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CHAPTER ONE
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A New Beginning;
A New Starting Point
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Sheena Arachne walked down the spotlessly clean halls of the tech building, located far away on the island that many called Duelatopia.
She was a tall, slim, and striking woman, even at the age of thirty-eight…
Some would call her life amazing…
Her mother had been abandoned by her true father after she had been conceived. Hope came when her mother was taken in by another man, but it was dashed to pieces when both her mother and foster father were killed in an accident. She had spent the first nineteen years of her life in near-poverty, first in an orphanage, and then working demeaning jobs… Flipping burgers, bagging groceries, and at worst, scrubbing floors. Only the occasional boon from winning at Duel Monsters enabled her and her younger sister the occasional luxury. It seemed she and her sister had a bleak future…
…until she met Siegfried Kaiba.
He had been looking for special duelists for the first Duelatopia tournament. Eliminators. Duelists who used psyche-out warfare and sinister threats as well as skill to crush anyone who looked for a shortcut. Sheena's big break came when Siegfried saw potential in her…
She joined the Eliminators, becoming the spider-savant known as Shelob, and the best one he had. Having a four-armed, half-spider-half-human woman as your opponent who was threatening to devour you could unnerve anyone. Not to mention the fact that her Insect Deck was incredibly well-built. She even got a chance to duel Yugi Mouto Jr., but he couldn't be scared, and he beat her.
But it became more serious. She and her employer were falling in love.
She didn't expect to carry his child so soon, but it happened, as Duelatopia entered the end phase. And sadly, a crisis struck which he didn't survive.
Siegfried would not abandon her, even in death. The bulk of his estate and KaibaCorp itself was willed to her, and she did her best to accept the responsibility. Even while raising his daughter.
From rags to riches… She was now the most powerful figure in the gaming world.
And as she entered the computer room, she intended this tournament to be safe and fun for all.
"Waylan," she said, walking to the head computer technician.
"Uh, yes, Miss Arachne," said the thin, bespectacled man.
He was visibly nervous. He had been for a week now.
"Has the main computer been checked this morning for online intrusions?" she asked.
"Yes, twice…" answered Waylan. "But I assure you…"
"Mr. Smalls…" she said sternly. "In the history of KaibaCorp, tournament guest lists tend to be hacked into. The Rare Hunters did so in Battle City, causing the legitimate guests all sorts of grief. Ziegfried Von Schroder did so during the Grand Prix in an attempt to literally destroy KaibaCorp by destroying its complete computer system.
"It will not happen again. Capish?"
"Miss Arachne…" he said. "I studied computer programming for eight years. I graduated at the top of my class at Harvard…
"I installed firewalls and anti-viral programs that the government would envy, and a few tricks of my own.
"The only one who could hack into that guest list is… Well, is me."
"Make sure…" said Sheena, turning to leave.
As Waylan sat back at his console, he picked up a cell phone, and nervously dialed a number.
"Hello?" he said into it. "Is this… uhm, John Smith?"
"It is," said a voice. "Talk to me."
"I got your file in my personal e-mail last night," said Waylan with a sigh. "It has been done."
"Excellent," said the voice. "Is it secure?"
"Yes," said Waylan. "Get this… The new names will be on what I call a 'shadow list'. They will identifiable as legit tournament guests if anyone checks their badges, but their names will not be on the official list. Miss Arachne will not see any names on the list that she didn't approve, and thus won't get suspicious."
"Excellent," said the voice. "Now, I'm going to make you an offer…
"I'm willing to increase the payment to three million, if you remove three names from the official list."
"Oh?" asked Waylan, taking a pen. "Who?"
"Write this down," said the voice. "Yumi Mouto, Ren Marris, and Chelsea Ramset. They must be…"
"Hold on!" said Waylan, in a frightened whisper. "No way, Jose. That would get me caught for sure."
"What makes you so certain?" asked the voice.
"What makes me so certain?" he replied. "Their parents are close friends of Miss Arachne! They'd want to know why if those kids were turned away from the boat, and she'd find out I did it, and…"
"Mr. Smalls," said the voice, "I thought you needed money."
"I do!" he whispered. "And they only pay you twelve cents an hour in prison!"
"Four million dollars?" offered the voice.
"You know…" said Waylan, in an annoyed tone, "I'm beginning to think this whole thing was a bad idea, so you can keep the one million. I'm going to delete those names I already added…"
He reached for the mouse.
"Wait…" said the voice.
Waylan paused.
"Very well… You needn't remove anyone. Just keep the first part of the deal, and the money will be in your account in the morning."
"Enjoy the tournament…" muttered Waylan.
He hung up.
In a dark room somewhere in Europe, a figure put down a phone.
"Ah, well," he said with a shrug. "Not as much as I'd hoped, but more than I expected… I guess there's nothing wrong with a little… competition.
"Very soon, the conclusion to a great amount of work will finally come to fruition…"
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Chelsea sat on the unmade bed in her messy room, slowly going over her cards.
She had the problem right now that all duelists had when they wanted to add a card to their decks – what to take out to make room.
She sighed.
"Eenie, meanie, minie, moe," she muttered, "catch a Monster by the toe, if it stinks then… let it go…"
Eventually, she picked up her Despair From The Dark. She supposed it was the one that had seen the least amount of use… She put it aside…
Then she picked up the new card and grinned. Her father had designed it with her in mind… She'd be the first duelist in the world to use it…
She heard a low moan coming from the wall to her left…
She turned, and saw a spectral, aged knight, clad in pitted and broken armor, with a full beard. He moaned again.
"Hi, Sir Percival," she said.
The phantom sighed.
"You know, milady," he said, "when I was your age, I'd have been scared out of my wits if I ever saw a ghost…"
"Dunno…" said Chelsea. "I guess these days, kids are just harder to scare. Probably due to movies and television. So what have you been up to?"
"Oh, just looking for…" he started. "Uhm… Well… That… thing I'm always looking for, you know…"
Chelsea frowned.
She had been seeing undead spirits for a long time, and Sir Percival was one of the most complicated. He was always looking for something, but he didn't know what. He was certain he'd know it when he saw it.
Chelsea knew a little about how ghosts worked… She realized that Percival would likely be able to rest in peace once he found whatever it was he was looking for. But without a single clue, she couldn't help him.
"Working on that odd card came of yours?" asked Percival. "I was always more a fan of straight poker myself…"
He looked over her shoulder.
"Humph… Vampires, eh? Never liked such folk… They considered themselves the aristocrats of the supernatural, but in reality, all they ever became were a bunch of snobs. I feel a little sorry for them, though… They were wiped out in the Great War…"
"Great War?" asked Chelsea.
"A secret conflict…" said Percival, ominously. "No one knows who started it, no one knows the cause, but a war of sorts occurred between the race of vampires and humanity. Clearly, humanity was the victor… Vampires are all but extinct, now… Not one has been seen for centuries…"
Chelsea looked at the special card.
"Well, they have their uses…" replied Chelsea. "And they fit well. For someone like me, using this deck… This Vampire/Immortal Deck… It just seems to fit…
"Duelatopia had better watch out…"
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Five streets over, in his room in another house, Ren looked through his deck…
Then he removed a card, and picked another one up.
"Dad's best card…" he muttered. "The one that he took to Hell and back, literally… It's mine now…"
He sighed and shuffled it into his deck. His dad always seemed to be away on business. This precious card had come via certified mail. But it was the clincher that he needed.
At that moment, two small hands covered his eyes.
"Guess who?" laughed a childish voice.
"Connie?" said Ren, annoyed. "Don't you know how to knock?"
He turned around, and lifted up his kid sister, a ten-year-old with a dimpled face and black pigtails.
"Ren, why can't I come too?" she asked. "I can duel…"
"Connie, you have to be at least sixteen," said Ren. "Besides, you're too young to duel using a Disk. You don't know what it's like to take a direct attack. It can be painful even for me sometimes…
"Now, one more year, and we'll sign you up for Duelist Camp… You'll get your first experience there…"
Connie crossed her arms in a sulk.
Ren picked up the card he had removed from his deck.
"Here…" he said, handing it to her. "A new card always cheers me up when I'm feeling down…"
She took the card and looked at it.
"Getsu Fuhma?" she asked.
She read the card text.
"I don't need a third one," said Ren. "And Getsu Fuhma has a special power… She drives away evil creatures and night terrors. Keep that card with you, and you'll always be safe…"
Connie smiled slightly.
"And be sure to check the Duelatopia website every day and look up my name," he said. "You can see every duel I'm in. It's gonna be great…"
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In a penthouse apartment on the upscale part of town, Samantha Arachne looked over the cards in her Dragon Deck.
Des Volstgalph… Spear Dragon… Even Tyrant Dragon…
Then she put the deck in a metal deck case and put it on a shelf, right next to four other deck cases, holding her other decks. Warriors, Beasts, Fire, and RFG.
None of them had ever met her calling. They all had their weaknesses as well.
Take the Warrior Deck. Its major weakness was, it only had four Traps, three of which were Royal Decree. Disabling all Traps seemed like a good idea at the time, but it had problems. Not being able to defend yourself with them could put you in a bad situation. There was only one way to disable your opponent's use of Traps and still use them yourself, and that was to combo Jinzo with Amplifier. And THAT was more dangerous than using Jinzo alone. One Mystical Space Typhoon would take out both Jinzo and your so-called advantage.
She sat on her bed and picked up a sixth deck.
She smiled.
She hadn't used this deck against a live opponent yet – only against the virtual ones in Kaibaland. But this deck had filled a spot that had previously been empty… It had struck a cord with her…
This… this deck was truly hers…
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The famous game store that had been opened by Solomon Mouto was still the property of the Mouto family. But these days, the apartment over it was rented out, and the staff of the actual store simply worked for the family.
The Moutos themselves could afford better, especially after Yumi's father had won a great deal of money in the first tournament, and had emceed the tournaments afterwards for the summers of his college education, which paid a considerable salary.
Right now, Yumi was making the last adjustments to her deck, sitting in her bedroom – much neater than Chelsea's – in the apartment in uptown Domino that her family called home.
Her father was also away on business – the life of an archaeologist was one that required a great deal of travel – but he always managed to keep in contact. Her mother was home more often, but the field of pediatric medicine always kept her busy.
Yumi looked at one card in her deck. The Dark Magician.
This had always been her father and grandfather's favorite card… And to her, he was the "main man" of her deck…
But as she looked at another card, something drew her closer…
She looked at Dark Magician Girl.
She slowly shuffled the deck, and placed it on her desk.
Then a spectral hand reached for it and picked it up.
"It's a powerful deck, Yumi," said the strong voice of the Pharaoh. "And far more organized than anything your parents or grandparents ever used. I should know."
"I hope it's good enough…" said Yumi. "Maybe it needs more Spell Cards…"
The Pharaoh chuckled.
"I had this discussion with your grandfather right before Battle City," he replied.
He paused.
"Those were dark times… Days of madmen and tyrants… And cursed cards…"
"Someone is getting tense…" said Yumi with a grin. "I know this whole deal hasn't been easy for you… Me being a girl, and you having to adjust. But there's something else, isn't there?"
The Pharaoh paused.
"Come on…" said Yumi. "I had a hard time accepting the fact that you were there while I was in the shower, but I learned to accept it after a while. You can tell me."
The spirit sat down.
"It's complicated, Yumi…" he said. "For years, my memories have been suppressed, waiting for the time when… Something happened.
"I think that the 'something' is going to happen soon. It can happen at any time."
He paused.
"And every time I look at you, little pieces of my memory start to come back… It's as if I knew you in some form or another… At a different time…"
Yumi grinned.
"Hey…" she said with a chuckle. "Maybe when you were Pharaoh, I was some slave girl you had…"
The Pharaoh shook his head…
"I suppose it might be possible…" he muttered. "Although I'd like to think if I ever kept slaves, I had a benign reason for doing so…"
Yumi's expression turned serious.
"Uh, yeah…" she muttered. "Anyway…"
She placed her deck into a holder on her belt.
"We're going to make some history… I'm going to go right to the top…
"Some might call me the Princess of Games… But I won't call myself Queen until I deserve it."
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It was a sunny morning on the third day of July, when the three friends met outside of Yumi's apartment building.
Ren carried his guitar strapped to his back. His dad had at first disapproved of his desire to play the instrument, remembering how it was Remi's hobby, but he eventually gave in, and Ren's music was enough to lift anyone's spirits.
Chelsea carried a satchel full of photography equipment, reminiscent of the one her dad always carried when he was her age. She intended to take pictures of every opportunity she could find, and maybe start a book that would be a best-seller among the dueling world, like her dad's had been.
The instructions they were given told them to be at Domino Pier at eleven, so they had plenty of time.
"So," said Yumi, "anyone up for bagels and juice before we…"
She was startled as a large stretch limo stopped in front of them. It was one of the most expensive models, driving on air jets that hovered over the ground, rather than tread on it.
The chauffer stepped out.
"Ms. Mouto?" he said. "The young lady inside would like to offer you and your companions a ride."
"Oh, she would, would she?" asked Yumi, annoyed.
She knew who was in the limo already.
The chauffer opened the door, and sure enough, Samantha was sitting there. The boy who had been with her at Kaibaland was next to her.
"Why am I not surprised?" asked Yumi.
"Thought you might enjoy riding to the Pier in style," said Sam. "Trust me Yumi… I'm only nasty when you're my opponent…"
The three of them got in, and sat opposite the two older teenagers.
The car started up.
"Where are my manners?" continued Sam. "This is Erik Matell."
"Uh, hi…" said Erik. "Nice to meet you all."
He seems nice enough… thought Chelsea, but what does he see in her?
"Why are you even going by boat, Sam?" asked Ren. "Is KaibaCorp's private jet in the shop?"
Sam shook her head.
"Mom insisted that once I get to the Pier," she replied, "my special treatment ends. In this tournament, I'm just like you."
She looked at Ren and Chelsea.
"I kind of wonder how you two got invited," she asked. "Being related to important folks doesn't cut it…"
"See here…" started Ren.
Yumi raised her hand.
"Ren and Chelsea came in second and third place, respectively, in the Tokyo National Tournament," she replied. "The one the two of us had to skip.
"And what about your boyfriend, Sam? What did he do that was so special?"
"Well, I…" started Erik.
"Erik won the Kaiba Dome Intermediate Division Tournament," replied Sam. "And he's fully capable of going far in a major tournament."
"Pray that the two of you never have to duel each other," said Chelsea, with a smirk.
Sam looked a little surprised.
"Uh, apple strudel?" she asked nervously, holding up a plate of pastries.
Yumi took one.
"So, Sam…" she asked, "any chance you can spill the beans on the big secret behind the Coliseum this year? I heard your mom's put some incredible money on the holographic systems in that place."
Sam was quiet for a minute.
"Well, you didn't hear this from me…" she muttered, "but the arena will change with each duel in the finals. The Coliseum will create seven whole worlds to serve as battlegrounds. All I know are the names…
"In the quarter-finals, the arenas are called The Fiery Perdition of Gehenna, The Savage Wilderness of the Beastlands, The Olympian Glades of Arborea, and The Tarterian Depths of Carceri…
"In the semi-finals, the two arenas will be The Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus and The Ever-Shifting Chaos of Limbo…
"And finally, for whoever makes it to the finals, the arena will be The Mounting Heavens of Celestia."
"Interesting…" said Chelsea.
"Need I remind you," continued Sam, "that the finals are going to be broadcast worldwide. Someone will bask in glory for all the world to see…
"And others will be humiliated…"
She smirked at Yumi.
"I just hope you all remembered those badges that came with the invitations…"
"You mean these?" asked Ren, holding something up.
It was an octagonal brooch made of glass, colored orange.
"What do they do exactly?"
"You'll find out…" said Sam. "Just don't lose them…"
The limo pulled up to the Pier.
"Looks like we're here…" said Sam. "See you three in Duelatopia. But remember, the next time we meet, we're rivals!"
"I can hardly wait…" muttered Yumi, as they got out. "And you're gonna be a riot there with that zit on your forehead."
"WHAT?" screamed Sam. "NO! I can't be getting a zit! Not now!"
She scrambled and looked for a mirror.
"Easy, Sam, easy…" said Erik. "She's just pulling your chain… You're skin is totally smooth…"
Sam took some deep breaths.
"You aren't just saying that, are you?" she asked.
"I'd never lie to you, baby…" he replied.
He kissed her on the forehead.
"I'd love to teach her a lesson…" he said with a growl.
"Please, baby…" muttered Sam, kissing him back. "You wouldn't stand a chance. I'm gonna be the one to bring her down. You'll just have to watch…"
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A sizable crowd had formed in front of the large luxury liner several hours later. All the duelists in this part of the world had come to Domino to take this boat to Duelatopia, and a similar liner would be leaving from America at the same time. Another had already left Europe. Duelatopia was going to be bigger than ever.
"Okay…" said Chelsea, looking through her bag. "I have my cameras, extra batteries, twenty rolls of normal film, five rolls of high-speed film…"
"Chelsea, don't worry…" said Ren, "they sell film there at every store. You'll have everything you need to make your dad proud."
As everyone waited to board, a man stepped up on a pedestal. He was wearing full armor, like the kind seen in science fiction movies, his face completely concealed by a helmet.
Yumi knew these men. The Duelatopian Centurions, the peacekeepers of the tournament. They were among the best trained security forces in the world, with skills that rivaled some government agencies.
"Greetings, everybody," he said through an amplifier in his helmet. "You may call me Sergeant McAlmer, and I will be in charge of your welfare for the transport portion of this endeavor.
"Now, the goal of this tournament is to have fun. Nonetheless, we have a few guidelines.
"When you check into your cabins, you'll find several things. A guide to the facilities, and a guidebook to Duelatopia itself. As you might expect, it has a lot to offer.
"We've also provided the latest rules for dueling set by Industrial Illusions. Lists of Forbidden and Limited cards are with the package. Make sure your decks are all tournament legal, because cheating is not tolerated.
"A buffet lunch is going to be served in the cafeteria at one, and dinner is at seven. Our ETA for arrival is four PM tomorrow afternoon.
"If you want to hone your skills by dueling, we have a designated arenas below deck. But no dueling using Disks elsewhere. Trust me, when you get to Duelatopia, you'll be able to duel anytime, anywhere.
"Now that that's out of the way, everyone line up, and your tickets will be scanned, and your Disks will be registered.
"And no shoving! Our insurance doesn't cover you until you're actually on the boat."
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With organization that could best be compared to an old episode of IThe Keystone Cops/I, the passengers finally all made it on board just fifteen minutes behind schedule.
Yumi had to admire the ones in charge. They had a great deal of patience.
Chelsea was amazed at what was offered at the buffet. She had heard Yumi's grandparents talk of the boat to Duelist Kingdom, where food wasn't even served and they had to sleep on the floor.
Sheena Arachne knew how to treat her guests.
As Chelsea reached for the hot wings, she felt a familiar chill behind her.
"'Ello, Chelsea old girl," said a voice with a high British accent.
Chelsea frowned, and turned to see the tall, thin phantom wearing the trappings of a harlequin.
Of all the local ghosts in Domino, Figlio was the most annoying. Rumor was he was once a nobleman's jester who was killed after poking fun at the wrong person. Being dead apparently didn't teach him a lesson. When this guy was around, he simply never shut up.
"Why are you here, Figlio?" she asked. "Get tired of haunting the mall?"
"Well, yes…" he replied. "But word spread around among all the local ghosts about this… Uhm, event you're going to, and since you can see us, a few of us… Well, we decided to tag along to watch."
Chelsea held her head.
"Define 'a few of you'," she growled.
"Oh, three… four…" he replied. "Uhm… twenty-two…"
Chelsea held her head again.
"Lovely…" she said. "I've got my own fan club… The problem is, they're all a bunch of restless spirits!"
She quickly piled food on her plate.
"Oh, come on!" protested Figlio. "We have feelings too, you know!"
Chelsea didn't answer.
She simply marched right through him, towards the table where Yumi and Ren were.
"Ooh, I hate that!" moaned Figlio.
He vanished.
Chelsea sat down at the table.
"Yumi…" said Ren, who was nervously stirring a chicken tender in sauce. "I can't help but think that something bad is waiting on that island…"
Yumi sighed.
"Okay, folks," she said, "let's all cover the possibilities…
"First, the Millennium Items. The Scales are with Jade's family, and she'd never hurt us.
"The Key, Rod, and Ring are with Shadi, and he hasn't even shown his face in years.
"The Eye and Necklace are also in good hands. Dad knows who has them, and she's a friend.
"That only leaves the Puzzle. It's with me, and we know we can trust it.
"Anastasia is dead, and her soul was redeemed. She isn't a threat.
"Remi and Set are still banished, and they likely will never come back.
"Saurius was obliterated, having lost a Shadow Game to holders of all seven of the Items, so he'll never threaten the world again. And the Mandate of Heaven was given to the higher powers. Dad assumes it was transformed into a state that cannot be stolen or destroyed.
"So guys… There's nothing left that can come after us. No Millennium Items, no more holy artifacts, no Shadow Games. We're safe."
There was a long pause.
Yumi munched on a breadstick…
She was a little worried herself, especially after her talks with the Pharaoh…
But she simply didn't know what could threaten them this time…
Ren was the first to say it.
"You realize," he said, "that if we all go to the top, we might have to duel each other. And not for fun like we usually do. It will be for real."
They paused.
"Then it will be a duel of honor and integrity," said Yumi. "Let's make an agreement – we won't disclose to each other anything about our updated decks that we don't learn on our own. No one will have an advantage against each other."
"Agreed," both of them said.
Yumi paused.
"Even so…" she said. "Let's try not to get into any duels without anyone for support. The sure way to defeat a group is with the Divide and Conquer strategy…"
It was true. Her grandparents had been the victims of such a trick a few times in the past. They had made the mistake of keeping to themselves in Battle City. If the two of them had stayed together, a lot of dangerous situations that they had fought alone would have been avoided…
Arkana…
Lumis and Umbra…
Not to mention the two of them being forced into a deathmatch with one of them brainwashed. It would have been avoided if Joey had had someone other than Tea to fight off the Rare Hunters in the first place.
Ever since her father had formed a group of his own, he remembered this… He tried his hardest never to let the group fall apart, lest one of them be caught alone…
It could lead to disaster.
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Ren walked into the dueling arena below deck.
He looked, and saw a duelist with a Blowback Dragon facing one with Gear Golem the Moving Fortress.
The duelist with Blowback Dragon drew a card. He was a short youth wearing a sweatshirt with a hood, baggy jeans, and a red bandana.
"Go!" he shouted. "Triple toss!"
Three golden coins dropped down in front of Blowback Dragon. They started to spin.
One stopped: Heads.
The second stopped: Tails.
The third: Heads
Gear Golem the Moving Fortress exploded.
"Attack directly!" shouted the youth. "Flaming forge!"
Blowback Dragon's chest opened, and flame shot out. The youth's opponent was knocked over.
Guess he won, thought Ren. Hope I don't have to duel him…
As Ren watched, the youth motioned, and an older teenager went up to him. He was dressed in full "punk" ensemble, with a rainbow Mohawk and leather jacket.
The youth whispered something to the punk, and they looked at Ren.
"Aw, don't worry, he's harmless," said the punk.
Ren made a sideways glance.
I heard that… he thought. They don't know I did, but I did…
This could be trouble…
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Yumi was on the upper deck, looking out over the ocean.
The moon cast a soft glow on the sea.
The strange woman was standing behind her. Yumi tensed a little…
She turned around. Nothing was there…
The Pharaoh appeared beside her.
"You felt it too, huh?" she asked.
He nodded.
"It's strange, Yumi…" he said. "This… familiar presence… I've been feeling it ever since I've known you. But it's gotten stronger of late."
"Is it bad?" asked Yumi.
"I don't think so…" he replied. "But it might not be good either."
"You think maybe some other restless spirit is hovering over my shoulder?" she asked.
The woman chuckled a little at that.
Yumi turned again, but again, she saw nothing.
Yumi took a deck out of a deck holder on her belt…
This wasn't her regular deck, but her second deck.
She looked at it longingly.
This deck had been the product of three generations of work by the Mouto family. He grandfather had started working on it right after he had won Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom, and he, her father, and herself had worked on it since. As of last week, it was done at last…
Three generations of work, and it was finally done…
"Yugi…" said the Pharaoh, "I know it's tempting, but let's hold off on that. We haven't used it in a single duel, it's completely untested, and in a tournament like this, we can't afford to use a trial deck."
"I guess you're right," said Yumi, returning it to the holder.
The woman reached over and gently stroked Yumi's hair. She yawned.
"Look at the time…" she muttered. "We're gonna be fighting jet lag tomorrow… Best get some shut eye…"
She turned and walked back to the cabins.
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Duelatopia.
In the Marshal Islands of the Central Pacific, this place had history dating back thousands of years…
Magical energy had long risen from its core, and when man was just becoming civilized, the powers of Heaven had chosen it as a location to hide a sacred artifact called the Mandate of Heaven. It was Earth's defense against the armies of Hell, what prevented the infernal forces from making a full-scale invasion. With it in place, they simply couldn't. Their numbers on Earth were severely limited.
In recent years, it had become threatened, so they entrusted a group of mortals to guard it… Chosen Ones who would give their lives to protect it from evil…
And one of them was Seto Kaiba.
To help protect it, he came out of retirement. He bought the entire island with his own funds.
And when he learned the nature of the threat that was posed, he devoted the bulk of KaibaCorp's resources to one project – the building of a grandiose dueling resort that would be called Duelatopia.
Kaiba was willing to die before he gave information to the ones who wanted the Mandate… And sadly, he did indeed have to make that sacrifice. But before he breathed his last, he passed the secret and the mantle to his nephew, and chosen heir, Siegfried.
Siegfried presided over the first Duelatopia tournament as a mysterious armored ruler called the Master of Games, knowing that his ally would have to end the threat. And sadly, he gave his life to protect the Mandate as well. But the deaths of Seto and Siegfried were not in vain. The demon was defeated, and the Mandate was saved.
And now… Duelatopia lived on, a monument to dueling, and a memorial to two martyrs. In the past nineteen years, it had grown, in size and in splendor…
The three friends watched as it appeared over the horizon. The spires of shining buildings grew from the center, the largest of which was the holographic tower, a giant antenna that could generate the holograms for hundreds of Duel Disks at once.
Getting closer, they saw beaches and boardwalks, and other buildings. Duelatopia would be like the typical resort city, if not for the competition that the guests engaged in. It was far evolved from Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom, where guests would have to sleep out under the stars and bring their own food. Here, it was a city with hotels and restaurants that would treat the guests well.
It wasn't only a tournament… It was a vacation, in every sense of the word.
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Three boats were disembarking when Yumi, Chelsea, and Ren walked down onto the docks. Ren knew of this area… His dad had dueled Orin Tsunami here, at the gateway to Duelatopia.
But this time, a change had been made. The tower where the Master of Games had once welcomed their parents was gone. Would anyone be there to greet them?
A squad of Centurions stood in front of the ample crowd. Everyone knew enough to wait.
And then a huge, fiery dragon appeared in front of the crowd! It roared and spewed flame into the air!
"That's Tyrant Dragon!" shouted Chelsea.
Then they noticed that a woman was perched on the Dragon's head. It lowered its head to the ground, and she stepped off.
"Greetings, my friends," she said, "I'm Sheena Arachne. And welcome to what promises to be a competition like none other. Duelatopia has been upgraded with a few new surprises, and the next six days are going to be a test of survival for all of you. Three hundred duelists are here, only eight will make it to the final rounds.
"The whole city is your arena. Duels can take place anytime, anywhere. Every public place has a spot where a duel can happen – just ask whoever is in charge.
"Now then, you might be wondering about those badges you all have. Do NOT lose them! You're helpless without them.
"First of all, they are what links you to the trust fund that each duelist has been given. Each of you has four hundred dollars put aside that can be spent anywhere."
"Four hundred?" said Ren, amazed. "Wait… how much is that in yen?"
"Now, you might wonder," said Sheena, "is KaibaCorp crazy? Giving away $120,000? Don't worry, we make more than ten times that in one hour.
"When you want to use your fund, scan the badge like a credit card, scanning it at one of our stores or restaurants. This fund is irredeemable elsewhere, so be sure to use it. On the other hand, once it's all gone, you'll have to use your own finances.
"Now, you get ahead in this competition as you'd expect… By dueling! The badges are Orange now, and change color with each victory or defeat. If you lose at Orange, you fall to Red… Lose then, and it will fade to Black, and then, I'm afraid you're out. Still, you may stay and enjoy our hospitality and attractions, the least of which will be the finals, which everyone will be invited to free of charge.
"If you ever want to have an unofficial duel, for fun, you and your opponent can temporarily turn off the badge by turning the small switch in the back, and it will remain off for one hour. But a duel cannot take place if one duelist's badge is on and another's is off.
"Win an official duel, and you can progress to Yellow, then Green, Blue, Violet, Silver, and finally Gold.
"However, if you're at Silver, you can't just find someone with Red status to get an easy advance to Gold. In order for you to advance, your opponent can be no lower than one rank below you. This rule has been in effect for the past six years to make sure that the higher ranking guests don't seek out the lower ones. If you win a duel against someone with too low a rank, you will not advance, and he will not be downgraded. However, if you win a duel against a duelist who is a much higher rank than you, you will indeed be upgraded, and your opponent will be downgraded.
"Again, this rule is in effect to make sure that the stronger duelists do not seek out the less strong.
"The first eight duelists to reach Gold will be given a spot in the finals. If you miss the finals, keep dueling! If you reach Gold anyway, you'll get a consolation prize, a grab bag of great cards.
"Now, there are two types of employees in Duelatopia you should know about. The first, are the legendary Eliminators. I trust you've heard stories about these folks… Tread cautiously if you locate one of them. If you can defeat them, you will be upgraded one level, as always. In addition, you'll get one or more incredibly rare cards, and get one other priceless gift. I cannot elaborate on that. But if you lose, you will be disqualified. Also, you may be punished, depending on the Eliminator's whims.
"Again, tread with caution. These duelists are without mercy or compassion. They are trained not to win, but to make sure their opponents lose.
"The other employee is a new addition that we call a Bonus. These folks could be any employee you see in Duelatopia. A store owner, bellhop, ice cream man… They might approach you with a challenge, and the reward is the same as a standard duel – one upgrade for winning, but no downgrade for losing. You might also be able to make some small wager in the process.
"After six days, the finals will be held. The winner will receive the grand prize of five million American dollars."
Murmurs broke out among the crowd.
"How much is that in yen?" asked Ren.
"And also…" continued Sheena. "A special prize. The winner gets one request. Anything he or she wants that KaibaCorp's deep pockets can provide. The sky's the limit for the one who goes all the way.
"Now that I've explained the good stuff, some ground rules…"
She paused.
"You've already met the Centurions, and they exist to keep the peace. Three things are absolutely not allowed in this city – fighting, stealing, and cheating. Do not think you are in the clear merely because you don't see a man in armor. Several of them work undercover. And if you think you can tamper with a Disk so that illegal cards will work on it, guess again. That has been attempted many times in the past, and the perpetrators have always regretted it. Using an older model won't work either. That's another trick that many have tried and no-one has gotten away with. No matter what is done to a Disk, no matter what model is used, we can detect what cards are used, I assure you.
"Now that that's out of the way…
"Dueling commences at seven AM tomorrow morning. The gates of the city await!"
She climbed back on the Dragon's back, and it vanished in a burst of flame.
The gates opened, and everyone started moving towards them.
"Slowly!" warned one of the Centurions. "No one is going to get hurt…"
"What hotel are we in?" asked Chelsea.
"According to this, Camelot," said Yumi. "The guidebook says it's the second-best hotel."
"Mmm, Sam probably has the best…" sighed Ren.
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Camelot was well-named. The lavish hotel (all the hotels were lavish) seemed to have the underlying theme of three of the Mouto family's signature Monsters – Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight.
Fighting jet lag, most of the guests of Duelatopia ate light that evening, and tried to sleep early.
And once asleep, they dreamed…
One night remains before the tournament officially begins on Duelatopia. Sleep well, rest well everybody. Because when morning comes, you'll need all your strength to fight your way towards the top!
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Chelsea: Well, it was a long trip, but I'm ready to get started.
Yumi: So am I. I just have to find an opponent…
Ren: Hey, Yumi… That guy in the cowboy hat looks like he's checking you out.
Chelsea: Heh… Wonder what sort of deck a cowboy plays?
Yumi: Maybe we should find out. There's no time like the present.
Next time, "The First Duel! Princess of Games!"
Ren: I could sure use some popcorn for this…
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One final note: Don't miss Kaitou Kouji's new fic, starting soon. It's a spin off of my fic, "Dark Messiah".