Chapter 15: The Finals
Chapter 15: The Finals
"Hello, dear viewers. Welcome to the live broadcast of the Moon Cup tournament finals. I'm your commentator, Xiao Du."
"And I'm Sasaki, joining Xiao Du for this exciting match."
The tournament logo flashed across the screen, and the two commentators appeared, hyping up the audience before the match.
"After days of intense competition, we've finally reached the climax of the tournament. I must say, this year's competition has given us quite a few surprises," Xiao Du commented.
"Indeed," Sasaki chimed in. "A legendary duelist who had disappeared from the scene for many years has returned with a bang. The unstoppable Dinosaur Ryuzaki has dominated the tournament and made his way to the finals, which I'm sure comes as no surprise to our viewers.
But I think what no one expected was that the duelist facing him in the finals is not one of the predicted top contenders, but rather our NO. 39, Fujiki You Xuan, a newcomer with no known dueling record."
Xiao Du nodded. "And as far as we know, this newcomer not only lacks competitive experience, but also holds only a single-star duelist rating. It's quite extraordinary."
"To be honest, when I first saw the roster for this tournament, I thought it was a mistake," Sasaki admitted. "I mean, a one-star duelist? It sounded like a joke. But when I checked the system, it turned out to be true."
"Well, these things do happen from time to time," Xiao Du said. "There are precedents of duelists who shun the limelight, choosing to hone their skills in seclusion for years, only to emerge and astonish everyone with their prowess."
"True, but it's quite rare. We can consider ourselves lucky to witness the rise of a dark horse this year. Who knows, if it weren't for this unfortunate draw, they might have even taken the championship," Sasaki added, catching himself before he could say more and give away his bias.
Sasaki took a deep breath, grateful he had stopped himself from badmouthing You Xuan and hinting at mysterious forces influencing the tournament—something a professional commentator should never do.
Even though his thoughts probably aligned with those of the majority.
Regardless of how impressive this newcomer might be, could they really stand a chance against a legend?
The odds of encountering a legendary duelist like Dinosaur Ryuzaki in such a minor tournament were minuscule. Typically, duelists of his caliber wouldn't bother with such low-tier events, preferring to test their skills against worthy opponents. Perhaps Ryuzaki, after his long seclusion, wanted to start with something simple and get a feel for competitive dueling again.
However, for the Moon Cup, Ryuzaki's presence was undoubtedly a blow to the other competitors.
While You Xuan had displayed remarkable talent, it seemed his luck had run out by drawing such a formidable opponent. No matter how well-prepared he might have been, fate had dealt him a challenging hand.
Sometimes, it seemed, luck played as much of a role as skill.
"Well, it looks like both duelists are in their final preparations. Let's see if our dark horse can continue their winning streak or if the legend will reclaim his former glory," Xiao Du said excitedly.
You Xuan stood on the dueling platform, shuffling his deck as he faced the legendary Dinosaur Ryuzaki.
The Ryuzaki before him seemed a bit different from the one he remembered from the anime. In his memory, Ryuzaki and his best friend Weevil were both short and scrawny, probably reaching only to his waist. But now, it seemed that in the years since the conclusion of the DM series, Ryuzaki had caught up in height and could almost look him in the eye.
Almost.
Despite having to tilt his head back slightly, Ryuzaki exuded an aura of confidence, a subtle indication of his status as an elite duelist.
You Xuan was busy assessing the differences between Ryuzaki's current appearance and his animated self when Ryuzaki noticed his gaze. Misinterpreting it as nervousness, Ryuzaki offered a reassuring smile, his tone calm and collected, "No need to be nervous. Just duel as you normally would. Don't feel pressured, just focus on enjoying the experience."
You Xuan was taken aback for a moment before realizing that Ryuzaki assumed he was intimidated by his reputation.
And here he was, acting like he had already won.
You Xuan returned the smile, playing along, "Thank you, but I'm feeling fine. It just occurred to me that back when I was still learning to duel, I used to watch you battle in the Duelist Kingdom tournament on TV."
Ryuzaki's eyes lit up at the compliment, and he straightened his posture proudly, "Ah, so I was sort of a role model for you? That's quite an honor."
"Indeed, and your ace monster, the 'Red-Eyes Black Dragon,' left a deep impression on me. The legendary dragon that brought about possibility... it left an indelible mark on my young heart," You Xuan said sincerely.
However, his words had the opposite effect on Ryuzaki, who immediately scowled.
Why did he have to bring up that damn dragon?
The Red-Eyes Black Dragon had indeed been his pride and joy, but anyone who had watched the Duelist Kingdom tournament would know that he had lost it in the very first duel to the legendary gambler, Katsuya Jonoichi.
Ryuzaki didn't believe for a second that You Xuan was unaware of that fact, so bringing it up now felt like a subtle taunt—praising his ex-wife, so to speak, only to remind him that she had left him for another.
Ryuzaki's face darkened, and he grunted, choosing to remain silent. Perhaps he was already planning to teach this cocky newcomer a lesson in the upcoming duel, showing him the true cruelty of high-level dueling.
"Oh, and I also followed your performance in the Duelist City tournament," You Xuan continued, his eyes shining with sincerity. "Your 'Black Luster Soldier' was incredible!"
Ryuzaki's face darkened further.
Now he was certain that You Xuan was deliberately messing with his head. The Black Luster Soldier had indeed been his ace monster in the Duelist City tournament, but it, too, had been defeated in the very first duel by the "Cyber-Tech Akiza."
It was like a double insult: praising his ex-wives only to remind him that they, too, had left him.
Ryuzaki took a deep breath, reminding himself to stay focused.
A true duelist's mental fortitude was just as important as their skills. Even in professional leagues, pre-duel trash-talk was a common tactic to throw off an opponent. He needed to stay calm and not let this newcomer rattle him before the duel even began.
He would show this upstart his true power through their duel.
"It's time to duel!" x2
[You Xuan: LP 4000]
[Ryuzaki: LP 4000]
The right to go first randomly went to You Xuan, and he didn't hesitate to take the initiative.
"I'll start by drawing," You Xuan said as he drew three cards from his deck.
"I'll set one monster in the front row and two cards in the back row. That's the end of my turn."
(End of Chapter)
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