A/N: Heyo!
This one goes through the semifinals of the duel circuit. The finals will be next chapter :) but this one kinda preps for that. Enjoy!
(This one starts with Reginald)
In the semifinals, his opponent had him seemingly backed up against the wall. Yes, his field was empty, and yes, he'd just lost a big chunk of his life points. But he knew he could pull through. And he wasn't the only one. Ever since the duel circuit began, he had never been the only one who believed in himself.
The crowd had been gasping and cheering the whole duel, and Reginald felt their support, their respect, even if they cheered for his opponent. It was so… powerful.
He had never known strangers could make him feel like he belonged somewhere he rarely was. He didn't know that dueling could bring all sorts of people together like this. And he loved every second of it.
He and his opponent had started out small, testing each other, before things got… explosive. The semifinals had been one heck of a ride.
Yeah, he was lacking in firepower and still reeling from an effect early on. And, uh.
He might've underestimated his opponent a little, might've fallen for a clever trap on his second turn. But who was he to back down from a challenge? He just had to keep believing in his cards, his monsters, his skills.
And he wasn't the only one who did. He felt the crowd behind him, all the way. And it'd been like that from the start.
He marveled at how so many nameless people could support him so intimately. It shouldn't have been possible… But everything about the crowd, even the screeching fan girls, was exciting, intoxicating, almost. They loved him.
He'd been knocked down by his opponent's trap. It had hurt, but he was pretty sure his counter trap hurt more.
Reginald's opponent was a great duelist, sure, but nowhere as good as he was. After all, his opponent never made good on her promise to "finish him next turn". But Shark knew he could finish it… this turn.
He heard it again- the crowd chanting non stop- as he Xyz summoned Black Ray Lancer and ordered an attack. He had never known strangers could make him feel like he belonged somewhere he rarely was.
The semi-finals had been amazing. Although the crowd was a little smaller, and the stadium a little emptier, it hadn't felt any less exciting. It had been an amazing duel, and adrenaline still pumped through him as the crowd roared for his victory. He lost himself in the sound, them chanting his new name. He felt on top of the world.
Maybe his finishing direct attack had more bite than usual, but he only considered it payback for an earlier spell that had knocked the breath out of him.
Yeah, his opponent was pretty good, but he knew that he was even better. And that he could win this turn once his attack connected.
The crowd had kept chanting and chanting. Gosh, they were loud. And they knew it. The voices absolutely swept Quattro away, and he lost himself in their rhythm of cheers as his attack connected.
So as he won, perfectly poised, he was happy. He'd found a place in this city, as one who could make hundreds unite in their smiles. He belonged here.
The semifinals had been amazing. The crowd was just as powerful and loud as always, though there was definitely less people than in his other duels. Quattro still felt his heart pounding and lungs heaving from the intense duel while the crowd screamed for him, chanting and chanting. He was on top of the world.
(smol time skip)
As a finalist, Shark was prepared.
He knew exactly who his opponent was.
Quattro, who was his age. Quattro, who had also made it to the finals- which was not easy, this being their first year in the Duel Circuit. Quattro, who had hurt his sister so badly, scarred both her body and mind, that she couldn't duel or eat properly or actually live her life for a long time to come.
Quattro was kinda a gross stage name. It meant… well. Four. Which Shark assumed meant something special to him, but still. Eh, at best. He used puppets, a dark-type deck. He handled himself well and knew his way around his highly customized deck. His flaw, if he could even use it, would the same as his own: arrogance. And the recklessness that comes with it. Besides that, Quattro was not going to be easy to take down.
But that didn't mean Shark wasn't going to give it his all. He was going to win, for Rio, and avenge her. Quattro was going down for what he did to Rio, and everyone would know that the bright smile Quattro wore masked only sharp cruelty underneath.
As a finalist, Quattro was prepared.
He knew exactly who his opponent was.
Shark, who was his age. Shark, who had made it to the finals, like him-which wasn't easy, this being their first year in the Duel Circuit. Shark, who he needed to defeat to make his family proud and be one step closer to getting back at what Faker did to his dad.
Shark used… well, sharks. Water-themed deck. Which was very… basic… of him. He might've just found someone with as cringy of a nickname as his own. But despite his name, Shark was certainly one to beat. He was good with both effects and monsters, sporting a customized burn deck. His flaw, if he could even use it, was arrogance. Which Quattro could relate to, because sometimes he got too reckless himself. But still. Shark wasn't going to be easy to beat.
Which wouldn't stop Quattro from giving it his all, because his family deserved his best. He would take down whoever got in the way of the Arclight's vengeance for what happened to his father. Shark, with his assumed righteous attitude, was no exception.
And yet, deep inside, he knew there was something more to his dislike of Quattro.
He'd been so lost after he almost lost Rio, questioned why he was so unlucky- first his parents, and now Rio-
And dueling in the circuit had changed that. The crowd had given him a place in the world. He'd found people who appreciated his talents and personality as it was, and it'd been so empowering.
So maybe that's why the semis hadn't been as fulfilling as Shark knew they could've been, he mused that night. Sighing, he collapsed onto his bed and just… reflected for a bit.
The crowd loved him. That much was obvious. But they loved Quattro, too.
They were competitors. And not just for the championship in the circuit. For the crowd. For their love, their happiness, their smiles.
Quattro had taken away so many people from his own duel. It was, well, unfortunate. Shark had a growing streak of fans (and even... fangirls. what.) attending his duels until he hit the semis. And it wasn't fair.
Quattro was the one faking his innocence. And Rio deserved revenge. So Shark would do it. Beat Quattro. The crowd deserved better than a fake as their champion. It'd all come down to the finals. Shark would train, and train, and train. And he'd beat him. It wouldn't be easy. But he could do it. Rio counted on him. He'd win, honestly, without burning up warehouses and other people.
But then the overwhelming need for revenge, the pressure to deliver-
But he'd be lying if he said there wasn't something more to his need to beat Shark.
The crowd had become such an ingrained part of his duels and his happiness here. They were the ones who made him feel like he was part of the community. And right when his duels had been exponentially gaining momentum, the semifinals happened.
It wasn't the duel itself, nor the fans, nor his opponent's supporters.
It was the size of it. Noticeably smaller than the crowd at his qualifier.
Again, a small hint of grudging respect for his next water-themed opponent. Because the fact that he was able to draw out so many people to watch his duel. Not Quattro's, despite all the work he put into his pubic persona.
He plopped down onto his bed after the semis, lost in thought about the finals.
The finals. He'd made it. And he knew it'd all come down to the finals. The crowd there was sure to be explosive, bigger than ever before. It would be a duel of a lifetime, he was sure. He trusted Vetrix's judgement-if this Shark kid was someone to take out for his family, Quattro would be more than happy to. It wouldn't be easy, as Shark had made it to the finals and definitely showed talent. But he'd train more than Shark, and he'd be ready. Vetrix trusted him.
But then Vetrix told him-
A/N: thx for reading :) constructive criticism welcome!
also, i know i implied i'd do both the finals and semis this chapter, but this one got kinda long and i got kinda tired soo
bye, see y'all later!