23 - Final Preparations For Regionals

3rd Person POV

The usually bustling card shop was deadly quiet as the two competitors faced each other in an intense battle of wills and luck. 

The score was nearly tied, with Anubis having 500 Life Points remaining and his opponent Isa Mi, a tall, black-haired, black-eyed beauty, having 600 Life Points. The board state, however, was horribly in Isa's favor. 

Anubis had been able to thwart her lethal attacks twice in a row with clever uses of defense position monsters and trap cards, but he was out of back row Spell/Trap cards now, and his side of the field was painfully devoid of anything useful. She, on the other hand, had a Spell or Trap and a Black Land Fire Dragon (1500/800) left on her side of the field.

It wasn't looking good. 

Anubis drew for his turn and sighed in relief. 

It had been close, but he had eked it out at the last moment. He seriously wished he could have upgraded his deck right away, but the common cards he asked Ishizu to order from her family wouldn't be arriving until tomorrow. So, he was stuck with the exact same deck he had played for the last month for this tournament, and, the more he used it, the worse it seemed in his mind. 

Still, his deck had its moments. Like now. 

"I play Giant Soldier of Stone (1300/2000) and attack your Black Land Fire Dragon," Anubis announces and Isa furrows her brow. 

"Did you decide to forfeit?" She asks with a confused look at the mysterious duelist. 

"Not at all," Anubis answers smoothly. "Did you have a response to the attack declaration?" 

"Nope," Isa says, her confused look turning into one of realization. 

"Then at damage calculation, I activate the instant spell Rush Recklessly from my hand and add 700 ATK to my Giant Soldier of Stone. That gives me more than enough to kill your monster and-"

"Uh, Uh, Uh! In response to your spell, I activate my trap card~," Isa waves her pointer finger in a negative and smirks as she flips the card she has had in place in her Spell / Trap zone since the beginning of the game.

Anubis lets out a groan as he sees the trap. 

Reinforcements: A trap card that adds 500 ATK to a monster until the end of the turn. 

With that, the two monsters, now both at 2000 ATK, crash and die without either player taking damage. 

Anubis had nothing else he could do and quickly ends his turn with another sigh. He tried his best, and, unfortunately, losing was a big part of Duel Monsters and something he had to get used to. He still held an unofficial 70% win/loss record, but, just the same, it always irked him when he lost. Doubly so since this was his first time losing in the finals of a tournament.

Unsurprisingly, Isa Mi had a monster with over 600 ATK and swiftly ended the duel on her next turn. 

While collecting his cards after shaking her hand, a familiar black box with golden Egyptian hieroglyphics popped up before him. 

However, the second box that popped up soon after was completely unexpected.

'So...I get DP for 2nd and, I assume, 3rd place as well...Not bad.' He thinks with a wide smile hidden behind his mask.

Anubis swiftly makes his exit from the shop, ignoring the people trying to talk to him and the one reporter who wanted an interview. 

One very useful thing he discovered was that if someone tried to grab him, he could make his clothing incorporeal for a quick second so that he could escape their grasp. So long as they didn't grab onto his actual limb and just his clothes, he could get away from most situations. This had helped him more often than he would have liked to admit when it came to some very persistent reporters and paparazzi. 

The next 40 mins were spent dodging the people who followed him, carefully changing his personas, and finding his way back home. 

When he finally closed the door of his house behind him, now in his normal appearance, he slumped down by the door and let out a deep breath. 

'I really need those teleport items. I almost regret not getting them over the Shadow Games For Newbs spellbook. Almost.'

While it was true that he did not yet have a chance to use his newly acquired shadow magic, nor could he use it for anything other than Shadow Games even if he wanted to, it was still critical for him to have. It took his "Better to have and not need" mentality to a whole new level because if he was in a Shadow Game with no way out, he was dead. Period, end of story. There was no getting around that.

So, no, he didn't regret taking the spellbook...but MAN did he wish he could open the store and buy some stuff already. The anticipation was starting to make him antsy. 

'I am almost there. Regionals will start in 2 days on Friday, June 27th, and I have managed to accrue 28,427 Duel Points and 15 free packs over the last month. Unless some sort of miracle happens at Regionals, I doubt I will be able to raise the needed DP to buy out ALL of the possible decks and card packs, but, with what I have, I can make some serious progress on my deck for Duelist Kingdom and upgrade my gear for more quality of life improvments.'

Speaking of Regional miracles, Toshiaki thought about the meeting he had Monday evening with a certain National League Representative...

* | * | *

It was late afternoon when Toshi made his way to Takashima Nobu's office. He had just finished school and was thinking over the plan he and Ren had come up with to prank Kin. 

It was gonna be great, and he was excited to see Kin's dumbfounded face when he realized what was going on.

But that was for later, for now, Toshi had to focus on Regionals. 

He used a park nearby Nobu's office to change into 7 different personas over a 30-minute time period before, finally, assuming his Anubis form. He was not going to take any chances today. 

Walking into the main headquarters for the Duel Monsters National League as if he had no cares in the world, Anubis headed for the elevator and up to Nobu's office. He had done his research on the office's layout beforehand to avoid contact with others as much as possible. Being mysterious was kinda his whole shtick, so taking the effort to enforce that mysterious charm was always worth the time.

What he was not expecting, however, was the number of people that gawked and smiled widely at him as he passed by. They would stand from their cubicles, open their office doors, or pause their meetings, and each and everyone looked both relieved and excited to see him there.

Sure, he knew that he had become popular and more than a bit of a meme in the Dueling Comunity, but he never would have thought the movers and shakers in the National League would care so much...

Then it hit him, and he had to hold back a laugh. 

'I am their golden goose. If they hype up my appearance in Regionals, especially after my public victory over Nobu, they will boost ticket sales and online pay-per-view orders. I don't matter, but the money I will bring in by participating does.'

With that realization, Anubis could easily make out the greedy looks in their eyes, but, contrary to what some might expect, it didn't dissuade him in the least. Quite the opposite, actually.

If you knew what a person wanted and how badly they wanted it, you were in the perfect position to predict their actions and make sure you benefited from their plans as well. These office workers were no threat to him, so long as he played their game. They didn't care about hindering his progress, all they concerned themselves with was the money he could make for them.

Anubis was just fine with this arrangement. 

When the elevator opened up on the 4th floor with a loud ding, Anubis was greeted by a large carpeted reception area. To the left and right were long hallways with several doors leading to offices on either side. Straight in front of him was a double door leading to a much larger office. In front of those doors was a long, wraparound mahogany desk at which sat a familiar face.

Anubis stared at her and tried to remember her name while she stared right back with wide eyes and a shocked, open-mouth expression. 

He didn't have to wait for long as she let out a loud squeak before the woman blurred from where she sat and appeared before him as if she teleported there.

"Anubis! You...You're really here!" She said in jubilation. "Nobu will be so happy!"

"I told Mr. Takashima that I would be here today," Anubis answers simply as he waves the manilla envelope. 

"Yes, of course! Well then, let's get you in to see him ASAP!" She says and rushes back to her desk and slaps a red button on her phone nearly as quickly as she rushed to me. 

After a couple of seconds of electronic beeps, Takashima Nobu's voice could be heard through the phone speakers. "What is it, Viky? I am really busy with the planning of the halftime concert. The Kuribo Brothers had to cancel at the last minute... *Sigh* Nothing fucking ever goes right for me-"

"Ah! Nobu-Sama, Anubis is here to see you!" Victoria interrupts frantically

Anubis finally remembered her name after the nickname Nobu just spoke. Was he bad at remembering names? He always struggled with Bara...Bura...Borakoa...Marik's new friend's name as well...

Meh, it was probably fine.

There was a long pregnant pause before a deep sigh came out of the phone. 

"I swear to God if this is another joke-" Nobu starts, but Anubis chooses this moment to interject. He didn't have all day, and he really didn't want to listen to a grown man bitch about work if he could help it.  

"I promised I would come with my paperwork on Saturday, didn't I?" Anubis says in his unmistakable deep voice. 

"You! You're really here!?! Finally! Something fucking good is happening to me! Please send him in, Viky, we have much to discuss!" Nobu answers with relief clear in his tone. 

Anubis follows Victoria through the double doors and is greeted by a standing, smiling, and clearly stressed-out-of-his-mind Takashima Nobu.

Nobu offers his hand to shake, and Anubis gives it a crisp, firm shake before sitting down in a plush chair. Nobu sits down himself and leans forward, steepling his fingers as he rests his chin on his hands.

"You don't seem like one to make small talk, so I will cut to the chase. We want you in Regionals. What do you want in exchange?" Nobu asks after a brief moment of analyzing Anubis.

Anubis smirks internally. He always loved being right. 

"As I said at the tournament Saturday, I am not interested in your money-"

Or, more accurately, the system won't let him use Duel Points for his Transmigrator Shop outside of ones he earns from duels, events, or quests.

 "-But there is something I would like in exchange. 3 somethings, in fact." He continues as he slides over the manilla envelope containing his filled-out Regional registration forms. 

"I was given a budget of 10,000 Duel Points to recruit you. Anything within that range is fine." Nobu answers, moving into negotiation mode.

Toshi breaks character for a second and freezes. 

'10,000!?! Holy shit! That is $100,000 USD! Just how fricken' rich is the Duel Monsters League!?! ...Maybe I should take the money? I mean, even if I can't use it in the shop, that would still last me years if I was frugal! Or I could use it to take Zushi out to 5-star restaurants every week! We could go on weekend trips to places like Rome, France, or America! There is a lot I could do with that money...'

But...

No. 

Money leaves paper trails. 

He needed to be smart here. Even if they didn't outwardly care about who he was, he had no doubt that there was a hidden motive in offering him this money. He could already see some shady League Representative, like Nobu, coming to his house and blackmailing him into becoming their poster boy in exchange for keeping his identity a secret. 

If there was one thing Toshi understood about this world, it was that greed ruled it. Since powerful decks made you, basically, free to do whatever you wanted, short of rape and murder, he very much doubted that under-the-table things like that didn't happen all the time in the shadows of society. 

Taking a deep breath, Toshi focuses back in and becomes Anubis once more. 

"Like I said, I don't need your money. The three things I want are as follows: 1. The card Pot of Greed, 2. You agree to have all further communications between the league and myself go through my lawyers, and 3. You make a promise, signed in your name, that you will respect my privacy and not force me to do anything I do not wish to do. Those are my terms. Non-negotiable."

Nobu stares hard at Anubis for several long, tense moments, before he smiles. 

"I didn't take you for a fool, but boy did the higher-ups underestimate you." He jokes with a chuckle.

"I am aware of the gaudy costume I wear. I am sure some find it silly, but...I have my reasons." Anubis answers with a shrug.

"And enough money to easily wave away 10,000 DP, huh? I bet you are some CEO's brat, aren't you?"

Anubis says nothing and makes no move, just sits and waits for Nobu to continue with their business. 

"Right." Nobu coughs after 2 solid minutes of silence. "Well, I am not really in any position to barter. So, I agree. Where should the card be sent?"

"Send it to Kame Game, just like my paperwork."

"Not through your lawyers?"

"They have enough work to do."

"Hmm...You keep them busy, huh?"

Again, Anubis says nothing.

"Alright. I will agree to these terms in exchange for you participating in Regionals and joining some photoshoots. You won't have to talk or give interviews, but we are going to need some pictures of you for promotional flyers and advertisements, sound good?"

The masked figure nods after a quick second of thought.

"Great, Great... Now, what law firm represents you? We can set up a meeting with them to solidify the details of the contract." Nobu asks after a long thankful sigh. 

They spend the next 15 minutes talking details, Anubis passes on the info for the law firm Yamagata Ryo works at (Making sure to never name him specifically), and then they check over the forms Anubis had to fill out, making sure everything was correct. Thankfully the forms didn't require anything more personal than a Duel Points Card Number, which, itself, was only tied to the Anubis name. 

Once they were finished, Anubis left the building and made his way home, taking an extra-long route to lose any potential tails. 

Once he was Toshiaki again, he quickly called Ryo to explain the situation...Something he had completely forgotten to do while he was over at their house Sunday night...but it all turned out fine. Ryo was more than happy to represent Anubis and he was excited at the prospect of working directly with League lawyers. 

His words exactly were, "I always love a challenge!"

Once Toshiaki was back home, he breathed a sigh of relief and was about to call out to Ishizu and the others when a surprise event box popped up before his eyes.

Toshi blinked at the box in disbelief. 

Sure, he had considered the possibility of it being a trap, but he assumed he was just being paranoid...

Turns out his fears were justified.

"Nobu, you crafty son of a bitch..." He mutters quietly in the hallway 

* | * | *

After the revelation that, yes, people were in fact after him and his identity, and that he was making bigger waves than he originally expected to make so soon, Toshiaki did his best to triple-check all his plans before implementing them throughout this week.

It had honestly been exhausting. 

'It's starting to feel like I am playing 3d chess...Balancing my personal life, relationship with Ishizu, and my alternate persona as Anubis...It is hard work!'

He then smiles widely. He now sat at the same spot where he had discovered that shocking secret event.

Sure, it was difficult and required him to think many steps ahead...but he was having a blast doing it. 

'And it will only get more complicated from here...' He realizes.

"Fine then. Bring it on!" He answers himself with a glint of determination in his eyes and an almost manic grin. "I'll be ready for whatever you throw at me!"