(A/N: And we're back. Time to get our tournament on!)
After standing in line for registration, Joey walked into the large convention hall. Up on the wall a massive tournament bracket could be seen on a giant HD screen.
"Whoa. How many people are competing?" Joey asked, mouth agape. "I can't even count."
"Thanks to me we were able to avoid the preliminaries," Byakuya stated. "There are now 512 remaining competitors in a single-tier elimination tournament."
"F-f-f-five-hundred-twelve?" Joey asked.
"Relax," Mai said. "That means you only have to win eight duels to just make it to the finals."
"In a row, mind," Byakuya stated. "And it's entirely possible to face opponents whose decks yours are clearly countered by with no chance to win."
"Still, there weren't even that many competitors in Battle City."
"National, Continental, Intercontinental, and World tournaments tend to have more competitors than sponsored tournaments like Battle City. Here, it takes all kinds. Anyone can enter, no invite necessary. Sometimes you even get complete rookies like you that turn into tough competitors. Others are just lucky."
"A tournament full of potential mes, huh?" Joey asked, looking around and up towards the walkways on the second and third floors. "Man, talk about making a guy feel small."
"Hmph, if you let the magnitude of the situation intimidate you, you'll be defeated in the first round," Byakuya stated.
"I won't lose!" Joey exclaimed, holding up a fist, giving Byakuya his toughest look.
"You'd better not," Byakuya said. "I have high expectations of you, Joseph. Do not disappoint me."
"Yeah!" Joey exclaimed.
"There are enough rooms in this facility to accommodate 64 duels at a time. Those who survive to the top 16 will be given the honor of competing in the main convention hall. Until then, you're free to wander the convention if it's not your turn. However, afterwards, no duelist may observe an ongoing match to promote fairness."
The PA overhead suddenly sounded off. A gentle, female voice echoed through the convention hall. "Attention all duelists. Welcome to the Canadian Nationals. Please follow the rules and respect your fellow duelists. Violations of the terms and conditions of our tournament will result in immediate disqualification. Please look to the large screen now.
Everyone's eyes were on the big screen. Joey could barely make out his name on the large 512-tier bracket. Suddenly, 128 names were highlighted in pairs of 64, selected seemingly at random. "If your dueling pair is highlighted, please proceed to the convention room number as marked by your bracket."
"Seems we're all in the first group," Byakuya stated.
Joey nodded, seeing his name highlighted. No chance for rest. He had to get out there and show what Joey Wheeler was all about. Heading up the escalator, he headed for a convention room on the second floor where he saw a young man with black hair in a red, winter vest, duel disk out and ready for action.
"I hope you're ready to lose," he said competitively, pointing at Joey with his index finger.
"Same to you," Joey shot back, clenching a fist. "Let's do this thing!"
"Let's duel!" They both shouted.
Hours later, Joey Wheeler found himself sipping a large soda with three wins under his belt. He'd already made it to the 64-tier bracket with little trouble. Man, this is way too easy, Joey thought. His last three duels had ended in only a few turns. Easier than the first time I competed in the regionals back home even. Is this just how far I've come?
"Phew," Mai said, pulling up a chair at the spot Joey was sitting in. "Close one. How are you holding up, Joey?"
"It's too easy," Joey said.
"You must be lucky then. That last duel nearly got me."
"Huh? Really? But you're a great duelist!" Joey exclaimed.
"Like Byakuya said, takes all kinds here," Mai said. "Lasting from round to round isn't indicative of skill. Sometimes you just face the easier opponents. I could count to you of how many times my semi-final matches in tournaments were more intense than the finals."
"I sure hope I get an interesting match soon," Joey said, taking another sip.
Mai smiled. "I've never known a duelist to care more about the spectacle than an easy win."
"Maybe `cause you've been at this for years, but I gotta prove myself, you know? Yug and Kaiba ain't here. I want to win dis tournament knowin' dat I defeated the best of da best that Canada had to offer, not that I squeaked by with some cheap, easy wins."
Mai smiled. "You want to split a pizza?" she asked.
"Hell yeah, I do!" Joey exclaimed.
However, before Mai could get up from the table, there was an announcement. "We are now entering into the 64-tier elimination matches. All duelists, please proceed to your dueling halls."
"Guess the pizza will have to wait," Mai said.
Joey nodded. "See you later."
He looked up at the board and looked at his room number and then managed to catch the name of his opponent. He recognized it. "What?" he gasped. "That…what's he doin' here?"
Joey raced to his dueling hall, finishing his soda and making a four-foot shot into the trash can. He then ran up the stairs to the second floor and into the dueling room he'd been assigned. A crowd had started to gather just like all the other duels. However, Joey was more nerve wracked by his opponent. He stared at the door he wasn't near and gasped when he saw a young man with long, brown hair, wearing a red beanie, and a green jacket walk into the room.
"REX?!"
Sure enough, Rex Raptor had strolled into the room, armed and ready with his duel disk. "Wheeler."
"What're you doin' here, Dino Brain?"
"What's it look like?" Rex shouted. "I'm competing in the Canadian Nationals, same as you! Or did you forget that I'm a pro-duelist?"
"Yeah, but…"
"Look Wheeler, I didn't think I'd run into you here, but now that I have, I gotta say it: I'm sorry."
"Eh, sorry? Who are you and what've you done with Rex?"
"Look, that whole thing back there in California…when I was controlled by Dartz, I'm sorry for it, all of it. When I became a regional finalist, I got so obsessed with fame and fortune, that I forgot the hard work and effort it took me to get there in the first place. My stubbornness and my attitude have cost me a lot in the past year: my fans, my rarest card, my pride…" Rex pulled down on his hat to cover his eyes. "Even my best friend."
"What do you mean?" Joey asked. "What happened to bug boy?"
"He's dead, Wheeler."
"DEAD?!"
Before Rex could go into detail, the airhorn sound indicating it was time to start the duel went off. Joey and Rex silently amped up their Duel Disks and the randomizer selected Joey to go first.
Joey drew the top card of his deck. "I'm starting by summoning Warrior Dai Grepher in attack mode!" Joey exclaimed as the 1,700 attack point swordsman stood upon the battlefield. "And I'm throwing one card face-down and ending my turn." Joey slapped the card into the reader as the face-down hologram appeared. "Rex, tell me what happened to Weevil. I wanna know."
Rex drew the top card of his deck. "Why do you care?" Rex snapped.
"Because I just do!" Joey shot back.
Rex growled a little but decided to let Joey in on the situation. "Fine, I'll tell you. I'll tell you all about it, and then we'll get back to dueling."
Joey nodded, listening intently. The crowd was captivated too. Interpersonal relations like this between competitors made for good news drama.
"When Weevil didn't return to our usual hangout after I got out of the hospital, I was already worried. I went looking for him in America, got a hold of Valon and Alister. We found Weevil, or more precisely his body, covered in scratches, gravel and with a really bad head injury. Doctors said he'd lost too much blood and been out cold for too long. They couldn't do anything.
"Wha…?" Joey gaped. But…how? He heard about the duel on the train from Yugi and the Pharaoh. Could that duel have…?
"We had the misfortune of having to tell Weevil's parents about what happened to him," Rex said, still staring at the ground. "It…wasn't fun. I even attended the really small funeral. I started a charity to help raise some money for his parents. Without Weevil, the hopes and dreams they'd placed on him and his future were just…gone. Unfortunately, I underestimated just how much Weevil and I had fallen out of relevance and likability to the dueling world."
Rex Raptor was sitting on a folding chair in the middle of the city with a metal bucket in front of him, raindrops filling it more than actual money. He'd been coming here for the last three days with his big laminated sign and Weevil's picture. So far, he'd barely raised enough money to equal an expensive crepe.
The clouds were gray overhead. The sky was spitting rain droplets at the frequency of a leaking, turned off faucet. Rex's lids were getting heavy. He'd been out here for hours without food. He thought about getting a hotdog, but he was adamant to stay here for two more hours before breaking for lunch. He had to, for Weevil's sake.
Sitting in the chair he'd gotten for himself, Rex was staring at the ground, eyes opening and closing, hands at his sides, about to drop the bell he'd been ringing to get people's attention. He didn't know what his face was more stained with; tears or raindrops.
And then…someone placed a 1,000-yen bill in the otherwise mostly empty bucket.
Rex lifted his head. It was the biggest note he'd seen since starting this drive. Familiar eyes and familiar brown hair stared back at him; hood pulled up on his green hoodie to protect him from the rain.
"Y-you!" Rex exclaimed.
"Hey, Rex," the young boy in front of him said. His eyes and smile were gentle with concern.
Rex pulled down his hat, refusing to look his benefactor in the eye. Of all people, why him? Why now? "Come to laugh at the has been?" Rex asked. "I bet you think you're so cool since you got to the second round of the finals in Battle City."
"Not at all," the boy said, feeling accosted as he put a hand on his chest. "I heard about what happened to Weevil from around town. Rex, I know there's not much I can do, but at least take my money."
"You are such a chump," Rex growled.
"Huh?" The boy said, looking confused.
Rex lifted his head, rising to his feet, eyes angry, fist shaking, and growled, "Are you pitying me, Makoto Naegi? Is that it?"
Makoto looked at Rex with even more sympathetic eyes. "No. It's not pity. Everyone has bad days. Believe me, I've racked up a few myself actually. But...more than my money, I want to leave you with some words of encouragement."
"Words are wind," Rex spat, looking at the ground.
"Maybe…but they're all I have," Makoto admitted. "And so, Rex, I just want to say...Don't lose hope now. Things may be really bad, but I have faith that you'll pull through. No, I want you to pull through. Kaiba's already invited me to his next tournament." Makoto gave Rex a friendly smile. "I'm hoping to see you there."
Rex didn't respond. Instead, he continued to hide his eyes with his hat and stare at the ground.
"I wish I could bring Weevil back. I know you two were best friends, but…" Makoto balled a fist and looked to one side. "No matter what…he's just gone…and you're a lesser person for it. And…all I can do is apologize…even though it's not my fault." Makoto paused and then looked at Rex seriously. "But...I think...when someone important to you dies...you have to carry their legacy with you. You have to make sure that they're never forgotten. That's what it means...to be a good person. That's what I believe." Rex still didn't say anything back. "Anyway, I've gotta get going. It was good to see you, Rex!" Makoto exclaimed and ran off. He completely missed all the tears and snot pouring out of Rex's face.
"And that's why I'm standing here today!" Rex growled, fist shaking, eyes full of determination. "I've gotta carry Weevil's hopes and dreams with me across that finish line! I'm gonna be like a wild, stampeding triceratops and not stop charging until everything in my path is trampled or launched aside!" Rex looked even more invigorated and then continued. "I'm gonna be the best! It's you and me, Wheeler!" He threw his arm out wide. "No strings attached! No magic! No bets! I'm giving it everything I got! And don't you dare hold back, or I'll never forgive you!"
"Rex!" Joey exclaimed and then paused, giving the dinosaur duelist a thumb's up. "That's exactly what I want to hear!" Joey was grinning wide. "Bring it ya prehistoric pain in the neck, cause I got the same goal of bein' the best, and I'm not gonna let you or anyone else get in my way!"
"Then let's do this!" Rex exclaimed. "It's my turn! And I start by playing Cross-Sword Beetle in attack mode!"
Joey was confused, especially when a gigantic beetle with four, huge golden pincers appeared. It had 1,800 attack points and 1,700 defense points. "What the…that's not a dinosaur!"
"I told you, I need to carry Weevil's hopes and dreams on my shoulders, so I slipped a few cool looking ones in my deck. Now, attack Cross-Sword Beetle! Golden Pincer Crush!"
Rex's insect ensnared Joey's Warrior and destroyed it, bringing him down to 3,900 life points.
"I'm now setting one card face-down onto the field and ending my turn," Rex stated. "You're move, Wheeler!"
"Okay then," Joey said, "I draw!" He said and pulled the top card of his deck to his hand. Looking at his hand, he smiled. "I'm summoning Panther Warrior in attack mode!" He declared as his burly purple panther warrior stormed the field, growling.
"Nice monster, but how foolish of you, Panther Warrior can't attack unless you sacrifice a monster and, on my turn, I'll summon a powerful dinosaur to crush it."
Joey smirked. "Heh, you're not gonna get that chance. I activate Scapegoat!" Joey exclaimed. "Now I summon four little sheep tokens and I can sacrifice 'em so my Panther Warrior can attack!" The four colored hairballs appeared with serene smiles.
"Not bad, Wheeler, but you've triggered my trap."
"Say what?"
"I activate Hunting Instinct!" Rex declared, revealing the card he'd played face-down. "Since you summoned a monster other than normal summon for the turn, I can summon any dinosaur monster from my hand. And I choose Dark Driceraptops!" Rex declared. A big green dinosaur with a feathery mantle, parrot-like beak and three horns on its head rampaged onto the battlefield, green tail flinging wildly. It had 2,400 attack points and 1,500 defense points. "So go ahead and attack with your Panther Warrior. I'll just crush it with my Dark Driceratops on my turn."
"Go ahead, I'll still sacrifice one scapegoat to crush your Cross-Sword Beetle!" Joey shouted. "Panther Warrior, attack!"
Panther Warrior growled as a sheep token disappeared, charging at Cross-Sword Beetle and slashed its pincers apart, destroying it, much to the enjoyment of the crowd. Rex's life points ticked down to 3,800. Joey then looked at the four remaining cards in his hand.
"Next, I'm settin' a card face-down and ending my turn," Joey said, slapping the card into the spell/trap reader. "Your move, Rex."
"Heh, nothing to do but wait to get stomped, huh?" Rex asked rhetorically. "Heh, figures. It's my move now." Rex said, going for the top card of his deck."I draw!" He pulled the card to his hand and then held it up for all to see. "And I activate the field spell Wasteland!" Rex declared as the battlefield transformed to have rocky terrain, sand beneath the feat of the duelists and dead, holographic trees. "Thanks to this spell card, my dinosaurs gain an extra 200 attack and defense points, boosting the power of Dark Driceratops!"
Dark Driceratops now had 2,600 attack points.
"And next I summon Mad Sword Beast to the field!" Rex exclaimed. Mad Sword Beast snorted as it was summoned, showing off its 1,400 attack points, which increased in power to 1,600 thanks to Rex's field spell.
"Oh no! Mad Sword Beast can deal damage to a monster in defense mode when it destroys it!"
"That's right, Wheeler!" Rex exclaimed. "And I should inform you that Dark Driceratops is also capable of the same thing, so this duel is over before its even begun! Mad Sword Beast! Destroy one of Wheeler's scapegoats!"
Mad Sword Beast charged and destroyed a scapegoat, knocking Joey on his backside, reducing his life points to 2,300.
"And now, Dark Driceratops, finish him off by destroying another scapegoat! Walk all over this loser!"
"Not happening," Joey exclaimed before he got up from the ground, "Activate Trap!"
Dark Driceratops slammed into Joey's scapegoat, destroying it just as Joey's trap card activated: Nutrient Z.
Joey got to his feet. "Thanks to my trap card, I gained 4,000 life points before you destroyed my monster, so I didn't lose the duel." Joey's life points ascended to 6,300, only to fall to 3,700. "Your big play just put Joey Wheeler back in the game.
Rex snarled in dismay. "Darn, I got outplayed," he grumbled. "I'll place one card face-down onto the field and end my turn!"
"All right then," Joey said, "Here I go!"
I gotta do somethin' about Rex's monsters, but I'm gonna leave myself wide open to at least one of his pea-brained bozos. Joey looked at the cards in his hand. Come on, Joey, think. Remember everything you know. He looked at a card in his hand. Hey, now there's an idea. "I sacrifice my Panther Warrior in order to summon out Maximum Six!"
A blue, male, Sheeva warrior appeared with its hulking muscles and yellow speedo. He had 1,900 attack points and 1,600 defense points.
"Wow, I didn't think you were that bad at math. You just summoned a weaker monster."
"He won't be weaker for long," Joey said. "See, when Maximum Six gets summoned, I get to activate his special ability. With a roll of the die, whatever the number lands on, Maximum six gains that many attack points times 200. So as long as I roll a four or higher, he's gonna end up being the strongest monster on the field."
"Say what?" Rex gasped.
"Here we go! Fifty-fifty odds!" Joey exclaimed throwing the virtual die from his hand to Maximum Six who bumped it with its fist and then grabbed it in its hands, slamming the die onto the field face-up. It was a 5.
"All right!" Joey exclaimed. "A five means 1,000 attack points for a total of 2,900! Let's go Maximum Six! Destroy Dark Driceratops!"
Maximum Six beat the living fossil fuel out of Dark Driceratops with its massive fists, wrecking the creature and sending Rex's life points down to 3,500.
"Your move, Dino Brain!" Joey exclaimed.
"Don't mind if I do!" Rex exclaimed. "And if you think you're safe, you're dead wrong! Cause I'm sacrificing my Mad Sword Beast in order to bring Saber Beetle onto the field!"
A gigantic bug with a sickle-shaped horn sticking out of its head, glowing like a beam sword appeared. It had 2,400 attack points and 600 defense points.
"Saber Beetle is another monster that can deal damage even if my opponent has their monster in defense mode!"
Joey gasped. "Oh no, my scapegoat!"
"Take this! Saber Beetle! Attack Wheeler's monster! Saber beam!"
The horn on Saber Beetle's head extended and pierced straight through Joey's scapegoat, blowing it up and causing Joey to get hit with 2,400 points of damage, bringing him down to only 1,300 points.
"Those little puff balls did more harm than good for you this duel," Rex chuckled.
"You may be right, but you made a big mistake," Joey said. "Saber Beetle's attack points are lower than my Maximum Six. So now, I'm gonna clobber you and wipe you out, Dino Boy!"
You can try! Rex thought, smirking.
"I draw!" Joey exclaimed, pulling the top card of his deck to his hand. "I summon Goblin Attack Force to the field!"
A bunch of goblins appeared. Together, they had 2,300 attack points.
That's…a little more damage than I would've liked, Rex thought.
"Go, Maximum Six! Destroy Saber Beetle!"
Maximum Six pummeled Rex's monster into paste, reducing his life points to 3,000.
"And now, Goblin Attack Force, attack Rex directly!"
Joey's goblins beat Rex up relentlessly, leaving him a bit disoriented as he eventually got to his feet, life points descending all the way to just 700.
"I'm setting a card face-down," Joey said, as his goblins switched to defense mode, taking a nap, complete with snot bubbles. "And ending my turn!"
"My turn then," Rex said. "Draw!" He then drew the top card of his deck.
"Just give up. I got two monsters on the field, one of 'em with nearly 3,000 attack points. It's over Rex."
"Oh, it's over all right, for you!" Rex exclaimed. "I remove Mad Sword Beast and Dark Driceratops from my graveyard in order to summon the most powerful dinosaur ever to grace the game of Duel Monsters. Say hello to Ultimate Conductor Tyranno!"
A gigantic dinosaur, almost too big for the room Rex and Joey were dueling in, stormed onto the field. Parts of it were see-through, glowing blue and sparking with lightning. The creature's body was black and green, and it had all manner of wicked horns growing out of its face and neck. The massive monster had 3,500 attack points and 3,200 defense points, which quickly increased to 3,700 and 3,400 respectively thanks to Rex's field spell.
"And next, I activate its special ability," Rex said. "By sending one dinosaur monster in my hand to the graveyard, I can switch all of your monsters into face-down defense position!"
"Say what?!" Joey exclaimed.
"It gets better, now my Ultimate Conductor Tyranno can attack all your monsters this turn and for each one it attacks, you lose 1,000 life points. And since you only have 1,300 life points…well…" Rex smirked. "You do the math."
"Not good," Joey gasped.
"Go, Ultimate Conductor Tyranno, destroy Wheeler's monsters and end this duel!"
"This duel ain't over yet!" Joey exclaimed. "I activate a spell Hyper Refresh! Since my life points are lower than your monsters' attack points, I get to double 'em!" Joey exclaimed, life points going up to 2,600.
"Not bad, but you're still gonna take damage!" Rex exclaimed, grinning. "Face it, this duel is as good as done! Ultimate Conductor Tyranno! Attack!"
Rex's monster breathed pure, blue lightning at Joey's monsters, blowing them both up and blowing Joey towards the wall. He managed to avoid hitting the wall, body rigid enough to remain standing as his life points dropped to 600. He lowered his arms, hands clenched into fists. How the hell was he supposed to get around 3,700 attack points?
"What was that you were saying about giving up?" Rex asked. "Looks like you bit off more than you could chew, and now Ultimate Conductor Tyranno is going to chew you up and turn you into Dinosaur Dung!" Rex held his stomach as he laughed hysterically. This was great. He was finally going to beat Joey Wheeler.
Joey trembled. Man, Mai was right. I must've gotten really lucky. That Ultimate Conductor Tyranno is more powerful than any monster in my deck! Joey was feeling the pressure and now he didn't even have his friends at his side to cheer him on. Man, never thought I'd really miss Tristan, Téa and Yug always bein' there to cheer me on.
As Joey clenched his eyes shut in frustration, his mind flashed back to his parting with Mahiru and Serenity. He recalled listening to his performance with Ibuki and the band.
No. This was not the time to give up. Even if his friends weren't around in person, he knew they were cheering him on in spirit. He also had to learn how to stand on his own two feet. He was a pro-duelist now. He had to act like it.
"I'm not givin' up!" Joey exclaimed. "Not until the very end!" Joey exclaimed. "I draw!" He pulled the one card to his hand he absolutely needed right now. "I activate Roll of Fate!" The dice-based spell card appeared. "Now, I roll a die and whatever the die lands on, I get to draw that many cards, but then I have to send that many cards from my deck to the graveyard. Okay, let's go!"
Joey rolled the virtual die one more time. Hopefully luck was still on his side.
It was.
The face-up form of those six black dots filled Joey with exuberant energy. "WHOO YEAH! Six baby! Come to Joey Wheeler!" Joey drew six cards to his hand and then sent six more to the graveyard. Looking at his hand, he knew exactly what cards he needed to turn this duel around.
"First, I activate Giant Trunade, sending your face-down card back to your hand!"
"No! My trap!" Rex exclaimed as it was blown back to his hand.
"Next, I activate Monster Reborn!" Joey exclaimed. "This will let me bring back my Battleguard King from the graveyard that I sent there with Roll of Fate!" Joey's powerful red ogre appeared on the battlefield with 3,000 attack points and 1,000 defense points.
"Heh, not bad Wheeler, but not strong enough to stop my monster." Ultimate Conductor Tyranno roared at Joey and his monster.
"Why don't you wait until I'm done? Then you can decide if I don't got what it takes to turn your overgrown chicken into barbecue!" Joey exclaimed.
"Do your worst!" Rex goaded.
"I will! I'm activatin' Lightning Blade!" Battleguard King swapped out its massive club for an equally massive sword that sparked with electricity. "This raises my monster's attack power by 800 points!"
Rex snarled. That was just enough to destroy his monster.
"And now, I summon to the field my Swordsman of Landstar!" Joey exclaimed. "Next, I sacrifice him to activate my Battleguard King's special effect. He gets to attack one additional time for every warrior monster used to activate his effect.
Rex sighed in frustration. Yup. This was going to hurt.
"Battleguard King, attack! Destroy Ultimate Conductor Tyranno!" Joey exclaimed.
With the Lightning Blade, Battleguard King slashed Rex's dinosaur in half, leaving Rex with only 600 life points.
"And since he can attack again, it's time for a direct attack!" Joey shouted. "Battleguard King! End this duel!"
Battleguard King took a swing at Rex and swatted him down like a fly as Rex crashed onto his back, reducing his life points to 0. Rex growled as he sat up and shook off his disorientation. The buzzer sounded, indicating Joey had won the duel.
Joey jogged over to him. "Yo, Rex, you all right?" Joey held a hand down to Rex to help him up, fully expecting Rex to swat it away.
However, Rex reached up and took Joey's hand, letting the blond help pull him to his feet. And then…Rex started laughing.
"Damn, I really thought I had that one. Guess I'll have to try harder next time." Rex held up Joey's hand, clenching it like the two were about to arm wrestle. He grinned at Joey, baring his teeth like a predator knowing it had to retreat. "You may have won this time, but I'll kick your butt next time, count on it!"
Joey smiled. "Rex, you've changed," he said. "And I think it's for the better."
Rex sneered, refusing to show weakness in defeat. "Yeah, I think so too. Anyway, I think I'm gonna stick around, see how far you can take this thing. I saw Ludenberg earlier." He sweat as he dropped his hand at his side. "That's one chick you don't want to mess with. She's been tearing down her opponents left and right."
"Frenchy, huh?" Joey asked, rubbing his head. "Guess she's gotten even better."
"Oh yeah, she's been kind of hovering around you and your chums, hasn't she?"
Joey shrugged. "Eh, on and off."
"Well, I'd say, don't lose to her, but…" Rex swallowed. Celeste's dueling ability scared him. "Just do your best."
"I'm gonna pummel anyone that gets in my way to da top," Joey said. "Doesn't matter if it's Frenchy, Mai, or even Byakuya! Today, Joey Wheeler's gonna be number one!"
Rex grinned. "You better do your best, or I'll never forgive you!" Rex exclaimed. "Whatdya say we get some nachos and split the bill? Dueling works up an appetite!"
"You got it!" Joey exclaimed and then he and Rex walked out of the room. Joey slapped Rex heartily on the back and Rex punched him lightly in the arm. It seemed that after nearly a year of being rivals, the two would be turning over a new leaf together…as friends.
About an hour later, those that survived into the 32-tier bracket were called upon to do battle. As Joey, Mai and Byakuya went their separate ways to take out some wannabes, Celeste headed quickly to the ladies' room to freshen up. She adjusted her lip gloss and her eye shadow and pampered her ringlets to make sure they wouldn't fall off and looked as real as the rest of her.
"Fabulous," she said after blowing a kiss at the mirror. "I shall crush my next opponent as I've done all tournament today."
Walking gracefully to the escalator as she was escorted to the third floor, Celeste entered a room where her opponent was already waiting for her: Bandit Keith Howard.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Gothic Lolita twerp," Keith said when Celeste strolled in.
"Oh? Have we met?" Celeste asked, stroking her chin with her braced index finger. "I get so tired of crushing wannabes that they all blur together."
"What the-? I'm Bandit Keith! We met yesterday at the casino!" Keith exclaimed.
"Keith…Keith…oh right, the boorish ogre from yesterday." Celeste said and smiled at him; fingers clasped together. "My apologies, you're so D-rank that you're completely forgettable."
"I was almost the American champion!"
"And what an impression you've made on the world's memory since then," Celeste returned sarcastically. "Besides," she smiled at Bandit Keith. "Almost only counts for horseshoes and hand grenades."
Bandit Keith growled. "I'll teach you not to mess with me! Bring it, princess!"
Celeste chuckled. "I'm not yet, but I intend to be in the years to come."
Keith growled. He was not going to let Celeste make a fool out of him. However, he failed to realize that one did not simply duel Celestia Ludenberg and not look at least, in part, a fool.
"Let me show you how I deal with women like you," Bandit Keith said, going for his hand, "In America!"
"But this is Canada," Celeste said, drawing her hand.
Bandit Keith growled, growing increasingly frustrated with Celeste. He drew his hand as well and he and Celeste stared each other down.
"Let's duel!" They declared simultaneously.
"Since I'm a former champion, I'll go first!" Bandit Keith declared. "I start by summoning to the field Mechanicalchaser, in attack mode!" The powerhouse 4-star machine monster with 1,850 attack points stormed onto the field. "Next, I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn."
"So you have that much faith in this outdated rust bucket?"
"We'll see who's a rust bucket soon enough," Bandit Keith replied.
"Too true," Celeste said with a sweet smile. She drew the top card of her deck. "First though, I draw." She placed the card in her hand. "And I will begin by activating the field spell Vampire Kingdom!" Celeste said, gently placing the card into the sixth spell slot and giving the slot a nice tap to properly shut close. Then, a giant castle erected behind her, cutting off the view of the duel to the people behind her, forcing them to change their positions so they could see what was going on. "With this card in play, all zombie-type monsters gain 500 attack points during battle. It does other things as well, but we shall wait until they become relevant," Celeste said, smiling sweetly. "Now then, I summon to the field Vampire Lady!"
A blue-skinned, green-haired demoness of the night appeared on Celeste's field with 1,550 attack points. "Next, I activate the spell card Twin Twisters!" Celeste declared, placing the spell card into the reader and activating it. "By discarding one card from my hand, I'm able to destroy both cards you have face-down!"
"You can't!" Bandit Keith cried out.
"I just did," Celeste stated. She took a monster card from her hand and sent it to the graveyard, leaving her with only two cards in hand as a pair of cyclones blasted Keith's field apart.
"Next, I shall set one card face-down," Celeste stated, leaving her with but a sole card in hand. "And now, I attack with Vampire Lady!" Celeste's monster sprang forward towards Bandit Keith. "And since my monster is a Zombie, it gains 500 attack points during battle thanks to the effects of my Vampire Kingdom." A thick, magenta aura surrounded Vampire Lady as her attack power increased to 2,050, making her stronger than Mechanicalchaser. By swinging upwards with her sharp nails, she cut through the metal monster and destroyed it, reducing Bandit Keith's life points to 3,800.
The former champion growled.
"And since my monster dealt damage to you this turn, I can force you to send one card of any type from your deck to the graveyard. And I believe I want you to send a monster card to the graveyard, if you wouldn't mind."
"Any monster card?" Bandit Keith asked.
"Indeed," Celeste responded.
Bandit Keith grinned. "Heh. Don't mind if I do." Keith took a card from his deck and slid it into the graveyard. Celeste had no idea the mistake she just made from his perspective.
"It's your move, monsieur," Celeste said, curtsying, giving a sweet smile and chuckling.
"Sure thing, toots. It's my move! I draw!" Bandit Keith drew the top card of his deck to his hand. "I activate the spell card Monster Reborn! This will let me summon one of my favorite monsters. Here comes Revolver Dragon!"
A monster with two revolvers for arms and one for its head appeared on the battlefield. It had 2,600 attack points and 2,200 defense points. "And next, I'm activating one more card Magnet Circle Level 2! This will let me automatically summon Jinzo number seven!" The weird, wire-exposed android appeared on Bandit Keith's side of the field with 500 attack points. "And I'm not done! I activate the spell card Machine Duplication, allowing me to summon two more of them from my deck!" Jinzo #7 split into three, each with 500 attack points.
"And since I technically only special summoned this turn, I can summon the last monster in my hand. Say hello to firepower and strength that your prissy little brain couldn't possibly comprehend! I summon Revolver Dragon's, bigger, more powerful older cousin: Desperado Revolver Dragon!"
A bigger Revolver Dragon with a red tail and more, sharper metal armored pieces sticking out of it appeared on Bandit Keith's side of the field. It had 2,800 attack points and 2,200 defense points.
"Party's over, princess! I activate the effect of Revolver Dragon! Now, if luck is on my side, I can destroy any monster on your side of the field. Say goodbye to your Vampire Lady!"
You just said the magic word, Celeste thought, smirking behind the card in her hand.
Revolver Dragon rotated its chambers and fired at Vampire Lady. However, all three shots were blanks. "What? Impossible!" Bandit Keith exclaimed.
"Looks like luck is not on your side today, monsieur," Celeste chuckled.
"Yeah, well you're still gonna be feeling this one in the morning. I have more than enough firepower to completely annihilate you! Revolver Dragon! Desperado Revolver Dragon! Jinzo Number Seven! Attack Celeste's Vampire Lady and her life points! Make her suffer!"
Six shots rang out, nailing Celeste's body and her Vampire Lady with hard light holograms, followed by an electrostatic discharge from the rod that Jinzo Number Seven carried around its shoulders. Celeste spun about, collapsed on the ground and tumbled backwards into the hologram of her Vampire Kingdom.
"Ugh," She groaned. That…could've felt better. Her life points were all but gone. From full strength, she'd gone down all the way to 150 in just one turn. A little dizzy from the volley, she got to her feet, swaying a little. I am so thankful this floor is clean, she thought, fanning out her dress and trying not to look angry or frustrated. Instead, she just looked serious.
Bandit Keith laughed. "How's it feel? If you give up now, I'll spare your dignity. Nobody makes a monkey outta Bandit Keith!"
When was the last time I felt so backed into a corner? Celeste wondered. She recalled her duel with Johnson when she had pulled herself out of an unwinnable situation and completely turned the duel around. She looked at the card in her hand and the card she had face-down on the field. There is no point to hesitate, she thought, shaking her head, ringlets swishing about. I can't worry about whether or not I can win. To simply do it…that is the only option. She placed her hand on top of her deck to draw. "I draw!" Celeste declared, pulling the top card of her deck to her hand. However, what she drew was hardly a concern at the moment. The pieces were all in place. All she had to do was make the dominoes fall.
"I activate my face-down trap card: Vampire Awakening! This will let me summon Vampire Familiar to the field in attack mode!" A weird looking bat with 500 attack points appeared on Celeste's field. "But he won't be staying for long, for I summon the card I kept in my hand, my Vampire Scarlet Scourge!" A very handsome vampire with shoulder length, light blond hair appeared. He was wearing black, leather pants, a black and red cape that was tattered at the base, and a white, ruffled button-down shirt with a snazzy black vest over it. "The epitome of all vampire boyfriends," Celeste chuckled. "Devilishly cruel and devilishly handsome."
Her monster turned and winked to her, offering her a black and blood colored rose.
Celeste chuckled. "Oh my, and devilishly charming too."
Her monster then turned his attention to the battlefield, summoning a wand with a red gem on the top. He had 2,200 attack points and 2,200 defense points.
"Next, I activate the spell card Vampire's Masquerade Mask!" A sharpened, white domino mask appeared on Celeste's monster. "This special equip spell grants my monster 200 attack points for each of its level stars, and Scarlet Scourge has 6. That's 1,200 extra attack points."
Scarlet Scourge's attack power shot up to 3,400 points.
"And now, I attack with Scarlet Scourge against Desperado Revolver Dragon! Scarlet Flash!"
Scarlet Scourge's body suddenly became coated with a thick, scarlet aura.
"And thanks to my Vampire Kingdom, he gains 500 attack points!" Scarlet Scourge's attack power raised up to 3,900.
Spinning his wand like a cane, Scarlet Scourge caused a bright flash of red light that then obliterated Desperado Revolver Dragon, reducing Bandit Keith's life points down to 2,700.
"And now, since I destroyed a monster by battle, Vampire Kingdom's effect activates. By sending one vampire monster from my deck to the graveyard, I can destroy any card on the field. And I choose Jinzo number 7!"
Celeste put a vampire from her deck into the graveyard and then a bunch of bats flew out from her castle and obliterated her monster.
"And there's more. Now that combat has ended, my monster's next ability activates. Since it destroyed a monster by battle this turn, that monster comes back from the graveyard. Except now, he serves me! Come to me, Desperado Revolver Dragon!"
Bandit Keith's monster appeared on Celeste's side of the battlefield in defense mode.
"Sadly, that will be my turn, but I think you can see just how much I've completely turned this duel around," Celeste said and chuckled happily.
"Heh, you're a fool, princess. You should've played Desperado in attack mode. As he is, I can easily destroy him and your stupid vampire."
"Oh, by all means, try your best, I'm more than curious to see if you can," Celeste chuckled.
"Why you…" Bandit Keith growled. "I told you! Ain't nobody that's nobody makes a fool of Bandit Keith! Get ready, cause I'm going to wipe that smug smile right off your stupid face!"
"Oh by all means," Celeste said as she dropped her pitch as low as she could, eyes allured with the utmost seriousness. "Entertain me."
"You asked for it!" Bandit Keith declared. "I draw!" He drew the top card of his deck. "And I start by activating Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards. And next I activate Polymerization! This will let me fuse together my Revolver Dragon with the Blowback Dragon in my hand to forge Gatling Dragon!"
A monster with big, spiked, red wheels, a machine gun for a head, and two for arms appeared on Bandit Keith's side of the field. It had 2,600 attack points and 1,200 defense points. "You're in trouble now! Gatling Dragon is able to destroy up to three monsters per turn and, unlike Desperado, he doesn't have to cooldown after using it, meaning that once I blow up your field, this duel is completely over!"
"Then why don't you stop flapping your gums and do it already?" Celeste asked sharply.
Bandit Keith growled. "We'll see how calm you are once I've taken you out of the tournament! Go! Gatling Dragon! Wipe out her monsters!"
A barrage of bullets hailed across the battlefield, creating a cloud of dust, obscuring Celeste, her monsters, and her castle from view.
"Ha! How do you like that?" Bandit Keith asked.
"A bit loud, but that's exactly what I expected," Celeste responded calmly. As the dust faded, Bandit Keith's blood ran cold. None of Celeste's monsters had been destroyed.
"What? Impossible! No! This can't be! You have to be cheating!" he shouted.
"Quite ironic coming from a notorious cheater, don't you think? Besides, I didn't lift a finger," Celeste said and gave Bandit Keith her sweetest smile. "Luck is simply not on your side!"
"Y-you!" Bandit Keith roared.
"Thank you for exceeding my expectations in your utter stupidity," Celeste chuckled. "Now, let me show what luck is really about." Celeste drew the top card of her deck, but it was immaterial. "Desperado Revolver Dragon, activate your special ability, destroy Gatling Dragon!"
Desperado Revolver Dragon fired three live rounds at Gatling Dragon, completely annihilating it.
"Oh, lucky me. Three for three," Celeste smiled. "I get to draw a card. Not that it matters. This duel is over anyway." Her expression quickly became neutral. "Scarlet Scourge, finish off this boorish gentleman for me, would you?"
Spinning his staff, Scarlet Scourge was engulfed by a Scarlet aura as his attack power increased to 3,900.
"NO! This is rigged! RIGGED I TELL YOU!" Bandit Keith declared as Scarlet Scourge's Scarlet Flash hit him directly with the magical flash of light, completely decimating his life points all the way down to 0. The force of the blast knocked Bandit Keith off his feet and caused him to collapse face-up on the ground.
Unfortunately, Bandit Keith was nothing if not a sore loser. As soon as he could feel his arms and legs, he zoomed over to Celeste and lifted her up by her blouse. Fist reared back. "All right, princess! I don't know what you did, but I know you cheated! There's no way all of my dragons' effects could've failed so miserably, then you do it once and you get it off perfectly."
"You might want to hold in your anger," Celeste said. "I wasn't aware 'no one' didn't include yourself when it comes to making a fool out of Bandit Keith."
While running her mouth off was Celeste's thing, she knew that the situation was likely going to end with her getting punched. However, when she did hear the sound of flesh hitting flesh, it wasn't her with a stinging red cheek, but Bandit Keith himself. In the blink of an eye, or at least so fast that Celeste hadn't the time to process it for a few seconds, Bandit Keith's free arm had been grabbed, pulled away and then the big brute had been promptly punched in the face…by Joey Wheeler.
On the ground, Keith held his sore cheek, looking up at Joey with disdain.
"You! This is assault! I'll have you thrown out of here and you'll never duel in this country again, do you hear me?!" Keith shouted at Joey.
"I don't care if it gets me to lose my dueling license! Nobody hits my friends!" Joey shouted, using one arm to block off Keith from Celeste. The other was still clenched into a fist.
Celeste had considered it in the realm of possibility that someone would stop Bandit Keith, but to see Joey here was another matter entirely. Looking at him, still a bit startled, she thought, Could he be… she shook her head. No. He's a fool and an idiot. She gazed at Joey. And yet…
"You wanna go, punk?" Bandit Keith asked Joey.
"Only if you wanna bring it, ya jerk!"
However, before Joey or Keith could throw a single punch, two big men in security uniforms restrained Keith's arms and dragged him away. "What the—Hey! What are you doing? You can't throw me out!" he exclaimed as they dragged him away, Keith's heels dragging on the carpet. "I have rights! This is Canada, the friendliest place on Earth! Hey! HEEEEEEEEY!" He continued to protest and kick his legs as he disappeared into the crowd of people towards the furthest emergency exit to the convention center.
"My, my, it's an all time low if Canada is throwing you out," Celeste said.
Joey turned towards her and gave her a confident, very faint smirk. "You all right, Celeste?"
"I'm fine. I don't need a buffoon like you to be concerned about me," Celeste responded sharply. "Besides, what about your own duel?"
"Huh? Oh. I got super lucky. Managed to play Giant Trunade and Thunder King on my second turn and totally took out the competition! I'm in the next round, same as you it seems."
Celeste chuckled. "My, my, will wonders never cease? Are you famished? I could reward you with some food for your chivalrous behavior just now."
"Well, you know I never say no to free food," Joey said.
"Quite." Celeste said, reminding herself of Joey's table manners. The two then left the room together and headed for the dining area. Celeste bought Joey a box of dozen doughnuts and an 8" pizza. She had a salad.
"You sure?" Joey asked.
"Not everyone has to stuff their stomachs full of calories until they puke it up like a dog," Celeste remarked irritably and then smirked. "I'm a lady of elegance and grace."
"Well, whatever. More for me then," Joey said and chowed down.
"Honestly," Celeste said. "If your table manners weren't so garish, you might actually attract more girls."
Joey was so engrossed in food, he hadn't heard Celeste's comment. "You say something?"
Celeste sighed. "Never mind." And yet, as the two sat there and ate, she couldn't help but keep wanting to ask him something very important. But with so many people around… "Joey."
"Yeah?" Joey asked in between bites and slurps of his 32oz soda.
"When the tournament is over, or if we're both unlucky enough to lose, I'd like to talk to you…privately."
Joey looked around. "No one's listening."
"Not good enough. For something like this, I require the gentle serenity of a hotel room, or somewhere with four walls and no onlookers or potential eavesdroppers."
"Sure, whatever you need," Joey said.
"My, that was definitive," Celeste stated.
"Of course," Joey said. "You're my friend, Celeste."
"Indeed, friends we are, I suppose." It's funny. I used to take the concept a joke and as a punishment after I lost to Yugi, and yet…this is nice. Life is certainly quite amusing sometimes. If I stop and think about it, both of you are worthy of C-rank.
As Joey finished his meal, it was just about time for the Sweet Sixteen to do battle. Joey and Celeste narrowed in on their names.
"Seems that, if we are to do battle, it will not be until the finals, given the bracket," Celeste said.
"Seems that way," Joey replied. He looked at his side of the bracket. To get to Celeste, he'd have to face Byakuya in the semi-finals. "I won't lose!"
"And neither will I," Celeste said. To make it to the finals, she would likely have to beat Mai, assuming the blonde didn't lose before then.
"Attention all sixteen remaining finalists, this is an important announcement. All duels henceforth will be taking place in the main arena. Finalists are barred from the arena to the finalists' lobby unless it is their turn to duel. Please report to Gallery Hall B. Refreshments will be served," the female announcer said. "That is all."
"Guess we should get going," Joey said, getting to his feet.
"Indeed," Celeste stated.
As the two reached the gallery, they were met by Mai and Byakuya, both near the entrance simply loitering about.
"Good, you're here," Byakuya said. "I expected no less."
"Celeste," Mai said, giving the red-eyed gambler her full attention.
"Mai," Celeste returned, glancing sideways.
"Only one of us can face Joey in the finals and I've staked too much on this rematch to let it be you," Mai said.
"What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing," Celeste stated.
"Please do not act as if this Neanderthal has already beaten me," Byakuya stated. "It could be me you're facing in the finals for all you know."
Celeste and Mai looked at Byakuya. There was a tense silence before they both started laughing.
Byakuya growled, facing getting red with anger. "I will not have you two mock me! Rest assured; I will not be bested so easily!"
"Neither will I, Byakuya," Joey said. "I'm goin' straight for da top."
As Mai and Celeste calmed down, the two women gave the same tense, confident stares towards Byakuya and Joey that the two men were giving them. All four expert duelists seemed to desire nothing short of dueling two out of the three people standing before them in the relatively square formation they were standing in. Silently, each one vowed that they would accept nothing less than absolute victory.
And, before they realized it, the next two rounds becoming a total blur, all four of them had become the semi-finalists.
(A/N: Boo-yah! So yeah, Rex was the mystery character I was talking about and we get a little dramatization of what's been happening since the mess with the Orichalcos. More importantly: MAKOTO! And you all thought I'd forgotten about him XD. Don't worry, he'll be a more recurring part of the plot once his time at Hope's Peak Academy begins. We have this arc to finish, next arc, and then Class 78 officially begins their time at Hope's Peak.
Also, yes, we are jumping straight to the semi-finals. This entire tournament was really a formality given the semi-finals and finals were the entire reason this was even happening. What started, conceptually, as a Byakuya V. Joey (finals) and Joey V. Mai (semi-finals) rematch has exploded into a short little arc of its own, up to and including Celeste's involvement. And I'm not saying if her involvement has derailed the Mai rematch or not. After all, Celeste is just as eager for her rematch, as she stated in this chapter.
For those of you familiar with Celeste's free time events, you know what she means by C-rank. For those of you that don't, well when the conversation finally does happen, you'll get the full explanation then. But, for now, we have Byakuya Vs Joey and Mai Vs Celeste, and then the finals! Place your bets people on the semi-final winners and the tournament winner, and I'll see you all in the next chapter! And until then, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)