"Hello, dear audience, you're watching the finals of the Moonlight Cup tournament. I'm commentator Xiaodu."
"And I'm commentator Sasaki."
The competition's logo flashed by in the live broadcast, and the two commentators for the pre-game warm-up quickly appeared on screen.
"After several days of fierce competition, the tournament has finally reached its climax today. Honestly, this year's tournament has been full of surprises," said commentator Xiaodu.
"Indeed," Sasaki echoed, "The legendary duelist Ryuzaki Kyoryu, who had been out of the scene for years, returned to the arena with an unstoppable force, making it to the finals. I think this was expected by everyone.
But I guess nobody would have anticipated that the final challenger to this legend wouldn't be any of the seeded players predicted before the tournament, but rather our NO.39, Fujiki Yugen, a newcomer with no prior records."
Xiaodu nodded and said, "And I'm sure everyone also knows, this player doesn't just lack competition experience, and his Duelist Level is only One-Star."
"Honestly, when I first saw the players' list for the main event, I wondered if there was a mistake," Sasaki said. "I was thinking, huh? A one-star player? Is this a joke?
Then I checked the system, and it really was..."
"Sometimes these things happen," Xiaodu said. "There have been precedents. Some players never appear in the arena nor show their faces, perhaps training in seclusion for many years, only to suddenly make a stunning debut out of nowhere..."
"True, but it's rare. We were lucky this year to witness the rise of a dark horse. In previous years, it might have even won the championship, who knows. Unfortunately..."
Sasaki realized he was about to say something inappropriate and quickly stopped himself.
Sasaki took a deep breath. That was close. Unprofessional commentators don't engage in pre-game jinxes or malicious manipulation of matches with mystical forces.
Even if what he thought was actually what most people thought as well.
No matter how unexpected this dark horse is, can it really defeat a legendary duelist in seconds?
Running into someone like Ryuzaki Kyoryu in such a minor tournament is an extremely rare event. Normally, such big shots wouldn't come to lower-level matches just to dominate. It seems like this big shot is making his first move after years in seclusion, trying out something simple to test the waters.
But for the Moonlight Cup, the presence of such a big shot is an overwhelming advantage.
Even though this newcomer is impressively skilled, it seems they were prepared and aimed to make a name for themselves at this tournament, but fate would have it they'd face such a powerhouse.
In addition to skill, sometimes luck is also significant.
"Alright, the match is now in countdown, and both players should have entered the pre-match preparation stage," Xiaodu said. "Will the dark horse rise unexpectedly or will the legend return as a king? Let's wait and see!"
...
...
Yugen stood on stage, face-to-face with the legendary Ryuzaki Kyoryu, shuffling the deck.
Indeed, the person standing before him was somewhat different from the image he remembered from the anime. In his memory, Ryuzaki and his buddy Butterfly were both short and stunted, only reaching up to his waist. It seems the years after DM finished had been kind in terms of nutrition, as Ryuzaki had grown significantly taller.
Now, Ryuzaki could barely reach his chin.
But though Ryuzaki had to look up to meet Yugen's gaze, his aura was no weaker, exuding a certain confidence of a powerful superior.
Yugen was comparing the changes between the person in front of him and the anime image, but whatever Ryuzaki interpreted from his gaze, he smiled slightly, adopting the stance of a master: "No need to be nervous, just perform as you usually do. Don't feel pressured; it's about participating and showing your style."
Yugen was taken aback, quickly realizing this guy must think he's feeling mental pressure facing a "legend."
Besides, what's with this nonsense of "it's about participating," as if I've already lost...
However, he smiled back and said, "Thanks, but I'm alright. I just remembered seeing you compete on the Duel Kingdom stage on TV back when I couldn't even duel..."
Ryuzaki's eyes lit up with pride upon hearing this, his posture straightening a little: "Haha, so in a way, I was half a dueling guide for you."
"Yeah, yeah, I especially remember your ace 'True Red-Eyed Black Dragon.' The red dragon of legend that brings possibilities left an indelible mark on my young mind," Yugen said earnestly.
But as soon as he mentioned it, Ryuzaki's face darkened.
Of all things to mention, he had to bring up that one.
The True Red-Eyed Black Dragon was indeed his cherished ace, but anyone who watched the Duel Kingdom would know he lost it in his first game to the legendary gambler, Joey Wheeler.
Ryuzaki didn't believe Yugen wasn't aware of this, so bringing it up seemed intentionally taunting, like saying your wife is great, too bad she's with someone else...
Ryuzaki's face turned sour, letting out a humph without saying anything. He might have been contemplating to show this oblivious rookie just how cruel a true duel among strong players can be once they started.
"Oh, right, later on, you continued dueling in Duel City, and I kept following your progress," Yugen said with earnestness so genuine even he almost believed it.
"Especially your summon of 'Evil Knight Dragon' in the Duel City arena, it was so cool..."
Ryuzaki's face grew even darker.
Now he was certain this guy was deliberately messing with his mentality. The Evil Knight Dragon was indeed his ace in Duel City, but it also got defeated in the first match by the duelist "Superpower Arena" who wielded "Artificial Human Soga."
It felt like a double face-to-face taunt: your second wife was also great, too bad she ran away again...
No, he had to maintain his composure.
The mentality is crucial, especially in a high-level duel, and sometimes pre-match trash talk is part of the competition in pro leagues. Stay calm, don't let this guy mess up your mindset before the match even starts.
He had to show his power through this duel.
"Duel!" x2
[Yugen, LP 4000]
[Ryuzaki, LP 4000]
The choice of going first or second randomly fell to Yugen. He took the first move without hesitation.
"I'm going first, drawing a card."
Yugen drew three cards in one swoop.
"Front field covers a monster, back field covers two cards. Turn ends!"