Chapter 1: The Crystal Prodigy
The ocean breeze whipped through Alex Anderson's teal hair as he stood at the deck railing of the Duelist Kingdom ferry, his gaze fixed on the island in the distance. His fingers traced the edges of his duel disk, and within its card slots sat the heart of his deck—the legendary Crystal Beasts. He had received an invitation to Maximillion Pegasus' exclusive tournament, but he knew this was more than just a competition. It was his chance to carve out his own legacy, separate from the shadow of his father, Jesse Anderson.
"Yo, Alex! You look tense," a familiar voice called out.
Alex turned to see Joey Wheeler approaching, his usual confident grin in place. Behind him, Yugi Mutou and his friends followed, curiosity in their eyes.
"I guess I'm just getting my head in the game," Alex replied with a smirk. "Can't afford to lose focus—not when there's so much at stake."
"You must be pretty good if you got invited," Yugi said, stepping up beside him. "What kind of deck do you use?"
Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out a single card. The golden glow of Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus shimmered in the sunlight. "I run a Crystal Beast deck," he said proudly. "They may not be as famous as Blue-Eyes or Dark Magician, but they've got a unique power that makes them unstoppable in the right hands."
"Crystal Beasts, huh?" Joey scratched his head. "Never heard of 'em. But if you're confident, I gotta see what you can do firsthand!"
Before Alex could respond, a haughty chuckle interrupted them. "Confidence is meaningless without results."
Seto Kaiba strode past, his trench coat billowing. "If you're not dueling to be the best, then you're just another nobody filling space on this island." His piercing gaze landed on Alex. "And something tells me you won't make it past the first round."
Alex narrowed his eyes. "Guess we'll see, won't we?"
Kaiba scoffed and walked away, leaving an air of tension in his wake. Joey clenched his fists. "That guy always thinks he's better than everyone. Don't let him get in your head."
Alex chuckled. "He's just another duelist I'll have to beat."
As the ferry neared the island, a new sense of determination burned in Alex's chest. He wasn't just here to compete—he was here to win. And with his Crystal Beasts by his side, he was ready to take on anything Duelist Kingdom threw at him.
This tournament was his chance to prove he was more than Jesse Anderson's son.
He was Alex Anderson.
And he was going to shine