Connor 3

An older brown-haired teenager stands across from me, wearing a gray shirt and a baseball cap. I ponder his strategy for this duel but push the thought aside; my priority is winning. "I'll let you have the first turn," Matt says, his expression betraying boredom.

"I'll kick off by setting a monster face-down and activating my spell card, Enchanting Fitting Room, paying 800 life points," I announce, watching my life points drop to 3200. "Next, I'll special summon Giant Soldier and Bunilla in defense mode from the top four cards of my deck thanks to Enchanting Fitting Room." Placing a card face-down in my back row, I conclude my turn, hoping my facedown Creature Seizure will deter Matt's attacks. His smirk, however, sends a shiver down my spine.

Matt's voice breaks my concentration as he activates Dark Hole, wiping out all monsters on the field. Panic sets in; my Creature Seizure is useless without a swap target. "I saw your duel with Devin. I won't let you pull off those Swap cards," Matt declares. Acknowledging his cunning, I respond, impressed by his adaptability.

 Matt summons Rude Kaiser, equipping it with Fighting Spirit, boosting its attack points by 300 for each of my monsters. With 1800 attack points, Rude Kaiser threatens to end the duel if it has another equip spell. As it strikes, my life points dwindle to 1400.

I strain to discern the effects of his equip spell, cursing my inability to read his cards. Frustration mounts; this new unknown complicates matters. Determined to preempt any surprises, I opt for overkill. "I'll summon Mad Lobster and equip it with two Amulets of Ambition," I declare.

Mad Lobster's attack soars to 3700 as it lunges at Rude Kaiser. But as the claw descends, Rude Kaiser remains unscathed. Matt's voice cuts through the tension, explaining his spell's effect. I curse inwardly, realizing I underestimated his strategy.

"I knew that spell had some sort of hidden effect that I forgot about. Thank goodness it wasn't some overpowered nonsense," I thought, relieved as the crowd erupted into cheers when Rude Kaiser evaded the attack. "What are they cheering for? He must have some hidden combo up his sleeve that'll be a pain to deal with," I mused, watching Matt's life points drop to 2400, sweat beading on his brow.

"The stress of the duel must be getting to him. To make it this far and be on the ropes like that must be tough," I empathized silently. "I end my turn. It's your last turn; if you bring out something, you better make it count," I warned.

"I'll set three cards in my back row. Then, my Rude Kaiser will switch to defense mode," Matt declared confidently. "I'm going to need luck on my side to pull off this win. My turn ends," he said with a gleeful grin.

"I'll start my turn by normal summoning Bunilla in attack mode. Then, I'll play the spell card Creature Swap," I announced, prioritizing caution. "I need to play it safe, especially with my facedown Creature Seizure ready to protect my life points in case he springs a Mirror Force trap," I strategized.

"I'll take your Rude Kaiser, and you'll have my Bunilla," I declared. But Matt's next move caught me off guard. "Looks like it's time for the big move. It's time for my three copies of Paths of Destiny," he exclaimed, a hint of gleeful insanity in his eyes. "Let's test both our luck then. The coins haven't failed me yet," he challenged.

"What the hell? It's like something Joey would pull off," I thought, stunned by his trap cards. "Are you insane?" I blurted out, incredulous. "You're putting the outcome of this duel on a coin flip, with a top prize of ten thousand dollars," I reminded him.

"I'm feeling lucky today. Let's test our luck, shall we?" Matt retorted. "I'm facing off against a gambling addict. My luck has been shitty so far," I lamented silently, feeling the weight of uncertainty settling in.

"Flip, flip!" The crowd roared, rising to their feet as the chants grew louder. "Will this gamble pay off for Matt, like the other two duels he was in, or will his luck run out?" the announcer exclaimed, capturing the tension in the air.

"What sort of anime-tier bullshit luck does this teenager have? My skills are useless since the result of the game relies on a coin flip," I grumbled internally, my heart racing as sweat dripped down my face. "So here's how things are going to work with my trap card: If either of us lands on tails, we take 2000 life points of damage," Matt explained, his tone confident. "You'd better hope for heads, otherwise, you're out. If either of us gets heads, we gain 2000 life points," he added, a smirk playing on his lips.

The first trap effect triggered, and the crowd held its breath, awaiting the outcome. Matt's coin landed on Heads, while mine followed suit. "Come on, it better be heads, or I'll never live this down. Losing to such a random card would be embarrassing," I thought anxiously. Luckily, my coin also landed on heads. "Thank goodness, I'm safe," I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Looks like luck is on both our sides for now. Let's see what happens with the second trap effect," Matt remarked. The coins flipped again, both landing on Tails. "Our life points are back where we started. If I get tails again, it's over for me," I realized, wiping sweat from my brow with my shirt sleeve. "This final coin flip will decide the fate of this duel, folks. We have some real excitement here tonight," the announcer declared.

My coin landed on heads once more. "Thank goodness luck was on my side," I thought, watching as Matt's coin landed on tails, his life points dwindling to 400. As the tension eased, the crowd's excitement lowered. "Looks like my luck ran out, kid. Good luck in your next round; you're going to need it," Matt conceded.

"Thanks. Maybe next time, replace the gambling cards with something more reliable," I suggested. "I play for the thrill of the gamble. It's no fun otherwise," Matt replied. "I switch my Rude Kaiser to attack mode. Kaiser finishes the duel by attacking Bunilla," I declared. With Matt's life points at zero, Bunilla fell to Rude Kaiser's onslaught.

I walk down the arena towards Matt, extending my hand for a shake which he accepts. "You've got to watch out for the next round; the person you're facing has a decent chance to beat the King of Games," Matt warns. "Do you know anything about him then? Anything will help," I inquire, curious.

As we step down the duel arena together, I ponder who Matt could be referring to. "He's the North American Champion, in the same league as Seto Kaiba," Matt whispers in my ear. "I believe in you, kid. He's never lost a game before. Maybe you'll break his winning streak," Matt encourages with a smile. His words reassure me, but I can't shake the curiosity about this mysterious champion.

"He's a bit off-putting with his whole gambling addiction, but he's a decent person. Now, who is this North American Champion?" I wonder, contemplating the possibilities. "It's not my cousin, as she's the United States Champion. So maybe Bandit Keith?" I consider, but quickly dismiss the idea. "It can't be Bandit Keith; Matt said he's been undefeated in all the duels he's played. Maybe one of the other filler arc characters or someone from the manga that I didn't read," I speculate.

"I'll keep that in mind, Matt. Thank you for telling me this," I reply, grateful for the insight. Moving on to the next arena as the lift whisks me away to the next match, I mentally prepare myself for the challenge ahead. "The final sixteen starts now," the announcer's voice echoes through the arena, signaling the beginning of the next round. "The first round of the finals will be between Connor Hawkins and the North American champion known as Jason Whitesmith," he announces.

An older man with long white hair emerges from the platform, a millennium ring adorning his neck with a bronze color. His unsettling smile sends chills down my spine, giving off a predatory vibe. "So this is one of the knockoff millennium items. I wonder what he's going to use it for," I ponder nervously, eyeing the ancient artifact.

"Well, it's nice to see what the results of younger talent can show me. I'm always looking to find new projects for myself," Jason remarks casually, but his words send a shiver down my spine. The Millennium Ring seems to be pointing towards me, leaving me uneasy. "I knew that my luck is going to run out sooner or later. Looks like I have no other option but to beat him in a children's card game," I resign myself to the impending challenge, determination flaring within me.