Chapter 52:

Tournament Part 2

Seto was somewhere in between enjoyment that Ana had punched Wheeler with all her might and embarrassment that she'd shouted she was his girlfriend at the top of her lungs. Ultimately, his ego won out. He was rather proud of Ana's handling of the dipshit.

"Anyone else?" Ana turned to the rest of the group, who quickly shook their heads.

Ana returned to Seto's side, looking satisfied. Wheeler eventually recovered.

"I take it back. Of course Kaiba-san would have a violent girlfriend." Joey grumbled as he rubbed his stomach.

Seto felt like saying something snarky but he just smirked, which seemed to irritate Joey more.

Mokuba interrupted, "We need to get going. The tournament is starting soon. Nii-san, you're one of the first duels."

Ugh. It's going to be boring. No one can beat me besides Yugi. Can't I just skip to the end?

"This time I'll come out on top!" Joey shouted at Kaiba.

Tea sighed. "Joey, you won't even be dueling Kaiba until two rounds from now. That's if you win the other two duels first."

Seto ignored Wheeler and headed with Mokuba to the Kaiba dome entrance. Mokuba was looking at Ana while grinning. "That was pretty awesome, Onee-chan."

Seto raised an eyebrow at his little brother. "Onee-chan?"

"What? She said it was fine." Mokuba looked away from Seto, not meeting his gaze. "But seriously! That was awesome!"

Ana just laughed awkwardly. Seto watched her closely and tried to hold back a laugh. He would have laughed outright if Mokuba and his guard weren't there. She's embarrassed! Ana looked over at him and glared. It seemed she noticed he was holding back.

"Well, let's get to the booth so we can watch." Mokuba, unaware of the awkward atmosphere, said happily.

"Don't bother." Seto let out a sigh. "The match will be over before you get there."

"Amin-chan, being too full of yourself can cause one's own downfall." Ana frowned at him.

"I'm not being prideful. The first person I'm going up against is a horrible duelist." Seto glared at Mokuba, who chuckled.

Mokuba cleared his throat. "Well, it is an open tournament. So not everyone you'll face is good…"

"Why didn't you just give him a bi then and have him face the better challengers at the end?" Ana asked.

Mokuba looked embarrassed. "The more the big-name duelists appear, the better the ratings. Despite Nii-san's protesting, the tournament committee decided to do it this way."

Seto just sighed. There was a loud announcement in the stadium. "For our next duel, we have Ridder Hamilton versus Kaiba Seto!"

There was a loud roar when Seto's name was called. Ana covered her ears until it quieted down some.

"I guess you 're popular." Ana turned away from him, but he could tell by her voice that she wasn't happy.

What's with… She's jealous! Seto couldn't help but smirk at her. She noticed and scowled at him. He laughed as he went out into the duel stadium. When he entered, cheers erupted. A guy in a poofy yellow jacket with long green hair stood waiting for him. When Seto got up on the platform, he pulled out his duel disk, attached it to his arm, and inserted his deck.

"Today you're going down. The one to advance will be me!" Ridder shouted at him and brushed back his locks from his face, appearing very full of himself.

"Just try to last past one round. Though this will be a boring deul either way," Seto responded unfazed as he pressed the auto shuffle on his duel disk.

The announcer whose hair was taller than his face rallied up the crowd. "The life points will start at 4000, folks. Who will be the first to win? Duel start!"

Seto drew his hand and when he saw his cards, tried not to get pissed off. What the frick! Why can't I draw a hand like this when dueling Yugi?
"Ridder will be first, folks! Good luck to our duelists." The announcer pumped up the crowd that cheered excitedly.

Ridder laughed loudly. "I play Homunculus the Alchemic Being in defense mode! Then end my turn."

Homunculus the Alchemic Being, a creepy multicolored humanoid card with 1800 attack and 1600 defense, appeared.

Seto's eye twitched. Did this idiot really play a defense monster face up and not put any trap spells on the field to back it up? I was kind of kidding about this being one round, but…

"I summon Kaibaman in attack mode." Seto played his card. His card that he'd designed to look like him, but with a dragon helmet, appeared.

"Ha! What are you going to do with a puny monster like—"

"I sacrifice Kaibaman to special summon from my hand Blue Eyes White Dragon." Seto ignored him and continued. Blue Eyes let out a loud roar as it was summoned. The crowd went wild.

"N-no matter! Even if you destroy my Homunculus—"

"I play the spell United We Stand and equip it to Blue Eyes. For each monster I have in play Blue Eyes gains 800 attack points and defense points."

Blue Eye's attack rose to 3800.

"S-still you can't damage me on this turn—"

"Next I equip the spell Mage Power to Blue Eyes. For every spell or trap, my Blue Eyes gains 500 attack and defense points."

Blue Eye's attack rose to 4800

Ridder let out a squeak. "You still can't damage me this turn!"

Seto played the last card in his hand. "I also equip the spell Big Bang Shot to my Blue Eyes, giving it another 400 attack points. And let's not forget Mage Power, with another spell in play, Blue Eyes gains another 500 attack points."

Blue Eyes let out a loud roar as its attack rose to 5700.

"Still!" Ridder was sweating. "You can't hurt—"

"Big Bang Shot also gives my Blue Eyes piercing damage if the monster is in defense mode." Seto cut him off again and smirked.

"W-wait, then that means—"

"That you're an idiot. Blue Eyes attack." Seto initiated the battle phase. Blue Eyes unleashed its white breath, obliterating the man's monster and dropping his health to negative 100.

The announcer stood there, his mouth hanging open until Seto glared at him. "A-Amazing! Kaiba Seto wins in one round!"

The crowd burst into cheers as he left the stage and headed back to where Ana and Mokuba were waiting for him. Mokuba was laughing nervously while clapping, but eventually stopped and let out a sigh.

"Nii-san, overwhelming victories are sometimes entertaining, but people like close calls better." Mokuba grumbled. "The ratings."

"Then get me someone stronger to duel." Seto groaned. "The idiot didn't even play a trap card."
Ana was staring at him blankly. "Amin-chan, was that duel rigged?"

"No, I'm just that good of a duelist." Seto puffed out his chest and smirked.

Ana didn't seem impressed. "You mean you just got lucky on your first draw."

Seto wanted to argue about skill, but he had to admit that it was a great firsthand. "It wouldn't have been such a great hand though if the idiot had played a trap card. I had no way to counter that."

"So, your opponent was stupid, and you were lucky. Yeah, duel monsters is such a challenging game." Ana rolled her eyes and Seto resisted pouting. "Other than that, great job."

Seto glared at her as Ana smiled at him teasingly. Ugh, there's no sincerity in her voice.

"Anyway, Nii-san. It will be a bit before your next match. What should we do now?" Mokuba asked, smiling at the two of them.

Huh, is Mokuba teasing me now, too? Ehh. Seto's phone buzzed just then. He pulled it out. It was from Inu-san. It merely said, "I have a recent update regarding what we were talking about yesterday. I'm at your booth."

Seto looked at Ana before letting out a sigh. "Let's go up to the booth. I need to talk to Inu-san about something."

"Ok!" Mokuba skipped and turned off ahead of them.

Seto kept in pace with Ana as they walked. They skirted most of the areas with people so they wouldn't be approached. As they walked, Ana looked around. He caught her staring at a group of guards that were patrolling.

"What?" Seto asked.

"There's a lot of security," she answered quietly.

Seto glanced at the guards, who bowed as they passed. "It's just a precaution. Mokuba gets kidnapped a lot."

"Yeah, he told me that." Ana gripped her arm and bent her head down.

"You're safe here."

Ana flinched, then laughed nervously. "My grandpa once said that expecting someone else to protect you and neglecting to prepare yourself is what a fool does."

I beefed up security more than usual since Ana was coming, but I guess it's making her more nervous instead of reassuring her.

"Hey, you." Seto called out to the guard he'd assigned to follow Mokuba.

"Sir?"

"Give her your taser and show her how to use it." Seto ordered. They looked at him shocked.

Ana panicked. "Amin-chan, that's not necessary."

"Now." Seto didn't listen to Ana. The guard hesitated, but did as he was instructed. When he was finished showing her how to work it, they continued to the booth. Ana put the taser in her bag, looking nervous.

"Amin-chan, that wasn't necessary."

"Does it make you feel better?"

She paused and looked thoughtful. "A little."

"Then it was necessary."

She blushed at his statement. Mokuba was looking back, grinning at them, until Seto glared at him. His little brother turned around, snickering. They eventually got to Seto's private booth. It was at the top floor overlooking the stadium, furnished with a snack bar, and large leather furniture. There was even a large screen so that you could watch the tournament live and get an up-close picture. There wasn't much of a need, but there was a way to do commentary from this booth as well. Inu was waiting inside for them. He bowed when they entered.

"I need to talk with him for a bit." Seto looked at Ana, who raised an eyebrow but didn't pry. Seto went outside with Inu, who looked rather irked. "Well?"

Inu sighed. "Okamoto Sakado has returned to high society and is in Domino City."

Rage, pain, fear, and hate hit Seto all at once. He clenched his fists and teeth at the same time. Okamoto Sakado was the woman who'd once hounded him so far that she'd forced her way into his bedroom when he was younger. When Seto had taken over Kaiba corp. one of the first things he'd done was bankrupt her husbands' company, took all her assets, and even burned down her house in front of her. She'd run away, and he hadn't heard her name since.

"How?" Seto barely got the question out. Inu didn't flinch, despite the rage in Seto's voice. If anything, Inu seemed rather pissed himself.

"She's slowly worked her way into some people's good graces." Inu looked disgusted.

Seto hadn't told Inu about what had happened. Seto had buried most of the incident, but by the way the man was reacting, he seemed to understand what kind of person Okamoto Sakado was. It was an odd feeling to have someone on his side. Calm down. If I go back in the room like this, Ana will notice. Seto took a deep breath and slowly centered himself. His fists relaxed. That woman has no power herself.

"What is she trying to accomplish?" Seto asked.

Inu looked at the ground. It seemed he didn't want to say.

"Let me guess, she's spreading rumors about me and her?" Seto smiled, but it was full of blood lust. "I apparently didn't make her suffer enough. That old woman hasn't learned her lesson at all. For now, let's see where this goes. When the time is right, I'll squash her completely."

"Wouldn't it be better to act sooner?" Inu asked, worry in his voice.

"No. Depending on who she's fallen in with, it could damage my company in the long run. We'll be patient for now." Seto took a deep breath before returning to his booth.

When he opened the door, he looked around and found Ana standing a few feet away from the door while looking at the screen. She… She wasn't eves dropping, was she? That doesn't seem like an Ana thing to do. He glanced over at his brother, who was playing on his phone. A moment later, the announcer started commentating on the next match. The tournament went exactly how he predicted. Eventually it was time for his next match with another no name person.

Ana looked up at him and smiled. "Good luck."

"I—"

"Don't need it?"

He smiled and left them alone in the booth to go down to the stadium himself. The announcer introduced him and then his opponent.

"Next we have our tournament host Kaiba Seto versus Uni Gon!" The announcer introduced them, and everyone cheered as he entered.

What kind of name is Uni Gon? It sounds fake. The man standing on the other side of the stage was bulky, bald and had scars all over his face.

"Duel Start!"

Uni started laughing maniacally. "Everything has gone according to my plan!"

Ugh. What sort of cheesy ass line is that? Are you a villain right out of a cartoon?

"As of now, we've kidnapped your brother and guest! You have no choice but to duel me and lose if you want to see them again." Uni laughed loudly, and the crowd gasped. The announcer panicked. A cold, sinking feeling settled in Seto's stomach. There was a loud mic feedback sound before Mokuba's voice came over the intercom.

"Uh. Um, Nii-san, we're alright. His guys have been taken out and are being arrested right now."

Seto felt relieved. There was another mic feedback sound, then Ana's voice came over the intercom. She sounded pissed. "Kick his ass."

Seto laughed at her command. He started walking toward the bulky man.

Uni panicked. "Y-you're still not going to win this duel—huh?"

Uni looked surprised as Seto walked up to him calmly while smiling. The man looked at him confused, which gave Seto enough time to pull his arm back and punch the guy hard in the nose. He went down easily and was crying while holding his broken nose. Seto pressed a button on his watch and a security detail swarmed the arena.

"B-but we have to duel." The man looked confused as the guard cuffed him.

"Duel? Why would I ever bother dueling with a piece of shit like you?" Seto walked away and headed to the exit.

His hand stung, but he felt better. I need to see how Mokuba and Ana are. The crowd was silent, but before he could leave, they burst into the loudest cheers that he'd ever heard. They even started chanting his name. Seto paused, then smirked at the crowd before leaving. When he was out of site he ran. It didn't take him long to get to his booth because this time he didn't bother avoiding people. In fact, as he approached the crowd, they let him thru while cheering him on. What the heck? You should cheer more when I duel, not when I hit some guy in the face. Though that was satisfying. He burst into the booth. It was swarming with his detail. A couple of guys were tied up in a corner. Mokuba and Ana were near the snack bar. Ana was holding the taser in her hand.

"Are you alright?" He went over to them, panting from the run.

Mokuba grinned up at him and gave him a victory sign. "You should have seen it. These two idiots forced their way into the booth after you left, they ganged up on my guard, I guess they thought that was their only threat, then Oneechan pulled out the taser and got one guy in the back allowing my guard to take out the other. I called for security after. Then the stupid guy you were dueling announced that we were kidnapped, but the two guys were already taken out! It was awesome! Oneechan was so cool. She acted super quickly! If she hadn't helped, they probably would have taken out my guard."

Mokuba finished his story and panted, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Ana looked at him and chuckled, but Seto observed her. Her shoulders were shaking slightly, and her free hand was gripping her arm.

"Ana—"

The announcer interrupted. "That was quite a show, folks, but the tournament must go on. The next match will be Kaiba Seto versus Joey Wheeler!"

"You should get going. You don't want to miss your match." Ana smiled at him. It didn't reach her eyes.

Seto frowned and headed toward the door. After this match will be my rematch with Yugi. He glanced back. His brother was talking with Inu while Ana leaned against the snack bar. She was biting her lip and looking at the floor. The look on her face made him angry. How dare these idiots hurt my girlfriend. He took a deep breath and turned back around. In one swift movement he took off his duel disk, with his deck still inside, and shoved it at Mokuba, who looked surprised.

"Tag. If you lose to Wheeler, I won't give you any allowance for six months."

"What!" Mokuba looked shocked.

Seto ignored him and everyone else as he walked over to Ana. She looked confused as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

"Amin-chan?" Ana didn't really resist, but she sounded bewildered as he took her out of the booth and down a secluded hallway. "Your match!"

"It's fine. Mokuba won't lose to Wheeler." Seto smirked. "In fact, it will be fun to hear about him losing to a twelve-year-old."

"Are you even allowed to switch?" Ana stopped walking, which forced him to stop as well. "What about your rematch with Muto-san?"

Seto grinned. "It's my tournament. I can do whatever I want. So switching is allowed. As for my rematch with Yugi, it can wait."

"Wait? Isn't dueling the most important thing to you? Why are you—"

He bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She stopped talking.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm…" The tears she'd been holding back poured out.

He pulled her into a hug and held her, but noticed the taser in her hand. "Just be careful not to tase me."

Ana laughed into his chest and cried at the same time. "Your kind of horrible at comforting someone."

He sighed, pushed her back slightly and lightly kissed her on the lips. She looked a bit surprised, but closed her eyes and returned it. They stood silently in the hall. The only thing he could hear was their breathing. Finally, she pulled away and wiped away her tears.

"Your match."

"Screw it. You know, you fainted before we could finish our day at Kaiba Land before. Let's go on a date." Seto grinned at her.

"You'd really give up a duel just to go on a date with me? Why Amin-chan, that makes it sound like you like me a lot." She teased.

"I do like you a lot." She blushed. "And I'd be a huge ass if I ditched you after you were attacked just to go duel at a tournament I can host again at any time if I really want."

Ana looked at him in an odd way. For some reason, it made his heart skip a beat.

"If you don't want to…" He stopped talking when she reached up on tiptoe and lightly kissed his cheek.

"No. I want to." Ana's eyes were sparkling from more than the tears.

Seto could feel his face getting warm. Ugh. This isn't good. At this rate, she'll be able to ask me to shake and I'll do it willingly. The happy look on her face made him feel uneasy. This isn't good. I don't want to send her home. I don't want to give her back.