Chapter 3

The morning sun slowly rose over the eastern horizon, casting light on the previously dark sea and restoring its original blue color.

With no room available, Hoshino spent the night on the deck studying her deck of cards. Now, she was both hungry and tired. Fortunately, after spending the entire night, she had a good understanding of her deck. A deck composed entirely of heroic spirits was something Hoshino had never heard of, so she couldn't judge its effectiveness until she used it in battle.

First, she planned to find a few novice duelists to practice with, familiarize herself with her deck, and then gradually challenge higher-ranking opponents. The ultimate goal was to defeat Pegasus, become the Duelist King, and win the prize money. Thinking of this, the hungry and tired Hoshino couldn't help but laugh.

"We've arrived! I can see land!" Someone suddenly shouted on the ship, breaking the morning tranquility.

Hoshino looked up and indeed saw an island covered with vegetation amidst the vast ocean.

"Finally, we're here, Duelist Kingdom." She carefully put her deck into her pocket, her eyes firmly fixed on the island ahead.

Although they could see the island, there was still some distance to cover. After about an hour, the ferry slowly docked at the shore, and the duelists on board orderly disembarked and set foot on the island.

"Hoshino, are you okay? You don't look well. Didn't you sleep last night?" The kind and gentle Yugi noticed the slight dark circles under Hoshino's eyes and asked with concern.

Facing Yugi's concern, Hoshino forced a smile: "I was too nervous last night, so I didn't sleep at all."

It was true that she was nervous. Suddenly transported into the world of Yu-Gi-Oh, with no one to rely on but her deck, it would be strange if she could sleep well on the first night.

"Make sure to get enough sleep, so you can be in perfect condition during the duels." Yugi kindly advised.

"Hoshino couldn't sleep well either? So it wasn't just me. I was nervous last night too." Jonouchi suddenly interrupted, cutting off Hoshino and Yugi's conversation.

"Jonouchi, you…" Honda, behind him, gave Jonouchi a chop on the head. "You slept like a log last night, snoring so loudly I couldn't sleep."

Jonouchi rubbed his head with a twisted expression: "I snore when I'm nervous, okay? Don't slander me in front of Hoshino."

Hoshino chuckled; Jonouchi and Honda's banter helped ease her nervousness quite a bit.

As everyone gradually disembarked, the previously crowded deck was almost empty.

"Welcome, duelists, to the Duelist Kingdom." A tall, black-clad security guard wearing sunglasses loudly announced to the duelists present. "Ahead is the entrance to the Duelist Kingdom. Please proceed in an orderly manner to the entrance to hear the rules."

The black-clad man pointed forcefully towards the castle gate located among the mountains, accessible via countless steps.

"Ah, do we have to climb these high stairs?" Hoshino drooped her shoulders. As a homebody, her physical strength was already at the lowest level, not to mention that she hadn't eaten or slept all night.

"I might die." With a despairing gaze, she looked at the seemingly endless steps. "Is my grand plan going to be stranded right from the start?"

"No!" For some reason, a wave of anger surged within Hoshino, filling her with determination. "The prize money and the wonderful future in the 2D world await me; I can't fall here!"

Heavily stepping onto the first stair, the courage in her heart drove her to challenge the hell she had never conquered.

"Hoshino sure has a lot of spirit," Anzu commented, her mouth twitching as she watched Hoshino take her first step.

"Although she's climbing very slowly." Yugi, already halfway up the steps, looked back at the struggling Hoshino at the bottom.

"Well, let's wait for her a bit."

"Yeah, otherwise she'll be too lonely by herself."

"If it comes to it, I'll carry her." With that, Jonouchi bent down, preparing to carry someone on his back.

"You'll get sued for sexual harassment, Jonouchi." Anzu looked disdainfully at the bent-over Jonouchi.

...

"This is the last step, right? Did I finally make it?" Gasping for breath, Hoshino finally stepped onto the last step.

"This is only half of the steps, Hoshino." Though reluctant, Yugi, who had been waiting for her, told her the bad news.

...

"No more, I'm going to die. I never want to climb stairs again." Whether driven by the courage burning in her heart or her desire for a large sum of money, Hoshino finally made it. Standing in front of the castle gate, she had climbed the last step.

"God, I've completed the challenge, so can I get the prize money now?" In a daze, Hoshino seemed to see angels coming to greet her.

"No, Hoshino, pull yourself together. You're going to die if you keep this up." Anzu shook Hoshino, whose soul seemed to be leaving her body.

"Welcome to the Duelist Kingdom, brave duelists!" A somewhat effeminate voice descended from the castle gate, bringing Hoshino back to reality.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Hoshino slapped her cheeks with both hands. "I can't fall here."

"Pegasus!" Yugi, beside her, glared at the man standing on the castle gate.

The father of the Duel Monsters card game, the dark man with the Millennium Eye, and the one who had taken Yugi's grandfather's soul.

"Now, let me explain the rules," Pegasus spoke with his strange accent and effeminate tone, making Hoshino uncomfortable.

"All duels are conducted using Duel Monsters cards, with 4000 Life Points (LP). Direct attacks on players are allowed, but physical violence between duelists is strictly prohibited."

A rule forbidding any violent acts outside of the duels was essential for someone like Hoshino, who had no physical strength.

"Use your strongest deck, brought specifically for dueling, and fight to your heart's content. Each participant should have a Duel Glove and two Star Chips. The glove has ten slots for Star Chips. The Star Chips are proof of being a duelist, and all duels use them as stakes."

"So, if you lose, you have to give your Star Chips to the winner. Losing all your Star Chips means losing your qualification to a duel." Hoshino thought to herself, "Simple yet cruel rules."

"The duel stage is the entire island. Only those who gather ten Star Chips in a battle royal style can open these gates. The duels will start in an hour and last for forty-eight hours. Anyone who fails to collect ten Star Chips within the time limit will be forcibly expelled."

"What? We're not dueling in the castle but on the entire island!!" Hearing this bad news, Hoshino was devastated. "Then why did we climb up here if we have to go back down?"

"Good luck, duelists. May you return victorious!"