Sorry for the wait, guys. This chapter also falls into the "that it became way too long, so I decided to split it" chapter. As previously, part two will also probably be released this week, but we will see.
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A few days later...
[Yuna's POV]
"Look it's Yuna Sano!"
"Have you heard she's the new King of Games who defeated Pegasus!"
"Yeah, who knew she's that strong in Duel Monsters!"
Sitting at my desk, I sighed tiredly while hearing the constant whispers. After defeating Pegasus, he later announced it to the media worldwide and now the stares I received don't just come from my classmates but the common citizens as well!
However, strangely the gazes that were directed upon me no longer felt like it was one of fear. If I have to say, it's more like pure admiration. It sounds arrogant, but that's what it felt like.
"S... Sano-san!" A sudden nervous voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I looked ahead and noticed a female student anxiously standing before me. In her hand was a deck of Duel Monsters, and she hesitantly reached out: "C.. can I have a duel with you?"
My eyes widened in shock, and I nodded subconsciously. The girl was also surprised before eagerly placing a chair opposite me. Obviously, it wasn't even a few turns until I utterly demolished her; however, the girl's action started a catalyst of events.
"Please duel with me too!"
"I really want to see how strong the King of Games is!"
More and more students gathered around me and declared challenges one by one, forming a line until, eventually, they were ushered to their seats by the teacher. During lunch, I went to ask Yugi about this, but he merely smiled and answered, saying that Duel Monsters can bring everyone together.
I was surprised and reminded that this was the world of Yugioh. Your strength as a duelist also represents your status in life. Naturally, as the Duel King, people will start to see me in a different light. However, that amount of interaction may still be too much for me.
Speaking of Yugi, I also gave Joey a portion of the money, enough for his little sister's surgery. Saying grateful was an understatement when he prostrated and flooded the classroom with tears.
Even with my donation, there was still enough money to not worry about my financial issue for a lifetime. Not only from Pegasus's prize money, I also received payment from Kaiba for looking after Mokuba.
The amount he sent wasn't something to scoff at either, and I haven't properly thanked him yet, since I can't even be next to him without being nervous. Anyway, other than that, my life became uneventful as always.
A few days later...
I walked in a familiar street, eventually stopping at the Kame Game Card Store. I opened the door and saw Grandpa Mutou working by the counter.
When Grandpa Mutou noticed me, he smiled: "Congratulations on winning the tournament. Yugi has told me all about it."
His kind attitude warmed my heart, and I excitedly approached the counter. However, my mood dampened soon after when I recalled the reason for my visit. I nervously took out my deck and presented him with the Blue Eyes White Dragon.
"Sorry..." I muttered.
I bowed and closed my eyes. Hopefully, he can be more lenient with my actions. After all, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card was very important to him. Out of the blue, I felt a gentle hand patting my head.
Grandpa Mutou smiled and told me to lift my head: "How can I be angry at someone who saved my life?"
"Don't be nervous," Grandpa Mutou soothed: "I'm glad you're honest and returned the card to me."
I grinned with relief, and Grandpa Mutou laughed: "So don't worry about it. Also, I just received a new shipment of cards, and I will give you fifty percent off!"
My eyes shone with enthusiasm while staring at the box of booster packs he stacked on the table. However, before I fully immerse myself into the Duel Monster card purchasing spree...
"You there, old man!" A high-pitched voice erupted from behind.
We both turned around and spotted a little girl with blond hair tied into twin tails standing by the door. She wore a light blue shirt with a pink coat, a short red skirt and knee-high socks. In her hand was a brown teddy bear. The girl glared at Grandpa Mutou fiercely as if he had stolen her candy.
"May I ask who might you be?" Grandpa Mutou asked.
The girl smirked and patted her chest: "I'm Rebecca, the current American Duel Monsters Champion, and I'm here to take back what's stolen from me!"
"What may that be?" He responded with confusion.
"Of course, it's the Blue Eyes White Dragon card you took from my grandfather!"
Grandpa Mutou: !!!
Ah, I remember now. She's the granddaughter of Grandpa Mutou's friend, who gave him the Blue Eye White Dragon. Rebecca didn't make much appearance other than today and a few times in the future, so she's pretty forgettable...
"Is your grandfather's last name Hawkins, perhaps?" Grandpa Mutou asked.
"That's right!" With pride, Rebecca declared, "And I, Rebecca Hawkins, here to take the card you stole back to its rightful owner!"
Grandpa Mutou was obviously troubled and tried calming Rebecca down: "There must have been a misunderstanding. Your grandfather and I were great friends, and he entrusted this card to me as proof of our friendship."
"Lies!" Rebecca screamed: "I don't believe you, thief!"
The audacity of this brat!
I was already quite annoyed by her sudden outburst, but disrespecting Grandpa Mutou was unacceptable! He's the first one that has been really kind and patient with my timid nature. So watching him being berated like this despite being innocent, I couldn't help and get mad.
"And you!" Rebecca suddenly pointed at me while fuming hotly: "Mr Keith has told me all about it, how you're freely using my grandfather's card, so you're just as guilty!"
"What to do..." Grandpa Mutou muttered as Rebecca continued to screech like a wild Siberian Husky.
Watching Grandpa Mutou's exhausted expression, I moved on impulses and pulled his sleeve. Surprised, He stared at me, and his eyes softened: "Do you have a way to solve this situation?"
I nodded and approached Rebecca while crossing my arms.
Rebecca: "What do you want?"
"Duel," I answered, showing Rebecca the Blue Eyes White Dragon.
She instinctively reached for the card, but before she could, I placed Blue Eyes White Dragon on top of my deck and shuffled it. Finally understanding my intentions, Rebecca clicked her teeth.
"Fine, if you want to battle me so badly, then so be it!" She growled: "But if I win, you better give me that card!"
But I remained silent and stared at her. Eventually, Rebecca pouted, inflating her cheeks like a chipmunk: "If I lose, I will leave you alone."
I nodded and took out my phone before dialling a certain number. After a few seconds, the phone picked up: "Hello, Big Sister, what's up?" Mokuba asked through the phone.
"Huh, you need a duel room? Sure thing! Well, of course, I'm coming to watch it! I have already sent you the address. I will see you there!"
Mokuba eagerly hung up as I received the location through my text. Rebecca and Grandpa Mutou followed me and walked through the bustling city. We eventually arrived at one of Kaiba Corp's Dueling Facilities, and Mokuba was waiting for us outside. I haven't seen him for a few days, so I'm glad he's doing well.
He led us into a massive duel room as large as the one I've used in the Duelist Kingdom. Without further instructions, Rebecca and I stepped onto the podiums opposite each other.
"You better prepare yourself. I'm pretty strong, you know!" She said.
Hmph, brag all you want, and I'm not the winner of Duelist Kingdom for nothing!
"Well, are both duelists ready?" Grandpa Mutou asked and acted as the referee.
We nodded in unison, and he brought his hand down: "Begin!"
"Duel!" x2
[Rebecca Hawkins: 2000 LP]
[Yuna Sano: 2000 LP]
"I will go first!" She declared, "I set a monster and a card, then end my turn!"
"I summon Koumori Dragon!"
[Koumori Dragon: 1500 Attack, 1200 Defence]
"Now, Koumori Dragon attack!" I ordered and pointed at the set card on Rebecca's field.
The dragon charged, and when it reached Rebecca's card, Koumori Dragon raised its claws and slashed downward. The hidden monster was revealed, and it was a woman. She has purple hair and wearing a dark robe. However, the most prominent feature was the third eye on her forehead.
The claws pierced her in the chest, and she was instantly defeated. Normally, I would've been happy with the small triumph, but I understood I shouldn't be celebrating until I realised the monster's identity.
"You have triggered the ability of my monster, Witch of the Black Forest!" Rebecca yelled.
"When this monster is sent from the field to the graveyard, I can add one monster with one thousand five hundred or less defence from my deck to my hand!"
Rebecca smiled and searched her deck before adding a card to her hand.
"I end my turn..." I said and anticipated her move.
"My turn! I will use the Card of Destruction, and we discard both our hands and draw the same amount of cards."
We dumped our entire hands into the discard pile and added the same number of cards. When I looked at the new cards in my hand, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Hey, hold up, what's this?
Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand
Arkbrave Dragon
Blue Eyes White Dragon
Reinforcement???
Oi oi, I understand that the three of you wanted some time to shine, but this might be too much...
You know that if my Koumori Dragon's not on the field, I will actually lose here! [1]
"I will set another monster and card before the end of my turn." She said as another card appeared face-down on the field.
Another set monster...
There were now two traps waiting for me, and I couldn't help but frown at Rebecca's extremely defensive playstyle, and I can't remember her strategy in the anime. Doesn't matter, Koumori Dragon. Go for it; I believe in you!
Koumori Dragon: *Sweating*
"Now attack!"
My monster flew towards Rebecca and attacked the monster she had set. What was revealed was a small creature with a brown furry body, green limbs and three eyes. Why does it always have to be three eyes?
[Sangan: 1000 Attack, 600 Defence]
Koumori Dragon unleashed a fiery breath, and Sangan died while making a disturbing Ke Ke Ke noise.
"With the ability of Sangan!" Rebecca shouted: "If this card is sent from the field to the graveyard, I can add one monster with one thousand five hundred or less defence from my deck to my hand!"
I clicked my teeth as she joyfully added another card: "I will play one card face down. Your move."
"My turn!" She said confidently: "I will use Soul Exchange to use your Koumori Dragon as tribute!"
Despite being my monster, Koumori Dragon was helplessly sacrificed to summon a monster Rebecca owned: "The monster I summoned with be set face down, then I end my turn."
Usually, when you tribute summons, you would've summoned the monster in attack position as it was probably your trump card. But set it instead? There usually wasn't a card that needed you to set in defence mode, nor Rebecca's in the situation to do that.
I gently tapped my temple while trying to remember the deck Rebecca used. There were two strategies she used, but what was it again? Nonetheless, whatever it was, I should find out what it was before it was too late!
"I will call upon my Dragon Knight of Creation!" I declared. A knight with gold armour appeared before me. He cheered and lifted his sword, eager for another battle.
[Dragon Knight of Creation: 1800 Attack, 600 Defense]
"Then I activate my trap card, Reinforcements! Dragon Knight of Creation will gain five hundred attacks!" I explained.
[Dragon Knight of Creation: 1800 -> 2300 Attack, 600 Defense]
"Now, Dragon Knight of Creation, destroy that set card!"
The knight rushes towards Rebecca's field. He leapt into the air and grasped the handle of his sword with both hands before unleashing a wide downward slash. Suddenly, the set card flipped over, and a massive shield emerged.
Dragon Knight of Creation's blade easily bounced off the shield, and the impact caused him to stagger backward. I stared at the imposing shield with caution. It has a red centre with a golden rim o the edges, and in the centre was the symbol of an Egyptian Eye.
[Millenium Shield: 0 Attack, 3000 Defence]
"Hmph! With my Millenium Shield, there's no way for you to crack its defence!" Rebecca shouted with pride.
[Yuna Sano: 2000 LP -> 1300 LP]
"I will set a card and end my turn," I said, ignoring her taunts.
"Hah, now it's my turn!" Rebecca declared: "I will summon Cannon Soldier in attack position!"
A metallic robot with a cannon strapped to its back was summoned. The machine snapped its sharp pincers imposingly and aimed the gun at my face.
[Cannon Soldier: 1400 Attack, 1200 Defence]
Rebecca: "I will also play Ring Of Magnetism on Millenium Shield, reducing its defence by five hundred, but now that your monster can only attack my shield and nothing else!"
[Millenium Shield: 0 Attack, 3000 -> 2500 Defence]
"I will end my turn here," Rebecca announced: "But on my next turn, it's where the real challenge begins!"
When it was my move, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. What's making me feel this way? I can't understand. It wasn't an emotion of worry of the impending danger. No, it's more that ever Rebecca was going to do was going to set me off.
"I will set a card," I said and decided to play safely: "I end my turn."
Rebecca smiled gleefully like I had offered her an ice cream cone. She drew a card and yelled happily: "Now prepare yourself, Yuna!"
"I will summon Witch of the Black Forest!"
[Witch of the Black Forest: 1100 Attack, 1200 Defence]
"Now, I activate Cannon Soldier's ability! I will tribute Witch of the Black Forest to inflict four hundred damage!"
The Witch of the Black Forest transformed into a beam of light and absorbed into Cannon Soldier's weapon. The robot churned and fired the cannon at the projectile, striking my side of the field, searing a part with flames.
[Yuna Sano: 1300 LP -> 900 LP]
"While my Cannon Soldier keep inflicting damage, you can't even harm it!" Rebecca cheered and hugged the teddy bear in her arms.
Ah, that's right, this bi... twat used a burn strategy!
.....
She really has no shame, huh?
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[1] A reminder that this is still the Duelist Kingdom Rule where if you can't summon a monster when you have none on the field, you automatically lose. Kaiba himself later implemented the rule that we all know and love in the future
I hope you enjoy