"Greetings, duelists! Welcome to Battle City!"
The voice that reached her ears was somewhat familiar, and she couldn't hold back her curiosity. She glanced upwards, raising an eyebrow as a shadow fell across the pavement she was currently standing on.
She heard the laughter before she saw his face. But she knew who he was.
"...Hello, Kaiba," she murmured to herself as the man's face appeared on the massive screen that towered just in front of her. The shadow belonged to a large blimp, and a part of her idly wondered why the man insisted on going to such lengths to be acknowledged.
"It's time to put your duelling skills to the test!"
She sighed a little, tapping her foot against the concrete. She knew he would make a big deal out of this. After all, this was his tournament.
"I hope none of you entered my tournament looking for friendly competition. Battle City is going to be an all-out war!"
She rolled her eyes at his words. Of course it would...
"Before my Battle City tournament begins, I thought I would let you all know what you're in for, in case you want to back out now."
She stared up at the man's face on the screen, her eyes set on his form. This was the whole reason she'd shown up in Domino in the first place.
"Let's begin with my new Duel Disks. Everyone who I decided was good enough to enter received one. With it you can..."
His voice trailed off into a muffle as she looked down at the new Duel Disk attached to her right arm. The machine was certainly hi-tech; she'd activated the thing earlier and the many sounds and lights it emitted had baffled her a little. She guessed she'd get used to it eventually.
"...Next, let's talk about the most important tournament rule. The loser of each duel is required to fork over their rarest card to the winner."
That made her cringe a little. That was a new feature to a tournament that she didn't particularly like.
"If you don't have the guts to risk losing your precious cards, then I suggest you forfeit now. And anyone who is foolish enough can challenge me to a duel, because I'll also be competing in this tournament."
She couldn't hold back the wave of excitement that crashed over her as he said those words. It had been a while since she'd fought Kaiba. She missed the challenge.
"But don't get your hopes up, because I intend to win...and there is one duelist out there who I can't wait to defeat."
"Heh."
She let out a short chuckle, shaking her head. Whoever this guy was, she felt sorry for him. Once the young man's heart was set on something, he wouldn't give up until it was his. His duelling crown was no exception. She knew that from experience.
"And speaking of winning, only the eight best duelists will make it to the final round. These finals will be held in a hidden location. In order to find the finals, you'll need these locator cards," the man lifted his hand, showing off a plastic-looking card with what looked like a puzzle piece inside, "you each received one with your Duel Disk."
She put her hand in her pocket; feeling around and quickly pulling out a card similar to Kaiba's. She didn't want to admit it, but she'd almost thrown the card out. It just looked like a piece of junk to her.
"All right, everything I just said and more can be found in my tournament rule book. Just remember only one player can win and claim the title of Number One duelist in the world...Let the tournament begin!"
Kaiba's transmission cut off, and the blimp slowly ascended, signalling the end of his speech, and the beginning of the tournament. She smiled slightly, once again looking at the Duel Disk attached to her arm. Her gaze lingered on her deck which she had already strapped into place on the machine, and she felt another jolt of excitement run through her. This tournament was going to be an interesting one. She could feel it.
"Hey!"
She raised an eyebrow as a young voice met her ears, and she turned, watching in confusion as a young boy of around 12 ran up to her, a Duel Disk similar to hers attached to his left arm.
"Um...sorry to bother you, but...those tattoos..."
She glanced at her left arm, smirking a little when the bright colours caught her eye, before turning back to him, her eyebrow raised in question.
"...You...wouldn't happen to be Elise Griffin, would you?"
Her smile grew, and she flicked her hair out of her face, a glint of happiness in her eyes as her name was mentioned.
"That would be me."
The boy's eyes grew wide, and a massive grin settled on his face.
"Awesome! I can't believe a Duelist like you is entering Battle City!"
"Trust me, I wouldn't miss this tournament for the world," she said, glancing, once again, at her Duel Disk, "there's a lot of tough opponents I want to face in this one..."
"Maybe...would it be okay if you and me had a duel? I've always wanted to duel with you, and-"
"-Sure, kid," she said with a smile, activating her Duel Disk and watching as the hologram-enablers shot out, setting up the field for them, "I'll duel you."
"Awesome!" The young boy let out a yell, activating his Duel Disk and stepping away a little, making the field larger, "I can't believe I get to duel you!"
"Don't expect me to go easy on you, kid," she smirked as she drew her five cards, "after all, I play to win."
"I wouldn't want you to! Let's duel!"
Domino City Centre was crammed full of people. Most were duelists, identifiable by the Duel Disks attached to their arms. Some were friends of duelists who came along for support and entertainment; after all, only the elite duelists were granted access to this tournament, which guaranteed some intense battles.
And then there were those who were glancing round uncertainly, unaware of this new championship. All they knew were that there were plenty of people - mostly teenagers - who were assembled together, with the buzz and excitement creating a tense yet enjoyable atmosphere. Most who didn't understand what was going on casually sidestepped the crowds and decided to visit a different part of the city, where as some simply stood and spectated.
The mix of people was certainly one of the largest crowds Domino had amassed, which of course was Kaiba's intention; after all, he always wanted to be bigger and better than everyone else.
"Yugi!"
A voice called out from the crowd, snapping Yugi from his thoughts. He glanced around him, searching for the source of the voice. Mai Valentine was running his way, waving and smiling brightly.
"Hey, Mai," Yugi greeted.
"Pretty good turn out for this thing...all losers," Mai commented, looking around at potential opponents.
"Well, there's a lot of duelists that I've never seen before," Yugi mentioned, not wishing to sound as harsh by calling them losers, yet still noting that there weren't many well known duelists in the crowd around them.
"Yeah, but I know a few who are gonna be worth challenging!" Mai smiled knowingly.
"Oh? Who would that be then?" Yugi was pretty clued up about the elite duelists, and he did try to follow some of the smaller tournaments, often watching them with his Grandpa.
"Hmm... well as I consider us friends, I suppose I could tell you one of them so you can keep a look out, mainly so you stay out of her way. Trust me; her dueling technique will give you more than enough challenge. I'd leave her to the finals."
Mai rambled on, and Yugi was surprised that the woman could talk so fondly of another duelist, especially about how well they play. Had she dueled this other duelist before?
"Oh really? Well then I'll look forward to the challenge! Who am I looking out for?"
"Elise Griffin. You'll know her when you see her. Trust me."
"How do you know she is definitely duelling? Isn't she one of those traveling duelists? What would bring her here?" Yugi wondered. The name rang a bell but he couldn't remember specifics, and couldn't quite put a face to her name.
"Oh, she'll be here. You can trust me on that one," Mai winked ominously. Obviously she knew information that would answer Yugi's question directly, yet she chose to keep that to herself.
"Ah, well okay. Thanks for the tip, Mai."
Not sure whether knowing about this Elise actually helped or hindered him, Yugi thanked her anyway.
"Ah! This is so exciting!" Mai jumped with glee, "I wonder whose butt I should kick first in this tournament?"
Yugi smiled; Mai's words never offended him. It was refreshing to see her so confident, especially when she had the dueling skills to back it up with. Not to mention she seemed to be able to lure anyone in as her opponent, whether they wanted to duel her or not.
While Rex, Weevil and Mako, who had sauntered up to Yugi and Mai from the crowd, argued amongst themselves about who was going to win, Yugi and Mai just ignored them; their threats about more powerful decks were all empty. Buying new, rare cards didn't necessarily increase your chance of winning your duels.
"Yugi." Mai's voice interrupted his thoughts, "I think I'll head off, but remember; next time we meet, we're rivals."
"Right," Yugi agreed. As Mai walked off through the crowd, Yugi turned back to his task of finding his friends.
"...Annnd, done! Looks like you lose, Bakura!"
The white-haired boy's eyes widened as he stared at the young woman's combination of cards that were laid out on the table in front of him. The combo had been a simple one, yet it had thoroughly trounced him. Her wide array of effect monsters and equip cards had left him baffled, but he couldn't help but feel impressed at her skill.
"I...underestimated you," he murmured, shaking his head slightly, "I never would've thought that a strategy like that could be so effective..."
"Believe me, when I first started duelling, I never would've thought it either," she responded with a smile, collecting her cards and placing them back into her deck box.
It was a simple thing; the box was a deep purple with a number of scuffs and scratches on it, and her name hastily scribbled on the front in bright yellow permanent marker. Although it was faded, the words still stood out, and it was those quickly written letters that had alerted Bakura of Elise when he had passed her.
The two were currently sat opposite each other on a small table in a local Domino cafe. The faint murmur of the customers and the smell of strong coffee had attracted both teens to begin with, but when Bakura had spotted her and recognised her - the young prodigy also known as 'The Mercy Duellist' - all thoughts of coffee had dispersed from his mind.
"But...I never would've guessed that a combo that intricate could be pulled off with such...finesse," he tried to wrap his brain around her cards and their effects, still a little baffled at being beaten. He knew she was good; the titles she held were proof enough of that. But to actually duel her and witness her strength and intellect first-hand was a whole other story altogether.
"Finesse?" Elise let out a snort, smiling, "it's just a card game. Finesse doesn't really mean anything to me. It's all about this," she tapped her head a couple of times, "up here. Learning your opponents cards and strategies and planning against them. That's what I enjoy the most. It's always satisfying to watch my opponents try to figure out my strategies. I don't even think I've managed to use them all, yet."
She glanced out of the window, idly watching as a pair of kids duelled outside, their duel disks glowing and their holograms fighting one another. She'd never understand why, but watching duels like that always put her at ease, calmed her.
Of course, nothing could beat a good old-fashioned duel, like the one she and Bakura had just engaged in. There wasn't anything at stake; no Locator Cards or rarest monsters. It was just a friendly match between two duelists.
"But still...winning a duel without sacrificing a single monster...isn't that a little risky?"
She smiled, leaning back in her chair as she turned her head back to the white-haired boy in front of her.
"Eh, it's adds to the challenge, really. It's a strategy that I've been experimenting with for a while, and I find it works pretty well. It proves that you can't win a duel with powerful monsters alone. You need that kind of balance."
"But then, shouldn't you have powerful monster cards in your deck as well?"
"I do," Elise smirked, pushing her seat back and grabbing her backpack, placing her deck box inside it, "I just find other ways to summon them other than sacrificing. Makes it a lot more fun that way."
"I see..." Bakura murmured softly, before offering her a timid smile.
"I've learned a lot from you, Elise. You're truly a talented duelist."
"Well, it's been a long road, but I've honed my skills, and now I can finally say I'm a good duellist, worthy of the public's attention. It wasn't easy, though. But I'm glad you could learn something from me. Trust me, the first step to becoming great is realising that your strategies alone aren't enough. You have to accept help from others, and build it up from there."
Bakura nodded, the smile on his face growing as he listened.
"I'll remember that. Your advise is heart-warming."
"Well, if you're gonna keep talking like that, I might have to buy you a drink," Elise teased with a laugh. Bakura let out a timid chuckle, although a faint pink blush lit up his cheeks.
Elise called the waitress over, ordering a black coffee before motioning to the white-haired man opposite her.
"An Earl Grey for me, please," Bakura ordered, and she raised an eyebrow, smiling.
"So, you're a tea fan, huh, Bakura?"
"Oh, yes! I actually lived in England for a few months while my father was doing some research there. I would always have a cup, every day!"
"It's funny, I actually lived in England for a couple of years. And the same goes for me; I'd always have one when I woke up in the morning. It was a really nice way to start the day. Hey, did you know that Earl Grey tea isn't even from England? It's actually from China. Tea flavoured with bergamot was unheard of in England until the 1820's, when Lord Grey..."
The young man listened intently as the girl began to ramble, not stopping even when their drinks arrived. She continued to tell him facts about they tea that he sipped at casually, before moving onto other types of tea, and then coffee, before explaining about the many different kinds of drinks and their origins. To many, it sounded like absolute trash, but to Bakura, it was fascinating. He'd seen her on the TV a few times, but never like this. She was in her element; he could tell by the distant look in her eyes and the small smile that had settled on her lips. Seeing her duel was one thing. Seeing her ramble and act like an excited child was another thing altogether.
"That's amazing, Elise. Where did you learn all of this?"
She paused, her eyes darting to the table in front of her as her hands tightened their grip on her coffee ever so slightly.
"Oh, I...I read a lot of books about it, back in the day...kind of stupid, really, I know, but..."
She tapped her fingertips against her cup, almost nervously so, and he shook his head, smiling at her as he leaned forwards, his hand reaching for her own to reassure her.
"No, it's not stupid. It's really interest-"
His fingertips touched the skin of her hand, and a shock ran through them both. Elise's hand spasmed slightly, and the cup in her hands went tumbling onto the table, sending boiling hot coffee everywhere.
"Oh shit, Bakura! I'm so sorry!" She said hastily, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a few spare tissues and haphazardly cleaning up the mess she'd made.
"It's fine, really. It was just an electric shock, right?"
She apologised again, the smile gone from her face, replaced with a frown that didn't suit her features.
"I'm sorry, if I...offended you or anything. I didn't mean to," Bakura murmured softly, and she shook her head, offering him a small smile in return, although he could tell that her heart wasn't in it.
"No, you...you didn't...listen, Bakura...I should...probably get going...I have a tournament to win, after all, and I can't sit around wasting time, now can I?" She said, dragging her seat back and standing. He nodded, although he still couldn't help but feel as if her departure was his fault.
"Alright...good luck in the tournament. I'll be rooting for you!"
"Thank you, Bakura. I hope to see you competing in the next tournament. Who knows, maybe we'll get to duel each other again!"
He smiled, and nodded, waving to her as she paid for the drinks and left the cafe.
The city was bustling with people as Elise began her walk to...well, she didn't really know where. She vaguely remembered the urgent hunt she'd have to make for Locator cards - the little boy she'd duelled earlier had given up his after she'd beaten him - but her head didn't seem to be in a duelling mood. She kept thinking back to her conversation with Bakura; about how she had rambled without thinking, and how that slip-up had made her remember.
"C'mon, Elise, you said you were going to forgot that time. Look at where you are now. You're a great duelist with an awesome title, and you have the skill it back it up. You shouldn't be focusing on the past."
She sighed, shaking her head as she made a left at the city centre, planning on heading towards the river. She didn't know why, but the water calmed her. Just watching and listening to it made her relax. The last tournament she'd been in had been in Paris, and the hotel where she had stayed had been next to a river. It had been so relaxing there, and she almost regretted leaving that place to come to Domino.
But, the invitation she'd received from Kaiba had been abrupt, and the Duel Disk he'd custom-made for her - he knew she wouldn't be able to say no if he did something like that, and it irritated her greatly - left no room for arguments. She'd boarded the first plane she could to Japan, heading straight for Domino.
Which reminded her, she really needed to find a hotel or something to stay in. She was low on money as well, which wasn't good. Maybe, if Kaiba was duelling in this tournament like he said he was, she could maybe scrounge some money off of him, although she honestly doubted it; they hadn't seen each other in a while, and he was never the...friendliest of guys. Maybe she'd ask Mokuba instead; she got on better with him than his older brother, anyway.
She soon found herself by the river, and she settled to walking along the path at the top of the bank. If she felt like it, she'd go down to the water's edge and maybe stick her feet in it for a while, but right now she was content with walking along the bank, watching the sun shimmering on the water's surface.
Of course, things weren't peaceful for long.
She thought it strange how she'd been thinking of the Kaiba brother's only moments ago, and now, here they were in front of her. Seto Kaiba, his white trench coat billowing out behind him as he stared intensely at something by the water's edge. And his younger brother, who held a large briefcase in his hands and was glancing around him casually. His deep blue eyes glazed over her form lazily, before they widened in shock. Looks like the young boy hadn't seen her approach.
"Hey! Elise!" Mokuba called out, diverting his older brother's attention to the young woman who was standing not far from them. She offered them a small smile in response, not surprised when Kaiba didn't return it. The man's face seemed to be stuck in a constant frown; it took a lot for him to actually smile.
She took a step towards them, flinching as the sky suddenly went dark.
"What the fu-"
She cringed as the area around her lit up as lightning struck down by the water's edge, and a freezing cold wind whipped at her, pushing her back slightly. Her eyes fluttered open after the light had faded, and what greeted her left her speechless.
In front of her, was the largest dragon she'd ever seen. It's bright red body seemed to coil endlessly as it rose it's massive head and let out a roar. She noticed the two - no, four - sets of sharp teeth, and the sharp, intimidating talons that adorned its feet. It's wings were huge and sent the air around it swirling in every direction as it flapped them, causing a cold chill to hit her dead on. For a hologram, this thing sure felt real.
And then there was heat; a sharp, painful heat that shot through her abdomen and caused her to stumble backwards. Meeting that creature's gaze had sent something through her - she didn't know what - and a wave of uneasiness settled in her gut.
She couldn't stop herself from sinking to the floor, her eyes never leaving the dragon as it attacked one of it's opponents monsters - she recognised the man the dragon was fighting against as the famous Yugi Muto - and destroyed it with ease.
She stayed seated on the floor as she watched the duel in a daze; at some point, Yugi had managed to turn the tide, and was now facing off against the magnificent crimson beast with determination in his eyes that seemed to inspire her. She'd watched his duels before, but seeing them live and witnessing the young man's strength; that was an experience on a whole other level.
She couldn't help but sigh in relief as Yugi ended the duel, and the holographic monster - now christened Slifer; she'd heard the name called a few times during the duel - had shattered. Her relief didn't last long, however.
She couldn't help but cry out as another jolt of pain shot through her, this time causing her to fall forwards. She didn't understand why this was happening; she'd only been watching a duel. She pushed her hands out in front of her in a last ditch attempt to stop herself from falling flat on her face, but her eyes widened when she was instead met with thin air.
She slammed her eyes shut as she tumbled down the bank, landing in a painful heap at the bottom. She groaned, feeling her body ache terribly from the scratches that now adorned her body. She faintly heard the crunch of dirt against someone's shoes as they ran closer, and then someone's hand was gripping her right arm tightly.
"Are you alright?"
The deep voice that spoke to her caused her eyes to open slightly, and she gasped as she stared into a pair of concerned violet eyes.
Yugi Muto.
