Can I?
By: Xhibit B
Chapter Three - The Tournament (Part Two)
.i do not own yu-gi-oh!.
The group of thirteen people walked into the café, happily greeted by the hostess who promised she would be right back after she got a table big enough for all of them set up. Quiet conversation ensued between the group as they waited for her to return.
"Are Marik and Malik going to be showing up," Yūgi asked Joey as she held Kisara in her lap, brushing a piece of long black and violet hair out of her face. "And how about Bakura and Ryō?"
"I talked to Ryō this morning, she and Bakura will be here by the time the first rounds start," Joey answered, adjusting the little girl in her lap. "Keiko had a dentist's appointment this morning or they would have come when everyone else did. As for Marik and Malik, they won't be able to make it today. Malik had to work and Marik is out of the country. And Hima is with her elder cousin while she works. But Malik and Hima will be able to make it tomorrow for the second part of the tournament. As well as Mahad, Ishizu and Isis."
"Ah good, at least they won't miss the entire thing," Yūgi said just as the hostess returned.
There was a friendly smile on her lips as she gestured for them to follow, "We've set up a table big enough for all of you. Will anyone else be joining you today? Just in case we need to add another table."
"No, this is all of us," Yami answered.
He couldn't help but notice how her eyes seemed to linger on him for a bit longer than he was really comfortable with. He'd opened his mouth to ask if she was okay when Hikari spoke up.
"Yes, my Dad is handsome, thank you for noticing. But you can stop staring any time now," the tri-colour haired girl said glaring at the young woman who quickly turned away from Yami and began leading them to the table that had been set up for them. "Jeez, it's rude to stare, weren't you taught that in school?"
Yami had to hold back his laughter, as did everyone else as they continued to follow the now embarrassed hostess through the restaurant.
After a few minutes of walking, they came upon several sets of tables that had been pushed together to fit all of them. He noticed how Hikari was quick to take a seat beside Yūgi before he took the vacant spot beside her. This kid was more than likely up to something, he was sure of it. Especially since Atem had let it slip about the crush he had, had on her back when he was younger. Not to mention the way that she had completely embarrassed the hostess who had all but run away after she placed their menus in front of them and turned on her heel. He'd have to keep a very close eye on that girl.
"Hi," Hikari said gaining the tri-colour haired woman's attention. There was a kind smile that graced her features when she turned to look at the crimson eyed girl, "My name is Hikari. This is my Daddy, Yami. You're very pretty. Hiba talks a lot about how awesome you are at Duel Monsters. Were you really a world champion when you were her age?"
"My, you are quite the curious one, aren't you," Yūgi laughed before she answered the girl. "Yes, I really was a Duel Monsters world champion when I was much younger. My Grandpa there was the one who taught me everything that I know about the game. Do you like to play Duel Monsters, Hikari?"
"I like to watch Hiba play," Hikari answered. "I never learned how to play really. But I want to learn so that I can compete in tournaments like Hiba because it looks like it's a lot of fun!" She grinned brightly, showing off the missing tooth in the centre of her bottom row of teeth. "Do you ever miss competing in tournaments like these, Miss Yūgi?"
"I do," Yūgi answered truthfully. "I was really shy at first; being out in the public eye while playing a game like this is actually really nerve wrecking. But after I got over my initial fear of the spectators, I had more fun than I had originally thought possible. Not to mention the fact that I've made some amazing friends over the years and traveled to many amazing places."
"That and Yūg kicked some serious keister back then," Joey offered. "She even beat Seto here when we were teenagers because he was being a total jerk face and ripped up her Grandpa's Blue Eyes White Dragon card, he was such a little shit back then."
"You're not going to let me live that down, are you," Seto asked as his hand came run over his face warily. "It was a long time ago, Joey, let it be."
"Not a chance dear," Joey laughed before continuing the recount the encounter. "Seto had all three of his Blue Eyes White Dragons out on the field and Yūg was down to her last 400 and some odd life points. But then she got lucky and pulled the final piece of Exodia, The Forbidden One before completely obliterating Seto's dragons and taking out the rest of his life points." Joey then turned to the tri-colour haired woman. "Speaking of Exodia, were you ever able to find more pieces of him to replace the ones that jerk face Weevil threw into the ocean?"
"I was," Yūgi answered. "It took a few years, but I got him back. Of course, I had to travel around the world to find them but he's complete again."
"I still want to pound that little weasel into the ground for that stunt that he pulled that night on the boat," Joey huffed haughtily, folding her arms over her chest. "It wasn't cool what he did to ya."
Yūgi waved her best friend off, "It's okay, I'm not angry about it. I was able to complete him again so that's all that matters."
"I still hate those cards to this day," Seto grumbled.
"Still sore about being beat by a girl, cousin," Atem teased. "You can't always win them all."
"Don't rub it in, Atem," Seto huffed as he glanced back down at his menu that lay in front of him. "Yūgi is just a very good duelist who somehow found a way to weasel out of every obstacle that I've thrown at her whenever we dueled."
"Wow," Hikari said smiling brightly at the tri-colour haired woman, "You really are awesome Miss Yūgi."
She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her grasp as she laid a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "Why thank you Hikari. Perhaps, if you learn the ropes of the game, you can become a great duelist as well like your cousin."
"That's my goal!" Hikari answered happily before she turned to glance at Hiyori who sat at her mother's side. "Hey Hiyori?"
"Yes Hikari," Hiyori hummed looking over at the little girl. She was cute, if Hiyori did say so herself. She definitely looked like her father. Just a smaller female version of him. "What is it?"
"Well, how come you didn't want to compete in the tournament at first?" Hikari inquired, her head tilted to the side. "Hiba said that you're a great duelist. Even better than her."
"Well, I'm super shy honestly," Hiyori admitted. "And Hiba would be exaggerating. I only beat her occasionally in a duel. I'm not that great."
"Oh please," Hiba spoke up, rolling her eyes. "You're way better at Duel Monsters than I am, and you know it. I can never beat you in a game and I try really hard and still get my butt kicked! Me playing you is like Uncle Seto trying to play your Mom in even a friendly game of Duel Monsters. We'd get demolished… no offense Uncle Seto."
"None taken," Seto said waving her off. He didn't even bother looking up from his menu. He wasn't even going to attempt to touch the topic of all the defeats he had suffered at Yūgi's hands. It would just serve to embarrass and infuriate him more.
"You inherited your skills," Hiba continued, not giving anything, her uncle said a second thought. "I had to learn and work really hard to build mine up to the way that they are now. You'd totally kick butt in these tournaments. And I'm glad you entered this one."
"She does have a point there, sis," Yuki said not bothering to look up from his menu. "Like Grandpa said, Mom used to be shy too but then she got over it and became a legend in the Duel Monsters world. Now that you've started competing, you're going to get more comfortable and do even better."
"Fine, fine, you've convinced me okay," Hiyori huffed. "I hate when you make valid points." She sighed, looking down at her menu again as she continued to speak. "I suppose, I'll be competing in the Spring tournament next year at Kaiba Land, too. You have my word."
"I'm holding you to that," Hiba chimed happily, her grin bright. Not only was Hiyori going to compete in this tournament, she'd be competing in the spring tournament as well. "No take backs."
"Hiba how many times do I have to tell you," Hiyori laughed as she closed her menu, having finally found what she wanted to eat. "When a Mutou says that they'll do something, we always keep our word. There are no take backs with us. Right Mom?"
"That's correct," Yūgi confirmed with a laugh right as the waitress walked back to their table to take their food orders.
.cani.
After a nice brunch, the group of thirteen headed back out to the parking lot where their vehicles were waiting. Hikari was busy engaging Yūgi in conversation, asking her all about all of her past adventures when she dueled professionally to which Yūgi answered with upbeat enthusiasm. Yami couldn't help but smile at how easily those two were getting along. He was surprised though, when his daughter turned to him with a wide grin.
"Hey Daddy," Hikari called out to him.
"Yes Hikari," Yami asked; his brow irked.
"Do you think I can ride back to the stadium with Miss Yūgi, her Grandpa and the twins," Hikari asked innocently. She was pulling the puppy dog eyes on him; the one thing that got him to say yes, every time no matter what it was she was asking for. "Pretty please?"
Yami groaned, shaking his head. "I'm not sure Kar. Is Miss Mutou okay with that? It would be best to ask her first before asking me."
Hikari nodded, remembering that little detail finally before she turned to Yūgi who was quietly laughing behind her hand. "Do you mind if I go back to the stadium with you guys Miss Yūgi?"
"I don't mind at all Hikari, I'm sure that the twins can make room for you in the back seat," Yūgi answered. "Yuki has a really bad habit of wanting to try and stretch out across the seat to annoy Hiyori."
"It's really annoying so that change will be most welcome," Hiyori chimed in; her arms folded over her chest. If she had been about twenty years older, she'd have been an exact replica of her mother, Yami noticed. It was amazing how much those two actually looked alike. "That way Yuki can't try to put his feet on me like he usually does. His feet smell, bad."
"I don't do it to annoy you, I do it for comfort. My legs are way longer than yours," Yuki defended haughtily. "Just because you're extra short."
"I dare you to come over here and say that to my face."
"If you weren't so short I would."
"Why I ought to…"
"Twins please," Yūgi chided, easily breaking up the fight between her children as the others laughed in the background before she turned back to Hikari. The way that the fight had quickly de-escalated told them that Yūgi was nothing to play with when it came to controlling her children. "Perhaps if your father is okay with it and you do come back with us, you can help me keep those two in check." There was a wink of her eye, "What do you say?"
"You can count on me," the crimson eyed little girl giggled before she turned to her father. "C'mon Daddy, please? Miss Yūgi needs my help to keep an eye on Hiyori and Yuki on the way back!"
There was a chuckle from her father as he shook his head. "That's fine, you can go back with Miss Mutou. I'll see you when we all get there. Just don't give Miss Yūgi any issues."
"Thank you, Daddy, I won't," Hikari chimed before she ran forward and wrapped her arms around her father's waist. "I'll see you when we get there!"
"Just behave yourself Kar," Yami warned before placing a kiss on her forehead. "Go on, we need to start heading back. It's already one thirty and the girls have to be at their posts and ready to duel by two."
"Yami's right, let's get a move on," Atem said before they all broke away; heading to their respective vehicles and head off in the direction of the stadium.
.cani.
"We're here gang," Yūgi said as she pulled into a parking space in the stadium's parking lot once again. "Looks like everyone else is just getting here too. How about we get back inside and grab our seats again before we're too far away to see everything."
"Sounds like a plan to me Mom," Yuki answered before his door was opened and he stepped out before helping Hikari out next. "I wanna see what killer strategies Hiba has cooked up this time to win these duels."
"Agreed," Hiyori said closing the car door, sticking her hands in the pockets of her vest as she walked to the front of the car where everyone else was waiting. "Plus, I can't wait to go up against Marc."
"Yeah, Hiba's gonna kick butt," Hikari chimed as she grabbed the hand that Yūgi had offered her as they moved away from the SUV towards the stadium entrance. "And you're gonna do great too Hiyori."
"Thank you, Hikari," Hiyori laughed, offering her arm to the little girl to hook her own through, which she happily did, as they headed towards the door.
Separating from the girls at the entrance, they quickly made their way to the seats they had occupied in the beginning of the afternoon, glad that no one else had come by to claim them. Yūgi checked her cellphone, noting the time. Joey had said that Ryō, Bakura and their two children would be there before first duel began but they were still nowhere to be found and the first match was set to start fifteen minutes from then. She just hoped that they wouldn't be late and miss out on any of the matches.
"Ready to see what your protégé and your daughter can do," Joey asked as she took a seat beside her best friend.
"Definitely," Yūgi answered; one leg coming to cross over the other. "From what Hiyori told me about the fall tournament Hiba participated in, she did amazingly well. She said it reminded her of one of my old matches that she had come across a video of from when I was fifteen. So, I'm definitely ready to see what she does this time. As well as Hiyori. She's a mastermind at complex strategies. Even better than me."
"Nobody is better than you at getting out of a tight spot, Yūg," Joey pointed out before she turned to look at the ring. "But Hiyori is your daughter. I'm sure she's amazing herself as well."
Yūgi chuckled as she checked her cellphone when her best friend turned to say something to her husband, noting the time. Joey had said they would be there before the first duel began but they were still nowhere in sight. She just hoped that they wouldn't be late and miss out on any of the matches; especially Hiba's since she and her opponent would be the first duelists to battle it out.
"Bakura, Ryō, kids, over here!" she heard Joey call out suddenly to the family that turned and made their way towards them. "Jeez, I was starting to think that you guys would miss Hiba's match. She's up first."
"Then I'm glad that we got here when we did," Bakura said before he spotted Yūgi and one of the twins. A lazy smirk graced his features as he elbowed his wife to get her attention, nodding his head in the Mutou's direction. "Well, well, well. Look who showed up. I haven't seen you at a Duel Monster's tournament in almost twenty years, Yūgi."
"Yūgi? Is that seriously you?" Ryō said when the other woman stood, and she moved to hug her. "It's been so long since I last saw you. Wow, you look amazing. If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't suspect that you were the mother of a set of twins. It's been way too long since I last saw you!"
"It has, the last time I saw you was what, twelve years ago? Little Keiko was maybe a few months old at the time," Yūgi said as she pulled back before going to hug the other white hair. "It's been way too long."
"I never thought I'd see the day you'd return to a Duel Monsters tournament, even if you're not going to be participating," Bakura said as they all took their seats again. He leaned over and waved to Yuki. "And you brought one of the twins with you. I haven't seen those two since they were just coming out of diapers. But where's Hiyori?"
"She's competing in the tournament today, she's going to be dueling third," Yūgi answered.
"Just like her mother," Bakura chuckled. "I can't wait to see what she can do. I can't believe how much they've grown up."
"It really has been a very long time since we've seen you all. Hiyori and Yuki are what, almost sixteen now?" Ryō asked as she leaned back in her seat.
"That's right," Yūgi answered. "They just turned seventeen a week ago. Makes me wonder where all that time went. It feels like just yesterday I was holding them in my arms for the first time and now they're seventeen years old and entirely too independent for my liking. It makes me feel both happy and sad at the same time. Happy because they are growing up to be such well-mannered individuals but sad because they don't need me as much as they used to anymore and that's more depressing than I thought that it would be, honestly."
"Believe me I understand where you're coming from," Ryō said smiling. "Keiko is only eleven but she's already growing up so fast and becoming entirely too independent already. Just the other day she told me that she didn't need me to iron her clothes anymore, she could do it herself because she was older now. I'm not sure I like this new-found independence all that much."
"Join the club," Yūgi chuckled before a microphone crackled to life, gaining everyone's attention.
She and the others glanced up to see Hiba and her opponent, an American boy named Aaron Taylor, standing on their respective ends of the platform and Pegasus in the centre of the elevated stage fifteen yards behind them.
"Good afternoon Duel fans and welcome back to the start of the Domino Duel Monster's tournament," Pegasus spoke into the microphone, causing an uproar from the spectators around them. "It's time to get our first match under way. To my left we have the undefeated champion of Duel Monsters and the protégé of the Queen of Games herself, sixteen-year-old Hiba Sennen. Born and raised in Upper Domino to parents Atem and Mana Sennen, Hiba has poured countless hours, blood, sweat and tears into learning the ropes of Duel Monsters under the guidance of the legendary Yūgi Mutou and her Grandfather, Sugoroku Mutou. She entered her first tournament three years ago at the tender age of thirteen, dominating every opponent that has ever crossed her path. And now she's here again to defend her title of Best Duelist in Domino."
The fans cheered around her, but from what Yūgi could see, Hiba was far too focused to even notice. A proud smile wormed its way across her lips as she watched the young brown-haired girl set herself up for the duel; carefully shuffling her cards before placing them flat on the podium she stood behind. This was definitely going to be a great duel, Yūgi could tell.
"And to my right we have nineteen-year-old Aaron Taylor, regional champion in both the western and eastern parts of North America," Pegasus continued as he introduced the second contestant. "Born and raised in the lower region of Denver, Colorado; Aaron first began playing Duel Monsters at the age of nine when his best friend who has passed introduced him to the game. He began competing in tournaments three years later in order to win money for his family to survive on. This will be his first tournament outside of the United States. Each round will last for twenty minutes only. At the end of that twenty minutes, the duelist with the least amount of life points will lose if they have not been completely wiped out before the clock strikes zero."
There were more loud cheers from the onlookers as the young male waved a hand out to them. Yūgi could tell that he wasn't as focused on this duel as Hiba was. He must have been thinking her an easy win just because she was a female and three years his junior; the same thing that many had done to Yūgi in her day. He's going to learn why underestimating her is a very bad idea very, very soon.
"This kid is just standing there waving to his "fans" like he's not about to get his ass kicked," Joey voiced what the tri-colour haired woman was thinking. "Hiba is one of the best duelists there is today because she learned from the greatest of all time. This kid had best watch himself or he's going to get completely embarrassed. And I'll bet that Hiba won't even be sorry."
"I was just thinking the same thing," Atem said with a laugh before he leaned forward, cupping his hands around his mouth. "You go Hiba! Teach that kid why it's a bad idea to underestimate you!"
"You go baby girl," Mana hollered as she pumped her fist in the air. "Teach that kid a lesson he won't soon forget! You can do this! We're here for you all the way!"
"I'm quite certain she can't hear the two of you," Seto pointed out, earning annoyed looks from his cousin and cousin-in-law. They didn't need him being a smart ass right now; they were just supporting their daughter. "I'm just pointing it out. Don't give me those looks."
Yuki laughed, shaking his head, "Uncle Seto, always at the receiving end of someone's glare."
"You think it's bad now," Bakura chuckled. "You should have seen it when we were in high school. Girls would fall at his feet and guys would glare because he was getting all that attention. I'm pretty sure he's immune to anyone's glare at this point. Well, everyone that isn't Joey. He still shrinks back when she fixes him with one of those looks. It's a wife thing."
"Can it Bakura," Seto said earning a glare from Joey before she gestured for him to pay attention.
"Case and point," Bakura laughed before he was jabbed by his own wife, her soft brown eyes hardening in one of her infamous glares before he turned to look at the duel that was just beginning.
Yūgi couldn't help but laugh at her friend's antics as she fixed her gaze on Hiba's duel. A hint of a smile played on her lips when she saw Hiba using one of her starting moves. "Good choice, now let's see how this kid counters it… if he can."
.cani.
It was coming down to the wire. Aaron was down to his last four hundred life points and Hiba still held on to one thousand and two hundred of her own. The boy was sweating bullets, Yūgi noticed; hesitating to lay a card down to put into play.
"What's wrong," they heard Hiba ask through the microphone that was attached to her ear. "You were boasting about defeating me just a few minutes ago. Why are you hesitating now? Are you afraid that you will be defeated by a girl? There's no shame in being beaten by someone whose strategy was just a bit more thought out than your own."
"Hiba has definitely gotten the shit talking part of this game down packed," Joey laughed when the boy's face twisted up in annoyance. "She's getting under his skin. Psychology is just half the game and she's definitely implementing it right now. And he doesn't know how to handle it at all. Reminds me of the mind game that Yūg played on that eliminator during Duelist Kingdom."
"You never told us about this Mom," Yuki said as he looked up at his mother who chuckled.
"That's a story for another time," the mother answered; amethyst eyes never straying from the duel that was happening in front of her. "Perhaps during dinner I'll tell you two about it."
"Sounds like plan to me," Yuki said before laughing out loud when Hiba destroyed the monster card that Aaron had put down with her Summoned Skull.
"Check Mate, you lose," Hiba said before the images of the Duel Monsters disappeared, signifying the end of the match.
"Hiba Sennen advances to the next round!" Crockett announced suddenly before cheers erupted throughout the stadium from the on lookers. "There will be a brief rest period of five minutes before the next match between Jiro Hatake and Vivian Wong begins. Duelists, please make your way to the stage."
"Vivian Wong still duels," Joey asked; trying to hold back the laughter that was brewing in her throat. "Isn't she like fifty? What the hell is she still doing dueling in big tournaments like this against nothing but kids? One of these children is going to mop the floor with her one of these days."
Snorts of laughter escaped the grasp of the individuals around her, everyone trying to hide their smiles behind their hands. It was Yami that was able to find his voice first.
"Joey that wasn't very nice," he chided, attempting to keep himself from laughing again. "Vivian isn't that old. She's maybe 42… and probably still has the world's biggest crush on my brother. Not that it's good for her health; especially when Mana's around."
"By the Gods why did you have to bring that up again," Atem asked, allowing his head to rest in his hand. That woman was still trying her hardest to get his attention every time they would run into one another. It didn't help that Mana was overly possessive of her husband and ready to kill the other woman every time she got within ten feet of Atem or so much as looked in his direction. But Yami saw that as payback for him blowing his secret. The crush he had on Yūgi was never supposed to be mentioned. He had brought this on himself. "I just pray she doesn't realize that I'm actually here and she'll leave me alone."
"I think it may be a little too late for that now, Mr. Sennen," Yuki said as he pointed out at the Chinese woman who was looking up at Atem specifically, waving her hand enthusiastically. If the teen wasn't mistaken, he could swear she was calling him her love. "She's waving at you."
"That woman never learns," Yami sighed, shaking his head. He felt sorry for his brother; being chased by crazy fan-girls wasn't easy. He should know, he dealt with it all through high school. But he felt even sorrier for Vivian… because if Mana ever got her hands on her. Yeah, it wouldn't be pretty. "You would think that after twenty plus years she would get the hint."
"Vivian is a nice woman," Yūgi spoke suddenly. "But she seems a bit… out there."
"A bit?" Mana spoke up; glaring daggers at the Chinese woman who quickly turned away upon seeing the look on the usually gentle woman's face. "Try a lot, damn harlot."
"…somehow, I feel like before this tournament is over, Vivian is going to get a taste of hurricane Mana," Bakura laughed uneasily. The murderous aura Mana was exuding was alarmingly frightening. He made a mental note to remember to never piss her off. "Especially if she keeps that up. I almost feel bad for her."
"I don't, maybe now she'll get the hint," Yami shrugged; his brother nodding his head in agreement to his statement. "She's been pursuing him for years, despite the clear indications that he's with Mana, has been with Mana and will continue to be with Mana. I'm not sure why she's not getting that through her head."
.cani.
"It is now time for the third match," Crocket announced. "May I have Hiyori Mutou and Marc Devlin come forth and take your places to begin the next duel."
Hiyori swallowed thickly before she followed the taller boy out to the main arena. Despite her anxiety that was already beginning to flare at the sight of thousands of people watching her, she appeared calm and composed. But honestly, she was scared as hell as she took her place at the podium on the left, closest to where her mother and the others were sitting. Her deck was pulled from the pouch on her belt, the cards shuffled with care as Pegasus began to speak.
"We are in for a very special treat with this round, Duel Fans," the flamboyant creator announced. "To my right we have nineteen-year-old Marc Devlin, the son of Duke Devlin who happens to be the creator of Dungeon Dice Monsters."
The fans all around cheered loudly as Marc grinned and winked cockily at Hiyori who in turn rolled her amethyst eyes. He was expecting for this to be an easy match. Little did he know though, he was in for the battle of his life against the youngest Mutou twin.
"Entering his first tournament at the age of ten, Marc has been a fan favourite, only second to Hiba Sennen," the silver haired male continued. "He is definitely a great duelist."
"He might be a great duelist," Joey said, smirking as her arms came to rest across her chest. "But there ain't no way in hell he's getting the best of my niece. Hiyori's gonna mop the floor with this guy. Just take a look at who her mother is."
"I'll give Marc the credit he deserves, he is a great duelist," Seto pitched in. "But with the way that Hiyori duels, he doesn't stand a chance. She's way too cunning to be overthrown easily."
"And she looks super focused," Yami commented as he leaned forward more for a better look at the arena. It was like de ja vu for the younger Sennen brother. It was almost as if they were seeing a younger version of Yūgi down there dueling. "If she's as shy as she said she is, you definitely wouldn't be able to tell right now looking at her."
"Hiyori's good at tuning things out," Yuki said, glancing over at the crimson eyed man. "Especially when she's focused. She probably is nervous, but she's really good at hiding stuff like that. Just watch, you'll see what I mean soon enough. You're going to be blown away by her skills in a second. Right Mom?"
"Mhm," Yūgi hummed, her focus on the ring below.
"And to my left, making her debut in a professional duel monsters tournament, we have seventeen-year-old Hiyori Mutou," Pegasus announced happily. "She is the daughter of the Queen of Games herself, Yūgi Mutou if you couldn't tell by the adorably short stature and those big amethyst eyes. Hiyori is certainly quite skilled when it comes to thinking up killer strategies and dominating any opponent that she has faced. I should know, I've played her before myself and she beat me senseless. Just like her mother before her. This girl is certainly a force to be reckoned with."
"You're dang right she is," Yuki chuckled.
"Now, let's get this duel underway!"
"Duel," came the in-sync response from both Hiyori and Marc as their decks were placed on the podium.
"I'll go first," Marc announced as he drew a card. "And I'll play my Winged Dragon in attack mode and end my turn. It's your go now, cutie."
"Hey, that guy had better be careful what he says to my sister," Yuki hissed, leaning forward.
Yami chuckled, turning to glance at the tri-colour haired boy. "You remind me so much of my brother-in-law, Mahad. Mana's elder brother."
"Mahad was definitely very overprotective of Mana," Atem laughed. "I'm surprised that he let me date, let alone marry her, to be honest."
"Ssh," the woman in question chided. "Hiyori is about to make her move. I want to see what she's going to do."
"You're quite cocky, aren't you Devlin," the tri-colour haired teen clipped. "Hasn't anyone ever taught you that you should never underestimate your opponent no matter what? No? Well, let me show you why. I place two cards face down and a monster face down in defense mode. Your move, Devlin."
"Huh, I wonder what she could possibly have played," Atem mused, his head tilted to the side as his hand came to cup his chin. "Especially since she played it face down. No doubt Marc is going to attack it. But will he be able to take it down? That's the question here."
"It's Big Shield Gardna," Yūgi said knowingly. "If he attacks, he's going to lose life points because she's in defense. The Winged Dragon only has 1400 attack points. Big Shield Gardna has 2600 defense points. It would be in his best interest not to charge right away."
"You're sure about that?" Yami inquired, turning to look at the woman that sat several seats to the left of him. "It could be anything for all we know."
She merely nodded, a hint of a smile playing on her lips, "Just watch and see."
"Winged Dragon, attack her face down card," they heard Marc call.
The hologram sprang forward, attacking the card before it was instantly destroyed, revealing the card that had been played. Big Shield Gardna.
"You were right, Yūgi," Mana chirped. "Marc just flushed 1200 points attacking her face down card."
"I told you, Devlin," Hiyori commented as she drew another card. She grinned when she glanced at the card she'd drawn. It was the exact card she wanted. "You shouldn't underestimate your opponent no matter how good you think you are. Now, I summon Breaker, the Magical Warrior in attack position." She placed the card on the platform, the hologram coming to life. "And I'll end my turn."
"Hiyori's dominating right now and the duel's just starting," Joey laughed. "Serves that kid right for thinking he's got this in the bag."
"It's your move," Hiyori taunted.
.cani.
"Duke's probably somewhere losing his mind right now with the way his son is being beaten," Yami chuckled. As expected, Hiyori had taken full control of the duel and was handing Marc a severe ass kicking. "It's coming down to the wire. Marc has eight hundred life points left and Hiyori's still got over two thousand. I say this turn, Hiyori takes it all."
"Agreed," Seto hummed, one of his lithe legs coming to cross over the other. His arms folded across his chest, hard blue eyes focused one the duel below. "He's sweating bullets."
"Told you Hiyori is an amazing duelist," Yuki bragged. "That's my sister. Go Hiyori! Kick that guy's butt!"
"I sacrifice my Kings Knight and Queens Knight to summon my Dark Magician in attack mode," Hiyori called, placing her favourite card down. "This is the end of the line, Devlin. Dark Magician, destroy his Silver Fang and wipe out the rest of his life points with Dark Magic Attack." The purple clad magician hologram sprang forward, destroying Marc's monster before wiping out his remaining eight hundred life points. "You lose."
Cheers rang out around the stadium as Crockett announced Hiyori's win and the teenager stepped off the podium and made her way back to where the other duelists were waiting. She was immediately embraced by her best friend, who squeezed tightly.
"I'm so proud of you, Hiyori!" Hiba praised when she finally let her best friend go. "You did great! I told you it wasn't that bad. And you took down Marc Devlin of all people. You definitely fit in here."
"Hiba, I was freaking out the whole time, it is that bad," Hiyori laughed.
"Hey, Hiyori." The teen turned when she heard her name being called, coming face to face with her previous opponent who smiled down at her. He held his hand out to her which she took and shook. "Just wanted to say great duel. You're good. Maybe someday, you'll give me a rematch."
"Maybe someday I will," Hiyori promised as he pulled his hand away, stuffing them into his pockets as he walked away.
"I'm holding you to that," Marc called over his shoulder before he disappeared.
Hiyori shrugged, before she moved to turn back to her best friend when a white piece of paper that fluttered to the floor caught her attention.
"What's that," Hiba asked curiously as Hiyori leaned down to pick it up.
"Don't know," she answered as she opened it only to find a cellphone number and Marc's name right underneath it. Her nose coloured a bright red, wide amethyst eyes turning to the brown-haired girl. "It's his phone number."
"He likes you," Hiba teased. "How cute, your first tournament and already you have people giving you their phone numbers!"
"Shut up," Hiyori huffed, sticking the piece of paper in her vest pocket.
.cani.
"Eric Roberts is the victor. That concludes round one of the Domino City Tournament," Crockett announced when the most recent match ended two minutes before the twenty-minute allotted time frame for each match was over. "The eight remaining duelists that will advance to round two will be Hiba Sennen, Vivian Wong, Jahiko Takahashi, Mina Nakamura, Kenji Wu, Hiyori Mutou, Eric Roberts and Leon Washington. Round two will begin after a short hour and a half break. Duelists are to be back and in place by six-fifty so that the second part of the tournament can begin at seven pm sharp. The first match will be Hiba Sennen versus Vivian Wong."
"Yes," Mana shouted, fist pumping. "You teach that harpy why she should never try to mess with a Sennen, Hiba."
"...Vivian's dueling career is officially over. Hiba is going to demolish her," Yami chuckled, shaking his head as he stood from his seat, reaching for his daughter's hand. "We should probably grab the girls then get something quick to eat. The tournament might not be over until around nine and I'm pretty sure everyone would be way too tired by then to even think about going to eat."
"My brother has a point," Atem said as he too stood from his seat alongside his wife. "Three-and-a-half hours of sitting here and watching everyone duel does tend to make one hungry."
"I did see that they had a concession stand not far from the entrance when we first came in this morning," Yūgi commented. "I'm pretty sure that they have something edible there."
"Sounds like a good idea to me," the white-haired woman pitched in as she reached for her son's hand. "So, let's go collect Hiba and Hiyori then make our way there. I'm pretty sure that by now Hiba's complaining about stomach cramps from being so hungry. She seems to be a bottomless pit like her father was in our younger years."
There was a shared laugh between all of them as they made their way out, heading to where they were to meet Hiba and Hiyori before heading off to grab dinner. The whole way, Hikari was chatting with Yūgi about how she was enjoying the tournament so far and how great Hiba and Hiyori had done in their first matches; Yami pitching in a word or two every now and again. Hiyori, Yuki and Hiba were all talking about how intense the bouts all were with some of the top ranked duelists going up against one another. Atem, Mana and the Akeifa's were all talking about work and their children.
None of them were expecting for Hurricane Vivian to come sweeping in, attaching herself to Atem's arm while smiling lovingly at him. "Atem! I can't believe you're here! Did you come out just to see me duel today?"
"Actually, I came for my daughter, you know, because she's my daughter," Atem deadpanned. "I was actually hoping that you wouldn't be here if we're being completely honest right now."
"Oh, don't be like that my darling," Vivian pouted, her grip on his arm tightening as he tried to shake her away. This woman was really starting to grate on his last good nerve. "You know you love me."
"Yeah… no… I really don't," the tri-colour haired male said before he was pulled away by his wife, who went to stand between himself and the Chinese woman.
"Back off Viv, I don't know why you're still playing these games like you're not aware of the thin line you're crossing… repeatedly," Mana said glaring. "Keep it up, I'll break your face."
"Savage," Hiyori snickered along with her brother earning a stern look from their mother. "Not my fault."
"Vivian, right," Hiba said suddenly as she stepped up to the elder woman. "I'm Hiba Sennen, their daughter and the World Champion of Duel Monsters for now. I have a bit of a wager to make you."
"Yeah kid, what is it," Vivian asked, irking a brow.
"You're going to be going up against me in the first duel of the second round," Hiba said as her hands went to rest against her hips; her crimson glare not moving from the woman's face. "If I win, which I will, you'll leave my father alone. For good. If you win… well, you keep pestering him until the day my mother pummels you like she's itching to do right now. Deal?"
"You've got to be kidding me," Vivian said folding her arms across her chest. "That's the best that you can come up with?"
"Deal or no deal, Viv? I'm only going to offer it once and spare you from an impending visit to the ER. Otherwise, you're on your own," Hiba said holding her hand out for the other woman to shake. "So, what do you say?"
Vivian thought for several long moments before she took the girl's hand, shaking firmly, "You're on."
"Great, I'm looking forward to this," Hiba said before she turned to her parents. "C'mon guys, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving!"
"Oh, this is definitely going to be good," Hiyori laughed as everyone else nodded in agreement.