The conference hall buzzed with anticipation as only four players remained.
Out of more than two hundred participants, only four had fought their way through the Duel Monsters Grand Prix.
Virginia Potts.
Charles Irvin Zane.
Dante Venturi.
Victor Von Doom.
Alexander stepped onto the podium once more as the crowd gradually settled and called out, "Ladies and gentlemen."
The room quieted as he said, "Congratulations to our semifinalists."
Polite applause followed, and Alexander smiled, letting the moment linger a bit longer before continuing, "The semifinal pairings are now official."
Several spectators leaned forward as he announced, "Charles Irvin Zane versus Dante Venturi."
Applause immediately followed the announcement.
Chuck grinned immediately, and the old man Dante simply tipped an imaginary hat.
"And Virginia Potts versus Victor Von Doom."
This time the reaction was noticeably more subdued as most people were still trying to figure out what to make of Victor.
Alexander allowed the moment to settle before raising a hand, "Before we begin, we will be making one final adjustment."
Curious murmurs spread throughout the room.
Then Alexander explained, "For the remainder of the tournament, all matches will be played one at a time. I ask you all to let them work without disrupting them."
Following that, the workers immediately got to work, and under the supervision of Industrial Illusions staff, the tables were removed, chairs were relocated, and cables were adjusted.
Within minutes, the conference hall had transformed once again.
Now only a single duel table remained in the centre of the hall, every camera focused on it, and every television screen displayed it.
The atmosphere felt completely different, less like a card tournament and more like a sports event championship.
Eventually, the Head Judge stepped forward and called out, "Charles Irvin Zane and Dante Venturi. Please approach the main table."
The crowd applauded.
Chuck confidently walked toward the centre while Dante followed at a far more leisurely pace.
The old man pulled out his chair and sat down, and Chuck sat opposite him.
For a moment they simply looked at one another, then Dante smiled and said, "You know, kid, you're a lot louder than my grandchild."
Several spectators laughed.
Chuck snorted and said, "I'll take that as a compliment."
"It wasn't."
More laughter exploded, and Chuck dramatically rolled his eyes, making the tension ease immediately.
The Head Judge waited for both players to shuffle and decide who starts first, then raised his hand and announced, "The match will still follow the best-of-three format. First duel begins!"
In response, both players drew their opening hands.
Chuck barely looked at his cards before slapping one onto the table and announcing, "I summon Battle Ox in Attack Position!"
[Battle Ox – 1700 ATK / 1000 DEF]
Then he immediately followed it with a face-down card and said, "Turn end."
Several spectators nodded as they were very used to Chuck's aggressive opening at this point.
Dante drew and hummed, "Hmm."
After briefly studying his hand, he summoned Axe Raider.
[Axe Raider – 1700 ATK / 1150 DEF]
The crowd immediately noticed the symmetry as both duelists had opened with the same attack value.
"Looks like we've got ourselves a standoff," Dante said.
Then he set two cards face-down and concluded, "Your move."
Chuck drew, and a grin immediately spread across his face as he muttered, "Perfect."
Without hesitation, he summoned Koumori Dragon.
[Koumori Dragon – 1500 ATK / 1200 DEF]
Several students leaned forward because now Chuck had two attackers, and they knew what it meant.
"Battle Ox attacks Axe Raider!"
The two monsters destroyed one another, then Chuck immediately pointed forward and declared, "Koumori Dragon attacks directly!"
Dante calmly took the hit with a smile on his face.
[Dante – 2500 LP]
The crowd reacted immediately.
"That was fast."
"He's already pushing damage."
"Chuck's deck is really aggressive."
Alexander watched silently from the sidelines while thinking, 'The pressure is exactly what Chuck wants... The more there is, the more invigorated he feels.'
Dante drew, and for the first time his expression became slightly more focused as he announced, "I summon Beautiful Headhuntress."
[Beautiful Headhuntress – 1600 ATK / 800 DEF]
Then he pointed toward Koumori Dragon and said, "I attack it with my monster."
The dragon was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
Afterwards, Dante set another card, and as a result, three face-down cards now protected his field.
Chuck noticed immediately and commented, "So that's your plan."
"Survival is an underrated strategy," Dante replied calmly.
Chuck drew, then immediately smiled and said, "Oh, this is gonna be good."
He summoned another Battle Ox; However, the moment it touched the field, Dante revealed a Trap Hole.
Several spectators immediately recognised the card as it basically became a staple of this tournament.
As a result, Battle Ox was destroyed the second it touched the field, and Chuck clicked his tongue while commenting, "Annoying."
Dante smiled and said, "Experience, my boy."
Despite that setback, Chuck still attacked, and Beautiful Headhuntress fell and was sent to the Graveyard.
The field emptied once again.
Both players continued exchanging resources for the next few turns.
Axe Raiders, Battle Oxen, defensive traps, direct attacks whenever opportunities appeared.
Little by little, the duel developed a clear pattern.
Chuck attacked relentlessly, and Dante survived.
Every turn felt like the old gambler was plugging holes in a sinking ship, and by the midpoint of the duel, the Life Points reflected that reality.
[Chuck – 2800 LP]
[Dante – 1300 LP]
The crowd had begun to notice.
"His deck hits really hard."
"Every monster is huge."
"He's constantly forcing trades."
"One mistake and you're dead."
Dante looked down at the field; he had one face-down card and one card in hand, not much else.
Meanwhile, Chuck drew for his turn, then suddenly stopped, and his grin widened, "Oh man."
The reaction alone drew attention, and several spectators leaned closer.
Chuck slowly placed a monster onto the field while announcing, "I summon Lord of D.!"
[Lord of D. – 1200 ATK / 1100 DEF]
The dragon-themed magician appeared on the field, and Dante narrowed his eyes while muttering, "Interesting."
Chuck immediately followed with a Spell Card, "Now I activate The Flute of Summoning Dragon!"
The entire crowd looked confused while Alexander's eyes widened slightly.
Then Chuck revealed two cards from his hand, and the spectators who still didn't know about the card's effect exploded.
"No way!"
"Two monsters?!"
"He can do that?"
Chuck slammed both cards onto the field while saying, "I special summon Koumori Dragon! And Curse of Dragon!"
[Koumori Dragon – 1500 ATK / 1200 DEF]
[Curse of Dragon – 2000 ATK / 1500 DEF]
The reaction was immediate as cheers erupted throughout the hall.
Three monsters all at once in a game where field presence was everything.
Dante stared at the board, then burst out laughing, "You know, most people try to build suspense."
Chuck smirked and replied, "I prefer quick results."
Battle Phase began, and Koumori Dragon destroyed Dante's defender before Lord of D. attacked directly and Curse of Dragon followed.
Dante barely survived.
[Dante – 100 LP]
The old gambler looked at his remaining Life Points, then at the field, then at Chuck; finally he said, "Well... That's bad..."
He drew his next card, and for a moment the crowd wondered if another miracle was coming.
Dante activated Pot of Greed, then Graceful Charity, and as a result his hand grew.
Hope briefly returned, then faded as no combination appeared, no miracle arrived.
After a long pause, Dante simply set one card and announced, "Turn end."
Chuck immediately drew; the grin never left his face as he declared, "Curse of Dragon attacks."
Dante revealed Waboku.
The crowd reacted as he survived another turn, then another, and another.
Using every defensive resource available.
Mirror Force, Waboku, even Solemn Judgment.
Each card delayed the inevitable, but only delayed it and eventually Dante ran out of answers.
Chuck summoned another Koumori Dragon.
The field filled once more and Dante's final defender fell.
The opening finally appeared.
Chuck pointed forward dramatically and declared, "Direct attack!"
The remaining Life Points disappeared.
[Dante – 0 LP]
For a moment, silence filled the hall, then applause erupted.
The Head Judge stepped forward and announced, "Winner of the first Duel is Charles Irvin Zane."
The crowd cheered loudly.
Chuck pumped a fist, "Yes!"
Across from him, Dante simply smiled and said, "Not bad."
Chuck grinned, "Told you."
The old gambler chuckled while gathering his cards, "Let's see if you can do it twice."
The applause from the first duel had barely died down before both players were already shuffling for the second.
Chuck looked energized and Dante looked entertained.
The old gambler casually finished shuffling before presenting his deck, "One more?"
Chuck grinned, "You say that like there'll be a third."
Several spectators laughed while Dante merely smiled and said, "Oh, there'll be a third."
The confidence in his voice was strange, not arrogant, certain.
The Head Judge raised his hand and announced, "Second Duel. Start!"
Both duelists drew their opening hands, and since Chuck had won the previous duel, Dante took the first turn.
The old gambler studied his opening hand for several seconds before calmly setting a monster and two face-down cards, then saying, "Turn end."
Chuck immediately drew, and without hesitation, he summoned Battle Ox.
Several spectators nodded as this was just like the previous duel.
"Attack."
Dante's face-down monster was destroyed, then Chuck set a card and ended.
As the duel progressed, Alexander found himself watching Dante more than the field while thinking, 'Something feels different. The old gambler isn't focusing primarily on the cards. He is watching Chuck. Every pause. Every glance. Every hesitation. Every reaction.'
The realisation came suddenly, 'He's studying him. Not the deck, the player.'
Dante had spent the entire first duel gathering information, and now he was using it.
A few turns later, Dante drew and immediately smiled, "Ah."
He flipped a card on the field face-up while announcing, "I activate Morphing Jar."
The crowd immediately leaned forward while several participants recognised the card from earlier rounds.
Seeing the confusion on the faces of some, Alexander quickly explained, "Both players discard their entire hands and draw five new cards."
The spectators erupted.
"What?"
"That's insane."
"Everyone gets a new hand?"
Chuck frowned slightly as he discarded and then both players redrew.
The duel's momentum shifted immediately as the carefully planned hands vanished.
Everything changed, but Dante seemed perfectly comfortable with it while Chuck looked mildly annoyed.
Alexander noticed the difference; Chuck preferred certainty, and Dante preferred chaos.
A few turns later, the old gambler drew and laughed, "Well now."
He slapped a monster onto the field and said, "I summon Jirai Gumo."
[Jirai Gumo – 2200 ATK / 100 DEF]
The crowd reacted immediately as the giant spider was one of the strongest monsters seen during the tournament.
Chuck narrowed his eyes, then Dante picked up a coin.
Several spectators immediately understood what was coming.
"Oh!"
"The gambling monster!"
Dante flipped the coin, and the entire hall watched until the coin landed with a soft chiming sound.
Heads.
The crowd cheered as Jirai Gumo's effect succeeded.
The attack went through, and Chuck lost a significant chunk of Life Points.
[Chuck – 2500 LP]
The old gambler grinned, "Looks like fortune still remembers me."
Chuck rolled his eyes and shot back, "Don't get used to it."
A few turns later, Jirai Gumo attacked again.
Another coin toss.
The coin spun through the air and soon landed.
Tails.
A collective groan swept through the crowd as Dante immediately lost Life Points.
[Dante – 1900 LP]
The old gambler simply shrugged, "Can't win them all."
Laughter spread through the spectators, and even a few judges smiled.
Meanwhile, Chuck wasn't laughing because the gambling wasn't the annoying part.
Dante never stopped talking, never stopped observing, never stopped poking.
Chuck summoned Koumori Dragon.
His eyes immediately shifted toward Dante's field until he said, "You were going to attack there."
Chuck froze for a split second before he said, "...Maybe."
Dante pointed at him, "Thought so."
The crowd laughed.
Chuck looked visibly irritated.
A few turns later, Dante studied Chuck's hand, then smiled, "You've been holding that card for three turns."
Chuck instinctively glanced downward before immediately realising his mistake.
Dante burst out laughing, "See? Important card."
The crowd laughed even harder.
"That's not fair."
"He's playing mind games."
"Can he even do that?"
Alexander folded his arms while thinking, 'Technically? Yes. Nothing in the rules prohibited talking or bluffing. And Dante knows it.'
The duel continued.
Life Points steadily dropped on both sides.
[Chuck – 1800 LP]
[Dante – 1300 LP]
Despite the jokes and gambling, the old man was gradually taking control, not through luck but through pressure, mental pressure.
Every decision felt questioned, every hesitation felt exposed.
For the first time all tournament, Chuck seemed genuinely frustrated; then came the turning point.
Chuck finally established a threatening field with Battle Ox, Koumori Dragon, and a set trap.
Several spectators immediately sensed the danger.
"If he survives one turn..."
"He might end it."
Dante drew, and his eyes lit up, "Oh."
Then he smiled and said, "A beautiful card."
He immediately placed it onto the field, "I activate Raigeki."
The crowd erupted as the Spell Card destroyed every monster on Chuck's side of the field.
The momentum swung instantly, and several spectators groaned.
"That's brutal."
"Everything's gone."
Chuck clicked his tongue, and for the first time in the duel, he looked genuinely shaken.
Dante wasn't finished; he followed with Axe Raider and then attacked directly.
[Chuck – 100 LP]
From that point onward, the duel never truly recovered. Chuck attempted to rebuild, but each effort was answered.
One turn later, Dante used Change of Heart, and another turn later Monster Reborn.
The advantage steadily grew; the old gambler never rushed, never overextended and never gave Chuck an opening.
Eventually the final attack came, and Chuck's remaining Life Points hit zero.
[Chuck – 0 LP]
The Head Judge stepped forward.
"Winner of the second duel is Dante Venturi."
For a moment the hall was silent, then the conference hall exploded with cheers, applause, and excited conversations.
Everyone loved such a tense and fought duel.
Chuck leaned back in his chair and exhaled.
Across from him, Dante gathered his cards, still smiling, still relaxed, as if none of this had surprised him.
The old gambler glanced up and said, "One each."
Chuck grinned despite himself, "Yeah."
Dante shuffled his deck, "Now we're gambling with everything on the line."
The crowd immediately grew louder because everything would be decided by the next duel.
Chuck sat quietly, and Alexander noticed immediately, and so did Roland.
Chuck wasn't angry; he was thinking, and across the table, Dante watched him.
The old gambler smiled while thinking, 'The kid finally understands. The problem isn't luck. The problem is focus.'
Eventually, Chuck exhaled and then smiled, a genuine smile.
Dante's eyes sharpened slightly as he realised that the real duel had just begun.
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