring to when he wrote to never give up. It had been difficult for the both of them when Mom left both of them while Masaru had still been very young. He still didn't understand why, and in some respect, he couldn't shake that part of the reason she left was his fault.

Masaru wiped the tears from his eyes. "Anyway, I think you're right Alva. I should add cards that lighten the load from my boss monster. I think Gren Maju and Necroface will do nicely. I've seen those before while researching cards online." Masaru only had a $20 bill given to his father that was meant for food later, but this was important too, but he'd purchase those cards as soon as he helped Mika with her deck, and purchase cards for her too if need be. It was time to share his light.

"No way am I letting you think poorly about yourself." replied Masaru to Mika when she said the tournament was over her head. "I'm sure your deck has many strengths. All you have do is focus those strengths. If you're comfortable with showing us your deck, we can help make suggestions on what to add or cut. We're in an alliance, remember? I think we should strive so that all three of us win the whole thing."

---
Interactions Morgana, @Flame - Charlie, @Quake - Wiley @The Dapper Mog Claude

Morgana covered her mouth and stifled a laugh at Wiley's stunt to hide it from everyone else as she stood up with her backpack to approach the group. Appearances had been deceiving.

She had thought the prep would allow himself to be accosted by these bullies, but he had not only stood up for himself, but made Claude look absolutely foolish. It felt right. No one should be looking at another person's cards, especially not when it was just before a tournament. While it clearly didn't apply to Claude, even if the intention was to genuinely help another person, Morgana would see it as an insult in the tournament scene. People joined tournaments to win. After the tournament was won, maybe people could get together to discuss strategy, but not before. In the tournament, people were meant to duel strength to strength. Anything less diminished the other's independence and dignity.

Now Claude was fuming. Morgana decided to try to lean into Claude's desire to teach the prep some manners.

"You'll have your opportunity soon enough," Morgana said to Claude. "during the Tournament. Why waste your strategy now for this guy to side deck counter plays? It'll be much better to teach him a lesson in front of a bigger audience, right?"

Morgana gave a side-eye to the self-proclaimed next King of Games afterward. With that hair, face, walk, and demeanor, she was loathe to admit that he looked more like a pretty woman than herself. However, he had overrode her initial impression having seen him from afar talking down to Duke. He had come to the defense of another with his self-introduction and talk about the importance of honor. Honor was something that her old hero, Bandit Keith, had been proven to lack. The stranger also certainly had the confidence, but confidence wasn't what ultimately won games. Morgana wouldn't underestimate this person by any means, though. Confidence had to be grounded in something. Morgana simply didn't know how much time and dedication he put into constructing his deck. It would be a worthy duel if they were face each other at a gaming table.

 

[Flame]

Alva​

Alva was surprised when Masaru began to tear up when he'd begun to explain the history and importance of his cards... They were obviously very special to him. Alva felt similarly about his cards, though, perhaps Masaru had him beat on that front... However, when he agreed with Alva about strategy, the boy nodded in turn. "That would probably be wise... You wouldn't want to lose if your best card doesn't get pulled, or gets defeated and you don't have a backup. Cards that can help maintain the duel til they arrive, or bring your best cards back to fight again would be good. Outside of Doriado, I wouldn't say any one card of mine is the best... they all help each other. Maybe that makes my deck a bit weaker on average, if someone else has a better "best card" but I'm confident in my strategy, and I don't wish to change any of my cards for now.", he explained. He'd placed pretty well in tournaments before with this same deck. His victories were nothing noteworthy, but he was intent on participating in the shop tourney with this deck regardless. He didn't want to change all his colorful cards out just to be extra sure to win the tourney. Maybe he'd make some cuts or additions later, but only because he liked those cards, not because he had to win... it seemed silly, to not be as serious and devoted as others to winning, but he had more to lose from giving up the colors in his deck than he did losing a tournament. He knew winning the whole thing was a long shot, and he wasn't holding his breath, but he'd do it with this same core of cards by his side. That's what they meant to him.

"Masaru's right. You wouldn't be here in the first place if your deck wasn't ok. You have just as much a shot at this as anyone here. Trust your cards.", he encouraged her. He then looked up to see more people gathering around the front desk, presumably to enter for the tourney. "Have you two registered yet? I still need to. Perhaps we can look at some options for Mika's deck if there's still time, right?", he smiled at the girl, before tucking his deck into the colorful box he'd stored it in, then slipping that box into the very juxtaposed black coat he was wearing... in comparison to his cards and box, all his clothes, and even his appearance was very devoid of color, aside from the red sunglasses... It might be surprising at first to see someone like himself pull out such a colorful box and cards, considering his aesthetics. Regardless, he picked up his parasol and affixed it to the back of his coat with a strap, before heading toward the line of eager duelists that was forming to gain their place in the tournament.

---

Charlie​

"You didn't think so? I'm flattered.", Charlie laughed at the boy's quip about him being male. "I had stated my knightly title, not my gender, though, I suppose I'd be a Dame rather than a Sir in that case. Oh well.", he shrugged and smiled, obviously not displeased with the confusion. "Regardless, beauty is secondary to my honor. Forgive me for being so crass, lad, but you've a loser's mindset.", he explained, looking down at the boy with genuine condescension this time, likely because of his dig at things like Honor, and the title of King of Games. He wasn't about to let this whelp besmirch such things lightly. "If you think the title of "King of Games" is worthless, perhaps you should simply leave. If you aren't going to aim for the top, why duel at all? I think the other, serious participants of the tourney would thank you for not wasting their time with your second-rate dueling.", he replied, giving the boy the first cold look anybody in this shop had seen him give yet... and it was biting. His usual cheery demeanor changed quite drastically.

His cold look faded when he looked up to see a woman approach the table to further lecture the boy... "Indeed, though I doubt someone begging for cards from their future opponent has much room for counter-play.", he laughed to himself. "Either way, I relish the chance to teach him a thing or two about a proper duelist's mindset... then again, if we shouldn't meet in the first round, I doubt he'll make it far enough to be taught that lesson.", Charlie remarked, a smug smile on his face as he rested his other hand on top of his duel saber's hilt, obviously implying the boy would likely be defeated in the first round. "Speaking of... when is this tournament scheduled to begin? I'm itching to duel.", he stated.

 

[Quake]

Wiley Barrow


Wiley was shocked. His bonehead insult had gone over surprisingly well, all things considered. Sure, he now had Claude madder than ever, but he hadn't gotten beaten up or humiliated any further. At least not yet. The boy felt his heartbeat slow and his stomach begin to settle as his fear slowly disappated at the bandana boy's challenge. Wiley could never win a fist fight, but if all he had to do was duel than that was a different story. Grabbing his deck box off the table, the boy held it tight to his chest. It provided an oddly comforting feeling.

"I'll win," he whispered, his voice barely audible to those around him. "You've been awful since the moment I got here," he said, his voice hesitant. "And..and everyone else has been really nice. Kind of crazy," Wiley glanced at the sword. "But nice. So if it's a duel you want..then fine." The boy's grip tightened around his deck. "Once this whole thing starts...I'll win," he repeated, this time with a bit more gumption. "I'll win here..And then at the Circuit...and if there's anything after that, I'll win that too!" Wiley was talking out of his ass now, but he felt a bit better. He had made his point. Now he just hoped the tourney was starting soon before the situation escalated any further. He had almost been late to the shop, so he imagined it couldn't be much longer.

 

[DesReploid]

~ Jack Cross ~
Interactions - Alva (@Flame)
​

---

It was at times like these that all the moving and running that came along with helping at an animal shelter were really useful to Jack. He had just gotten off of work and the time plan he had made for himself was not exactly the most relaxed. So, he now found himself bolting down the streets of an only vaguely familiar part of town, trying desperately to reach the Kame Game Shop in time. Especially in the last year or two, Jack had gotten more and more busy with his attempts at adulting and keeping his life in order, so there was only very little time to play Duel Monsters and the ways to most nearby card shops had gotten blurry in his memory. This didn't help his case either. He'd almost gotten lost already, wasting some precious time and was now trying to make that lost time back up.

Luckily, the Kame Game shop came into view sooner rather than later. From the outside it was already easy enough to see that there was a good amount of people gathered within already, a sight that certainly didn't help to steady Jack's nerves. Without even taking a second to catch his breath, Jack entered the shop. There was a line of people, either they were lining up to get their match-ups, in which case he was already too late or they were still signing up in which case, lucky him.

With a firm and fast pace he approached the line, one last time checking that he had all the essentials, particularly his deck on him. No sooner had he looked down to look at the deep purple box he kept his deck in that he pulled out of the inner pocket of his jacket did he feel himself suddenly collide with something, with enough force to knock himself over. A few of his cards landed on the floor around him as he dropped his deck box. A bit disoriented, he picked himself up and looked around, quickly spotting what, or rather who he had bumped into. A pale boy with long white hair and a somewhat similar sense of fashion, given that he was dressed exclusively in black.

"Oh, damn it" Jack tried his best to put on a smile as he spoke with the other guy, "Terribly sorry for that, I just… I really wasn't watching where I was going at all. You're alright, yeah? Nothing got broken?" He extended a hand toward the other boy, more as an apology than anything else, trying to look as friendly as he possibly could.

---

 

[Xenotrix Metamorph]

Interactions: @foodforpigs - Masaru and @Flame - Alva

The customers in Kame Game were gradually beginning to dwindle as the tournament's start time grew closer. Most of the competitors were already signed up and prepared to begin, but a few it seemed hadn't signed up, or at least they weren't quite ready to prepared. Yugi glanced at the clock over his counter, noting the ten minute mark before the tournament was ready. He cleared his throat as he called out to the shop; "Attention duelists! The Kame Game Shop Tournament will be beginning in ten minutes. At which time the brackets will be provided and you will see your opponents. This will be a single elimination contest, but I want to assure each of you that even should you lose today, the road to becoming a great duelist is still well within your reach. There are many shops across the country, and should you fail to be sponsored here, do not give up on your goal to compete with the best. That being said, please come up and make sure to sign up if you wish to compete!"

With his speech concluded, Yugi returned behind the counter, finishing up with the current customers as he hoped that the dueling spirit would remain strong in this new generation of competitive players, even if they weren't fighting for the world, they could still compete with passion.

Meanwhile, as Masaru and Alva spoke to each other, as well as to her, Mika couldn't help but blush a bit as she looked down at her deck. She couldn't help but be nervous about not just the competition, but being judged by her fellow duelists. After all, she was so new to the game, and she chose her deck based on just admiring the cards. Surely that gave her a disadvantage? Mika sighed softly as she opened up the deck box, spreading out her deck of amazoness cards in front of her. Her blue eyes focused on one of the boys as he spoke of the sentimental value of his deck. That resonated strongly with Mika. After all, if not for her dad she wouldn't have gotten into dueling at all. It was originally meant to be something that brought them together, but he was still too busy these days. That being said, it did give her something special that she shared with him when he was available.

Pushing the thoughts away, she offered him a smile. "I think I get it. And thank you both, I appreciate you helping me out. I am all for an alliance, even though I know we may end up facing each other." Mika spoke calmly, her cheeks still tinted red as she looked over her cards. From what she could tell her deck was about as good as it was going to get for now. Hopefully she wouldn't get knocked out in round one.

---------------
Interactions: @foodforpigs - Morgana and @Flame - Charlie

Mr. Devlin checked his watch, smirking as he glanced into the back room. "Hey guys! Anyone who is wanting to compete, come on up and sign in if you haven't!"

Claude was fuming at the interactions with these chumps. His friends, such as they were, were far too busy laughing at his humiliation to be of any use. He would have to teach them a lesson as well. He flashed an irritated smirk at her as though he was trying to hide his irritation. "You know I know you're playing me...but you're right. I'll squish all of you scrubs in the competition. Then we'll see who has the last laugh. I'll give you a hint, it's me!" The young man jutted a thumb at himself as he sneered and turned to face both the beautiful (male) duelist and the loner looking kid that had insulted him.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, dweeb. I was going to play nice, but now you've gone and made me mad. I'm gonna beat you so bad the only card game you'll be brave enough to play after this is solitaire!" After he was content with his threat, he just glared at Charlie, before heading up front. The two boys shook their heads and headed up after him.

"Try not to let him get to you. Claude is all bark and no bite. He just thinks being abrasive makes him look cool or something." An unfamiliar voice called out to the group, particularly Wiley. Another young man, around the same age stepped out from around one of the tables, adjusting the frame of a dark set of glasses. Honey brown eyes accompanied by a friendly smile greeted them, wavy brown hair complimenting dark tan skin. A hand extended out towards Wiley, the boy's other hand resting in the side pocket of his school uniform.

"Hoshikari Uragiri. Pleased to meet you. You can call me Hoshi or Uragiri for short, if you'd like."

Uragiri

 

[foodforpigs]

Interactions: Masaru, @The Dapper Mog - Yugi, Mika

"I think your deck is really cool." replied Masaru enthusiastically to Mika, but still quietly in a conspiratorial tone. "It might be a little bit of work to where you want to put your focus, but as you grow as a duelist, your deck will only become stronger. I think you'll do great."

When Yugi made last call for people to enter the tournament, Masaru perked up and realized he still had yet to enter, and urged Alva and Mika and to follow him. However, during the walk to the counter, Alva had bumped into someone and the crowd of people scrambling to also get in line for last minute registrations drifted the two pairs apart.

While they were in line, Masaru asked Mika about regular things to help calm her nerves a little, and his. He asked Mika if she had ever been to Burger World, and what other places she liked to eat at. He divulged he hadn't eaten yet. "Perhaps we can go out to eat after this?" he said. There was no condition to the offer, and it didn't matter if either of them won or lost. Yugi's words guided him to have a better outlook on this tournament, that win or lose, the path of the duelist didn't have to end.

When Masaru got to his place in line, he asked Yugi if he could buy some cards before registering his deck. Yugi arched a brow and said that he would get the cards after everyone was done registering. Masaru placed his order and included the cards he ordered into the information of his deck.

"Cutting it close, aren't we?" said Yugi. Masaru nodded meekly. "I'm only teasing." added Yugi, "but remember, a good duelist always comes prepared." Masaru nodded, and motioned Mika to step forward beside him. "I ordered two Kunai with Chain for Mika should she choose to use them in her deck list."

Yugi was taken aback again, but didn't betray his stoic expression. It was an unusual decision for a duelist to be so open in helping another, but again said nothing. There was nothing technically against the rules, as it ultimately Mika's decision to include the cards. It also reminded Yugi of the innocent friendships he himself used to have in his youth. He had given cards to Joey before Duelist Kingdom. This was similar.

"A gift to symbolize our alliance." said Masaru quietly, to Mika. "We protect and support each other, and through teamwork, we'll take down any enemy that stands in our way."

Once done, Masaru took his place to the side for the remaining competitors to register, namely waiting for Alva, Mika, and the newcomer, and for the duels to finally commence. Yugi had given him his set of cards as well as for Mika.

---
Interactions: Morgana

Once the drama had some chance to subside, Morgana turned her nose up with a little hmph, retreated from the conversation and sat back down at her original table, considering only briefly if she wanted to enter some last minute changes, and decided against it. She had registered hours ago, though she had been tinkering a lot ever since. Ultimately, she decided, there was nothing more she wanted to do. She'd see what the results were at this tournament, learn from it, and make her deck better because of it. There was no point agonizing over what could be done. Part of the game was how the deck was played, and that involved the correct mindset.

Morgana appreciated the way Wiley had rebuffed those bullies on his own. He didn't need her help. However, she thought Wiley was wrong in labelling her as 'nice'. She was simply there to remind Claude that his conduct was unprofessional, nothing more. Morgana put on her game face. It didn't matter who here challenged her. No one here was her friend, and she preferred it that way. She steeled her heart to be cold like the machine monsters in her deck. She was here to win.

 

[Flame]

Alva​

"Ack!", the boy yelped, as he was rammed into rather hard. Alva was sent to the floor in a daze from the impact, but gathered himself quickly enough, sitting up, then touching his face as he realized he'd lost his glasses. Thankfully he didn't need them to see, but if they were broken, he'd have to use his spare. He searched the floor for them, and found them rather quickly, reaching out to grab them before- crunch. Alva closed his eyes and sighed as another unobservant and rushed duelist stepped around Alva and onto his glasses. He didn't need to see them to know the condition they were in now, but he still grabbed the frame regardless so as to not leave trash on the shop floor... the lenses would simply have to be swept up.

He looked back to the new duelist with a somewhat unhappy expression before glancing down at the ruined frame. "I should be fine, thankfully I have a spare.", he replied, trying his best not to sound as annoyed as he felt. He pocketed the broken shades and looked at the duelist with uncovered, strikingly pale eyes... they were almost whiter than his hair. Truly, the boy's appearance was almost entirely devoid of color, save for the slight hue to his otherwise stark-white skin. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath, letting it out to forget about these bad feelings... it was an accident after all, he could be clumsy himself at times, and while his shades had been broken, it's not as if this boy had intended to ram into him. He gave the stranger a slight smile. "Considering you're in such a rush... You're signing up for the Team Trial Circuit too, right? We'd best get to the counter soon then, I wouldn't want to lose my chance at dueling you.", he said with a nod, before turning and approaching the counter to register to duel.

---

Charlie​

It seemed this little bit of hubbub was wrapping up. At the announcement that the dueling was soon to begin, Charlie realized he had not yet signed up, and so stood up once more, strapping his duel saber to his belt and walking to the counter to make sure he was entered into the tournament. From appearances here in the shop, it looked like actual challengers were... slim pickings. It was likely that he'd easily sweep this whole thing, right? It was a shame he couldn't save these duelists the misery of being beaten by him as he naturally made his way to the top... a duelist of his pedigree ought to be allowed to skip such formalities like being endorsed by a shop, but... he didn't make the rules. Oh well, these stones in his path would simply be a means to whet his blade for the coming challenges ahead... maybe he would learn a thing or two about how duelists in this country thought? It was true that while the game was nearly the same around the world, duelists from different walks of life had different philosophies and playstyles... though he doubted he'd be able to tell one card-shop patron from another when this was all over. All that was left was to sign up and defeat all the obstacles in his path.

 

[Quake]

Wiley Barrow

Following his brazen claim to "win it all," Wiley felt his cheeks flush with embarassment. What was he saying? Minutes prior to walking into the store he hadn't cared much about winning at all. This whole thing had been to make his dad happy. Now suddenly he was going to be the next King of Games? Ridiculous. Fortunately for the young boy, the shopowner had just made the last call for the tournament sign ups. With Claude's latest threats ringing in his ears, Wiley grabbed his things, stopping as an unfamiliar face approached him. Uragiri, he called himself.

"Uhm..hi," Wiley replied, shaking the stranger's hand cautiously. "I'm Wiley.." he said slowly, his expression one of clear suspicion. What the hell was going on here. Regardless, he had to put his name down on the sign up sheet before it was too late. "Listen. It's nice to meet you Uragiri but you'll, uh, have to excuse me. I gottta go sign the thing," he pointed towards the front. Turning away from his bespectacled brethren, Wiley hurried on over to the clipboard, scribbling his name down on the sign ups sheet. That was it. No turning back now. The boy found himself silently praying he wasn't getting in over his head.

 

[DesReploid]

~ Jack Cross ~
Interactions - Alva (@Flame)
​

---

Jack had looked away only for a few seconds to gather up the handful of cards that had fallen on the ground, when he looked back he quickly followed the line of sight of the other boy and spotted the broken glasses on the floor. For a short moment, he was completely stunned, thinking that he had just inadvertently made sure someone couldn't enter the tournament by breaking their glasses. Though he quickly got to breathe a sigh of relief when the boy said he had a spare.

"Yeah, I'm here for the tournament." Jack stuttered, trailing behind the boy and a bit caught off guard by his apparent calmness, "I'm not really expecting to get that far, honestly, it's been a while since I've last played so I might not be able to fulfill that request. Though... I think now I'm a bit obligated to, aren't I?"

"Right, listen, I'm really sorry about that," Jack started once they reached the counter. Still stumbling over his own words a little. He patted himself down, eventually finding a small note block and pen in his jacket. Something he would sometimes take with him from his work for cases like these where he needed them, "If you want, you can maybe give me a call and I can pay for a new set?" His voice was still a little shaky. He pulled a paper from the block that he had quickly written down his name and phone number on and extended it to the other boy.

"My name's Jack, by the way." He looked back down onto the small paper, "Although, I guess you know that already now. Just... uhm, good luck is all. Let's see if the two of us can't end up facing eachother in the turnament."

---

 

[foodforpigs]

Masaru vs. Beast Warrior Fusion (collab with @The Dapper Mog)

Masaru started the duel with Card Destruction. His opponent already looked flustered, having liked their hand. He then proceeded with his usual banish plan. The materials that his opponent had planned to use were steadily being banished from play, away from recovering them with cards like Dark Factory of Mass Production or Monster Reborn. Masaru's cheap tricks seemed to also get on his opponent's nerves. Gravekeeper's Servant and a face up Banisher of Light rendered attacks impossible. Killing D.D Survivor with a surprise Rush Recklessly did nothing either. D.D Survivor just came back. It was a duel of attrition.

A trembling hand drew another card from his deck, Masaru's opponent looked at his hand, groaning under his breath through gritted teeth. How had this game gotten so out of hand so fast? It seemed that turn after turn, every monster he put out was demolished, leaving him vulnerable to additional attacks. His cards were useless against the banish strategy, and his opponent's monsters were far out of the league of his own. Another turn, another lost monster, and too few life points to survive another wave. This was it.

The end of the duel was anti-climatic. Masaru simply swung in with his Helios Duo Megistus for game alongside his array of monsters. Masaru politely reached out his hand and said "Good game." after the duel was done.

The boy sighed heavily as he looked at his opponent, shaking his head as he reached out and took his hand, shaking it. "I guess I'm still just too green. Your deck is crazy good!" In a show of sportsmanship, the boy smiled, freely admitting the superior dueling skills of his opponent.

Masaru smiled back. "Thank you." he said. "Perhaps one day we will duel again. I look forward to a rematch."
--

foodforpigs - Masaru vs Twin Dragon

Masaru's first priority was life gain with Soul Absorption so he searched it with Different Dimension Capsule. D.D Warrior Lady was his first monster, which attacked into a face down Element Dragon. Next turn his opponent summoned Armed Dragon, the Armored Dragon to attack into her, banishing them both. Masaru got her back next turn with Different Dimension Reincarnation to attack directly. After that, his opponent summoned another copy, but didn't attack.

With the capsule broken, he played Soul Absorption. It made the subsequent trade better as Masaru gained 1000 LP out of the deal. After that he set a Helios - The Primordial Sun, keeping his Different Dimension Gate and D.D Survivor combo in reserve. It paid off when his opponent double summoned into a Cthonian Emperor Dragon. Having banished his opponent's ace monster, the rest of the game was a steady chipping away at his opponent's LP. Masaru's opponent seemed flustered, not finding a card to summon. Masaru frowned a bit to see his opponent like this, but at the end of the game, Masaru extended a hand just the same and said "Good game."
--

Masaru wasn't able to look into the other duels because he was so engaged with his own, but he hoped the alliance members, Alva and Mika, were faring well. The first two games were nail biters, though Masaru made it look easy. He was incredibly nervous, but he was determined to give it his all and leave the tournament with no regrets.

 

[DesReploid]

~ Jack Cross ~
​

---

Jack's first duel was about to begin, he had already seated himself at the designated table and was now just waiting for his opponent to arrive, and he slowly felt the nerves coming on. He hadn't actively played for at least a year, probably more than that and the deck he had was, at this point, a little over five years old and he hadn't ever added or removed cards, maybe out of some weird sense of guilt, it wasn't really his deck after all, or maybe just because he could never afford to get new cards as a kid. He'd be surprised if he even got past this round.

He had actually recently started feeling bad about all the stolen stuff that was still left laying around in his flat. One of the primary ways he used to get in trouble as a kid was pickpocketing others and so he still had a number of empty wallets and other knick knacks. Wind the clock back a year or two and he'd cheerfully relieve others of whatever they have on them, now not so much. The deck he used was one of the few things that he'd stolen and that he hadn't in some way gotten rid of.

Though Jack's reminiscing was cut short when his opponent arrived. A young boy, probably around sixteen years old sat down in front of him, cards ready to play, "I was pointed to this table for my first duel... are you Jack Cross then?" he had a somewhat high-pitched voice, though it sounded a little hoarse, as if he had spent the past night screaming his lungs out.

"That would be me, yes." Jack answered with a smile on his face, extending a hand to his opponent, which was briefly shaken, "Well, if you're ready, you can go first if you want to."

And with that, the duel was on. His opponent only set a single monster before ending his turn. Jack's hand was actually pretty good. He just needed to get a single monster to stick on the field and he'd be off to the races, that shouldn't be too hard.

"Alright, I'll set two cards face-down. Then, I'll set a monster and end my turn too." The monster he set was Darkbishop Archfiend, a decent card defensively and really helpful when paired with the other Archfiends.

"Then, it's my turn now..." His opponent drew a card, and almost without any hesitation played that exact card immediately, "I'll summon Queen's Knight and then I'll have my Queen's Knight attack your face-down monster!" Jack flipped over the card to reveal that the Darkbishop was weaker than the Queen's Knight and he quietly moved it into the graveyard, "Alright! Well, uhm, I think that ends my turn."

Jack wasn't really concerned, he still had a few more powerful cards in his hand, waiting to be played. He just set another monster and ended his turn again. The card he set, Infernalqueen Archfiend, was just as powerful defensively as Queen's Knight's offence was. Should the Infernalqueen survive his opponent's next turn, Jack had just about won.

"Okay, next, I'll summon Warrior Lady of the Wasteland. Then, I'll have Queen's Knight attack your monster again!" With a barely noticeable, but nonetheless self-satisfied smile tugging at his lips, Jack revealed the Infernalqueen Archfiend, "Oh... so, nothing happens, right? in that case... I guess I just have to end my turn."

"Good," Jack couldn't help but feel just a little satisfied with himself, knowing he had all but won, "First, because of Infernalqueen Archfiend's effect, her attack is increased by 1000 to 1900 until the end of this turn. Next, I'll summon Terrorking Archfiend", a powerful monster with 2000 attack points, easily able to destroy any card his opponent controlled, "Then I will activate Falling Down, to take control of your Queen's Knight and I'll have her attack your Warrior Lady and I'll have Infernalqueen Archfiend destroy your set monster!" With that, all cards on his opponent's field were destroyed and Jack was free to attack with Terrorking Archfiend. Dealing a lot of damage in the process. "To end my turn, I'll just set another card and you're up again. Though, sadly, because of Falling Down's effect, I take 800 points of damage at the start of your turn."

Unlike Jack, who had so far been calm at the destruction of his monsters, his opponent seemed a bit distraught and Jack wasn't sure but he thought that he trembled just a little when he drew a card at the start of his turn.

"Okay, so, first, I'll activate The Warrior Returning Alive, adding my Warrior Lady of the Wasteland back to my hand and then I'll summon her and equip her with Fighting Spirit, giving her 2000 attack points, just like your Terrorking Archfiend." He took a deep breath now, "And because your Infernalqueen only has 1900 attack points, I'll attack her!"

Jack had prepared himself in case his opponent summoned a monster stronger than his and flipped up the card he set at the end of his last turn, "I will then activate Bark of Dark Ruler! I will pay 2000 Life Points to reduce the attack points of your Warrior Lady to 0."

"A, alright... then I'll activate the effect of the Shield Warrior you destroyed the last turn. I can banish him from the graveyard and my Warrior Lady can't be destroyed by battle this turn, but I'll still take the damage." Though, sadly for him, after taking the damage, there was little else that he could do, so his turn ended with that.

"At the start of my turn, I will have to take 500 points of damage for having Infernalqueen Archfiend and 800 points for having Terrorking Archfiend on my field. But, I can also use the effect of Infernalqueen Archfiend to give my Terrorking 1000 more attack points, giving him 3000 attack points. Next, I'll summon a second Terrorking Archfiend and attack your Warrior Lady with the first Terroking."

"But I'll only take 700 damage because you summoned another monster, giving my Warrior Lady 2300 attack points and when she's destroyed I'll use her effect to special summon a Warrior from my deck!"

Jack's opponent chose to summon another Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, that Jack destroyed using his opponent's Queen's Knight, dealing 400 damage. Then, his opponent used the destroyed Warrior Lady to summon another Shield Warrior, but because it had to be summoned in attack position, even the weakened Infernalqueen Archfiend could destroy it, dealing another 100 damage to his opponent. At last, Jack attacked with Terrorking Archfiend to reduce his opponent's life points to 500 before he ended his turn.

Now Jack was sure that he could see his opponent shake when he went to draw a card. He knew he was about to lose and it seems the nerves were getting to him a little. "I'll activate Monster Reincarnation! I'll discard a card to add a Warrior Lady of the Wasteland back to my hand! Now I'll summon that Warrior Lady and equip her with my Axe of Fools, making her attack 2100 and making her strong enough to destroy your Infernalqueen!"

"When you attack, I'll activate my Hate Buster." Jack flipped over one of the two cards he had set at the very beginning of the duel, "Both of our monsters are destroyed, but you take damage equal to the attack points of your Warrior Lady and since she had 2100 attack..."

"I lost? Damn it!"

"Hey don't take it too hard. You did really well!"

"Yeah, easy for you to say! You just won 'cause you were lucky and drew that weird trap card!" With that, his opponent picked up his cards and stomped off.

Jack chose not to mention that the Axe of Fools he played would have caused his opponent to lose either way, he didn't need to rub it into the kid's face. Not everyone could take defeat with grace, at that age Jack probably would have been even more furious than his opponent was, not to mention that he would probably have also tried to actively cheat during the duel, he was good at sleight of hand and back then was no stranger to hiding cards up his sleeve, which as best as he could tell the other kid didn't seem to do. He was probably just upset to lose in the very first round of what was probably his first tournament.

Jack just sighed, carefully picked up the cards and placed them back in their dark purple box before going to see who his next opponent would be.

---