The duel arena shimmered with the polished sheen of high-tech equipment and theatrical lighting. The crowd's murmurs buzzed like static in the background as I stepped onto my raised platform. My shoes clanked against the metal surface as it lifted me into the air once more. Across from me, already on his platform, stood my next opponent.
An older teenager, probably seventeen or eighteen, leaned lazily on the rail. His brown hair was tousled in a way that looked effortless—like he'd rolled out of bed and decided to throw on a gray t-shirt... and a cape.
Yes. A literal, flowing, waist-length cape.
I stared at him for a moment, blinking. My brows slowly drew together in disbelief. "A cape?" I muttered under my breath. "This better not be another weirdo."
The teen looked up, making eye contact. He gave a shrug and smirked. "You can take the first turn. I'll let you show me what you've got."
That smirk irked me. Not just the confidence—but the boredom in it. Like he already knew the outcome of this duel.
What is his strategy for this duel? I wondered. I'll figure it out later. First—I've got a duel to win.
I drew my opening hand, heart thudding as I glanced at my cards.
"I'll start by setting one monster face-down," I declared, sliding the card onto my duel disk. "Then I activate the spell card Enchanting Fitting Room! I pay 800 life points to reveal the top four cards of my deck and special summon any Level 3 or lower normal monsters I find."
A pulse of light shot out as my life points dropped from 4000 to 3200. The top four cards flipped on my display.
"Looks like I've drawn Giant Soldier of Stone and Bunilla," I said, placing them on the field. "I summon both in defense mode."
Two beams of light shot up. The massive stone guardian materialized on my field, standing tall with its arms crossed. Next to it, a puffy white rabbit with serene eyes and a tiny pink nose blinked into existence.
"I'll also set one card face-down in my back row. That's all for now."
Matt hadn't said a word. He looked... intrigued. He tapped a finger against the rail in rhythm, nodding slightly.
I narrowed my eyes. He's thinking. Analyzing. That smile hasn't left his face since the duel began. That's never a good sign.
"My turn," he finally said. "And I'll start strong. I activate Dark Hole."
My eyes widened. "Damn it."
A swirling vortex of darkness exploded in the center of the field. Both Giant Soldier and Bunilla let out silent cries as they were pulled into the void.
"Looks like your Creature Seizure's useless without monsters on the field," Matt said casually, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder.
"You watched my last duel," I said.
He smiled wider. "I did. You used that swap combo pretty well against Devin. Not gonna let you do that to me."
I had to give him credit. He was sharp. Already playing around my old strategies.
"Well played," I said, nodding respectfully. "I'm curious to see what else you've got."
Matt chuckled. "I appreciate that. I've got a surprise or two for you."
He slid a card onto his duel disk. "I summon Rude Kaiser. Then I equip him with Fighting Spirit. He gains 300 attack points for every monster you control."
Rude Kaiser snarled as he stepped forward—muscular, reptilian, with piercing eyes. The aura from Fighting Spirit engulfed him in golden energy.
"I control no monsters," I muttered.
"Exactly," Matt said. "So for now, he remains at 1800 attack points. Now—Rude Kaiser, direct attack!"
A flash of claws and a burst of wind slammed into my platform. My life point counter dropped violently—from 3200 to 1400.
I winced, staggering backward as the force of the attack rocked my footing. My arm shielded my face from the gust.
Shit. That hurt more than I expected.
Matt crossed his arms, studying me. "Fighting Spirit has another effect, but I'll let you find out about it the hard way."
I glared. Why can't I read his card? That's some serious bullshit. This world's version of dueling doesn't let me see card effects unless they're used? That adds a whole new layer of complication.
My eyes narrowed. If I can't know the traps ahead of time, then I have to go for overkill just to play it safe.
I drew a card and smiled.
"I summon Mad Lobster!" I shouted. The monstrous crustacean appeared with a menacing chitter.
"And now, I equip him with two copies of Amulet of Ambition!"
Twin flashes of dark light enveloped the lobster. His claws grew larger, gleaming wickedly.
"Each Amulet of Ambition grants him 500 attack points per level difference between him and his target. Rude Kaiser is Level 6. That's three levels. 3 x 500 x 2 = 3000 bonus."
Matt's expression twitched.
"Mad Lobster has 3700 attack points. Time to even the score. Mad Lobster, attack Rude Kaiser!"
The massive claw slashed forward in a dazzling arc of light. A cloud of dust exploded across the field. The crowd roared in anticipation.
When the dust cleared—Rude Kaiser was still standing.
"What?" I hissed.
Matt held up a card. "Fighting Spirit's hidden effect. If the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle, I can destroy Fighting Spirit instead."
So that's it, I thought. That was the effect. I forgot. Thank god it wasn't something more broken.
Matt's life points dropped to 2400. Sweat gleamed on his brow now. His hand lingered at his side as he exhaled slowly.
The crowd's cheer wasn't just for him. It was for the drama. The narrow survival. The fact that we were both still standing.
What are they cheering for? I thought, narrowing my eyes. He must have something else planned. There's no way he didn't factor this in.
I could see the sheen of perspiration on his face now, his breathing slightly heavier.
He's not as calm as he looks. He didn't expect me to retaliate that hard.
The stress of the duel must be getting to him, I thought. To make it this far and be on the ropes like that—it must be tough.
"I end my turn," I said, voice firm but breath short. "If you're going to bring something out, it better be worth it. Make it count."
Matt gave me a sly grin, his eyes sharp but twitching ever so slightly. "I'll place three cards face down in my back row," he said, slowly and with intent. "Then I'll put Rude Kaiser into defense mode."
His fingers trembled slightly as he set the cards down. The gleam in his eye returned, though—tainted with a shade of gleeful madness.
"I'm going to need some luck to win this," he admitted, flashing a grin. "My turn's over."
There was something deeply unsettling about that smile. I didn't like it.
I drew a card, glanced at it, and nodded to myself. "I'll start my turn by summoning Bunilla in attack mode," I said.
The fluffy white rabbit materialized with a shimmer of golden light, its innocent eyes staring blankly across the field. The crowd murmured.
"Next," I continued, "I activate the spell card Creature Swap. I'll take your Rude Kaiser, and you'll get Bunilla."
A pulse of light flashed between the monsters. Our creatures swapped fields.
I'm playing it safe, I thought. With his back row unknown, I need a backup. That face-down card—Creature Seizure—will let me reverse things if he tries something like Mirror Force.
Just as I was preparing to attack, Matt's laughter broke the tension.
"Looks like it's time," he said, flipping all three of his trap cards at once. "My three copies of Paths of Destiny!"
My eyes widened. "What?!"
A twisted, maniacal grin had taken over Matt's face. "Let's test our luck, shall we?"
"You're seriously gambling the outcome of this duel? With a ten-thousand-dollar prize on the line?!" I barked, the shock evident on my face. My jaw was practically on the floor.
He shrugged like it was no big deal. "I play for the thrill of the gamble. These coins haven't failed me yet."
You've got to be kidding me, I thought. This guy's channeling Joey Wheeler levels of luck-based chaos.
The crowd began to chant. "Flip! Flip! Flip!"
The stadium buzzed like a living organism as fans rose to their feet.
"Will Matt's luck hold out?" the announcer exclaimed, his voice booming. "Or will his reckless gamble backfire?!"
My hands gripped the handrail in front of me. My knuckles went white.
What sort of anime-tier bullshit luck does this guy have? I thought. If this duel comes down to a goddamn coin toss, then what use are all my carefully planned plays?
I could feel my heart hammering in my chest, my pulse in my ears. Sweat rolled down the sides of my face, the tension nearly unbearable.
"So here's how it works," Matt said, his voice loud and theatrical. "For each Paths of Destiny, we both flip a coin. Heads means we gain 2000 life points. Tails means we lose 2000. Let's see what fate decides."
The first coin launched into the air. The entire stadium went silent. It landed—
Heads. For Matt.
He grinned, eyes lighting up like fireworks.
The second coin was mine. I clenched my fists, silently praying. Come on. Don't screw me.
It landed—
Heads. I sighed with overwhelming relief, feeling a breath escape I didn't know I was holding.
"Looks like we're both lucky so far," Matt said, twirling another coin in his fingers. "Let's keep going."
The second set of coins were flipped.
Tails. For both of us.
My heart nearly stopped. Our life points reset to where we began, the net result canceling each other out.
"I swear, this is going to give me a goddamn ulcer," I muttered. I used my sleeve to wipe my drenched face.
"The final flip decides it all, folks!" the announcer boomed. "This is one of the most intense coin-based duels we've ever seen!"
The third coin for me flipped high into the air.
Heads.
I sagged slightly, breathing easier. My life points ticked up.
Matt's coin soared. We all watched it turn midair.
Tails.
The color drained from Matt's face as his life points fell rapidly, plummeting to 400.
The arena quieted. The coin flips were over.
"Well," Matt said, panting slightly, "Looks like my luck finally ran out. Good luck in the next round, kid. You're gonna need it."
"Thanks," I replied. "Maybe next time, replace the gambling cards with something more useful."
He chuckled. "No fun in that. I play for the thrill."
I switched Rude Kaiser to attack mode. "Finish it. Attack Bunilla."
With a roar and a flash of energy, Bunilla vanished in a puff of light. Matt's life points dropped to zero.
"Good game," he said. "You've got potential. I hope to see where you go from here."
"Good game, Matt," I replied, offering my hand. He shook it.
We stepped off our platforms, walking side by side down the ramp.
"You gotta watch out for your next opponent," Matt whispered. "He's got a decent chance of beating the King of Games himself."
I blinked. "Who?"
Matt smirked. "He's the North American Champion. He's in the same league as Seto Kaiba."
That made my stomach twist.
"It's not my cousin," I muttered to myself. "She's the U.S. Champion. Bandit Keith?"
"No," I said aloud. "Keith's never been undefeated."
"Good luck, Connor," Matt added. "You might be the one to finally break his streak."
As I stepped onto the lift platform for the next arena, my mind whirled.
Who the hell am I up against?
The announcer's voice thundered over the speakers. "The final sixteen start now! In the next match: Connor Hawkins versus the North American Champion—Jason Whitesmith!"
The lift rose. Across from me, another platform elevated… revealing an older man. Easily sixty. His white hair flowed past his shoulders like a wizard's. His eyes were a haunting pale blue.
But what stood out the most—was the Millennium Ring hanging from his neck. Its bronze hue glinted menacingly under the arena lights.
A shiver ran down my spine.
"That guy gives me serious creeper vibes," I muttered.
Jason smiled. It was a cold, knowing smile that sent every hair on my arms standing upright.
"Ah," he said, voice smooth and practiced. "It's always nice to see what the new generation is capable of. I'm always looking for new… projects."
The Millennium Ring began to move—its pointer spinning erratically before stopping, aimed squarely at me.
My mouth went dry.
"What the fuck?" I thought. "He's tracking me?"
This wasn't just a duel anymore.
This was a test.
My luck's been questionable. My skills barely carried me this far. But now? Now I'm up against some kind of ancient duel-cult freak.
I took a deep breath, eyes narrowing.
Well, old man. You want to test me? Fine. Let's settle this like men… in a children's card game.