Chapter Three

Darkness surrounded Josh as he headed down the city street. Only the inconsistent noises of cars and cats in the distance stood out to him. The rest seemed to be nonexistent, as if he were the only human being for miles.

Every so often he would look over his shoulder to see if anything was behind him and every time the result was the same. Nothing. Josh continued down his path, slowing his pace with each step. Not his steps, he thought. His anxiety told him that someone was after him, but over and over again he proved this to be wrong.

He passed under a streetlight, stopping to survey the area. Once again only the horns from afar could be heard. He grabbed his zipper, closing his sweatshirt while his eyes traveled. It wasn't unusual to feel nervous while walking around at night. Right?

Still walking down the same road, he started to calm down. Nothing was going to happen. All he had to do was go home and go to sleep, then everything would be back to normal. A sharp crash from a garbage can broke this mindset and Josh's head swirled around vigorously trying to find the source. His head sank down into his neck trying to suppress a yell.

In the alleyway nearby, a figure stood beside an overturned garbage can defiantly facing Josh's direction; although its features were covered by shadows, its large spikey hair towered over the rest of its body, leaving Josh to believe it was some kind of monster. When the "monster" noticed it had been spotted, it dashed into the abyss of darkness in between the brick walls. Josh instinctively ran after it, shouting to wait for him.

The figure was fast; Josh had a hard time keeping it in sight before it faded into the night. Although he could no longer see where it was, he knew it had to be straight ahead – there was no other path to take.

He found himself at the bottom of a stone barrier that stopped him from moving any further. He looked up to check if there was a ladder or anything that the figure could have used to get around it but found nothing. Josh felt the cold air settle on his face as he gazed at the moonlit sky. Whatever that thing was, it had escaped.


"Heeeeeeeello everybody! This is 9:00 talk-radio with your host Steven Belwix! Today we have an exciting interview with the president of Dayos Entertainment, Mr. Cain Dayos! But first our opening songs! …"

An unruly jingle played over the pleasant chirps from the window of Josh's room. Either the ice cream man was working earlier today or the radio station was set to play circus music. He couldn't tell.

Josh dragged himself out of bed, rubbing his head to pat down all his brown hair that stood up in random directions. While picking out what clothes to wear, he heard the radio return to the interview that was on before. They were talking something about rivers or streams. Josh was too tired to actually pay attention to it.

He opened the bathroom door, walking over to the sink to splash some water on his face. He figured that since he showered yesterday it wouldn't be a big deal if he skipped taking one today. It's not like anyone he knows, besides Dave, would be with them and since Dave was his roommate he knew that he wouldn't care.

Just as he was about to leave his room, he noticed his Card Analyzer lying on his desk. Figuring that he wouldn't understand anything that was going to happen today, he grabbed it and switched it on. He looked to his deck, which was held in a small compartment behind the device's screen, and closed the seal so none of the cards would fall out. It's not like he was planning to use it, but Dave would probably want to talk about his cards while they were waiting for his match to start.

Heading down the stairway he stepped over to the kitchen in search of his sweatshirt, finally finding it hanging over a chair by the counter. As he threw it on, he noticed Dave had forgotten his lucky hat. It was a simple baseball cap with a camouflage design, but he had hardly ever seen Dave leave the house without it even if he wasn't wearing it. He figured Dave was probably too nervous to remember it, so he scooped it up as he made his way to the front door. In less than an hour Dave would be on stage.


When Josh arrived at the dome-like building, he found Dave patiently waiting by one the dragon statues near the entrance, separating himself from the large crowd outside.

"Oh good, I thought I would have to leave without you," he said opening the door leading inside.

Josh smiled.

"Yeah, you left in a hurry. You forgot this," he said, waving the baseball cap in front of him. Dave's hands reflexively jumped to his head before calmly reaching for the hat.

"I guess I'm a little too excited about this."

The two laughed as Dave plopped the hat onto his dark brown hair, concealing it under the green cover.

"Hurry up," Dave said as he opened the door leading inside, "I'm not sure how long the reservation on our seats will last."

The two made their way through the wall of people, eventually reaching the sign where they had met at the day before. They took a right, heading for an arch-shaped hallway. There seemed to be less people in this area but that was probably because they were more spread out than they were in the vestibule.

After passing through the hallway they arrived in the arena. It was larger than Josh anticipated; he had a hard time believing they were standing in the same building they had entered. Dave tugged onto his sleeve, then the duo roamed around the bleachers until they found their seats.

"Third row, seats fourteen and fifteen. Yep these are ours." Dave dropped his body into seat number fifteen, motioning to Josh to sit in the seat next to him.

"When do you play against the others?" Josh asked sitting calmly.

"I dunno," Dave said staring at the stadium around them. He brought his attention to the platform in the center of the room. It was raised slightly off the ground, just high enough so the audience would be able to see the duelist standing on it without having to bend forward. Dave turned his head to Josh who was also glancing around. "As long as I get to duel I don't really care."

Dave and Josh chatted while they waited for the stadium to fill up. Apparently there was supposed to be some kind of an announcement before the tournament started. Maybe then Josh would be able to figure out whether or not these 'duels' are something worth getting involved in. Like Josh predicted, Dave was talking to him about his new deck.

"So what's your favorite kind of cards so far?"

Josh slid the pile out of his Card Analyzer, sliding each one out individually. "I'm not sure. I kinda like cards that Special Summon monsters."

"Oh there are plenty of decks like that," he said leaning over the armrest to get a better view of Josh's cards.

"Are there?" He's gonna make me build a deck later isn't he?

"Yeah. Let's go over to the card shop tomorrow, maybe we can build you a deck!"

I knew it…

At that moment the lights dimmed, and a spotlight shone onto the center of the stadium. On stage a man wearing a tuxedo and dark sunglasses stood in the middle holding a microphone. Josh looked around to see that every seat had been filled, except one. The one right next to Dave.

Looks like someone's gonna miss the show, he thought. The announcer tapped on the microphone with his finger before holding it up to his face.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please! The Second Grand Championship Tournament is about to begin. But first we must go over the instructions for this event.

"All sixteen duelists will duel until they are eliminated either by losing all of their Life Points, surrendering or a Deck-Out –"

"When a player runs out of cards in their deck and can't draw anymore," Dave whispered to Josh.

"– and the winners will continue onto the next round. The top two finalists will be able to beta test a brand new line of cards that has recently been developed by Industrial Illusions. The winner of the final round will be able to duel none other than the owner of KaibaCorp and the host of this tournament, everyone please give a hand to the great, Seto Kaiba!"

Another spotlight shot onto the corner of the stadium's platform. A man in a white blazer walked arrogantly towards the announcer. The somber expression on his face gave him a detached aura, since he acted indifferent to the cheering that took place.

So that's the host of this tournament. Josh's thoughts were interrupted by a man who bumped into him trying to squeeze his way through the aisle. When he stood up to allow him to pass he noticed the man's leather jacket and his spikey hair that was overshadowed by the darkness around them. The man sunk into the seat next to Dave, leaving Josh to fall back to his.

You could at least say 'Excuse me'…

The man, who the crowd knew as Seto Kaiba, shook hands with the announcer. He handed the microphone to Kaiba who held it to his mouth. The noise almost instantly died down.

"That's right. The winner of this tournament will be able to duel me. However, don't expect this to be easy. Even if you make it the final round and defeat your opponent, you still won't hold the Championship title unless you manage to defeat me, which will never happen so long as I hold my Blue Eyes White Dragon cards.

"In a few seconds the pairings for the first round will be downloaded wirelessly into your Card Analyzers. Take a moment to go over your decks and feel free to walk around the building during and in between duels. All of the duels will be shown on the screens overhead in all rooms in this facility. Participants must be present on the stage within five minutes of the start of their round. If they don't show, then they'll be disqualified."

He paused dramatically, then shot his arm into the air, "Now let's duel!" The crowd began to shout mindlessly, flailing their arms as if they were trying to swat something invisible to everyone but them.

Dave turned on his Card Analyzer with Josh over his shoulder watching the download meter race across the screen. Once it reached the other end, a new file opened automatically.

Match Pairings (Round 1)

Match 1: Katherine Jadon vs. Geremy Valdito

Match 2: Hannah Werra vs. Paul Hillburg

Match 3: Maria Aloma vs. Joseph Phillips

Match 4: Adam Prince vs. Simon Phaze

Match 5: Rachael Torap vs. Dave Litenur

Match 6: Lucas Coffing vs. Jacob Front

Match 7: Mike Well vs. Sam Blirr

Match 8: Peter Grail vs. Chloe Grenshot

Commotion flowed throughout the area, each person discussing the duels in some way or another.

"Looks like you don't go on for a while," said Josh. Dave shoved the Card Analyzer back into his pocket.

"Yeah. You wanna go eat something while we wait? We got time."

"Sure."


Now that the tournament had begun the cafeteria's kitchen started to cook meals for those watching the duels. Josh stumbled over to the end of one of the tables with a paper plate in each hand. Both plates held a slice of pepperoni pizza with their points hanging off the sides. He placed one plate down next to Dave, who was concentrating on his deck so intently that he didn't notice Josh until the smell of pepperoni had reached his nose.

"So, how do ya feel?" Josh asked, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.

"I'm fine," Dave said, running the cards back and forward between his fingers. "I'm not nervous if that's what you're asking. I just can't wait to use this deck. I've been building it for six years waiting for a day like this."

Josh took a bite out of his slice. "Really? What's so special about today?"

Dave put his deck back into his Card Analyzer and sealed the lid. He put it beside his plate and started eating as well. "Not so much the day, but the tournament. I'll finally be able to duel a famous duelist like Seto Kaiba.

"Ever since I learned that Kaiba had been defeated by Yugi Muto I've gotten interested in dueling with that dream. With that in mind I've built my deck so that it would be able to stand up against the powerful monsters that famous duelists like them use. It took me all this time but I think I have a good chance."

"So you think you can beat him?"

Dave nodded, he still had hardly touched his meal. "As soon as I found out about this tournament I've collected my best cards together. Just a few weeks ago I've gotten my hands on the card that will cripple Kaiba's most powerful monsters – the Blue Eye White Dragons."

Josh was about mid-bite when he stopped to speak. "Oh yeah he mentioned those things before. What's so special about them?"

"They're one of the most powerful Dragon-type monsters in the world. And he owns the only three copies in existence. It's his signature card."

"Signature card huh?" He said, chomping into his pizza.

"Yeah, most duelists have a card that they associate best with." Dave finally began to eat at this point. His voice indicated that he was really driven to win this tournament.

"If that's the case, what's yours?"

Dave stopped eating (which annoyed Josh a little because he bought the pizza for a reason) and smiled to himself. "Mine's called Black Luster Soldier," he paused to bite then placed the slice back down. "It matches the Blue Eyes White Dragon perfectly in strength and it's easier to summon than most monsters that strong."

"How's that?"

Once again Dave smiled to himself, "You'll see."

Overhead on a wide television screen, the current duel in the arena was being displayed. It showed the two duelists wearing their Duel Disks, placing cards on them, and the monsters on the cards would appear before the crowd.

"Hey Dave," Josh said watching the duel, "how are they able to bring out all these monsters. They're not real right?"

Dave laughed, "Of course not. The Duel Disk is just a hologram projector. You play the cards on them and they project the image with Solid Vision technology. It just makes the duels more exciting."

"Oh that makes sense." At least he knew that he wouldn't be bored watching people pick up cards and putting them back on a table. Now he understood why everyone was so into this game.

"And the winner is Maria Aloma!" The announcer shouted over the intercom, which echoed throughout the building. "Next up is Match Four: Adam Prince vs. Simon Phaze!"

Upon hearing this Dave turned to Josh, "We'd better hurry up. I don't want to be late."

Josh sat with an empty plate while he watched Dave devour his pizza in anticipation of his match.


Dave hustled over to his seat while Josh dragged slowly behind. Josh noticed that the kid who bumped into him earlier wasn't in his seat, and figured he would have to deal with that again later. He sat down and gazed at the two participants who took the show.

On the side closest to them was a skinny teenage duelist who appeared to have gotten up late this morning because his hair was standing straight up and curled unnaturally in the opposite direction of his head. Not only that but he yawned every four seconds, even while he spoke. In front of him was a gigantic version of a face-down card and a clown that wore red pajamas with a blue cape draping down its back. It also had a red double-pointed nightcap on top of its purple hair, which apparently obstructed its vision.

On the opposite side was a proud teenage duelist wearing a gray leather jacket. Unlike his opponent, his short, dark hair was gelled into perfect little spikes lined the top of his head. None of it appeared to go past his ears, except upon closer examination where Josh noticed a single thick piece of red hovered over the right side of his nose. He looked at the empty seat next to Dave, then back at this man and realized they must be the same person.

This duelist had a face-down card in front of him as well. Only instead of a clown, a purple dragon with yellow spikes on its wings stood readying to pouch on its enemy. Josh was about to check the score when he heard people talking behind him.

"This Adam kid is good."

"Yeah, it's only been three turns and he practically has the other guy in a corner."

"What was that kind of monster he keeps summoning from the Graveyard?"

"Oh those Fallen Monsters? I heard those were really rare, most people only own two or three."

"Yeah, I hear this guy has a whole deck full of 'em. Must be rich or som'thing."

Looks like Dave was going up against some tough competition. But certainly Dave knew more about his opponents than he did. Josh turned on his Card Analyzer to download the data from the current duel.

[Adam LP: (5600)] [Simon LP: (2200)]

He brought his attention back up to the stage watching the match unfold.

"I activate Block Attack! With it I can switch an Attack Position monster to Defense Position, and I pick my Dream Clown." The bed-headed boy, named Simon, took one of the cards he held and thrust it into his Duel Disk. A larger image of the card flashed to his side, then glowed extravagantly. In response to its glow, the clown knelt down, signifying a change in battle position.

"And since Dream Clown was changed from Attack to Defense Position, I can use its effect to destroy one monster on your side of the field. So say good-bye to your dragon!"

Clouds emitted from the clown's nightcap, growing bigger and bigger as they drifted away. When they were about half way between the two creatures, they became dark storm clouds that darted in the dragon's direction.

"I activate Fallen Koumori Dragon's effect," said Adam, pointing to the face-down card in front of him. "By destroying one face-down card I control I can negate your card's effect and destroy it."

The card ignited into a purple blaze which shot up into the air. It made contact with the storms clouds successfully reducing them to vapor as it traveled. When it reached Dream Clown, its nightcap caught on fire, causing it to dance around spastically. Eventually, the fire covered it entirely until ashes were left in its place.

"Whoa… he is good," Josh mumbled to himself. In the corner of his eye he could see that Dave shared his amazement. He couldn't tell exactly what he was thinking, but knew that this guy would be a major obstacle in accomplishing his goal.

Simon took a moment to absorb what happened in front of him. He flipped over a card on his Duel Disk then said, "Don't think I'm defenseless just 'cause you destroyed my Dream Clown. I activate Scapegoat."

The face-down card rose up, revealing a picture of four spherical sheep, in varying colors, floating in a field of clouds. At moment later, the sheep depicted on the card floated out, landing gently onto the stadium's floor. (0/0) [x4]

With a short yawn, Simon quickly switched to a grin. "Good luck getting past these guys. By the time you do I'll have a new strategy ready to defeat you."

"I don't need luck," Adam sternly stated as he pulled a card off of his wrist. "I sacrifice my Fallen Koumori Dragon in order to Special Summon Fallen Summoned Skull from my Graveyard."

Suddenly, the dragon dematerialized, forming into an orb of bright blue light. It changed to a yellow-ish shade then sparked towards the ground. When the static ended, a zombie-like figure floated a few inches above it. On its head, two tremendous horns curled out and back facing its nose. It flexed its powerful chest, thrust out its demonic dark blue wings and roared aimlessly at the sky. (2500/1200)

"Fallen Summoned Skull, attack one of his sheep. Lightning Strike!"

The monster roared again, this time generating sparks from its horns, shooting them towards the sheep with an ear-piercing bang. It crashed onto the blue sheep, who had no time to react before it had been obliterated. Simon, trembling, managed to pull himself together.

"I-It's not like it matters! My Sheep Token was in Defense Position so I don't take any damage."
"Not quite. When Fallen Summoned Skull destroys a Defense Position monster you take damage equal to the difference between its ATK and your monster's DEF."

Simon gasped, staring at the meter on his Duel Disk until only a single digit remained.

[Adam LP: (5600)] [Simon LP: (2200 - 0)]

"The winner the Adam Prince!"

Uproar from the crowd answered the announcer's enthusiastic statement. It went on for several minutes, almost as long as when Kaiba had entered, as they watched Adam step off the ring.

"Next up is Match Five: Rachael Torap vs. Dave Litenur!"

Josh turned to Dave and stuck out his hand. "Go get'em man."

Dave slapped his own hand on top before fighting his way through the audience. Obviously the duel had made him nervous for his match but he hid it well. Not like it mattered, this was a special occasion. Finally Josh would see him duel.


Card Analyzer activated…

Accessing Card Database… Searching for Card Data …

… Data Found:

Fallen Summoned Skull

[Dark]

[Fiend/Effect]

(2500/1200)

This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can Special Summon itself from the Graveyard by offering 1 monster on your side of the field as a Tribute. You can only Special Summon 1 "Fallen" monster this way per turn. If a non-"Fallen" monster exists in your Graveyard, you may not Special Summon this card this way. This card's name is also treated as "Summoned Skull". When this card attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of a Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points.