Yuri
The ship completed its long voyage across the ocean, arriving at the island where Yuri's brother, Leon, was hosting the tournament that would ultimately decide if Yuri was worthy of coming home. As badly as Yuri wanted to reach the bow of the ship to get a better view of his brother's island, he couldn't. As soon as the news broke out that land was upon them, everyone rushed outside to get a look at it.
Crystal caught up to him moments later and led him upstairs where they were able to get a decent view from the balcony looking over the bow.
"Look at that," Crystal proclaimed in disgust. "Not a building in sight except for his palace of glass and steel." She pointed at the modern-looking castle perched on the top of a mountain that rose at the center of the island. "He calls the island Númenor." She giggled and playfully nudged his ribs with her elbow. "I suppose you know what that's a reference to, don't you, big guy?"
"Yeah, the great kingdom of men in Middle-Earth," Yuri said, referring to the epic fantasy world written by J.R.R Tolkien. "I mean, it kind of makes sense. The island looks like a five-pointed star just like the story. And it has a tall mountain in the middle where the kings lived."
Crystal crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "Pfft, I don't know what's bigger. His ego or this island."
"He'll get what's coming to him," said Nick, approaching the two from behind with Patty. "Yuri and I are gonna show him how it's done."
"I sure hope so," said Crystal. "There's always been something about Leon Caldwell that rubbed me the wrong way."
"Caldwell?" said Patty. "Can't believe the bastard changed his name because he hated Yuri. Why did he hate you so much, bud?"
"Leon's always been prideful," Yuri answered. "When I was born, I became the favorite. Everyone talked about my green eye and the imaginary friend I kept talking about that was killing all the kids. There was something about me that drove everyone crazy."
"I can vouch for that," Crystal said raising her hand. "Well, you're about to drive old Leon crazy again. We're with you to the end, bud."
"Thanks, Crystal. I'll be right back. I'm going to get something to drink before the snack bar closes."
He made it halfway down the hall and was then greeted by a beautiful woman with glittery green hair and eyes like burning amethyst. Her lips were covered in glossy pink lipstick and she wore a green dress that blackened on the edges.
"I thought it was you," she said happily. "I thought to myself, I know that's him. My prince, I am honored."
"Prince?" Yuri thought in confusion. He smiled at her nonetheless as he shook her hand. She was odd but very pretty.
"Who are you?" Yuri asked.
"I am Priscilla Evernia."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Priscilla," said Yuri.
"May I interest you in my shop?" she asked. "I have some cards I think you'll find pretty impressive."
"You have cards?" Yuri asked.
"Why yes, I run a card shop here on the ship."
"Really?" said Yuri. "I must say, you kind of stand out from the others around here."
"My shop is unlike anything on the boat. It's a special shop with some very...special items. Why not step inside and have a look at my wares?"
"I got time," said Yuri. He followed Priscilla down a dark hallway, lit only by the holographic advertisements and a few round ceiling lamps. The glass on the automatic doors to her shop was tinted black. As Yuri trailed behind Priscilla, he could smell a very sweet scent coming from her hair.
Entering Priscilla's shop was like stepping into an observatory. Stars twinkled on the roof and the edges of the ceiling were lit in light blue. There was a glossy black fountain with glowing green water in the middle of the shop's entrance.
Yuri gasped with amazement as his eyes beheld a vast collection of the rarest cards in the world behind glass casings on the walls and behind glass counters. She even had Red-Eyes Black Dragons for sale but they cost far more than what Yuri could ever hope to earn working a year at the Ruby Dragon.
Priscilla's best cards were encased in thin glass on black marble pillars. She poured herself a glass of champagne and laid down on a sofa, watching Yuri as he looked at the cards in her collection. She beamed when she saw Yuri spot two very unique-looking dinosaur cards.
"What's this?" Yuri asked pointing at two dinosaurs encased together in the glass. Their art was unparalleled. They were placed side by side perfectly and it looked like they were together in one large card. "Maximum Monsters!" he said. "You work for my dad?"
"You can say that," Priscilla said with a roguish smile. She winked and said: "Interested in those two?"
"Yeah. What are they?"
Priscilla sipped her drink. "The Carnotaurus of ice: Blizzard; and the Carnotaurus of fire: Flamberg. They are some of the new Maximum Monsters your father created." She got up and walked to the pillar. "I do love the way they work. They're like pieces of a puzzle."
"They're amazing!" said Yuri. "They have effects that only work so long as they're linked together. And if they're both on the field, they count as one monster with ridiculously high attack."
"Yes. You're a smart boy. And they're yours, free of charge."
"Really? Cool. But...but why?"
"Consider them a gift, my prince."
"Well, why? Who are you?"
Priscilla smiled. "I'll reveal more of that in due time. But for now, consider me a humble card collector and seller. And a loving fan."
Yuri stayed a while longer with Priscilla for some tea. But soon it was time to go. He thanked her and made his way outside.
"Yuri," Priscilla said with a gorgeous smile. Yuri turned. "I have a feeling we will cross paths again, very soon."
"I hope so, Priscilla. Thanks for the cards."
Yuri rushed to find his friends. When he caught up to them, he showed them the cards he got from Priscilla's shop.
But they were all confused.
Crystal shook her head in confusion. "Uh, bro, I don't know how to tell you this, but I know this ship inside and out. I don't know any Priscilla."
Yuri insisted and led the group upstairs to the card shop where the mysterious green-haired woman took him. To Yuri's shock, it was not there.
"What!" Yuri yelled. "But...but."
"Man, the fatigue from your long, hard summer must be kicking in," said Nikki. "You all right man? There is no store here, just a wall."
"But, it was right here, you guys. That sparkly green-haired woman gave me these monsters."
The ship sounded its horn. It was time to depart.
"Forget about it," said Crystal. "Yuri, you're starting to worry me. Ren, keep an eye on him, will you?"
Yuri wanted to say something to her but he couldn't find the right words. She just kept on walking off with the others. Yuri looked at Ren, trying to figure out what to say to him.
"Ren. Really. It was right here."
Ren shrugged and ruffled Yuri's hair. "Come on, weirdo. Let's get moving. The tournament's about to start. I don't know where you're getting all those cards from but make sure you put them to good use."
The ship docked. Yuri was anticipating a speech or something to commemorate the event. But there was none. Leon didn't even bother to come out of the castle. Instead, one of his guards gathered everyone together and welcomed them to the event.
"Thank you for joining us in deciding the king of kings," he said.
For some of us literally, Ser Norman said, hovering over Yuri's shoulder.
"Yeah," Yuri replied and listened as the palace guard laid down the rules, even the one that sent a chill down Yuri's back. Loser has to ante up their rarest card to the winner of the Duel.
"This really sucks," said Nick.
"What, babe?" Patty asked. "Can't stand to lose your Black Luster Soldier?"
"Not just that. But these rules. Why do we have to listen to all these rules at a Duel Monsters tournament? All we gotta do is win, right Yuri?"
"Uh, yeah."
"And finally," said the guard, "You've all been given a gold coin along with your invitation to the tournament. You will each wager these gold coins until you have ten. Once you acquire ten of these gold coins, you will receive a message from Caldwell himself. He will give you a password, which will unlock the door to the palace where the tournament finals will be held."
The guard held up four fingers. "Only four of you will make it to the final round of the tournament but that's a long way away and most of you will be eliminated by then. Okay, everything I said and more can be found in the official tournament rulebook. Now that you understand the rules, it's time for the games to begin. In the coming weeks, we decide who is the Duel King. The Grand Champion of the World. The Ultimate Duelist! But don't get too cocky. Master Caldwell is intent on keeping his title."
"Figures," Yuri said.
"And now, ladies and gentleman, may the best man win! Let the Duels begin!"
Fireworks burst in the early morning sky. The Duelists cheered and split up into the vast wilderness of Númenor. But in the midst of all the excitement, Yuri and his group were lost and bewildered. The island was so huge. It was like entering a whole new world. Vast mountain ranges, endless forests of pine, grassy meadows, crystal clear lakes, fjords, and so much more.
"It's so beautiful," said Crystal. "It really is like stepping into a world of high fantasy."
"Sure does bring a sense of familiarity, doesn't it?" said Ren. "Almost like this is home. A real home."
"Yeah, but we're not here for sightseeing," said Tyson. "Our boys have got work to do."
"That they do," Nikki said. "But at this rate, the tournament will have ended. These two morons are still just standing here."
"Hey, hold on," Nick said. "We don't even know who to face first or where to face them. Do you see any stadiums around here?"
"Not one," said Natalya.
Arf! Arf! Arf! Max barked impatiently from the pocket of her backpack. It seemed like even he wanted to see a Duel take place.
"Come on!" shouted a little boy. He and his friends rushed by the group and dashed down a dirt path into the forest. "There's a Duel taking place over there."
"Wait for me, Kyle!" his friend cried, chasing after him.
"A Duel, huh?" said Yuri. "Must be someone pretty famous to cause quite a commotion."
"Come on, let's go see," Ren said.
Yuri and his friends dashed down the halls and saw hordes of onlookers going into an arena where Duels were taking place.
Yuri and the group followed them and entered just in time to see a Duel commence in an arena in the center of a clearing with a waterfall flowing from the top of a mountain into a pool nearby where a few of the spectators were dipping in their feet.
"I know who they are!" said Natalya. "That guy with the freaky hair is Insector Hugo. He's a state champ from Arkansas. And his opponent is Alan Brody from Illinois. He uses Dinosaur-Type monsters."
"Looks like we got some American all-stars here," said Tyson. "But the real Dinosaur King around here is my buddy, Yuri. You're gonna wipe the floor with these two posers, won't you, buddy."
Nick laughed. "Oh man, we might see these two Duel soon. I don't think this match is gonna last long. Dinosaurs versus puny little insects? This Insector Hugo guy doesn't stand a chance. Remember what Yuri's Black Tyranno did to the last bozo who tried using bugs against him? This is going to get messy."
The Duelist's Life Point displays appeared over the arena showing that the two players had a score 2000.
"Wait! A score of only two thousand?" Yuri asked.
"Those aren't enough for a championship tournament," said Nick. "Man, what a ripoff!"
"They're going to increase as the tournament progresses," said Crystal. "Had you and Nick been paying attention to the rules earlier, you would have known that by now. Ugh, this is embarrassing. You two are the best Aquarius has to offer and you act like deer staring at headlights."
"Let's do this!" shouted Alan Brody placing his deck on the cybernetic game board. He drew his five cards for his hand then drew the sixth one, for he was starting the Duel.
They went back and forth in the first two turns of the match, but Alan gained the upper hand after defeating Hugo's Metal Armored Bug with a Fissure spell card.
"I summon Two-Headed King Rex!" Alan said, calling forth a towering two-headed dinosaur with purple flesh, ivory horns, and fifty-foot wings. It stood upright snarling and slashing its claws in the air.
Two-Headed King Rex
ATK/1600 DEF/1200
"I summon Basic Insect, oh what am I going to do?" Hugo said trying to sound helpless as he summoned to the field a green bug monster that resembled a praying mantis.
Basic Insect
ATK/500 DEF/700
"And I play a face-down card."
"Nyah-ha-ha!" laughed Alan. "Is that the best ya got? Two-Headed King Rex, ATTACK!"
"HE, HE, HE, HE, HE! FOOL! YOU ACTIVATED MY FACE-DOWN CARD!"
"OH-NO A TRAP!" shouted Alan in disbelief.
"My card, Compulsory Evacuation Device!"
The two-headed dinosaur stepped onto a platform and was tossed into the air, back into his hand.
It was Hugo's turn. "And now I equip my Basic Insect with Laser Cannon armor!"
"So what?" said one of the girls in front of Yuri. "All that does is increase the puny little insect's attack by 300. Alan is still in this."
"But now I tribute my Basic Insect to summon Insect with Laser Cannon!"
Hugo then summoned a larger-sized version of his Basic Insect and it had a massive laser cannon on its back and an attack strength of 2400.
The clever Bug Duelist attacked Alan's Uraby and depleted all his Life Points.
"Heh," said Alan. "I guess I should consider myself lucky this was just a warm-up match."
He raised his deck triumphantly in the air and shouted: "I HEAR THERE'S ANOTHER BONE-HEAD DINOSAUR DUELIST IN THE TOURNAMENT!" Hugo shouted toward the crowd. He was fueled with confidence from his win. "I WILL ONLY SAY THIS! YOU'RE NEXT!"
"Is he referring to Yuri?" Patty wondered.
"Who else do we know who uses Dinosaurs in such a perfect way?" Crystal replied. "Uh-oh, he spotted us."
Hugo looked down at the spectators as though he were a king overlooking his subjects. He grinned a nasty grin. He stood up straight to look taller and cackled.
"Well, speak of the devil," he said. "It's Yuri Montgomery himself."
Whispers from the other Duelists flowed with the wind around Yuri and the group. Some even pointed at him.
"And what do we have here?" the Bug Duelist continued. "Well, I'll be. You brought the whole gang along with you. Crystal Anderson! Ren Kakihara! And Patty the Grim Reaper. We meet at last."
"Hey, aren't you forgetting someone?" Nick said. He pointed at himself feverishly.
Clearly, Insector Hugo didn't, and he didn't care quite frankly. Three of the best Duelists in the floating megacity were standing in front of him. Even though two of them weren't participating in the tournament, he saw them as fair game. Just beating Ren or Crystal in an unofficial match would get people talking. Still, there was Yuri. Eliminating him in the first official match of the Millennium Tournament was going to make just the impact he wanted.
He ignored Nick's outbursts and issued his challenge. "What say you, Yuri? You've got a lot of adoring fans here in the forest arena. Wouldn't want to disappoint them, would you? What am I saying? You are no matter what you do. I'm going to beat you and solidify myself as the best in the world."
"What!?" Alan Brody shouted. He sprinted through the crowd and stopped in front of Yuri. "No! I want Yuri! His Black Tyranno is mine!"
"Get in line, loser!" Insector Hugo shouted. "I'm beating Yuri!"
Natalya clicked her tongued to vent her frustration. The boys were so young and brash, and their voices were annoying to boot. "Yuri. Come on. Do us all a favor and beat the snot out of this dork. And then beat that wannabe with the dinosaur deck. We all know you're the better one."
"Hold on!" said Crystal. She stepped forward with that mischievous grin.
"Uh...oh," Ren and Yuri said slowly. They knew that look.
"Run, Yuri," Ren whispered. "Run while you still can."
"You guys think you're tough enough to take on my friend. Why don't you two put your money where your mouths are and take on him at the same time?"
"WHAT!?" Hugo, Adam, Ren, and Yuri cried out at once.
"What are trying to do, Crystal?" Ren snapped at her. "Why do you always put Yuri in these situations?"
"Because I know he's strong enough to get out of them. And he has. Each and every single time. Yuri beats these two at the same time, and he's already got two coins and two rare cards of his choosing from their decks."
"Why should we agree to this!?" Adam demanded.
"You each get to take something from him. Dino boy gets the Black Tyranno. Bug boy gets his gold coin. And your nemesis is eliminated and sent home."
"I like the sound of that!" said a kid nearby.
"Duel! Duel! Duel!" everyone chanted.
"All right. All right." He took off his backpack and handed it to Ren. He glared at Crystal, shaking his head and narrowing his eyes. "I'm going to get you for this."
The first Duel of the tournament. And it was a handicap match.
"Why do I always let her drag me into this shit?" Yuri asked.
Courage, Yuri, Ser Norman confided to him. Show courage. I will be by your side and guide you.
Yuri took his deck out of his jacket and placed it on his Duel Disk. "All right. It's time to Duel!"