Chapter 1

After getting some feedback, I decided to take a crack at this one, so I hope you all look forward to it.

This was a promo idea that someone sent me, and so I decided to give it a shot after Cardfight Vanguard. This'll take place during the original Yugioh Series but with some changes after seeing how stupid it was in the first season.

The Duelist Kingdom. The kingdom where the best duelists in the world go to compete with each other to enter the Duelist Castle, and the lucky winner gains not only a cash reward prize of five million but also a bonus prize that allows you to fight the creator of Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus, in a duel.

Many duelists came not only to fight more vigorous opponents but also to take on the champion himself. However, some were only interested in getting the chance to fight against others to make friends. This is why one duelist was different from the other forty-nine competitors.

"Contestant number fifty, huh?" Issei Hyoudou said as he looked at the approaching island from the boat he was on before looking at the invite he had received in the mail.

Dear Issei Hyoudou,

You are invited to participate in my upcoming Duel Monsters competition and have the chance to fight more vigorous opponents. You love the game and are skilled but need more competition, given your town's lack of experienced fighters. The cash prize is a bonus, but fighting more vigorous opponents will also help you improve as a duelist and your decks.

Also, I was interested in seeing your deck in action since the small-town competitions you competed in were nothing worth your skills. So I look forward to seeing how strong you indeed are.

The rules shall be explained at the beginning of the first day when you reach the island, and you'll enjoy yourself once you meet the competition. Many duelists can give you a challenge, so I hope my tournament amuses you, Issei Hyoudou.

From Maximillion Pegasus.

Issei then looked at his left wrist to see his Star chips and bracelet that came with the invitation before looking at his ace monster of one of his three decks.

"Heh. It looks like we'll be able to have some fun there, don't you think, Dark Mist?" Issei asked as he saw his duelist partner appear in their spirit form the massive black fiend howled in excitement at fighting against stronger enemies with its dark power before a red and black clothed magician appeared next to the two as well as a massive black and red dragon.

This was Issei Hyoudou, the best duelist in Kuoh Town and master of three decks: a Magician Type, a Fiend-Type, and a Dragon-type deck.

"Attention! Issei Hyoudou! We'll be docking soon, so be ready to deport from the ship." The announcer said as Issei smiled in excitement as he put his deck away before going over to his travel pack and carrying a safe with his decks inside as he was ready to take on this competition.

'I'm honestly surprised my parents were okay with this; then again, they probably saw this as an opportunity for me to gain more friends.' Issei said as he smiled as he recalled his mother's joy when she learned Issei had found a friend after his old childhood friend moved away when they were ten. So now, six years later, Issei is going off on his own to a new place away from his small hometown.

Issei saw the island get closer and closer before the boat stopped at the dock, as the captain then helped Issei off the ship and ensured he had everything he brought before the captain saw him off.

"Stay safe out there, kid. There's a lot of strong players here for that cash prize." The captain said as Issei smiled in thanks before he headed towards his destination.

All in all, Issei felt good about his chances in the competition at the Duelist Kingdom because he had experience and knew how to use his decks well though he had a list of people he would like to compete against in the competition.

Meanwhile, at Duelist Castle…

"Ah. My special guest has arrived. How wonderful. I do hope he enjoyed the trip here." Pegasus said as he had heard of a person in a small town using three decks and was excellent at using all three of them, so when Pegasus watched the footage from a small competition in the boys home town, he was very impressed by the boy's skills but could tell that the boy didn't have a fire in his eyes when he won making Pegasus realize that the boy never felt challenged in the game so he was so used to winning against others.

"I'm glad he accepted my invite because now there's more entertainment for me than watching Yugi try to make it to my castle. Though I do hope Kiba boy shows up to reclaim his poor brother." Pegasus said as he watched Issei head towards the castle grounds to settle in before the competition began.

"Now show me what you and your deck are capable of, Issei Hyoudou. You aren't like the other two, but something about you is special." Pegasus said as he could tell that the boy had a special connection to his cards granted, Issei didn't have a Millennium item like his eye or Yugi's puzzle, but something about him made him stand out to the game master.

Pegasus still smiled as the camera then showed Issei heading to the castle gate as he presented his invitation to the guard.

"Excuse me, sir, but I was told to come here to prepare for the opening ceremony?" Issei asked as the guard looked over the invite before patting the boy's head.

"Your good kid, but you didn't bring anyone?"

"Oh no. The rules said no friends or guests were allowed. Only those who are invited." Issei said as the guard looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"Good. Non-invited participants are not allowed. This place is for invited duelists only, not cheerleaders. Had to send a bratty kid who tried to hitch a ride to participate without being invited." The guard said as Issei winced at this since its one thing that people can freely sign up for a competition back at home, but for a particular tournament, only those who try to force their way in because they think their good are just arrogant duelists who probably don't even play fair. He hated cheaters with a passion, so Issei paid careful attention to players' tricks and pretended to be naive until he crushed the cheater in their game.

"Yeah. I know that feeling. What kind of idiot comes to a National competition without being invited? That's just unfair to the other duelists who were invited." Issei said as the guard could tell that the kid was honest before a slight smirk appeared as he patted the boy's head again.

"Honest kid, huh? I respect that. Glad to see there are still some kids who know a thing about honesty and fair sportsmanship, even in card games." The guard said as he let Issei enter the castle grounds and headed to Duelist Kingdoms' front yard before whistling at the many excited duelists to get started.

"Wow. I've never seen this many people for one competition before." Issei said as he heard someone come from behind him.

"First time away from home to the big boy league?" Issei heard as he turned around to see a kid snickering at him as he introduced himself.

"Names Weevil Underworld, Bug Enthusiast. This your first time in a national competition?" Weevil asked as Issei nodded in reply while looking at the duelist.

Weevil was wearing large round yellow glasses with an insect horn in the center to connect the lenses, turquoise hair was arranged in a "Beatles' Haircut" fashion, and his eyes were blue. The outfit was odd: a green jacket with a raised collar, a white shirt underneath, a red bow tie, brown trousers, and brown shoes.

Then again, his attire was special since Issei had a relaxed style his mother thought would make him both intimidating in battle and gentle outside of it. It was a black mantled trench coat paired with a long-sleeved shirt and jeans, both red during his first appearance and black jeans from his second appearance onward. Issei also wears a black choker around his neck. His right hand was covered with a glove that was dark red. He liked the feel of the air blowing into the trench coat on windy days, and he wanted the atmosphere it gave him to be intimidating but cool at the same time.

He never wore it outside of battles, but he liked having it in his tournament matches since it made the ones who challenged him take him more seriously.

"Yeah. I'm used to the small tournaments back home, but I've never been to something like a national tournament before in my life. I honestly thought my skills were…average." Issei said he wasn't too confident in his skills due to his not having serious competition back home, and after winning so many times, it just got boring.

Weevil saw this and snickered. "Then I'm sure you'll be pleased since only the best of Japan are here, not some wannabe rookies. Hope to compete against you soon."

Weevil said as he left Issei alone and the boy was glad that the guy was gone since the bug duelist creeped him out somewhat until Issei looked around to see some of the other competitors before his eyes widened as he saw a duelist bracelet with only one Star chip.

'Hold on. One star chip? Either he already lost one of them in an unofficial match. He's a cheater or an uninvited duelist in the competition.' Issei pondered as he saw two others without a duelist bracelet. Issei pulled out his phone, took a picture of the group before the competition roster loaded up, and revealed that Yugi Moto had given away a Star Chip for his friend to participate.

'Tch. Giving away your Star chip before the competition starts is bad for both of them because if they lose it, then it's bye-bye to the competition.' Issei said as he pondered what the kid was thinking by giving away his Star chip when he was invited and not his friend or the cheerleaders.

'According to this, some older version of the kid beat Kaiba, yet others think this Yugi did it. And this Joey Wheeler guy is a complete joke of a duelist. Losing multiple matches back in his hometown? And he doesn't even have ten spells or traps in his deck!? How much of a rookie is this guy?' Issei said as he looked up at the group and saw that Yugi had the most experience since the kid's grandfather ran a card shop back in their hometown.

On the other hand, Joey Wheeler is the exact opposite, given that the blonde blowhard was an absolute rookie since his deck was filled with up to thirty-five monsters and so few spells and traps.

Issei rolled his eyes as he could tell that the blowhard was nothing but a third-rate duelist with an even worse deck than a trial one.

'Perhaps when the competition starts, I'll show the uninvited duelist how I feel about fakers and cheaters.' Issei said as his spirit partners growled in agreement at the group. 'Plus, we can show them how a real duelist fights in a tournament.'

Issei said with a chuckle as his eyes gave off an intimidating glow before his train of thought was interrupted by a couple of horns being blown. Issei looked up at the balcony to see Pegasus stand before them all.

"Welcome, Duelists! You have been summoned here to show me who is worthy to step into my castle and that you deserve to be among the top duelists. Since there are fifty of you, I'll explain the rules carefully." Pegasus said as a screen appeared behind him as he began the explanation.

"Rule 1: When a Duel begins, you must bet any number of Star chips but know that if you surrender or are defeated, you lose your Star chips.

"Rule 2: Anyone with no Star chips will be given an extra fifteen minutes to try and claim a Star chip from another duelist; however, if when the fifteen minutes are up, and you still don't have a Star chip, then the loser will be sent home," Pegasus said as he looked at Yugi and Joey with a slight grin before continuing.

"Rule 3: There are facilities around the island that'll allow you to rest and relax when the competition isn't happening. There are also different fields around the island, so make sure you choose which ones you wish to compete in since they can either help you or harm your chances of winning.

"And finally, Rule 4: Once the first twenty duelists are taken out of the competition, then the fundamental fun part of the game can begin, and to enter the castle, you must have a total of ten-star chips to enter the court," Pegasus said as he spread his arms wide in excitement.

"So I wish you luck in the games, so now, let the Duelist Kingdom National Competition begin!" Pegasus said as he watched many duelist rush through the gates while Issei waited for many of them to leave until he began to head out.

"Ah, Issei Hyoudou, I do hope you enjoy the game and make some friends," Pegasus said. Issei was surprised that the creator of Duel Monsters spoke to him before the boy nodded as he headed into the kingdom to begin his adventure.

"But first, it's time to take out a certain cheater who thinks he's such a badass," Issei said as he eyed Yugi's group before watching Joey Wheeler as he found his target.

'Perfect. Time to bait him into a duel.' Issei said as he walked over to Joey and smiled at him. "Excuse me, but are you, Joey Wheeler? I heard you are a strong duelist and wanted to see if we could have a small friendly duel?"

Issei asked as he faked a smile and pretended to care about the cheater until Joey was excited about a potential fan.

"No way? Well, sure, but it'll have to wait. My pal Yugi is about to take on that challenger, so I want to see this." Joey said as Issei let out a sad sigh.

"Oh. I understand. It's just that…" Issei then used his crocodile tears to make Joey feel regretful. "It's my first time in a national tournament from home, and I thought I'd make some friends, but I guess I'm not good enough," Issei said as he left until Joey stopped him.

"Hey, kid! Hold on a moment!" Joey shouted as he apologized to his friends and headed to Issei before Issei turned around and looked at Joey.

"Why don't we have that duel now? My friend is crazy strong, so he'll be fine without me." Joey said as Issei wiped his eyes and smiled in thanks before shaking the guy's hand.

"Thanks. I appreciate it. By the way, my name is Issei. Issei Hyoudou."

"Nice to meet you. Joey Wheeler is the name, so let's start this duel." Joey said as he and Issei headed to a dueling dome and got on their respective sides before Issei opened his case and pulled out a purple deck before placing it on the table before him.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why do you only have one Star Chip? Did you lose your second one?" Issei asked as Joey freaked out but replied anyway.

"Oh well, my pal Yugi beat me, and I gave him the star chip to help my buddy out."

"Wow. You're a cool guy; you know that." Issei said in fake surprise as Joey bought the whole act like a sucker.

"Aw, thanks, man," Joey said as he got his deck out and smiled. "But let's get this party started!"

"Likewise," Issei said as he had a slight smile on his face before pulling out his first five cards.

The lights lit up as a small crowd appeared around them.

"How many star chips will you bet?" Issei asked as Joey pulled out his only one and displayed it.

"Just one for me." 'I can't say I only have one because my pal bailed me out; otherwise, he might get in trouble.' Joey lamented that he hated lying to the kid but had to save face; otherwise, Yugi might get kicked out of the competition and be unable to save his grandfather.

"Then I'll bet one of mine as well," Issei said as he put one of his two chips on display before the duel began.

"Let's duel! And I'll go first!" Joey said as he pulled a card before summoning his monster.

Joey Wheeler: 4000

Issei Hyoudou: 4000

"And I'll start with summoning White Wolf in Attack Mode!" Joey said as he summoned a white wolf as howled at Issei.

White Wolf: Normal Monster.

ATK: 1200

DEF: 800

"And then I'll end my turn," Joey said as Issei pretended to be impressed.

"Wow. Not bad, but now it's my turn." Issei said as he drew his sixth card before smiling.

"I'll start by putting one monster in defense mode," Issei said as the card appeared face down before he played another card.

"And then I'll play the spell card Double Summon. This lets me Normal Summon twice this turn, so I'll summon another monster." Issei said as he placed another card on the field.

"Say hello to Monster Tamer!" Issei said as the monster appeared as a female beast tamer with a whip as she smiled at the wolf.

Monster Tamer: Warrior/Effect Monster.

When this monster defeats a Beast Monster, it summons it to its side and doubles the stats of the monster. However, should this monster be destroyed, the monsters that this one called also disappear.

ATK: 1800

DEF: 1500

"Woah! That's awesome." Joey said as he looked at the female monster until Issei smirked at him.

"Oh yeah? Then I'm sure you'll like this." Issei said as he pointed to the White Wolf. "Beast Tamer, attack White Wolf!"

Beast Tamer cheers as she uses her whip and hits the wolf three times before it shatters into pixels, as Joey's life points dropped.

Joey Wheeler: 3600

Issei Hyoudou: 4000

"Good move."

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet because now I can activate Beast Tamer's special ability," Issei said as Beast Tamer blew a whistle before White Wolf appeared on his side of the battlefield, but much more prominent and fiercer than it was before.

White Wolf: Beast/Normal Monster

ATK: 2400

DEF 1600

"Hey! You stole my monster!" Joey shouted as Issei waved a finger in his direction.

"Nope. This is Beast Tamer's skill. When she destroys a Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Dragon-type monster, she can summon the beast to my side and double the monster's stats. So now…" Issei said as he smiled at Joey's shocked expression.

"White Wolf, attack Joey Wheeler directly!" Issei ordered as the White Wolf howled and hit Joey's stand as his life points dropped significantly.

"Ah, man. Wasn't expecting that." Joey said as he stood back up and looked at his life points.

Issei Hyoudou: 4000

Joey Wheeler: 3600-2600=1000

"Ah, man. That stinks." Joey said as Issei continued his turn. "But wait a minute, how come I took more damage than I was supposed to?"

"Oh, that's because we're using the Field Spell Meadow for this duel, and the effects are that Warrior, Beast, and Beast-Warrior monsters gain 200 attack and defense points. That's why both of our monsters are stronger than normal." Issei explained as he then finished his turn.

"And finally, I put two cards facedown and ended my turn. Make your choice Joey. I hope I'm not going too hard." Issei said with fake concern as Joey bought it like an idiot.

"Oh no, it's fine," Joey said as he drew his next card and was worried about what to do next.

'Any other monster I summon will just get creamed by that wolf, but if I can take out Beast Tamer, then I should be able to take him down.' Joey pondered as he then summoned his monster.

"Now for my comeback! Say hello to Destroyer Golem!" Joey declared as a massive golem appeared on Joey's side as Issei whistled at the Golem.

Destroyer Golem: Earth/Normal Monster.

ATK: 1500

DEF: 1000

"Impressive monster but not good enough," Issei said as he flipped a card over.

"Because I activate the trap card: Auto Flip. This allows me to automatically flip any monster from either face up or face down to their opposite position. So I'll take my face down, monster, and flip it up." Issei said as a mage appeared. "Meet Aussa the Earth Charmer!"

Assua the Earth Charmer: Spellcaster/Effect Monster. Take control of 1 Earth monster on the opponent's side of the field as long as this card reminds face up.

ATK: 500

DEF: 1500

"And Aussa has a fun ability that allows her to take control of one Earth monster on your field," Issei said, much to Joey's shock.

"Huh?! But my Golem is an Earth Monster!" Joey said as he saw his Golem groan as Aussa chanted a spell that made the Golem move to Issei's side. Joey growled in annoyance as Issei smiled innocently.

"Grr. I'll end my turn," Joey said as Issei drew his next card before looking at Joey.

"You know, I have to say that for an uninvited duelist and a blowhard, I expected a bit more from you," Issei said, much to Joey's surprise, as Issei looked at him with annoyance and boredom.

"Huh? What?" Joey stuttered as Issei rolled his eyes at the dumb duelist.

"I already knew about your little arrangement with Yugi Moto. He was invited to the tournament but not you, which meant that Yugi gave you a chip to participate, but I can't stand wannabe players who think they can cheat their way into the games and think they won't get caught." Issei said as he smirked at Joey, who was shocked by the personality change. Issei smiled at him with a sinister grin.

"So why do you think I challenged you to a duel? Simple. To crush you and show you what a real duelist can do." Issei said as he looked at his drawn card before flipping it to show Joey.

"And it seems my deck agrees with me, so allow me to demonstrate what a real duelist is capable of," Issei said as Aussa and the Golem vanished as a portal appeared above the arena.

"I sacrifice Aussa the Earth Charmer and Destroyer Golem to summon the master of the dark arts and arcane magic. Appear before us in this battle and show your enemies their foolishness! Come forth, Dark Magician!" Issei chanted as the wind blew around them. Joey looked up to see a crimson mage appear. Joey could see the similarities between Yugi's Dark Magician and this one, but their differences were the hair and color of the outfit.

Dark Magician: Spellcaster/Normal Monster.

ATK: 2500

DEF: 2100

The Dark Magician smirked at Joey as it twirled its staff before floating next to White Wolf.

"What? You have a Dark Magician as well?! But I thought Yugi was the only one who had it." Joey said as Issei chuckled at him before explaining.

"While it's true Dark Magician is a special card, this one is different since it's more of my style, and anyone can get a Dark Magician; it's how you use it to bring out its full potential, and frankly, I don't think Yugi Moto is a true master of the Dark Magician," Issei said as a dark red aura enveloped his being before he pointed towards Joey.

"Now, Dark Magician, attack Joey Wheeler directly with Crimson Magic Blast and end this disgrace of a duel!" Issei shouted as the Dark Magician fired a beam of crimson magic that hit Joey's life points as dread and defeat filled the duelist's heart.

Joey Wheeler: 0000

Issei Hyoudou: 4000

Winner: Issei Hyoudou

Issei saw the Star chip move to his side before Issei picked up his own and the new one he earned before putting it on his duelist bracelet.

The crowd was shocked at Issei's skills and how he destroyed Joey before the underdog got up and walked over to him.

"I want to duel again!" Joey shouted as he looked at Issei with a severe look. "Face me again, and let me get that chip back!"

Issei looked at Joey and scoffed at him. "Oh really? I've seen your style and can tell you're a total rookie. You have no business being here if you're trying to get better at the game. You look like you barely have a good deck."

Joey growled as he walked over to him and grabbed Issei by the collar before yelling in his face. "Listen! I need this to win that money for my sister's surgery!"

Issei's face was impassive as he took Joey's hand off and pushed him back before speaking to him. "It's a noble but foolish goal, given your skills. This tournament has players from all around Japan, and you think you can beat them, much less me again? You couldn't even scratch my life points, so what makes you think you can beat me again?" Issei asked as Joey growled once more before Issei looked at the teen's eyes, sighing to himself.

"Fine. But one more duel. You only have fifteen minutes left before your go off the island." Issei said as he then walked back to his stand. Joey pulled his deck out and gripped it tightly.

"This deck is special to me, so I'll take you down!" Joey shouted as the duel began.

Issei rolled his eyes as he wasn't expecting the duel to change, as he could tell the boy was trying to stay alive.

"I'd like to see you try. Let's focus on your new strategy. Losing." Issei said with a usual smile to others, but it was filled with satisfaction as he began the duel and destroyed Joey quickly in less than five turns.

"Ah!" Joey shouted as he landed on his back to see that he had lost again and couldn't scratch Issei's Life Points again.

"Grr. One more time!" Joey shouted as he tried to use his more powerful monsters to face Issei, but the duelist used the same deck and could counter any monster Joey summoned.

Fifteen minutes later...

"Seven matches, and now your times up," Issei said as he put his deck away to see Yugi and his friends coming to Joey's side.

"Joey! What happened?" Yugi asked as Joey slowly got up and looked away from his friend.

"I'm sorry, Yugi, but I couldn't do it," Joey said as he couldn't face Yugi after his humiliation from Issei before Yugi gasped at Joey's empty bracelet to see Issei walk over to them.

"Your friend lost against me seven times. I apologize, but I told him to give up and find someone else, but he was stubborn to try and beat me." Issei said as he showed the chip to Yugi, who was shocked, before reaching to the small kid and stopping his hand.

"No," Issei said as he put the chip on his bracelet. Yugi was shocked at him.

"No? But I'm trying to help my friend!"

"If you want to help him, then improve his skills. Not give him false hope to chase some dream." Issei said as he looked at Joey before holding a hand towards him. "Joey Wheeler. May I have your contact info?"

Joey and his friends looked at him in surprise before Issei explained his reasons. "Despite your whining like a little brat, I respect your reason for coming here and wanting to help your sister, so if I win, I'll send you the money," Issei said as Joey's shock became gratitude before hugging the guy.

"Thank you!" Joey shouted as Issei froze at the sudden hug. Before Joey let him go, Issei said it was no problem.

The guards then appeared and took Joey and Tristan to the departure ship. Yugi was sad to see his friends leave before Issei walked toward the kid.

"Hey. So that you know, I don't believe you beat Kaiba." Issei said as he ignored Yugi's shocked expression before he explained. "I saw the footage, and it was an older version of you that beat him, so either you have a twin older brother, or you cheated somehow. Either way, it matters not, for we'll see how strong you are now that your friends are gone." Issei said as he walked away and looked back at Yugi.

"In this tournament, there are no friends. Just competition, so bring your A-game because I'm here to win." 'And to make some friends, he doesn't need to know that.' Issei said before walking away from Yugi Issei headed to one of the areas on the map with Pegasus laughing at the matches he's just watched.

"I knew bringing him would be an amusing twist to the game. So what'll you do now, little Yugi? Your friends are gone, so will the Heart of the Cards win the day, or will it fail you in the end?" Pegasus asked as he watched Yugi leave the Meadow field with Tea and Tristan.

"I can't believe Joey was beaten by that guy so easily. Ever heard of him, Yugi?" Tea asked as she stared at Issei's back before Yugi pulled up the roster and was surprised to see that Issei was not only a champion of sorts back home but mastered three decks.

"According to this, Issei has had a lot of experience and success as a duelist, but he seems not to have been in any of the major league competitions except for the ones back in his hometown," Yugi said as he pondered Issei's strength before Tea patted his head.

"Hey, look on the bright side Yugi. You'll beat that guy, no doubt, and get Joey the prize money while also saving your grandfather." Tea said as Yugi nodded in agreement. They were shocked to see two other duelists taken down quickly.

"What? Another duelist was eliminated from the competition already!?" Yugi wondered aloud as he pulled up the roster to see that Issei had just taken the two-star chips from another player before making his total five.

"That guy just left. How did he get two more already?!" Tea wondered aloud before Yugi didn't say anything but had to know his skills while a particular bug user was snickering in the forest.

"Hm, so little Yugi lost a friend to that new kid, huh?" Weevil said as he looked at his deck before smiling, an idea that popped into his mind. "Maybe it's time to see how strong the kid is. Hehehe."

The Forest Field...

Issei was walking through the forest after taking two-star chips from a duelist who tried to pay him off, but Issei denied it and crushed him quickly while also taking the money, so now he's closer to the castle and some extra cash for himself.

"Are there no other duelists who are stronger? It's been disappointing so far." Issei said as he walked further into the forest before seeing Weevil appear and snicker at him.

"Welcome to your demise Issei Hyoudou!" Weevil shouted as he pointed a finger at the duelist. "I challenge you to a duel, and if I win, you'll give me three of your Star Chips and a card of choice from my deck."

"Oh? Does this mean you are betting three of yours as well?" Issei asked as he was intrigued by the bug specialist before Weevil nodded, but another one came out just as the strategist was about to start the duel.

"Hold it, bug breath. I saw him first." A woman said as she stepped into view, which made Issei surprised to see her since she seemed to be a Gyaru type in terms of personality.

She was relatively fair-skinned with purple eyes and long, thick, spiky blonde hair. She wore large silver hoop earrings with a short-sleeved purple coat over her white tube top, exposing her midriff, black socks, and recurring purple high-heeled boots.

"Beat it, Weevil; I saw him first and want to challenge him to a duel. Go find some other brats to infest with your annoying bugs." The woman said as Weevil was insulted and scolded her.

"I don't want to hear that from a cheater like you, Succubus!"

"Hah! Take a cheater to know another cheater, your infectious disease."

"Take that back!"

"Make me!"

The two then growled at each other as Issei looked at them, amused, before speaking to them.

"How about a coin toss?" Issei suggested as he held up a coin. "Winner fights me first, and the one who loses gives the star chips to them. Then whoever lost the coin toss can challenge the winner next." The two liked the idea and agreed.

"It's a deal!" The two shouted as they saw Issei flick the coin into the air.

"Call it."

"Heads!"

"Tails!"

Mai and Weevil said respectively as the coin fell on the ground and landed on...

"It looks like the bugs win this round, Mai," Issei said as Weevil cheered while he, the two boys, headed to the duel dome before Mai, grumbling as she hated losing, sat on a large rock and got comfortable with Zoe so she could enjoy the show.

"Let's Duel!"

Issei Hyoudou: 4000

Weevil Underwood: 4000

"Since you won the coin toss, Weevil, I'll let you go first," Issei said as Weevil snickered and replied to him.

"Oh, I will," Weevil said as he drew his sixth card before moving.

"I'll start with one monster in defense mode and one card facedown. Ending my turn." Weevil said as Issei nodded as he drew his sixth card.

"Okay then. First, I'll summon Zure, Knight of Dark World." Issei said as a massive dark fiendish knight appeared on the field. Issei smiled at his opponent's hesitation.

Zure, Knight of Dark World. Fiend/Normal

ATK: 1800

DEF: 1500

"And before the battle, I'll give him a special sword," Issei said as he discarded one card from his hand before equipping it onto Zure, as the knight smiled at the new blade he's been given.

Wicked-Breaking Flamberge - Baou: Equip Spell. Send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard; equip this card to a monster. It gains 500 ATK. Negate the effects of monsters destroyed by battle with the equipped monster.

"Allow me to introduce the Wicked-Breaking Flamberge - Baou. It's a special sword I love giving to my Fiend monsters for reasons like this." Issei said as he ordered Zure to attack the facedown monster before it was destroyed.

"Yes! And now-huh? Why can't I use Pinch Hopper's ability?" Weevil asked himself as he was denied being able to use it until Issei explained.

"That's simple. When a monster equipped with Baou destroys an opponent's monster, the defeated monster can't use its abilities. It's a fun card when dealing with Flip Monsters or creatures with abilities that activate when destroyed. Plus, I can tell that you probably have a much stronger Bug in your hand and were hoping to use that ability from your grasshopper to bring it out. Unfortunately for you, that won't work on me." Issei said as he then placed two cards facedown and ended his turn.

Weevil growled a bit as he heard this and had to rethink his strategy as he drew his next card.

"Fine then. Have it your way then." Weevil said as he slammed a card on the field as Issei whistled at the bug. "Say hello to my Chainsaw Insect! And thanks to the field power bonus, he gains two hundred attack points to rev up his chainsaw."

Weevil said as the insect roared as it felt the Forest spell give it extra strength.

Chainsaw Insect: Insect/Effect Monster.

Level 4

ATK: 2400-2600

DEF: 0-200

At the end of the Damage Step, if this card attacked or was attacked: Your opponent draws 1 card.

"And I'll give him a special item to attack you directly!" Weevil said as he flipped over his facedown card. "This is Infected Mail, and as long as I have a level 4 or lower monster on my field, they can attack you directly!"

Chainsaw Insect growled as it felt a unique infection coat the chainsaws on its body while Issei looked impressed.

Infected Mail: Continuous Spell

Once per turn: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower monster you control; it can attack your opponent directly this turn. Please send it to the Graveyard at the end of the Battle Phase.

"Now attack him directly, Chainsaw Insect!" Weevil shouted as the infected insect charged at Issei, but Issei didn't seem afraid. Instead, he was smiling; his eyes then glowed as he called.

"I activate Bacon Savers ability from the Graveyard!"

"Huh?! What's that do, and when did you have that card there?" Weevil asked as Issei banished Bacon Saver, as the small pig blocked the attack and negated it so Issei's life points were safe.

"Bacon Savers skill lets me banish him from my Graveyard to negate the attack and take no battle damage. However, this ability can only be used once per duel, which colored me impressed since this little pig is one of my favorite creatures in my Fiend deck." Issei said as he had a slight smile. He saw Chainsaw Insect groan in pain as it laid down and went to Weevils Graveyard as the bug enthusiast hissed in annoyance.

"Clever trick, but you've used it up. Unfortunately, you can draw your card since Chainsaw Insect attacked this turn. And since my spell card infected him, he had to go to the Graveyard after the battle phase." Weevil said in frustration as Issei nodded and drew a card of his own.

"I'll put one card facedown and end my turn," Weevil said as Issei drew his third card and smiled at it.

"Nice. First, I'll activate my facedown card, Demons of the Night." Issei said as he activated the spell card he put down on his last turn.

Demons of the Night

Normal Spell

Allows the user to summon up to five Level four or below Fiend Monsters from the deck to the field without their abilities. Summoned monsters by this card cannot attack the turn they're called.

"So the four monsters I choose are four Giant Orcs," Issei said as the massive orcs appeared and roared at Weevil, who was scared of their power until Issei smiled at them. "Unfortunately, by using this card, they can't attack this turn, but they won't be around for long."

Issei said as a massive vortex appeared, the four giant orcs became beams of purple light as they flew into it. "And with these four level four monsters, I build the Overlay Network and XYZ summon!"

A massive explosion occurred as Weevil and Mai shielded their eyes before a dark being appeared from it. "Prepare yourself as the Demon King appears before us. The Lord of the Flies wishes to consume all who stand in his way. I summon Demon King Beelzebub!"

A massive demon that took on the form of a demonic fly emerged as Zure bowed in respect to the Demon King before him.

Demon King Beelzebub: Fiend/Effect Monster

Rank 4

ATK: 3000

DEF: 2500

When this monster defeats an opponent, the monster's highest stat is given to Beelzebub permanently. By using one Overlay Unit, Beelzebub can send any card of choice (spell, trap, and monster) from the field and hand it to the Graveyard, and for each monster in both graveyards, Beelzebub gains 500 attack points.

"Beelzebub is the Demon of Gluttony as he consumes all in his path. For every monster in both of our graveyards, he gets 500 attack points." Issei said as Beelzebub buzzed in joy as Weevil's two monsters gave the massive fly power.

"And now, by using one Overlay Unit, he can send all cards of choice from the field and hand of the opponents to the Graveyard. So I'll use three to eliminate all your spells, traps, and monsters." Issei said as Beelzebub used three units and sent Weevils remaining cards to the Graveyard.

"Let's see, that was four cards but only one trap, one spell, and two monsters. It looks like Beelzebub is getting more power now." Issei said as Beelzebub buzzed in joy as he grew bigger and stronger due to the monsters in both graveyards.

Demon King Beelzebub: Fiend/Effect Monster

Rank 4

ATK: 3000-4000-6000

DEF: 2500

Weevil was scared of the massive fly. Issei ordered it to attack Weevil, as his life points dropped instantly.

"I-I lost to a fellow bug?" Weevil stuttered as he collapsed on his feet before Issei gathered his three new Star Chips walking over to Weevil and holding a hand out.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Your good, and if it weren't for Bacon Saver in my hand, I probably would've been in more trouble." Issei said as he helped Weevil up before the bug enthusiast held out his deck for Issei until he pushed it back to Weevil.

"No. I wasn't ever going to take one of your cards. It wouldn't be right to hurt your deck since you built it from scratch. I can only imagine how it would feel if someone took one of my special cards." Issei said as Weevil was shocked by the difference in personality between the two Issei he saw—one in battle and one outside of it.

"I know, but I'm a duelist of my word. Any card of mine is yours, Issei Hyoudou. Plus, it might help your monsters." Weevil said as he wasn't budging. Issei nodded and looked at Weevil's main deck and his extra cards. None would've suited his deck or unique monsters until he saw one that intrigued him.

"Brain Crusher, huh? That one looks like it'll be a good addition to my Fiend Deck." Issei said as he took the four Brain Crushers and thanked Weevil for the game before Weevil snickered.

"Heh. Just wait; I'll regain my Star Chips and show my strength. Take good care of them for me." Weevil said before rushing through the forest to take on others and get back into the game.

Issei then looked at Mai Valentine as she was intimidated by the battle side of Issei before smiling at his skills.

"You're not a bad kid, but I will decline the duel for now. Next time we see each other, I'll be ready to take you down." Mai said as she had a serious look instead of a cocky look. Issei was intrigued by it and nodded in response.

"Then I'll look forward to it, Mai Valentine," Issei said as he watched Mai leave the forest area before looking at his chips. "Eight down and two to go."

Issei then headed out of the forest area as he planned on locating some much stronger duelists while smiling at Weevil and Mai chatting with him.

"They may not be my friends, but I have two new rivals now. How exciting." Issei said as he smiled before pulling out the roster and seeing that many of the duelists were taken out already.

"Twenty of the fifty people that came to this island are taken out already," Issei said in surprise. He couldn't believe many people were defeated so quickly as he saw an announcement appear on the screen.

As you are probably aware, the first twenty duelists have been taken out of the competition, and now the real fun can begin soon because the new rules can be placed into the tournament. Instead of regular duels that are one-on-one, the matches must now be double teams, which means that the two players must have twenty or more star chips to enter my castle.

This is to help duelists who prefer to fight solo work together with others and see how strong they are. Before anyone ponders who will be fighting with whom, I already looked at the remaining duelists and made the teams, so you'll receive your partner's name soon. Meet them quickly because a duel can only be made with four players.

Have fun dueling everyone.

Pegasus's announcement ended as Issei waited for his partner to show up until he saw his partner show up. "Vivian Wong? I've never heard of her before." Issei said as he tapped on the picture and saw that she was coming into the Plains area where he was.

"Issei Hyoudou!" A cheery voice shouted a massive blur and hugged him tightly, which sent the two down before Issei looked at his supposed partner and saw that she was a tall woman who wore a signature Chinese yellow dress and bracelets on her wrists. Red ballet flats adorned her bare feet, and her hair was in two buns.

"Let me guess, Vivian Wong?" Issei asked as the woman looked at him with a big smile before hugging the sixteen-year-old into her bust, suffocating him until he pushed himself off the clingy woman. She didn't seem to mind but still tried to hug him.

"Mhm. It's an honor to meet you, Issei, finally. I'm such a huge fan!" Vivian cheered as she stopped trying to hug Issei, much to his relief.

"I'm flattered and surprised since I'm not that big on the circuit," Issei said as Vivian laughed in reply.

"That's not true. You are well known as the Dark Duelist due to your intimidating appearance and how you strike fear into the hearts of your enemies. You are such an amazing duelist, so when I saw you at the ceremony, I wanted to meet you, but unfortunately, I got separated due to the crowd when they went to start dueling." Vivian said as Issei leaned against a tree before Vivian continued.

"But then I saw that you were challenging Weevil Underwood, and so I had to see if the rumors were true, and how you took him down was amazing!" Vivian said with stars in her eyes. Issei was surprised he didn't see her before Vivian grabbed his hands and continued chatting.

"And when I saw you not wanting to take his cards was a sign that you are a good person, and so when the announcement came out that I was your partner for the rest of the tournament, I was so happy to be paired up with you!" Vivian said as she hugged his head but was stopped by Issei pushing her face away from him as she struggled to pull him into one of her infamous bear hugs.

"I'm flattered, but can you not surprise hug me all the time? I like my spine, thank you very much." Issei said as Vivian apologized by lightly hitting her head and sticking out her tongue in a cute fashion before Issei sighed in reply.

"Well, since we're partners, I have to ask, how many chips do you have?" Issei asked as Vivian showed him her bracelet.

"I have six of them already. It was so much fun crushing those preschoolers and rookie duelists who thought this would've been easy." Vivian said as she put an arm around Issei and spoke to him.

"And once we get all twenty of our chips, we'll dominate everyone else who gets in our way. Ahahahahah!" Vivian laughed like a movie villain before Issei chopped her head lightly.

"Ow! That hurt." Vivian whined as Issei patted her head before the two saw they were near a pair of duelists.

"Want to go take them down?" Vivian asked in excitement before Issei waved her off.

"No. We should get a feel for each other's decks and fighting style to make plans to face off against other players. Many of them are probably arrogant and rushing into battles right now, so why throw ourselves into the fray when we can watch and see who will be our opponents for tomorrow? See, that way; we can plan our strategies and get to know each other more." Issei explained as Vivian was in awe of Issei's plan before internally squealing.

"You want to hug me, don't you?"

"Mhm."

Issei sighed as he opened his arms before feeling himself get pulled into a bear hug from Vivian. She was happy to have a great partner until she released Issei after seeing that he had almost passed out from her strength.

"Phew. Thanks, Vivian." Issei said as he and his new partner headed towards a clearing in the Meadow area before Issei set up camp while Vivian started gathering wood for a fire.

Issei was happy that Vivian wasn't one of those girls afraid to get their hands dirty before Vivian returned with some big logs and placed them in a makeshift fire pit.

"I'm so happy we get to know each other more, Issei, though I'm surprised you're not in any of the National tournaments and such, given your skill set," Vivian said as she made a good fire pit before Issei replied.

"Well, it was because of my limited abilities, and in my hometown, many of the tournaments were small, and I never got invited to any others. I still enjoyed playing the game, but it didn't feel the same when I always kept winning." Issei said as he was rolling out his sleeping bag before Vivian nodded in reply as she helped him finish their campsite until Vivian asked if she could sleep in the tent as well.

Issei was surprised, but he questioned since he didn't think a woman he barely knew wanted to sleep in the same tent with him. However, Vivian was okay with it as she was used to camping outdoors and dealt with her family on such trips.

Issei then allowed it as Vivian excitingly put the sleeping bag into the tent. She then sat on a log big enough for both of them.

"So what should we cook?" Vivian asked as Issei pulled out some canned stew before asking Vivian to help with the fire.

The two worked together, lighting their fire as Issei used his camping gear to warm up the beef stew before they began to chat about their lives while Issei cooked the food idly.

Issei learned that Vivian was not only a duelist but a kung fu champion as well as a bit of an actress as she stared in a few kung fu movies. Issei was impressed by this as he explained that he was just an ordinary person from a small town and enjoyed dueling but also admired the female body, which made Vivian smile as she leaned into him and asked.

"So, do I fit your type of woman, Issei?" Vivian asked as she sandwiched her breasts on his arm, which made Issei blush as he looked at solely the food but nodded, which made the kung fu champion smile as she kissed his cheek and got some bowls ready for them.

At first, Issei wasn't sure what to think of his partner, but now he could tell that this would be an excellent experience for him.

And who knows, Issei may get a girlfriend out of this tournament.

Yugi sighed in relief and was glad he won two extra chips that put him at five-star chips. Unfortunately for Téa, she had no choice but to participate in the competition; otherwise, she would be dragged off the island until Téa agreed to become Yugi's partner in the tournament. Téa won two in her first national tournament, so now combined, they both had nine-star chips.

"I'm glad you decided to participate, Téa, and don't worry, I'll help you along the way to get to the castle," Yugi said as Tea was glad to have a friend like him so they could fight together.

"So, looks like we went from enemies to partners," Weevil said as he looked at his four-star chips, he was able to win after losing to Issei, while Rex smirked in reply.

"Yep. Let's squash these guys and win those Star chips! With my powerful dinosaurs and your creepy bugs will be able to wipe the floor with them." Rex said as he looked at the six-star chips he earned from his duels.

"Just don't get in my way, kid. I plan on taking down Pegasus once we get to the castle." Bandit Kieth said as his partner rolled his eyes in annoyance.

He was a 16-year-old teen and stood 5'6" while sporting an athletic body, light fair skin and white hair with purple eyes, and handsome boyish face, high cheekbones, and finally, wearing a dark purple t-shirt with a white jacket and grey jeans, a black belt, and white shoes. He looked out from the mountain and could tell strong duelists were there.

"Hm. This'll be interesting." The teen said as he walked over to a comfortable spot and looked through his decks for tomorrow while Keith just yawned as he began to nap.

"So you're telling me you're a national champion from America?" Mai asked as Rebecca smiled in reply.

"Yep. I came here to beat a kid named Yugi Moto and win the Duelist Kingdom tournament. That way, I can increase my skills as a duelist, so get ready to be wowed, Mai!" Rebecca said as Mai smirked at the kid's attitude before ruffling her hair.

"Hah! I like you, kid. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." Mai said as she was going to enjoy this kid a lot.

Pegasus Castle...

"And now that the teams are together, let's see how they'll fight each other to be welcomed into my castle," Pegasus said as his Millennium eye shined in the light.

"Oh, and I do hope they enjoy the eliminators. They do enjoy targeting weak duelists and taking them down a peg. Let's see how strong each pair is, and if they defeat the eliminators, that shows how strong they are, but if they lose well, they'll be off my island and out of the competition."

The Players have been shown, and now it's time to DUEL!

I hope you all are okay with some of the cards I made up for some of the decks in both Issei Hyoudou and others in the future chapters.

This is going to be fun, and if anyone has an OC Card they'd like to have in one of the Duelists decks, then let me know in the reviews, and I'll see how I can fit it in.

Next Time: The Nightmarish Numbers.

Favorite, Follow, and Review. Let me know if it lives or dies...

Ta-Ta for now!