26 – Regionals Part 3
POV Ishizu
I was feeling very conflicted at the moment.
I sat in a VIP section of the Regionals Colosseum inside a private box seat along with Kin, Ren, Kimiko1Kin's Mom, and Ryo2Kin's Dad. The room was not huge, but it was spacious enough for us, 2 extra empty chairs, and a table full of expensive name-brand snacks and drinks in front of us.
I had bought these tickets at a great price from someone who was not going to be able to make it this year. It only cost me 10,000 DP for the lot, so I felt it was a pretty great deal, all things considered. Plus, it allowed us to support Toshi, even if we had to be incognito about it.
Speaking of supporting him, I was very happy to be out of my cheerleader outfit...I can't believe I let Ren talk me into that...and into a nice beige suit and slacks, white blouse, and tan heels combo. I felt much more comfortable in these types of outfits, as I had to wear them a lot in my Family Head role. Even at my youngest, I wasn't allowed to be in anything less than semi-formal attire in front of the clan elders.
As for our expensive array of snacks...well...I kinda went overboard.
It was my first time doing something like this, so I decided to splurge on our refreshments since it was a special occasion...But I might have overdone it just a bit...
Certainly, the caviar was getting me some concerned glances when we all arrived...
Anyway, that was not why I was feeling conflicted.
While unintentionally biting my thumbnail, I leaned forward in my seat as I looked down on my boyfriend sitting at the dueling table center stage.
...Except, he wasn't my Toshi at all...He was an ethereal beauty of a man with long shining silvery-white hair and sparkling emerald eyes. Even I had to admit, he truly did look like a God amongst men.
His appearance was also not the reason I was conflicted, however. I had helped him make this persona of his, after all, - though the glowing hair was new - and I was fully prepared for this reveal as we had discussed it, and his "Red Herrings" as he called them, several times beforehand.
No, I was ready for all that. What I had not been anticipating was...
"Kyaaaaaaaaaa! He's Hot! He's so freaking hot!"
"OMG, is this for real? That's him, for real!?!"
"Hubba Hubba!"
"He said he was married right? Is he accepting applications for mistresses?"
"Who cares if he is married, Mama's gonna get what Mama needs..."
I glared at each of these...these...harlots!
They had no idea who he was! They had no idea the struggles he went through to get here! All they cared about was his dumb, supernaturally handsome face, and...and...they were saying so many lewd things about MY Toshi!!!
The nerve of these women!
I gave an involuntary growl as my face morphed into a puffed-out cheek pout.
*Pffft*
The sound of muted laughter was heard next to me, and I snapped my head to look at the culprits like a cobra preparing to strike.
Kin and Ren sat there with a hand covering the bottom sections of their mouths. They were not even trying to hide their smiles of mirth! What really pissed me off at that moment, however, was their eyes.
Or, more specifically, the teasing, knowing look in their eyes.
"Ehehe! Ara, Ara, Kin...Could it be? Is our cute little Zu, perhaps, feeling a little jealous?" Ren goads me from behind her hand. She was wiggling her eyebrows up and down a lot...and it made one of my own eyebrows start to twitch.
"Ufufu! Indeed it does appear that way, my dearest Ren!" Kin mirrors happily with suggestive shoulder shrugs...if that was even a thing...
'Okay. I get it now, Toshi...I would explode if these two were around teasing me 24/7...'
"No, of course not. I'm fine." I answer shortly, choosing to ignore them and, instead, stare intently back out at my boyfriend in the dueling arena.
'Hmph. Me? Jealous? Possessive, maybe, but jealous? Certainly not. That was just plain stupid. What could I have possibly been jealous of? I got to kiss him every day and cuddle with him every night! No, I was just upset about how all these women were talking about him and treating him. Yup. That was it, and I should tell Ren and Kin this to clear up this misunderstanding. I need to explain it so they will understand!'
"I simply find it rather uncouth the way-" Unfortunately, I am cut off by 2 female voices talking loudly directly below our box seat.
"OMG. He just looked at me!"
"Shut up, no way."
"He did! I swear he looked right at me! Is it a sign? Should I try to meet up with him after Regionals finishes?"
"Like, hang out backstage and hope he picks you out of the crowd?"
"Why not? He looked interested, and I'm hella hot! Plus...he is yummy..."
"What about his wife?"
"I don't see her around, do you?"
"Ha! You slut!"
"You're thinking it too!"
"Well...Maybe~"
*Crack*
How odd.
The binoculars I was holding just broke for, seemingly, no reason at all.
I will have to buy a new pair.
"Ren, is it just me, or did the temperature in the room suddenly drop?"
"Nah, I feel it too. Zu's super pissed!"
"I am not!" I snap back at the two stooges...Only to realize they are still covering their mouths the same smug way while smiling at me.
'Urg! When did I start getting jealous!?! I've never felt that way about someone before? Toshi! This is all your fault!!!' I think as I hide my face in my hands to cover my blush and glare at "Anubis" through my fingers.
"Now, Now. Behave you two and stop torturing the poor girl. Ren, how would you like it if all the girls around you were making suggestive comments about Kin, hmm?" Kimiko tries to mediate and save me as she pats and rubs my back affectionately.
"You mean like every single day since we entered middle school?" Ren answers her with a dead-eyed stare.
Ren had mentioned to me how annoying it could be when girls tried to get close to Kin. He was very popular, apparently, as he was their school's basketball star player and team captain. It was especially frustrating when it happened while she was still present. Luckily, Kin was quick to shut that sort of thing down and show that he only loved Ren.
"Ren has it way worse than Aki or I..." Kin adds as he pulls her into his side protectively. "I have to beat the guys away with a stick." She smiles up at him and gives him a kiss on the cheek before snuggling in closer.
It was true. If there was an award for someone being unfairly objectified most of their life, Ren would have won it every year with her small frame and F-cups...
Kimiko coughs and changes the subject tactfully. "I do hope they all quiet down soon. We can't even hear the announcers over the crowd."
"I don't see what all the fuss is about. Isn't it good that the women like him? Wasn't that the whole point? If the girls love him, then that only means he will become more popular, right? I'd say he is doing a fine job." Ryo adds his two cents with a serious nod.
"Oh really? Is that what you'd say?" The chilling voice of his wife comes from beside him.
"Nope. I must have misquoted someone else. My mistake." He answers without missing a beat.
Ren, Kin, and I chuckle and turn back to listen in as the announcers start talking once more.
One thing was for sure: I needed that Isis costume, ASAP.
These bimbos needed to learn that Anubis was spoken for!
* | * | *
POV Anubis
I felt an intense stare from the audience and glanced over to see who was trying to bore holes in my head with their eyes.
When I saw who it was, I nodded to myself and looked back at my opponent calmly.
Internally, however...
'AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! ZUSHI'S JEALOUS POUT IS SO CUTE~~!!!! I CAN'T!!!!'
I probably should stop basking in the attention the female audience members were showering me with.
Not worth pissing off the Waifu. No sir.
Directing my attention back to my opponent, Snow Mieko, I smile at her and offer my deck to be cut.
The last 3 or 4 minutes have been pandemonium in the stands.
Men were yelling, women were screaming, and children were crying or laughing.
I honestly felt a bit bad. I didn't mean to throw all of this into chaos...
Ok, who am I kidding? That is exactly what I meant to do.
I had warred over this decision, showing my fake face, for several days. Ultimately, I decided to do it for one simple reason:
I was exhausted!
I had to backtrack for at least 2 hours every time I went out because people would follow me around forever! In the few weeks since I had come here, I've had more close shaves than I would like to admit.
Hell, a drunk guy actually SAW me transform in an alley once! (Though it was Anubis transforming into one of my other personas, thank God.)
I was running from a crowd and had to change quickly. I didn't even notice him there, just went for it when I saw the opportunity.
I will never forget the slack-jawed, wide-eyed look he gave me. Good thing he passed out right after.
Anyway, this pushed me into action. I needed to do something otherwise I would be caught. It was only a matter of time, and stopping wasn't an option at this point.
What I needed right now was a distraction. Thus, my face.
This wasn't just to increase my popularity, it was to make sure that those who were most determined to find out who I was would have some new way other than following me around. When I succeeded in that secret quest I confirmed my anxiety that people were after me was valid. Now it was time to act on that and confuse the ever-loving shit out of them.
Sure, it was bullshit, but having a fake identity as a duelist was not against the law. In fact, my identity was protected by the law if I wanted to hide it...Technically. Though, I really didn't trust that too much.
All I needed was a valid Duel Point Card and I could pretend to be whomever I wanted while I dueled.
So, did it lessen my mystique a bit? Yes.
Was I safer because of doing it? ...That's the hope.
'Search for this face as long as you want! Waist all your resources, and, for God's sake, please pull back your stalkers!!!'
Once I got my teleport items, this wouldn't be necessary, but I had no idea when I was going to be able to invest in those. The card packs and Starter Decks were not cheap.
Should teleporting and safety be my priority? Should making the best deck as quickly as possible be? Is it worth sacrificing my safety a bit to ensure I win at Duelist Kingdom?
These were questions that were rattling around in my brain all week leading up to today.
And I had not found my answer yet, unfortunately.
As far as the positives of revealing my face went, I had a couple I could name.
First, the reaction from the crowd. I wanted attention, and, boy howdy, did I get it. No matter what happens, I was guaranteed to be on Pegasis' radar now, and that had been my main goal all along.
Second, it allowed me to use this appearance tactically.
I wasn't going to ditch the mask now that I revealed my face! The mask was my identity, this was just a bit of fan service, or, at least, that is how I reasoned with myself internally. As soon as this duel was done, I was masking right back up. Removing my mask, hence forth, will be for special circumstances only.
Now that my face was "known", I had a tool that I could use in difficult situations to turn them to my benefit. For instance, I could remove my mask to distract an opponent and make them lose focus, or I could use removing my mask to gather a crowd if I needed to merge with them and slip away, or I could use it for dramatic moments in the story to show my support for the main characters.
There were endless possibilities.
Lastly, I could use it to great effect as I was doing right now.
"Miss Snow? Are you alright?" I ask, tilting my head in mock concern.
"H-huh? O-oh, yes. Yes! I am...um...I am just fine? Thank you for asking Mr...Anubis..." Snow, completely red-faced and panicked, replied.
Yup. I was using it to fluster my female opponent.
As they say, "If you got it, flaunt it!"
If I can throw opponents off their game by using my fake face, you bet your ass I was going to! I would be stupid not to!
It's not cheating to be a mega hotty...Well, maybe it is. Depends on who you ask.
The point is, I needed at least one or two wins here, and I would get them by any means necessary.
The quest that I had received before I entered the arena made that point extremely clear to me...
Event: Regionals TournamentCongratulations! You have managed to secure an invitation to the prestigious Duel Monsters Regional Tournament. Try not to embarrass yourself out there, as we will make it worth your while to win and stay in the tournament as long as possible! Rewards: Round of 64 - Lose: 1000 DP | Win: 5000 DP & 3 Bonus Packs (Applied as a free credit in the store) Round of 32 - Lose: 5000 DP | Win: 10,000 DP & 5 Bonus Packs (Applied as a free credit in the store) Round of 16 - Lose: 10,000 DP | Win: 15,000 DP & 1 Bonus Starter Deck of the user's choosing (From ones currently available. Does not remove the item from shop availability) Round of 8 - Lose: 15,000 DP | Win: 20,000 DP & 10 Bonus Packs (Applied as a free credit in the store) Quarter Finals - Lose: 20,000 DP | Win: 25,000 DP, 1 Bonus Starter Deck of the user's choosing (From ones currently available. Does not remove the item from shop availability), 10 Bonus Packs (Applied as a free credit in the store), 1 free item from the shop. (Under 100,000 DP) Finals - Lose: 25,000 DP | Win: 50,000 DP, 1 Bonus Starter Deck of the user's choosing (From ones available), 10 Bonus Packs (Applied as a free credit in the store), Any 1 Card of the users choice (So long as the card is in current circulation) |
I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the reward list.
What was with those Duel Point numbers!?! If I did well, I could buy out all the packs in the shop, any useful items I needed, and then some!
This shop...system...whatever was offering over 125,000 DP in total for winning the tournament!!!
Like, what? That is 125,000,000 Yen or 1,250,000 USD! I could be a fucking millionaire if I won!
Ok, let's be reasonable, there was no possible way I was getting to the Round of 8...but if I could win in the Round of 16, I would get a free Starter Deck! That was worth 6000 DP alone and they were limited in the shop! If I was understanding correctly, this one would not count against the single one available in the shop!
This meant that I could have 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons if I won the tournament! (2 from free Starter Decks and 1 from the only available Starter Deck Kaiba in the shop.)
I could beat Kaiba at his own game!
That wasn't going to happen...but if these were the rewards offered for this tournament...What were they going to look like for the Duelist Kingdom Tournament or the Battle City Tournament?
I was salivating just thinking about it...
But that was for later.
First I had to win this round and duel.
And to do that...
"Your dress looks lovely, Miss Snow. I just had to compliment you on it...Are you ready to duel now?" I ask, flattering her in a polite way.
"I...um...Wow...T-Thank you! Yours looks very dashing! Your outfit I mean, not dress. Obviously! haha And, um...Yes? Yes! I am ready to duel now! Gonna kick your butt! hahaha... Oh, Gods, please kill me..." Snow stammers out and then buries her face in her hands as she mumbles that last bit.
"No, no, Miss Snow. That is a common misconception. I do not do the killing, I simply judge the dead and guide them to their eternal resting place. Do not worry, your time is not for a while yet."
*Gulp*
'Hook, line, and sinker. Time to advance to the next round.' I think internally with an evil smile.
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Esdeath - Akame ga Kill Votes: 33 28.0%
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Boa Hancock - One Piece Votes: 8 6.8%
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Medaka Kurokami - Medaka Box Votes: 2 1.7%
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Rias Gremory - High School DxD Votes: 6 5.1%
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Yoruichi - Bleach Votes: 31 26.3%
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Saber - Fate/stay night Votes: 4 3.4%
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Cleopatra - Ancient Egypt Votes: 24 20.3%
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Freya - Norse Mythology Votes: 5 4.2%
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Alexandra Daddario - Modern Actress Votes: 0 0.0%
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Scarlett Johansson - Modern Actress Votes: 0 0.0%
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Angelina Jolie - Modern Actress Votes: 0 0.0%
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Margot Robbie - Modern Actress Votes: 0 0.0%
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Zoe Saldaña - Modern Actress Votes: 0 0.0%
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Just Use Her Costume Design Image For The Face As Well Votes: 5 4.2%
Love the story author, that said i really wish there was more card dueling involved, and while dice rolling for fights is an interesting way of doing things i also hope it doesn't affect his dueling career as a whole, it would be very embarrassing if he's this mysterious and cool duelist but also lose every tournament he's in, or just lose important duels becouse the diceroll said so
Thanks for the comment! I am glad you like the story! There will be lots of dueling to come, but I want to space them out a bit. In the introduction, I meant for his secret to last a bit longer from Ishizu, but the readers wanted her in on it sooner. I decided to add in a few more Romantic/Slice of Life/Family chapters because of that decision.
We are at the part of the story where dueling will become the main focus, so don't worry about more duels! They are on their way! haha
Lastly, Anubis will be getting bonuses to d20 rolls based on his deck and how powerful his cards are as opposed to his opponent. He has one for the coming duels as well, but I want to make it clear that for some of the duelists he faces, he will win no matter what. I consider there to be 2 types: Main Story Duels and Side Story Duels. Only the side story and inconsequential duels from the Main Story will be rolled on.
Hope that alleviates some of your concerns! Thanks for reading!
Alright I'll go through a couple of things. Once again take what you want but most of these things are just to think about.
Alright first I'll address the face reveal scene again with the thinking.
So there might(is) still a problem with his reasoning for the face reveal. Ok so he wants to get rid of the stalkers right? See no issue with that at all but wouldn't having a "godly" appearance kind of go against that? He is still going to have stalkers. Insane woman who will love him so much they will try to stab him. . . Who will stalk the sh*t out of him from afar taking photos of him to post on their wall. What I think would happen is that he will lower his guard, get caught by them, and then probably blackmailed to be their gf. . . . (If he was average, or ugly he wouldn't have this issue until he got good cards to rob)
Something I would suggest doing is to stop leaving the tournaments on foot. Have a blacked out car pick him up from every event when he leaves. Either his gf's family or the lawyer group hire a driver or them themselves pick him up. Its been so long since I saw the anime I can't remember if there was anybody downbeat or in the gutter besides yugi's grandpa to save/work for him.
Next thing about the face reveal is the gimmick(mask). Until he gets good cards and can go far in the tournaments the gimmick is probably be his ticket to fame. Before I read the chapter I had some ideas on how he could still go with it. So I am still going off the undertaker feeling because I think wrestling would probably be one of the best comparisons for the show(Because how much luck and cards[things you can buy] have so much of an impact on the game.
Back to the face lets say you go with a undead, ghost, zombie deck. You could have him do a slight face change. make it looks like his eyes have a bluish flame in them at certain times or perhaps ethereal looking hair. Could do a Mummy look and have his checks at certain times see through/rotting. Vampire deck you could make him have fangs/red eyes at certain times. Just subtle changes to make the world think that he is this mysterious person.
In my opinion there isn't really a point in him putting the mask back on. Taking it off broke the mystery of it. Better to just make the mystery somewhere else and grow it. Putting it back on is like when they had Kane take off his full mask. Then they went to a half-mask. Then he just took it off completely.
Once the face is seen by the world, all people will think is, "why is the heart throb wearing the mask?" Is he shy or just a nerd/otaku. I was trying to think of the term for when people dress up and say face palming catch phrases but the name is escaping me.
Final note I voted for Bleach Yoruichi so Ishizu could have the same type of skin tone. At least in the area. Fun side note you know Cleopatra is supposed to be not that amazing looking? One she is a product of incest(problems there). Next is that her "most beautiful woman in the world" idea was created by the Romans to explain why the once important Anthony betrayed Rome for her. There is a Roman scholar who mentioned her beauty saying she was pretty much average but had a queenly aura that was attractive.
Thanks for the comment! Wow! I hadn't thought of the different faces for different decks...I will have to think about that. For now, he will be going back to the mask, but I am open to the idea in the future!
Also, I did know about that! haha I am a bit of a history buff and Ancient Egypt, Rome, and WWII are my favorite points in history to study. It doesn't look like that will be the pick, but, if it was, I would use an attractive image of her anyway. If the story is fantasy, her face could be as well! haha
Thanks again for reading and for the detailed comment! I always love to hear what my readers are thinking!
@Overload You know depending on how "dark" you want to take the story you could go in another direction for different decks/faces.
Once he learns more about shadow magic play for people's deck(maybe just the villain's), and then when the shadow magic makes them disappear the mc could assume their identity. Take their deck and then use their own face. I'm not exactly sure how that would work with the quest and point system but it might help the mc financially. Wait for the end of the Duelist kingdom and take over pegasus deck/company.
Thanks for the chapter
Event: Regionals Tournament
Congratulations! You have managed to secure an invitation to the prestigious Duel Monsters Regional Tournament.
Try not to embarrass yourself out there, as we will make it worth your while to win and stay in the tournament as long as possible!
Rewards:
Round of 64 - Loose: 1000 DP | Win: 5000 DP & 3 Bonus Packs (Applied as a free credit in the store)
Round of 32 - Loose: 5000 DP | Win: 10,000 DP & 5 Bonus Packs (Applied as a free credit in the store)
Round of 16 - Loose: 10,000 DP | Win: 15,000 DP & 1 Bonus Starter Deck of the user's choosing (From ones currently available. Does not remove the item from shop availability)
Round of 8 - Loose: 15,000 DP | Win: 20,000 DP & 10 Bonus Packs (Applied as a free credit in the store)
Quarter Finals - Loose: 20,000 DP | Win: 25,000 DP, 1 Bonus Starter Deck of the user's choosing (From ones currently available. Does not remove the item from shop availability), 10 Bonus Packs (Applied as a free credit in the store), 1 free item from the shop. (Under 100,000 DP)
Finals - Loose: 25,000 DP | Win: 50,000 DP, 1 Bonus Starter Deck of the user's choosing (From ones available), 10 Bonus Packs (Applied as a free credit in the store), Any 1 Card of the users choice (So long as the card is in current circulation)
loose -> lose in all of the reward packs.
Also, will the rewards stack? Like win in 64 + win in 32 + win in 16 + win in 8 + lose in 4?
Or will it be win in 8 + lose in 4?
Bro, I was so embarrassed when I noticed the Loose vs Lose thing. I finished editing the chapter late at night and I can only blame that for the mistake...for my own sanity...LMAO
Fixed now! Thank you!
As for your rewards question, they do stack! If he won up to the Round of 16 and lost in the Round of 8, he would get all of the rewards for winning previously on top of the reward for losing in the round of 8. So, definitely, a lot at stake here.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
You know it gotta be our beloved Esdeath
Kill all any competitors really
Heck she can even have her own club XD
LOL I can definitely imagine her having her own fan club...and Toshiaki having an internal battle within himself of whether to join or boycott them.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Maybe Multiple Personas should the situation ask for it?
That is a very interesting idea that may or may not happen in the future.
Thank you for reading and for commenting!
Of course, I’m gonna stick with my suggestion lol
That said, Toshi’s internal monologue about why he “unmasked” felt kinda redundant towards the end (tho it may have been because I read your explanation beforehand)
Just adding in that I agree with the internal justification felt redundant and a little out of place. Understand why you did it of course but I think it could be done in a better way. For example a flashback of him talking with a lawyer dad about the issue or his friends looking at his options.
Ps. Not every decision you make has to be justified in the story. Don't try to bend yourself backwards trying. If every anime had to make sense, there would be a lot less of them.
Hmm...I will try to edit it a bit more to remove some of the clutter. Maybe the spoiler in the introduction isn't needed? I will have to read through and decide after I finish the next chapter.
Either way, thank you for bringing that to my attention and for commenting!
@Overload Perhaps move that spoiler tag to the end of the chapter.
@KidBuu699 That is a great idea! Thank you!