บท 10: Skipping past the prologue
Dwain lied sprawled out on his living room couch.
On the adjacent table was a collection of items pulled from the open case beside it. These items consisted of a glove, star-shaped chips, a set of five cards, a booklet.
Dwain - the now Regional Champion - sighed as he thought, "Tomorrow's the day."
Since defeating Kaiba, things progressed rather quickly for Dwain. Not long after, he received an invitation to a regional tournament. he quickly realized that this was the same tournament whose finale was shown on television during the second episode of the anime.
This tournament being of an even larger scale than his last one, Dwain inquired as to why he was being invited. As it turned out, Seto Kaiba had been set to participate but had withdrawn for unknown reasons and his brother - Mokuba - had suggested him as a replacement.
Not long after and before the tournament began, Tea had called Dwain to request time off. When asked if something was wrong, she explained that her friend's grandfather had been in an accident.
Swallowing his retort as to why that required her to take time off, Dwain agreed but asked if they could meetup so he could receive a more detailed explanation.
The day before the tournament, the two were able to meet up at a café to talk.
To Dwain's slight surprise, canon continued to march on despite his actions. Though, there was some variation.
Apparently, Kaiba had been 'off' ever since he was defeated - often looking like he 'was not all there'. Then, Tea and her friends had been talking about how her friend's grandfather had a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card - one of the rarest in the game. Later that day, Kaiba burst into the grandfather's store while they were all hanging out demanding he give him the card.
As Dwain summarized, "He was radiating strong 'I'ma kill you if you don't give me this card' vibes." Tea did not disagree and was visibly unnerved by Kaiba's behavior.
Though nothing happened and Kaiba left, he apparently returned the next day and abducted the grandfather to force him into a Duel for the card. After he had one, he called her friend to retrieve his grandfather who was not in good shape. As they later learned, the grandfather was forced to play in Kaiba's personal Duel Arena and it proved to put too great a strain on the old man's heart.
This is the point where Dwain noticed things diverging. Rather than tear the card in two as he did in the original story, Kaiba kept the card. Dwain suspected his behavior was a result of his desperation to have three Blue-Eyes again. Supporting his theory was Tea's description of Kaiba's manic behavior following this.
From there, her friend - Yugi Muto - Dueled Kaiba to avenge his grandfather for the cruel treatment he endured with Kaiba accepting the challenge to 'christen his new Blue-Eyes'. She went to the hospital to look after his grandfather. What happened next was told to her by Yugi and her other friend - Joey Wheeler - who stayed behind to offer emotional support.
According to them, the Duel proceeded almost exactly as it had in canon. However, Kaiba demonstrated immense aggravation toward Yugi playing defensively and outright aggression toward any form of stalling such as playing Swords of Revealing Light. Dwain speculated he had grown paranoid after his lose.
Yugi had won, but Dwain could tell how troubled Tea was by the ordeal - recognizing how close she was to the Muto family. He was not adept at offering comfort to others but still tried and seemed somewhat affective as she left with a smile on her face.
Once alone, Dwain spoke with Kiara. Evidently, she possesses a working knowledge of Kaiba's events, or - as Dwain put it - receives regular psychic status updates on his doings. Despite her dislike for the simplification, she did not argue to being aware of his recent - but past - actions.
Kiara provided a basic explanation of the Duel and some information on important differences. Specifically, monsters like Sangan who did not demonstrate their special effect in the anime did here. Furthermore, playing cards after Swords of Revealing Light does not exclude them from its effect.
This led to a discussion of certain differences between the world and game he knew and the one he'd experience. Namely, while 'anime and manga'-only cards would exist. Most real cards would function as they do in the actual game. An exception would be 'anime and manga-only cards not yet made into the game'; with some follow-up questions to gain an understanding, Dwain understood that some cards nerfed in the actual game will not be upon first encountering them.
Then, the tournament came with a staggering two-hundred participants that were gradually whittled down over the course of several days. Dwain was able to skip the preliminaries due to his unique position as Kaiba's replacement - skipping to the final bracket of thirty-two.
Some people asked who Dwain was with few knowing him. This was of some surprise as others already knew the name 'Yugi Muto' as the boy to defeat Kaiba. Ultimately, he decided to attribute this to either the world trying to maintain its story or the basis of a random, nobody kid being more news worthy than one who had at least made a small name for himself in tournaments.
The tournament employed the holographic Dueling projector tabletops Dwain experienced in his last tournament and Dwain performed well and reached the finals after defeating Weevil Underwood in the semi-finals and Rex Raptor in the finals.
After his win, Dwain was presented his prize and crowned the Regional Champion by the creator of Duel Monsters - Maximillian Pegasus.
Dwain had found it hard to keep a straight face in the presence of the first anime arc antagonist. Fortunately, things seemed to go well with his nervousness being attributed to his win and meeting a celebrity.
Kiara later informed Dwain that Pegasus had tried to invade his mind but she kept him from learning anything sensitive. Though her proud baring took a blow when he questioned if that meant completely or just in regards to anything that had not happened yet.
As a finalist of the tournament, Dwain received a special invite to Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom tournament. In addition, for being the winner, he also received a special package. The package was similar to those received by others who were invited to the tournament, but differed in that it contained a rulebook for the 'special rules' that would be implemented.
Putting his hands behind his head, Dwain reviewed what he had gone through. "Roughly fifty people are being invited to participate. Each one receives five Invitation Cards with various instructions about the tournament, a pair of Star Chips, and a Dueling Gauntlet. One card explains that the recipient is invited to participate in the tournament set to take place on a private island over the course of five days, another explains how the star chips work, and the third describes how we intend to get to the island…"
"The boat is set to leave tomorrow night. Participants are to arrive with at least one Star Chip in hand. We're set to arrive at the island the following morning - as a regional finalist, I'll have my own room while everyone else gets a communal room. After arriving, we'll hear some words from Pegasus before starting the tournament proper. During the two-day preliminary round, participants are to Duel one another while gambling their Star Chips. The goal is to earn ten chips to gain access to Pegasus's castle where the finals will take place with the first four participating. Losing all your Star Chips results in being sent home."
Dwain tilted his head to look at the table where the Invitation Cards were laid out. One showed a boat sailing the sea, another showed a cartoonish and stylized castle and island, a third depicted a Dueling Gauntlet and Star Chips, but the last two had Dwain's attention. One showed a mountain of glittering gold and jewels while the other was pure white.
"During the finals, participants have to present one of these two cards. 'The Glory of the King's Hand' is needed to claim the tournament's three-million-yen cash prize, and the 'Glory of the King's Opposite Hand allows the tournament winner to challenge Pegasus for the Championship and claim the title 'King of Games'."
Dwain's gaze shifted over to the booklet. "Then there's the 'special rules' that only I'm being informed of and everyone else will be left to figure out on their own. Namely, the use of the newly invented Holographic Duel Area Projectors. Using the same ones as the last tournaments, these ones are going to employ a special program that employs automatic activation of Field Spells based on where they are set up. Forest, Wasteland, Umi, Yami, etc. For this reason, Field Spells cannot be put into play until the finals. Furthermore, during the finals, larger, 'high-end' holographic platforms will be introduced; probably like what was seen in the anime - a more compact version of Kaiba's personal 'prototype' I bet."
"Then, there's this world's first ever 'banlist'. For the sake of the tournament, all cards with burn effects - and by extension cards involving monster destruction - are limited to one copy per deck. Anyone caught participating with - or more specifically playing more than one copy of a card like that - will be disqualified. So, it's okay to actually have the card, you just can't play it. I can see a couple of work arounds for that if more modern cards existed. Like what if someone had a card in the grave they didn't play and the opponent had something to get a hold of it. Even if there were two copies and both were owned by the same person, the same player didn't actually play the card so it'd be legal...Actually, isn't Gravedigger a current card? Joey has it, right?"
Dwain then sighed. "This whole tournament seems way too sketchy to me...It's cool in the anime, but seriously. There's no mention of how food works or how exactly disqualified participants will be sent home. The wiki is right, this is cruel. Most of the participants are younger people who won't think to bring food, and I know Pegasus is rich but can it be legal for him to make them row themselves home? Then again, do the rules really matter? Pegasus lets Kaiba join last second, makes him a fifth finalist, and Duels him first. Plot reasons aside, he's just doing whatever he wants."
"Hmm, come to think of it, I wonder if anyone noticed that between Kaiba, Solomon, and me, there are five Blue-Eyes White Dragons. Add to that the one Kiara pulled out of nowhere, we're up to six."
As if on que, Kiara appeared the appeared. Taking a seat in the adjacent recliner chair, she said, "It shouldn't be an issue. Various people are capable of printing their own cards. The difference between a real and fake card is whether it is recognized by the holographic projectors."
Dwain laughed, "Then why hasn't anyone printed anymore Blue-Eyes?"
"Besides plot convenience? At the current time, printing Duel Monsters cards is mainly left in the hands of Industrialist Illusions. So, there are not many people trying to print their own cards. However, the real issue is that Duel Monsters originates from the Duel Monster spirits."
"New cards unconnected to these spirits can be made normally - though they may lead to the birth of new spirits. Weaker spirits are simple enough to produce. However, stronger spirits are more problematic and require more resources. The best way to describe it would be to think of it like making offerings to the spirit to channel their power into creating the card. And, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is not only one of the most powerful spirits but also one of the pickiest."
"Weird magic rules, got it," Dwain said flippantly - earning a sigh from Kiara. "By the way, how'd you know what I was thinking? You don't have some sort of telepathic link with me, do you?"
"Thankfully, no," Kiara replied. "I'd rather not be privy to every thought that goes through your head. Due to the nature of our bond, I think I am able to sense your intention. Speaking of intentions, how is your 'genius plan' to acquire Joey Wheeler's Red-Eyes Black Dragon going?"
"I have a working idea, but I'm worried over a few details."
"Are you worried about disrupting the plot? After all, if you get Wheeler's Red-Eyes, he will lose a significant portion of his Deck."
"Nah. First of all, Joey really doesn't do much as a Duelist if you really think about it. The only points I can really think of are the Legendary Dragon filler arc and any Tag Duel he has with Yugi. Duelist Kingdom? He loses and Yugi gives him the money he was trying to win anyway. Battle City? His journey isn't even related to the main plot AND he didn't even have Red-Eyes for that. I like the guy, and he's a good underdog to root for, but as a Duelist, I'm not sure how important he really is. Leaving him in the same position as Tea and Tristan, I think, would have the same effect. Besides, there's no reason I can't give him a Red-Eyes, is there?"
Kiara turned toward Dwain in seeming surprise but then turned thoughtful. "Hmm, obtaining Rex Raptor's Red-Eyes Black Dragon is the condition to awaken my sister within your Wheeler Starter Deck. However, we are tied to the Decks themselves rather than a specific card like normal Duel Spirits. So, I don't see a particular issue…"
"See? Either way, it either doesn't matter or I can give him a Red-Eyes. No biggy."
"You're awfully flippant about this."
"Hmm, yeah." Dwain proceeded to sit up and lean on the arm of the couch. "I've kinda been going with the flow in all this."
Kiara tilted her head at this. "So, you mean you're just going through the motions and following the story with o set purpose?" Seeing Dwain nod after a moment, she continued, "While there's nothing wrong with 'going with the flow', are you sure that's a good mindset to have?"
"Fifty-fifty," Dwain replied somewhat dourly. "I'm not sure I can stand against the magic bullshittery, random ass-pulls, and sheer luck of the main characters. I've read fics where having a working Deck basically breaks the canon game, but…"
"You are worried that won't be enough."
"I heard this quote about how always aiming for the top or being willing to settle has a big impact on your performance. So, yeah, I'm a little worried about if I can hack it with a 'go with the flow mentality."
"Alright…What about back in your world? Was there something you strived for?"
"I wanted to be an author, but that doesn't really lend itself to this."
"I suppose…Hmm, what about this, what's would you want to strive for?"
"Huh?"
"Forget the complicated issues. If you could have anything you want in this world, what would it be?"
Dwain hummed in thought for a moment. Though maintaining a board expression, he answered, "I'd want to be Duel King, make lots of money and fame to live the rest of my life in comfort, and…have a harem of the main female characters…you and your sisters too if you're going to be around…and Dark Magician Girl if Duel Spirits are on the table."
"…For something you say you want, you don't seem terribly interested in the idea."
"I'm not really the motivated type," Dwain said somewhat self-deprecatingly. "I'm already going for the first two as is, and harems might be fun to fantasize about, but honestly, they seem impractical. That sort of stuff is for kings who have the money and resources to support multiple partners."
"Says the guy trying to be the Duel King," Kiara quietly pointed out.
"Plus, stuff like that is purely from the male perspective. Either the thoughts of the girls are ignored or their expected to just go along with whatever. The concept itself I mean…This isn't a polycule of equal partners…I just don't see how it would work in an actual setting…Besides, I can barely put in the effort needed to maintain myself - let alone a whole relationship."
"You seem to be doing well with Tea…"
"Yeah, honestly a little surprised by that. But that's another thing, I might be an asshole on paper and I like reading about these characters who do horrible things to get what they want, but I don't have it in me to be like that. Tea's a good person and I don't wanna use her just because I want to have some fun."
"…I can't tell if you're being respectable or a cowardly loser."
"Both, I think."
"You do realize you already have a harem in the form of me and my sisters, correct?"
"Just cuz you girls will be around doesn't mean I have a harem. I'm still not sure how to respond to the idea yet. I mean, how can I consider an intimate relationship with women I've never met." Dwain then sat up and pointed accusingly at Kiara. "Equally as big an issue, how can I consider a relationship with someone when I have no idea what they look like!"
Acting coquettishly, Kiara said, "As I said, my appearance will change as you prove yourself and advance forward."
Dwain looked at her flatly. "That little act might be more affective if I had any idea what you look like. You won't even tell me if you have a great figure or if your robes are just really thick. Also, s relationship that's based on 'proving myself' has to be some sort of flag."
Kisara's mouth twisted as she seemed struck by his comment. "T-Then, I guess, just take things one step at a time…"
Lounging back into his couch, Dwain smiled. "That's what I've been doing. One day, one step at a time. Figuring things out as I go."
ความคิดของผู้สร้าง 
Nevermore101
Nevermore101 This chapter marks the end of Volume 1 - Prologue.
Next chapter begins VOLUME 2 - Duelist Kingdom
I’m putting this story on a small hiatus to work on my other stories. I want to get them to at least chapter 5 each, maybe 10. I may also try to plan out this story a bit more before going forward.
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