Chapter 105 – It’s Time to Duel!

The Los Angeles Convention Center was almost unrecognisable compared to the previous evening.

What had been a carefully organised collection of tables, booths, cameras and empty corridors was now overflowing with people.

Competitors arrived carrying deck cases, backpacks and bags. Families entered through the main doors, people of various ages gathered around the tournament floor, and dedicated players moved through the building with the unmistakable nervous energy of people who had spent months preparing for this day.

Retailers were already serving customers. Journalists moved through the crowd searching for players to interview. Television crews followed the action while ESPN technicians hurried toward their assigned positions.

Industrial Illusions employees and tournament staff were everywhere, their credentials clearly visible as they directed competitors toward registration, spectators toward the appropriate viewing areas and confused newcomers toward information booths.

The scale of it all was difficult to comprehend.

The first Duel Monsters Grand Prix had been a success, but this was something else entirely.

400 duelists had qualified for the Swiss portion of the tournament, and three more were waiting.

Virginia Potts.

Charles Irvin Zane.

Dante Venturi.

The three semifinalists from the previous Grand Prix had been granted byes and would enter the competition at the next stage.

The distinction had been announced beforehand, making the three returning competitors instantly recognisable to anyone who had followed the previous tournament.

Dante was probably the least surprised by the attention as he had already experienced something vaguely similar during his career as a gambler.

Ginny, on the other hand, seemed slightly uncomfortable with it while Chuck simply looked amused and excited. None of them had expected a tournament for a card game to turn them into recognisable figures, yet that was exactly what had happened.

Eventually, the competitors and spectators were directed toward the main tournament floor.

Hundreds of tables filled the enormous hall. At one end stood the Feature Match platform. Cameras surrounded it. Large screens displayed tournament information while ESPN's production crew was already in position.

The noise of the crowd gradually faded as people realised that the opening ceremony was about to begin.

Then Alexander walked onto the raised platform and for a moment, he simply looked at the crowd and at cameras broadcasting the scene beyond the convention centre.

This was the moment he had been working toward.

He stepped toward the microphone and said, "Good morning, everyone."

The response was immediate as the people cheered and clapped their hands.

Alexander waited until the noise settled before continuing, "Welcome to the second Duel Monsters Grand Prix."

Alexander smiled and said, "I'll try to be brief..." Which earned some chuckles from the crowd, "It is difficult to stand here and look at this crowd without thinking about how different things were during our first Grand Prix. Back then, we were still proving that Duel Monsters could bring people together. Today, 400 competitors from across the country have earned their place in this tournament, and thousands of spectators have come here to watch them compete. And thanks to ESPN, many more will be watching from home."

That earned another round of applause.

Alexander continued, "I want to thank every player who travelled here. Some of you crossed entire states to reach Los Angeles. Some of you probably spent months preparing for this tournament."

Then he looked toward the judges, "I also want to thank our judges and tournament staff. Without you, none of this would be possible."

Then he acknowledged the sponsors, retailers and Industrial Illusions employees who had helped make the event possible.

Finally, he turned toward the ESPN crew, "And thank you to ESPN for giving Duel Monsters an even larger audience."

Alexander took a breath and continued, "Today, 400 players will enter the Swiss rounds."

The large screens behind him displayed the tournament structure.

"Every match will be played as a best-of-three, as usual. The strongest competitors will advance until only the finalists remain. And waiting at the end is the Duel Monsters Grand Prix Championship."

Alexander took a brief pause as the crowd started to become louder, then he added, "And a 10.000 dollar cash prize together with an Ultimate Rare card."

That earned perhaps the loudest response yet.

Alexander waited for it to settle before he smiled and said, "Of course, the prize is important, but I don't want anyone here to forget why we're actually gathered."

The atmosphere became quieter.

"Duel Monsters is about strategy."

The screens behind him displayed players dueling.

"It's about competition."

More images appeared.

"It's about creativity."

Alexander looked across the hall.

"But most importantly, it's about the people who took a simple card game and transformed it into something much larger."

He gestured toward the crowd.

"Every person standing in this hall earned the right to be here. So don't waste the opportunity."

Alexander raised his hand, "Give it everything you've got. Have fun!"

The crowd erupted.

Alexander waited a moment before delivering the words he had said many times before, "It's time to Duel!"

The convention centre exploded. Cheers. Applause. Shouts. The sound was almost deafening.

Alexander lowered his hand, and like that the Duel Monsters Grand Prix had begun.

~~~▽~~~

The opening ceremony ended almost immediately in organised chaos.

Judges began directing competitors toward their assigned tables. Industrial Illusions employees guided spectators toward designated viewing areas. Tournament officials verified pairings and seating.

The giant screens switched from the ceremony to tournament information.

The first pairings appeared, and hundreds of Duelists took their seats.

Across the tournament floor, decks were shuffled. Cards were drawn. Life Points were confirmed. Judges moved between tables.

The Swiss Round had begun.

Alexander stepped away from the stage and headed toward the ESPN commentary position, leaving Roland to oversee the tournament's various operations.

Mike Patrick was already sitting there.

"Well," Patrick said as Alexander took his seat, "that was certainly one way to start a tournament."

Alexander smiled, "I suppose so."

Patrick adjusted his headset, "I've been told I should sound enthusiastic."

"You'll manage."

"I've also been told I need to understand the game."

Alexander looked at him, "Those are two very different requirements."

Patrick laughed, "Good. You're already making me feel better."

Alexander put on his headset and said, "I'll explain what you don't understand just like we did during our rehearsal."

"And I'll make sure the audience understands what you're explaining."

"Sounds like a plan."

Patrick glanced toward him, "Although I still don't understand why someone would deliberately leave a powerful monster in Defence Position."

Alexander sighed and said, "After watching a few Mirror Forces activate, you'll understand..."

Patrick laughed, "Fair enough."

The production director gave them the signal, and soon they were live.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Duel Monsters Grand Prix! The historical second edition of this fantastic tournament!" Patrick began.

His voice carried the energy of someone who had spent years calling sporting events, "This morning, four hundred competitors have taken their seats here in Los Angeles, all hoping to become the second Duel Monsters Grand Prix Champion!"

While Patrick gave a quick and broad explanation of the game and introduced Alexander, who also greeted the possible audience, the camera swept across the enormous tournament floor.

Alexander watched the monitor.

Hundreds of tables, hundreds of duels and for a moment, he simply enjoyed the sight.

Then Patrick continued, "And we're going to bring you the best of the action throughout the tournament."

The feed shifted toward the Feature Match area as he said, "That's where our first featured match is about to begin."

Alexander leaned forward and said his part, "That's going to be a good one."

Patrick looked at him, "Already?"

"Trust me."

The cameras focused on the designated Feature Match table.

Two players sat opposite one another.

Their names appeared on screen.

The first was a young Duelist from Texas, David Garcia, who had already made an impression during the Texas Duel Monsters Cup as he had finished in the Top Four. He was known for an unusual deck built around inflicting damage without relying entirely on traditional monster combat. He was also known for having a personality almost as explosive as his strategy.

He grinned at the cameras and exclaimed, "Hey! Looks like I'm famous now!"

Patrick laughed, "Our first featured competitor certainly doesn't appear nervous."

"He isn't," Alexander said, "Or at least he's hiding it very well."

The camera shifted to his opponent.

Lucia Venturi. One of the youngest competitors in the tournament. Winner of the California Duel Monsters Cup and granddaughter of Dante Venturi, one of the three previous semifinalists who had received a bye.

Lucia looked considerably quieter but equally excited.

Seeing her excessively white skin and black patch over the left eye made Alexander's eyes twitch a bit as he suspected she may be a Mutant, as his Spiritual Awareness did perceive something different from her, and immediately grew a bit worried about her and the reaction that some people may have. But luckily, he ensured to write in the rules that no one should be harassed because of their appearance or outfit and warned the judges to be especially strict in dealing with these issues to quickly root out any problem that may surface.

Yet, it also shouldn't be too much of an issue, as many participants and spectators did come dressed in various cosplays, some directly from Duel Monsters brought by the various stalls, some homemade and from other franchises, something that Alexander himself encouraged.

She carefully arranged her cards before looking across the table, before she said, "Good luck."

Her opponent grinned and replied, "You too."

Patrick introduced both competitors.

Alexander added some context about Lucia's victory in California and the fact that she had already demonstrated that her age shouldn't be mistaken for inexperience.

"She's twelve?" Patrick asked.

"Yes."

"And she's already won a state-level tournament?"

"Yes."

Patrick whistled, "That's impressive."

"It is." Alexander looked toward the screen, "And she's good."

The players drew their opening hands.

Patrick began explaining the basics for viewers who had never watched a Duel Monsters match before.

At the same time, Alexander filled in the gaps.

He explained the importance of the opening hand. Why some cards were better kept in reserve. Why immediately playing the strongest available monster wasn't always the correct decision.

David made his opening move by setting one monster face down and activating the Spell Card Ookazi that dealt Lucia 800 LP of damage before quickly ending his turn.

Patrick described what happened.

Alexander explained why, "He could have played more cards..."

"Then why didn't he?"

"Because doing so would tell Lucia too much while also consuming his resources too much, and with knowing almost nothing about her deck and playstyle, that's way too dangerous."

Patrick looked intrigued, "You're saying he's deliberately holding something back?"

"Indeed."

"Even if that card could help him right now?"

"Yes." Alexander pointed toward the screen, "Remember, this is a best-of-three match. Winning the first game matters, but so does what your opponent learns about you. The Side Deck, which is an optional pool of up to 15 extra cards that a duelist can use to modify their Main Deck or Extra Deck between the individual duels of a match, can only help so much."

Patrick nodded in understanding, "So he's not just trying to win; he's trying to win without giving away more information than necessary. That sounds complicated."

"It is."

Patrick smiled, "Good thing you're here."

Alexander chuckled.

The duel continued.

Lucia briefly considered her options before finally playing a card; she summoned Goddess of Whim and successfully activated her effect, thus doubling her ATK.

Seeing that, Alexander chuckled and said, "It seems that she is using the same Gamble style as her grandfather."

Hearing that, Patrick asked, "Gamble style? What is that?"

In response, Alexander calmly explained, "In Duel Monsters, there are some cards that have very powerful effects or stats, but using them requires quite a lot of luck, as they all require a coin toss or a dice roll. They are quite entertaining, but also very inconsistent."

Meanwhile, Lucia attacked but David reacted immediately and revealed that the set card was Blast Sphere who equipped itself to Goddess of Whin, thus not only stopping Lucia's attack but also turning her monster in a literal bomb.

As Lucia set four cards in her back row, the camera focused on David's expression as he was grinning gleefully.

Alexander noticed the change, "There."

Patrick immediately picked up on it, "What?"

"Look at his face." The camera showed the player for a brief moment, "He was waiting for that..."

Patrick leaned closer, "And that matters because...?"

"Because now David can likely deal some serious damage without revealing too much if he plays his cards right. Yet, Lucia seems to be also very calm."

"I see... It seems that the game is already heating up; I can't wait to see what will happen in the next turns..."

The audience could see the reaction and, more importantly, they could understand it, and this was what Alexander had wanted.

The cards weren't decorations.

The audience was beginning to understand that every decision could reveal information.

Every hesitation could mean something. Every card kept in hand could represent a threat. Duel Monsters wasn't simply about drawing the strongest monster, but it was about anticipating the person sitting across from you.

~~~▽~~~

Across the convention centre, hundreds of other duels continued.

The giant screens displayed tournament information while Judges moved between tables.

"Judge!"

The call could be heard from several different sections of the hall.

A judge immediately hurried toward the table.

Elsewhere, another match had attracted a crowd of spectators, where a particularly dramatic counterattack drew cheers.

At the merchandise booths, customers continued browsing booster packs and accessories.

Journalists interviewed competitors. Parents watched their children play. Teenagers compared decks between rounds.

The entire convention centre seemed to have become a single enormous Duel Monsters event.

The camera returned to the Feature Match.

Game One was approaching its conclusion after an intense back and forth between the two.

Neither competitor had yet revealed everything they had, but David was still smiling as Lucia remained calm, even while David had a clear advantage.

Patrick continued narrating the action while Alexander explained the implications of every major play.

Eventually, the first game came to an end with an unexpectedly lucky coin toss from the aptly named card Gamble that allowed Lucia to draw 5 cards, refilling her previously empty hand and turning the situation around in an instant, much to the disbelief of David and the excitement of the crowd.

The result appeared on the screen.

Patrick immediately recapped the final sequence.

Alexander explained what each player had gained and lost by the end of the game.

"The first game goes to Lucia," Patrick announced.

The crowd applauded.

Lucia allowed herself a small smile while her opponent also laughed at the absurdity of her comeback, still confident that he would be able to turn the situation around.

"Okay." He picked up his cards, "That was some serious good luck. But I won't give up because of that."

Lucia grinned and said, "Indeed, that was lucky. But grandpa often says that a good player creates his own luck."

David chuckled and said, "We'll see..."

At the same time, Patrick smiled and announced, "And there we have it. Game One belongs to Lucia Venturi thanks to her miraculous comeback."

The camera briefly pulled back.

Hundreds of matches were still underway.

One game had ended. Hundreds more remained.

Patrick lowered his voice slightly, "And remember, this is only the beginning. Many more intense duels await us!"

Alexander looked across the enormous tournament floor, and he couldn't help smiling while thinking, 'This is what I wanted. Not merely a card game, not merely a tournament. But a world. Duelists competing. Spectators watching. Judges enforcing rules. Retailers selling cards. Journalists covering the event. And now television cameras bringing it into people's homes. Duel Monsters is growing and slowly becoming part of everyone's lives.'

Alexander leaned back in his chair.

For all the sleepless nights, negotiations, arguments, calculations and preparations, seeing this made it worth it.

The second Duel Monsters Grand Prix was no longer something he was preparing for; it was happening, and there was no turning back.