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"Hello, dear viewers! Welcome to the finals of the Moonlight Cup. I'm the commentator Xiao Du."
"And I'm the commentator Zzuoqi."
The tournament logo flashed briefly on the TV screen as the pre-match commentators appeared on camera.
"After several days of intense competition, the event has finally reached its conclusion today. To be honest, this year's tournament has given us quite a surprise," commented Xiao Du.
"That's true," Zzuoqi agreed. "The legendary duelists who had been absent for years have returned to the arena. Itou Ryuuza, the legendary duelist known as the 'Dinosaur King,' has dominated the field with an unstoppable momentum and reached the finals. I think everyone expected this."
"But I doubt anyone initially imagined that the challenger to this legend in the finals wouldn't be any of the top-ranked favorites we predicted beforehand," Zzuoqi continued, "but rather NO.39 Fuji Kiyougen, a newcomer with no prior record."
Xiao Du nodded. "And I'm sure everyone already knows that this contestant has no competitive experience and a duelist rank of just one star."
"To be honest, when I first saw the list of participants in the main tournament, I thought there must have been a mistake," Zzuoqi admitted. "I thought, seriously? A one-star duelist? Haha..."
"Sometimes these things do happen," Xiao Du said. "There have been precedents. Some players who never step into arenas or make public appearances may have secluded themselves for years, only to emerge suddenly and shock everyone..."
"That's true, but it's rare. I suppose we're lucky this year to witness the rise of a dark horse. If this had happened in previous editions, they might have even won the championship. Unfortunately..."
Realizing he was about to jinx it, Zzuoqi quickly cut himself off.
Phew, that was close. Commentators shouldn't jinx matches or imply supernatural forces influencing the outcome. Even if what he thought was the same as most people.
After all, how unlikely was it that this dark horse could defeat a legendary duelist like Ryuuza?
Encountering someone like Ryuuza in such a minor tournament was an extremely rare event. Usually, such high-caliber duelists wouldn't participate in lower-tier events. Perhaps this was Ryuuza's first match after years of seclusion, testing the waters with simpler opponents.
For the Moonlight Cup, the appearance of such a powerhouse was akin to a "dimensional strike."
Although this newcomer had impressed with his skills, he must have prepared extensively for this tournament to make a name for himself. Unfortunately, he ran into a godlike player.
Perhaps besides talent, sometimes luck plays a crucial role too.
"Alright, the countdown to the match has begun. Both competitors should be in their pre-match preparations," Xiao Du said. "Let's wait and see if the dark horse can pull off the upset, or if the legend can reclaim glory!"
...
...
Kiyougen stood on the stage, facing Ryuuza, the legendary duelist. He shuffled his deck.
Sure enough, the person in front of him looked different from the image he remembered from the animated series. In his memory, Ryuuza and his buddy Eika were both short and underdeveloped. Kiyougen estimated they'd only reach his waist. Now, it seemed that after the DM series ended, Ryuuza had grown taller thanks to better nutrition.
Look at him now—his chin was almost level with Kiyougen's.
Though Ryuuza had to tilt his head to meet Kiyougen's gaze, his presence was undiminished, exuding an aura of confidence befitting a superior duelist.
Kiyougen was inspecting the differences between the real Ryuuza and his animated counterpart. However, Ryuuza noticed his gaze and, for reasons unknown, smiled faintly, adopting a composed demeanor:
"Don't worry. Just play as you normally would. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. The most important thing is participation. Just show your best."
Kiyougen blinked in surprise, quickly realizing this guy probably thought he was nervous facing a "legend."
What nonsense—"the most important thing is participation"? As if he were already out of the picture...
Still, Kiyougen smiled and went along with it:
"Thank you, but I'm fine. Actually, I just remembered something. Back then, I didn't know how to duel. Watching you battle on the Duel Kingdom stage on TV..."
Ryuuza brightened at this, standing taller with pride: "Haha, so I guess I'm sort of your dueling mentor."
"Yeah, yeah! Your Red-Eyes Black Dragon was particularly memorable. The legendary red dragon that brought possibilities—its mark on my young heart remains unforgettable."
Kiyougen spoke earnestly.
But the moment he mentioned it, Ryuuza's face darkened.
Damn it, bringing up the worst topic.
Red-Eyes Black Dragon had indeed been Ryuuza's prized card, but anyone who watched the Duel Kingdom tournament would know he lost it in the first round of the first episode to the legendary gambler Jinzo.
He assumed Kiyougen knew this, and mentioning it was like rubbing salt in a wound. It was like saying, "Your wife is awesome, but unfortunately, she left you for someone else."
Ryuuza scowled and remained silent, likely already plotting how to teach this arrogant novice a lesson about the cruelty of real duels.
"Oh, right. Later, you also participated in the Battle City tournament. I followed it closely at the time."
Kiyougen's expression was sincere, even convincing himself.
"Especially your Evil Knight Dragon in Battle City—it was amazing..."
Ryuuza's face turned even darker.
He was certain this was deliberate psychological warfare. Evil Knight Dragon had been his ace in Battle City, but it had also lost in the first match to a duelist piloting the "Synchro Man".
Talk about back-to-back face slaps: "Your second wife is great too, but unfortunately, she left you as well."
No, he had to stay calm.
Ryuuza took a deep breath.
High-level duels required mental fortitude. Even professional leagues often included pre-game trash talk as part of the competition. He had to stay composed—don't let this guy throw him off before the match even began.
He'd show this challenger his worth through a duel.
"Duel!"
[Player Kiyougen, Life Points: 4000]
[Player Ryuuza, Life Points: 4000]
The initiative randomly went to Kiyougen. He didn't hesitate and claimed the first move.
"I'm going first. Draw cards."
Kiyougen drew three cards from his hand in one breath.
"I place one monster in face-down defense position and two cards face-down in the back row. End of turn!"