38 - Duelist Kingdom: Part 2

"Wow." I can't help but say aloud. 

Luckily, we were just making it onto the island proper and Pegasus' Castle was finally in full view, so I was hardly the only one to express my admiration. The gangway of the ship was lowered and all of us duelists hurried to get off.

There was a buzz of electric excitement in the air. Some of the best duelists from all over the world were gathered and they all chatted to one another about how beautiful and majestic the island and the castle were. 

I, however, was not taking in any of the sights at all. 

This rewards list was...expansive to say the least. For a tournament, they were pretty standard based on what I had seen from Regionals, - not to say they weren't good! - ...but the Challenges were new.

I made a plan with Ishizu for how I was going to tackle this tournament before I came, but now that was thrown into question. There was so much on the line...and, yet, nothing at the same time, as I had no idea what the rewards for challenges were...

Some of them I could cross out immediately.

"Make Someone Fall In Love With You?" Nah, I already did that. Where is my reward for Ishizu, system!?! Hmm? Or are you asking me to cheat on her for a mystery reward!?!

'Heh.' I think, looking at the black and golden system message like it was a repulsive bug. 'Fat chance. I'll pass on that, thank you very much.' 

Others were weird too, like "Duel Someone Who Is Not Competing" or "Become A Rival." 

...Did it think I would go out of my way to challenge the guys in suits or something? And, what would I even do to become someone's rival??? Surely beating them in a duel once wasn't enough, was it? 

And! That 2v2 Duel challenge! There is only one of those, as far as I am aware, that happens here! Was I supposed to knock Joey out and force my way in like, "'Scuse me Yugi, I'll be taking this spot - Kthx!?!"

I shake my head and focus back on the task at hand. I can't be expected to get all of them, but that is probably why there were so many options...Not to mention "Many More Secret Challenges." It made me worried that maybe I wasn't the only one getting this system popup here...

I quickly look around and try to spot anyone who might be staring off into space in front of them, but I had no luck. 

'Just me, I suppose.' I think with a wry grin. I was the only one around standing still and staring ahead of me. Most had already started climbing the steps ahead of us, so I quickly joined them as to not fall behind.

If I had to sum up my immediate surroundings in one word it would be "Stairs."

Stairs for, what seemed like, at least a kilometer steadily assended in front of me. The ridiculously long staircase started right in front of the dock where we were dropped off at and continued on forever into the distance. If I had a choice, I would avoid such an arduous trip, but the suited goons had thwarted that idea right away as they made a wall of bodies on either side  of the stair case to prevent anyone going anywhere but up them.

As I grumbled about railroading the PCs, I tried to get a lay of the lands around us. The stairs had a ledge to prevent people from falling, but it was only about 4 feet tall ¹120cm, so it was easy to see beyond. I could only see about half a mile²804.672m or so in either direction as a giant mountain seemed to be the centerpiece of the island - Where Pegasus built his castle. From what I could see, however, the left side of the stone staircase was a dark wood forest that swallowed up any view I could have gotten with its dense foliage. To the right, however, I could see quite a bit. It looked to be green fields that eventually tapored off into savana, and, because it was mostly flatland, I could just barely make out what looked like the start of a desert where the savana ended and the island started to curve around. 

Dazzled by the differing bioms and flora, I climbed in silence for a good minute or two, but man...there were a lot of steps. 

'This is like an entrance test to get into a sect in a cultivation novel! What the hell!' 

"Your first trial to enter the prestigious Gaudy Red Suit Sect is to climb these 10,000 steps!" I could almost hear Pegaus say in my mind and I chuckled to myself.

I was fine since I worked out, but quite a few people around me were already panting and wheezing. Who would have thought that professional card game players would be out of shape?

...Quite a few would assume that actually, now that I think about it... 

But lets get back to the challenges. 

There were several easy ones as well. Challenging a named side character wouldn't be that hard and neither would duel an Eliminator. I knew where most of the side characters would be at the start, and the Eliminators come to you, after all. I just need to stay in one place for long enough and I was bound to be approached by one. 

What really caught my eye was the "Repeatable" message next to some of the challenges. Did this mean that I could get amazing prizes for hunting down all the named side characters and Eliminators?

'Hmm...I bet it has to do with their decks.' I reason to myself as I reach the top of the stairs and enter the open bailey, or the inner walled area before the castle proper. 'If I win in a duel against them, it makes sense to me that I would get their signature card or something. Like, if I win against Rex, I get a copy of Red Eyes Black Dragon or Two-Headed King Rex.' 

I didn't know for sure, of course, but I thought it matched the theme, especially since there had been no rules about wagering cards in duels. 

I continued to study the list, grateful once again that my mask made it easy to hide myself staring into nothing before me. I soon reached the designated area in front of the castle's inner gate where we were supposed to wait for Pegasus - Or so the new suited goons told us.

As more and more people arrived, some now gasping for air or collapsed on the ground, I suddenly felt like someone was glaring a hole into the back of my head. I subtly looked around, but I couldn't see anyone giving me the stink eye. In situations like this, it is almost never "Just my imagination," so I try to look around in my peripheral vision to spot someone over the next 10 minutes, but I still had no luck. Or, rather, I was quite eye catching and too many people were glancing at me now and then for me to tell who was glaring. 

'Oh well. 9 times out of 10 they come to you, so I doubt I need to worry much about it. My deck is WAY better than regionals, so if they are basing their knowledge of me on that, I should surprise them. Then I can take their Star Chips! See? No problem.'

It was as I nodded to myself for a well thought solution to a, honestly, non-issue currently, that the man of the hour himself made his appearance. 

The first thing we saw were doves. Hundreds of white doves flew out from the ramparts and into the forest. In the very next instant, loud trumpet fan fair started blaring from speakers built into the stone walls around us. Then, just as the birds were clear of the castle ramparts, fireworks lit off and exploded above us in dazzling reds, purples, silvers, and golds. 

Everyone was more than a little startled, and some actually screamed in fright when the birds first were released or when the first firework exploded.   

For my part, I rolled my eyes at the dramatics of it all. 

'Pegasus sure doesn't do anything by half measures...'

"Attention Duelists!" Kemo, the pointy haired big mook in a suit yells after the fireworks display finishes its finale, "Please direct your attention above me, follow my hair's point if you are confused or slow, and allow me to introduce the one, the only, Maximillion Pegasus!"

I am not sure if he expected a round of applause from us, but only a few people clapped as the silver haired, red suited man stepped up to a clearly-built-for-this-purpose section above a massive gate in the baily of the castle. It jutted out over the gate and had a 4 foot wall around its circular edge similar to the staircase.

I suppose it could have been used in the defense of a real castle. You could pour hot oil over or launch projectiles at those trying to take the gate, but the walls were too low to offer any kind of real cover and the ledge looked much too easy to ladder up.

Why was I studying the defenses of Pegasus' castle?

The simple answer is that Ishizu told me to. Once I explained to her that Pegasus was using the Millennium Eye to steal peoples souls, she reacted quite a bit more intensely than I thought she would. 

'He's doing WHAT!?!' I remember her yelling in indignation over the phone last night.

If I knew this would be such a big deal to her, I would have told her sooner. I didn't really consider it something huge, as I knew we would save everyone by the end with no consequences, but to Ishizu, a Tomb Keeper who entrusted Pegasus with the mystical item to help him create the Duel Monster's card game, it was.

'To think she would prepare a Tomb Keeper SWAT team and have them on standby...'

In short, if shit went south I was to teleport to her and she would send in the calvary. It made my promise to save everyone all the easier to pull off, but I still really wanted to avoid it if possible. Even if it is just a small connection, I want to keep the name Anubis and the Tomb Keepers apart for as long as I could to avoid exposing myself.

I mean, she is a publicly known entity to most, or to most of those in the know at least, and I am currently living with her. It would not be hard to put two and two together once our names were attached. 

'I wish I could make myself a foot taller...' I think with irritated huff. 

Okay, I probably shouldn't blame the amazing magical artifacts that have gotten me this far.

One of the only limitations of the mask and cloak was that I couldn't make myself more than 3 inches taller or shorter. This meant that my 6 foot and 1 inch height³186 cm, plus or minus 3 inches, was constantly on display and it matched Toshiaki Arikaki's height pretty well. Sure, I can argue the minuta of a few inches, but if people are comparing my height to Anubis', I have already lost this little game of hide and seek.

Imagine if Anubis was 7 feet tall⁴214 cm or all my other personas could shrink up to 5'1"⁵154 cm! I would be able to get away with much more. I could even take more risks without expecting much of a chance to expose my real self. 

Kin had suggested I wear platform shoes or something to compensate, but I disagreed. I need to be ready to respond to everything. I learned that well on the many nights I was chased around town for over an hour. Imagine Anubis or one of my personas taking off at a dead sprint and then collapsing to the ground with a broken ankle. 

No thanks.

Anyway, I have been ignoring Pegasus' speech this entire time I was contemplating, so I really should tune back in to make sure nothing else important was said.

"...this is a battle royal where only those with 10 Star Chips may enter my Kingdom's gate!" Pegasus was yelling while gesticulating wildy.

"Once you have 10 Star Chips, come and join me in the castle where you will experience 5-star accommodations, food, and amenities until the semi-finals start. The faster you earn your Star Chips, the more time you experience heaven! Remember kids, in this tournament, gambling is good for you!" Pegasus continues.

"I wish you all luck, and look forward to seeing you finalists very soon..." He finishes with a dark look towards Yugi's group, and then, to my shock and horror, he sends one my way too.

'Oh...right. Exodia punched the shit out of him...I guess he holds grudges, huh?'

Fuck, this isn't good. I was hoping to fly under the radar until the finals, and now Pegasus is targeting me...

'On second thought, isn't this a great thing?' I realize with my concerned expression morphing into one of glee.

This means that I don't have to look for any Eliminators and they will come to me much sooner! I assumed they would come after me eventually, but I was expecting to have to wait for a couple hours at least. Now, I might meet one in the first 15 minutes...okay, probably not that quick, but it will be a much shorter time than I planned for. 

This was a key part of my plan to get filthy rich, so I needed 2-3 of them to come after me.  

As I was thinking, everyone else started talking amongst themselves and moving back down the stair case. Some were challenging others to duels, while a group near me were discussing plans on their ideal terrain. It looked like they were trying to team up, but since I don't remember them in the anime at all, they obviously were doomed to fail.

I was still making plans in my head when I heard a loud shill voice yell at me from about 5 feet⁶152 cm away.

"Anubis, I challenge you to a duel in the mountain terrain!"

Who was it?

...Someone I am regretting teasing so much...  

Mai Valentine stood before me with a confident smirk on her face and pointing directly at my masked head...Her bravery was only a little betrayed by her slightly shaking knees. 

'Aww...She is doing her best...' I think with an internal chuckle as I smirk right back...unseen by all, of course. 

"If you insist, but if you are determining the terrain, I will determine the Star Chip Wager, fair?" I answer after turning to her slowly and casually to show I was not all that concerned.

"Wha...What do you mean!?! It's obvious we are going to bet both! I want to kick you out of this tournament so that you always remember that it was I, Mai Valentine, who-"

"Stop." I said raising a hand in the universal sign. 

The fact that she flinched away was, honestly, a bit sad. 

'Who hurt you Mai? I can't be your knight in shining armor, but that doesn't mean I can't be your friend.'

Despite my internal feelings, I remained firm in my outer voice, "We will each bet 1 Star Chip. I don't doubt your skills, Mai. Even when you're not cheating, your deck is pretty good. With the Mountain terrain it will be an even duel, I imagine. A duel I have confidence I can win. That being said, I don't want to be removed from the tournament either. Therefore, we bet 1 Star Chip each." 

I wasn't asking. I was telling her the terms of the duel I would accept.

"You-You....Urgh! You are infuriating! Fine! Just hurry up, I need to take you down a notch." She answers as she, honest to goodness, puffs her cheeks out and stops away in indignation. Impressive, considering she is in heels. I chuckle and follow after her.

Looks like my first duel here will be with Mai Valentine. I played the 'Cheat' card early because, while it would be fun to watch with people who didn't know, I doubt it would be fun to play against her while she pretends to be psychic. It just sounded a bit cringe, if I am being honest. Plus, I leveled the playing field with allowing her to have the Mountain terrain (+500 ATK & +500 DEF for Dragon, Winged Beast, and Thunder monsters). 

This means that her 1300 ATK Harpy Lady cards can compete with my lowest ATK monster cards. Well, my searcher cards, cards that when destroyed can search for other monster cards, are weaker, but I want them to be destroyed by battle.

Mai had some equip spells that might be able to even things out even further and she has the absurdly broken Harpies Fairy Duster card, but I had Imperial Order, Magic Jammer, and two Time Seals to cancel it out or make her pay for using it.

In short, I wasn't concerned in the least. Plus, this actually makes my strongest monster even stronger. Blue Eyes White Dragon was gonna be a 3500 ATK and 3000 DEF Juggernaught if I can pull it...but should I play it this early or keep it hidden until later? There is a non-zero chance Seto Kaiba will come after me if he learns I have one, after all... 

As far as I am aware, the dueling arena only records data on what was played, not what is in my hand. This is why when I signed in with my deck, I had replaced a few cards, including the Blue Eyes, to avoid raising any unneeded attention. They were only looking for banned cards, after all. After a 30-second inspection, they passed my deck back with no further fuss. I didn't see any cameras or recording devices, but, then again, it was on a plastic folding table under a pitch tent and with a National Association of Duelists member breathing down their necks, so it didn't seem like I had anything to worry about.

So, back to the Blue Eyes, or my Black Luster Soldier for that matter. Playing them is admitting I have them. So...do I expose myself now or just take the L and loose 1 Star Chip? I mean, I don't plan on loosing, but I need to prepare for every scenario. That is what it meant to make a plan, in my opinion. You plan for both success and failure and hope for the best while expecting the worst.

But, at the same time, I don't want to hold back forever. I am here to make a name for myself and I want to win. Do I really care if people know I have these cards? Doesn't that add to my appeal and mystique even more? 

Either way, I was excited for this duel. I have the potential to win many of the challenges with this one duel alone, so it was worth it to me even if I did end up loosing.

My deck was pretty stacked at this point, so I wasn't all that worried.

'I don't think this is going to be as fun as you expect, Mai.' I chuckle to myself once more, very nearly, but totally not at all, an evil laugh.