Monday, 03/19/2001, 5:34 p.m.
The sun peeked over the horizon of Domino City.
The sky had turned reddish, and here and there, rainbows were visible among the many ashen clouds.
In front of an old secondhand store with a black-and-white sign titled "Recycle Shop Kashiwagi," Shin closed the door behind him with a dark expression on his face.
From inside the small store, behind the cracked glass entrance, a fat, bald, middle-aged man shouted threatening words at the young man. His gaze, marked by a pair of crossed black eyes, was fixed on Shin.
"The next time you're late, Osako, don't even dream of getting paid, you hear me!?... Make sure that gets through your thick skull, boy! And don't even think about skipping your shift at seven!"
With clenched teeth and a flushed face, Shin continued on his way...
Not long after, the young man arrived in front of a well-maintained store not far from the Recycle Shop Kashiwagi...
The establishment had a large sign that read "RPG Hobby Trading Cards" in red and yellow, with an orange background and a logo featuring a golden "I" in front of an Egyptian Wdjat eye, placed beside the title...
With a couple of display windows flanking the main entrance, the medium-sized, modest-looking shop showcased rare Duel Monsters cards and other items, each labeled with its price.
Around the store, various posters advertised tournaments and game activities.
Several children and teenagers came and went sporadically, while others paused to read prices and announcements outside.
Without stopping, Shin entered the store and took a vacant seat at a table in the back. He opened his backpack and pulled out the eleven booster packs he had bought at Kame Game. Then he began opening them one by one, whispering as he did so.
"Nothing... Nothing here... A Sangan? Very good, always useful... Nothing again... Useless... Oh? Solemn Judgment? That's amazing! I probably used up all my luck in life on this one. Let's keep going... Hm, nothing, as expected... What the hell? Two Skull Servants in one pack? Seriously?... Haaa, nothing... Graceful Charity? That'll be useful. Even if I only have one, I've also got Pot of Greed. That's something already... Well, you must be the last one, huh? You feel thicker than the others... Hm? It's open. The seal's broken. Hm. Isn't this the one that...? Yes, this is it... no doubt about it."
Looking at the black-and-white pack in his hand, Shin's face showed recognition.
It was the pack that Mr. Muto had given him earlier. The same puzzled expression crossed his features.
To the right of Shin's table, a small pile of purple-and-black boosters had formed. On his left, several cards like Skull Servant were scattered in disarray. In the center, Sangan, Graceful Charity, and Solemn Judgment were neatly lined up.
Several of the youth in the store glanced at Shin out of the corner of their eyes, their expressions curious...
As he drew the cards from the black-and-white pack, Shin couldn't help but widen his eyes. His previously calm expression twisted suddenly. He shielded the cards with both arms on the table and examined them one by one. A tense murmur followed.
"You've got to be kidding me...? Is this for real? What the hell...? Why...?"
The cards bore the names: Crush Card Virus, Tri-Horned Dragon, Beast of Talwar, Metalmorph, Megamorph, Fairy Meteor Crush, Change of Heart, Invitation to a Dark Sleep, and Fusion Sage.
Shin's pulse and breathing had suddenly quickened. His eyes darted around the shop with an apprehensive look. His whispering resumed, but this time in a quieter, more analytical tone.
"What the hell...? I don't even know him... Is that old man crazy...? Why would he do something like this...? This is getting weirder by the second... First that barricade, then the car, and then Kame Game with Yugi's grandfather... And now this. I'm not that smart, I know that, but I'm not stupid either. Luck doesn't just show up out of nowhere, and even less in a chain. I feel like I'm... like I'm some kind of damn... puppet. Huh?"
Interrupting Shin's muttering, a short boy with brown hair approached his table and spoke to him. His brown eyes were fixed on the floor rather than Shin, his expression nervous.
"Hi, big brother. The tournament's about to start, and I was wondering if... um... would you be my opponent?"
Blinking a couple of times, Shin nodded, shuffled his new cards with an awkward smile on his face, then pulled his deck from his backpack before replying.
"A duel? Sure! Ju-just give me a second to organize my deck, alright? My name's Shin, by the way. Speak comfortably."
As Shin added some cards to his deck and removed others, the boy also introduced himself. A wide smile lit up his features.
"I'm Eijiro Kanada, big brother Shin. And I... I already know who you are... Uh, so... is it true what the other kids say...? You know, that you've never lost a duel? And also that you've won all the local tournaments and events?"
Laughing, Shin shook his head and furrowed his brow, placing his deck aside. By then, he had already put the unused booster cards and the ones he removed from the deck back into his backpack. Finally, after crumpling the empty wrappers into a ball, he commented and slipped the bundle into one of his pockets.
"Heh, it's true. Though I don't think it's as big a deal as they say. After all, I've only been coming here for just over three months. So you shouldn't take those rumors too seriously, alright? Just have fun like everyone else."
Nodding, Eijiro turned around with a smile. Then, he went to register Shin as his opponent with the store owner...
According to the poster hanging on the shop wall, besides Shin and Eijiro, there were four other pairs of players scheduled for the rest of the hour. Shin and Eijiro were set to play first, from 6:00 to 6:15 p.m. The wall clock currently read "5:53 p.m."...
Moments later, a tall young man entered the shop. He spoke briefly with the store owner and then walked toward Shin and Eijiro. He then asked in a brusque tone:
"...Mr. Tanaka, carry on. I can handle the rest from here... Let's see, yes, this is it, table 3, yes... You two are Kanada and Osako, right?... Good!... All participants, please pay attention!"
Dressed in a black suit, with brown hair and green eyes, the man had a tall, sturdy build and a strong, gruff voice. In his hands, he carried a standard black Duel Monsters board and a yellow timer set for fifteen minutes. He continued speaking.
"My name is Reizo Omori, and I'll be the referee for the district tournament at this location for the coming week starting now. This goes for everyone... First off, the rules. You all know them, right, kids?"
In response to his question, all the players present nodded at once. Their chorus echoed through the shop.
"Yes!"
Mr. Omori then continued in the same tone, a slight smile dancing on his dark lips.
"Good, I'm glad to hear it... Because you should also know that after two infractions, the offender will lose the game and be disqualified from the tournament... permanently... Osako and Kanada, you're up first. Your fifteen minutes will begin shortly. Do your introductions..."
AN/One chapter per day. 100 power stones today means one extra chapter the next day. Each chapter is made up of four acts, plus a prologue and an epilogue, and finally a special act — each ranging from 800 to 2000 words. Leave a comment and report any issues below. You can buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/s/8e7c3d4725