Bonus Chapter
The applause had barely faded when the Head Judge stepped forward once more.
The atmosphere inside the conference hall felt completely different now.
Earlier, there had been hundreds of participants with dozens of matches and constant movement and chatter, but now only two players remained.
The two finalists. Two duelists separated from victory by a single match.
The Head Judge adjusted his glasses before speaking, "Ladies and gentlemen."
The room immediately quieted in response to the now familiar voice.
"The finals of the Duel Monsters Grand Prix will now begin."
A wave of excitement swept through the spectators, and even the reporters seated near the front quickly prepared their notebooks.
The Head Judge continued, "Would Charles Irvin Zane and Victor Von Doom please approach the main table?"
The hall erupted into cheers as Chuck immediately stood and Victor did the same across the room.
The contrast between them was impossible to miss.
Chuck looked excited while Victor looked thoughtful, yet both walked toward the table with steady confidence.
As they reached the centre stage, applause intensified, and players eliminated earlier in the tournament joined in.
Employees, judges, families, friends, everyone understood they were witnessing the conclusion of the very first Duel Monsters Grand Prix.
Near the front row, Ginny crossed her arms and grinned, "Don't embarrass yourself."
Chuck laughed and said, "No promises."
Alexander simply smiled while Roland stood beside him, yet neither said anything as the moment belonged to the finalists.
The two boys sat down.
The Head Judge performed the now familiar routine, "The finals will follow the standard best-of-three format. No outside assistance. No coaching. Any disputes will be resolved by tournament judges."
He glanced between them and added, "Good luck."
Then he raised his hand, "First duel. Begin!"
A coin spun into the air, and the crowd followed its flight before it landed.
Seeing the result, Chuck grinned and said, "Looks like I'm going first."
Victor simply nodded, "Very well."
Chuck drew his opening hand and immediately thought, 'Not bad... but not perfect either. Still, there are enough monsters to start applying pressure immediately.'
A grin spread across his face as he made his move, "I summon Battle Ox in Attack Position!"
[Battle Ox – 1700 ATK / 1000 DEF]
The crowd immediately cheered as it was very much like Chuck, aggressive from the very first turn.
"I'll set one card and end my turn."
Across the table, Victor drew his opening card, his eyes moved across the field, then toward his hand.
A few seconds later, he also made his move, "I summon Witch of the Black Forest in Attack Position."
[Witch of the Black Forest – 1100 ATK / 1200 DEF]
Several spectators blinked as they saw no attack position for La Jinn or other powerful beaters, which meant no immediate attempt to challenge Battle Ox.
Victor didn't give them the time to fully react as he simply entered Battle Phase and declared, "Witch of the Black Forest attacks Battle Ox."
Gasps spread throughout the conference hall as the attack was absurd.
Battle Ox effortlessly destroyed the smaller monster.
[Victor – 3400 LP]
Yet Victor's expression never changed, and Alexander immediately understood, "He wanted the search. He's treating Life Points just like any other resource..."
Roland nodded, equally impressed even if he didn't fully understand what Alexander truly meant.
The moment Witch of the Black Forest reached the Graveyard, Victor activated its effect and added a card from his deck to his hand before showing it; it was Sangan.
He was clearly generating card advantage while planning for the future.
Chuck merely shrugged while thinking, 'Oh well... If Victor wants to lose Life Points, that is his decision.'
The duel continued as Victor set one card down and ended his turn.
Chuck pressed forward relentlessly as a Koumori Dragon joined the field, then Battle Ox attacked again.
Victor answered by activating Waboku, protecting himself from any damage, forcing Chuck to end his turn.
Then Victor set one monster card on the field that was revealed to be Wall of Illusion during Chuck's next turn when he attacked with a newly summoned monster.
The attack wasn't only stopped; Chuck received damage as Wall of Illusion's DEF was higher than the attacking monster, and on top of that, the monster returned to Chuck's hand because of Wall of Illusion's effect.
The crowd reacted immediately.
"Ouch."
"That card is so annoying."
Chuck grimaced but quickly resummoned his monster on the following turn.
That was his style, keep attacking, keep applying pressure, never give the opponent time to breathe.
A few turns later, Lord of D. appeared, and the audience cheered loudly.
Several players already recognised the card as the centrepiece of Chuck's strategy.
Alexander folded his arms while thinking, 'Now things become interesting...'
Chuck activated The Flute of Summoning Dragon, and the conference hall erupted as two dragons appeared simultaneously.
Koumori Dragon and Curse of Dragon.
Just like that, Chuck transformed an ordinary field into a threatening offensive position.
"Now we're talking!" he declared.
Several spectators laughed.
That was probably the most Chuck sentence imaginable.
He declared his attack, breaking through all defences, and Victor's Life Points fell again, but Chuck lost Curse of Dragon as it was returned to his hand by the destroyed Wall of Illusion.
(AN: For those who want to nitpick, Lord of D. protects Dragon Monsters from "targeting" effects; Wall of Illusion doesn't target, it just activates when it is attacked.)
Yet, the momentum belonged entirely to Chuck, or at least it appeared to.
Alexander continued watching Victor instead of the field as the young Latverian never seemed concerned, frustrated, or pressured, only focused.
As though every card Chuck played simply revealed another piece of information.
Then Victor drew, his eyes moved briefly toward Chuck's field, then toward his hand and announced, "I activate Change of Heart."
The room immediately erupted as gasps echoed throughout the audience.
Chuck's Lord of D. switched sides.
"Oh no," Ginny muttered from the sidelines.
Victor didn't hesitate and continued, "I tribute Lord of D."
The spectators immediately realised what was coming, and soon the card hit the table while Victor announced, "I Tribute Summon Summoned Skull."
[Summoned Skull – 2500 ATK / 1200 DEF]
The conference hall exploded.
Even after an entire day of tournament play, Summoned Skull still possessed an undeniable presence.
The card depicting the imposing fiend appeared on the monitors, and its attack power surpassed every monster Chuck currently owned.
Chuck grimaced and commented, "That's bad."
Alexander nodded slowly while thinking, 'Very bad. Victor isn't merely playing well; he is dissecting Chuck's strategy. By the third turn he already seemed to understand how Chuck's deck functioned. By the fifth turn he was actively exploiting it. His deck relies heavily on Lord of D.'s protection and The Flute of Summoning Dragon. Victor had recognised that almost immediately and instead of destroying Lord of D. he had stolen it and then converted it into a stronger monster.'
The duel continued as Summoned Skull attacked directly, dealing massive damage to Chuck's Life Points.
[Chuck – 1350 LP]
After that, Victor set one card down and ended his turn.
Chuck answered by summoning another monster, but Victor responded with Trap Hole, forcing him to set one card down and end his turn.
The next turn, Victor attacked, but Chuck activated Waboku to survive the lethal attack.
The crowd applauded.
Then Victor summoned Sangan and, a turn later, Witch of the Black Forest while Chuck kept enduring.
Each card ready to be replaced, each card ready to generate another resource, another option, and another future play.
Eventually, Alexander noticed something familiar; it was the same pattern that had appeared against Ginny.
Every exchange looked fair, every trade seemed equal, yet somehow Victor always emerged ahead.
One extra card, one extra monster, one extra answer.
Small advantages accumulated until they became impossible to ignore.
Chuck didn't give up and continued fighting; he took the chance and activated Mirror Force.
The crowd erupted as Victor's monsters were destroyed, briefly shifting the momentum.
Several spectators leaned forward as maybe this was the opening he needed, maybe this was his chance.
Victor calmly activated Monster Reborn on his following turn, and many realised that the opening vanished almost immediately as a collective groan spread through the audience.
Chuck himself laughed, "Haha... Seriously?"
Victor offered no response but attacked, yet Chuck used his last Waboku to survive.
The duel continued.
Curse of Dragon reappeared thanks to Monster Reborn, Blue-Winged Crown was summoned, and the Field Spell Mountain and the Equip Spell Dragon Treasure were activated to boost them.
[Curse of Dragon - 2500 ATK / 2000 DEF]
[Blue-Winged Crown - 1800 ATK / 1400 DEF]
Then every monster Chuck summoned immediately entered combat and attacked, destroying Summoned Skull a second time and dealing damage to Victor's Life Points, bringing them closer to Chuck's.
[Victor - 1600]
His strategy never changed, never slowed, never became cautious, and the crowd loved him for it.
Even while losing, especially while losing.
A few turns later, both duelists were running low on resources.
Chuck drew, studied his hand, then sighed dramatically, and the audience laughed at his absolutely transparent face, making it easy for everyone to guess his feelings.
"Not what you wanted?" someone shouted.
"Nope."
The response earned another round of laughter.
He simply set one card and ended his turn.
Across the table, Victor drew, looked at the field, then used his second Monster Reborn to revive Summoned Skull and entered Battle Phase.
"Summoned Skull attacks directly."
The attack connected.
[Chuck – 0 LP]
Silence briefly filled the conference hall, then applause erupted from every direction.
The Head Judge immediately stepped forward, raised his hand and announced, "The winner of the first duel..."
The room gradually quieted as he continued, "...Victor Von Doom!"
Applause intensified once more while Victor merely nodded as though the result had been expected from the beginning.
Across the table, Chuck leaned back in his chair then chuckled, "Heh... Damn."
The simple reaction drew a few chuckles from nearby spectators while Victor looked at him and commented, "You appear unusually cheerful for someone who just lost."
Chuck grinned and replied, "That's because I still have two duels left."
For the first time all day, the corner of Victor's mouth twitched upward, barely, almost imperceptibly, but Alexander noticed and so did Ginny.
The young Latverian gathered his cards before replying, "A reasonable assessment."
Chuck blinked, then burst out laughing, "Hahaha... That's Doom-speak for optimism, isn't it?"
Victor didn't answer, which was answer enough.
The crowd laughed as the tension eased.
The first duel belonged to Victor; the match, however, was far from over.
The second duel began, and once again Chuck went first since he lost the previous duel.
He started with a familiar opening by summoning Battle Ox in attack position before he set two cards and ended his turn.
Victor drew, and the duel progressed quickly, and at first it looked alarmingly similar to the first game.
Victor established control almost immediately, and Chuck opened aggressively with Battle Ox and Koumori Dragon.
Victor answered by revealing Wall of Illusion.
The attack was stopped, and the monster returned to Chuck's hand.
A few turns later, Victor activated Graceful Charity, then Sangan, then Monster Reborn.
Every card seemed connected to another, and every exchange generated value while every play created another option.
Meanwhile Chuck did what Chuck always did.
He attacked relentlessly while Dragons filled the field, and as a result Life Points fell for both sides.
The audience cheered every offensive push, yet somehow Victor always recovered.
A well-timed Raigeki wiped away an entire field, and another Monster Reborn recovered lost momentum.
La Jinn and Big Eye steadily chipped away at Chuck's Life Points and manipulated the top order of the deck.
Ten minutes later, the situation looked grim.
Chuck's field was empty, and Victor controlled Summoned Skull and a face-down card.
Several spectators exchanged uneasy glances as the scene felt painfully familiar.
Across the table, Victor appeared completely composed and certain.
Alexander folded his arms once again while thinking, 'Victor had spent the entire duel doing what he always did. Accumulating advantages one card, one exchange, one decision at a time until suddenly the game looks unwinnable.'
Chuck looked down at his remaining Life Points, then at his hand and realised, 'Damn! Nothing useful. Nothing capable of turning the duel around.'
Across the field, Victor waited calmly; the future Doctor Doom already looked one step away from victory.
The entire hall felt silent.
Even the spectators seemed reluctant to speak as everyone understood how important the next draw would be.
Chuck reached toward his deck, then he froze as a strange sensation washed over him.
It wasn't pain nor fear but something else.
For the briefest moment, he heard a sound, a distant roar, clearly young, wild and excited, like a dragon calling from somewhere impossibly far away.
Chuck blinked as the sensation vanished immediately, yet somehow he knew.
He knew exactly what card he was about to draw.
His fingers touched the top card, and he smiled.
Across the hall, Alexander immediately straightened, and his eyes widened, 'That sensation is unmistakable. It's a Duel Spirit!'
Victor felt it too, but much fainter than Alexander, like a ripple across still water, yet his gaze sharpened immediately, 'Something has just happened. I don't know what exactly, but something definitely did...'
Chuck drew, then laughed, a genuine laugh, "Hahaha! I knew it!"
The spectators looked confused.
Then Chuck revealed the card, "Baby Dragon."
Several audience members blinked as it was a weak monster, hardly the miracle draw one would expect.
Victor, however, continued watching silently.
Chuck's grin widened as he announced, "I activate Polymerization!"
Now the crowd reacted as everyone understood immediately.
Alexander smiled while thinking, 'Of course. Of all Duel Spirits that could recognise Chuck. Of course it would be a dragon.'
Chuck placed two cards onto the table, "I fuse Baby Dragon and Time Wizard in my hand!"
The hall exploded.
"I Fusion Summon Thousand Dragon!"
[Thousand Dragon – 2400 ATK / 2000 DEF]
Thunderous applause erupted.
The card of the iconic fusion monster appeared on every television screen.
Chuck practically looked ready to jump out of his chair, "There you are!"
Alexander couldn't help laughing quietly as the card wasn't particularly powerful by tournament standards; in fact, Summoned Skull still possessed more attack points, yet somehow it felt perfect.
It was Chuck's monster.
The one he talked about constantly, the one he always tried to summon, the one that represented everything he loved about Duel Monsters.
Across the field, Victor studied the monster, then studied Chuck; something about the situation intrigued him.
The duel continued, and this time momentum shifted.
Dragon Treasure strengthened Thousand Dragon, a recovered Lord of D. enabled further pressure and protection, and The Flute of Summoning Dragon filled the field.
For the first time in the whole match, Victor found himself on the defensive.
The spectators were on their feet; every successful attack drew cheers, and every trap drew gasps.
Victor attempted to stabilise.
A Witch of the Black Forest searched another monster, a defensive Wall of Illusion bought time, and a Waboku prevented disaster.
Chuck refused to let him breathe; the pressure never stopped.
Thousand Dragon destroyed La Jinn, then another monster, then another.
Victor's Life Points continued falling.
Alexander slowly smiled because, unlike Ginny, Chuck wasn't adapting and wasn't changing strategies; he was simply doing what he did best.
Attacking and believing, and somehow it was working.
Until finally.
"Thousand Dragon attacks directly!"
The attack connected.
[Victor – 0 LP]
For a moment, nobody moved, then the conference hall erupted.
The noise was deafening.
People jumped from their seats as applause echoed from every corner.
The Head Judge raised his hand, "Winner of the second Duel..."
The audience gradually quieted.
"Charles Irvin Zane!"
Chuck pumped his fist into the air, "HELL YES!"
The crowd answered with another wave of cheers.
Across the field, Victor slowly gathered his cards; his expression remained calm, yet his eyes lingered on Chuck a little longer than before.
Alexander noticed immediately that Victor had felt it too, maybe not understood it, but definitely felt it.
The future Doctor Doom was many things, but ignorant was not one of them.
The Head Judge waited patiently for the excitement to settle, then finally spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen."
The hall gradually quieted.
"The score is now one duel each."
A fresh wave of anticipation swept through the audience.
Only one duel remained. One final game. One final victor.
The first Duel Monsters Grand Prix would be decided here by Charles Irvin Zane or Victor Von Doom.
And as both duelists prepared their decks for the decisive third duel, nobody in the conference hall could look away.
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