Monday, 05/07/2001, 10:50 a.m.
Domino High School, second floor, Class B.
Shin was staring at Anzu's back with a strange expression on his face. His gaze briefly stopped on four figures a bit farther ahead in the classroom—Yugi, Hiroto, Jonouchi, and Bakura. His eyebrows arched with caution when he looked at the last of them, but serenity quickly returned to his face.
Shin and Anzu had already reached the group.
Yugi was the first to speak, his tone cordial and his expression cheerful.
"Hey, Osako! Congrats on the championship!"
Shin returned the greeting with a nod, his expression calm and his words polite.
"Hello, Muto. Thanks."
Bakura spoke next. A smile curved his lips, though it didn't reach his eyes. His voice was soft, and his tone friendly.
"How are you, Osako?"
Shin replied in a courteous tone. His smile, too, didn't reach his eyes.
"Hello, Bakura."
Shin's gaze shifted to Hiroto, who nodded at him with a faint smile. Shin mirrored the gesture and then turned to Jonouchi. The blond boy wore a dark expression. Shin greeted him calmly.
"Jonouchi."
Jonouchi merely scoffed, narrowing his eyes and looking away, his expression bitter and his words awkward.
"Hmph. Hello."
At that point, Anzu took a seat at one of the desks, her voice cheerful.
"This time, I'll play."
A nervous smile followed by a faint blush spread across Anzu's face. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a deck. A hesitant question left her lips.
"Um... Shin. Will you be my opponent, please?"
At the boys' surprised expressions, Shin nodded silently and sat at the desk across from Anzu. A deck rested in his right hand.
Eyes wide open, Yugi whispered in astonishment, his expression uneasy.
"Anzu."
In that moment, Yugi's presence changed completely. His posture straightened, his arms crossed over his chest, and his gaze sharpened with a serious air.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bakura's expression turned briefly dark as he looked at Yugi, before reverting to an innocent face.
Meanwhile, Anzu and Shin had exchanged decks and started shuffling.
With a focused expression, Anzu returned Shin's deck to him, her tone unaware.
"I was born in August, so I'm older than Shin. That means you go first."
Shin raised an eyebrow as he took back his deck and handed over Anzu's, his expression confused.
Grinning mischievously, Hiroto chimed in teasingly.
"Oh yeah? And how would you know that?"
Several pairs of eyes fell on Anzu at that moment. The girl blushed and lowered her head as she glanced at Shin.
Shaking his head, Shin drew five cards from his deck, his expression calm. Looking at his hand, he spoke kindly.
"I was born on October fifth, and Mazaki on August eighteenth. I found out by chance back then. I suppose you did the same, right?"
At first with a confused look, Anzu nodded repeatedly, her voice faltering and her face flushed.
"Y-yeah! That's it!"
Meanwhile, Anzu drew five cards from her deck. Her hands were trembling, and her eyes subtly glanced at Shin's face. A conflicted expression marked her features. A murmur escaped her lips.
"Thanks, Shin."
After coughing a couple of times, Hiroto spoke in a complimentary tone.
"By the way, we saw the regional championship. You were amazing. Where were you hiding those skills, man?"
Raising an eyebrow, Shin shrugged, a detached look on his face. His reply was brief and dry.
"Luck, I suppose."
Hiroto's mouth twisted in an odd grimace, but he said nothing.
Selecting a card from his hand, Shin placed it on his side of the board. It was a monster in attack position.
Beast of Talwar LV6 ∆Dark∆ (Normal) {Fiend} [2400ATK/2150DEF]
Hiroto, Yugi, Bakura, and Jonouchi exchanged puzzled glances before focusing back on the duel.
The card's image depicted a tall, muscular green demon with blue wings, wielding twin scimitars.
Eyes wide, Anzu muttered in desperation, her shoulders slumping.
"Two thousand four hundred attack points? How am I supposed to beat that thing?"
The boys' expressions turned grim. Jonouchi muttered bitterly.
"This guy really starts strong."
Meanwhile, Shin placed two face-down cards on the board and spoke with an indifferent expression.
"I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
Scrunching her nose, Anzu drew a card from her deck, her expression serious. After a short pause, she placed a monster on her side of the field. Her words stumbled out.
"I summon—summon Petit Angel."
Petit Angel LV3 ∆Light∆ (Normal) {Fairy} [600ATK/900DEF]
The card's image showed a small, pink, rounded creature with blue wings, stubby three-toed legs, and tiny triangular arms without hands. A pink halo hovered above its head. The card stood vertically in its designated slot.
The boys' expressions, except for Jonouchi's, turned bitter. Bakura muttered regretfully.
"Oh no. She played it in attack position."
Shin's face remained calm. Then Anzu placed two cards face-down and spoke softly, her expression uncertain.
"I-I... think that's it."
In silence, Shin drew a card from his deck. After a brief pause, he declared in a flat tone.
"I attack your monster."
With a determined expression, Anzu flipped over one of her face-down cards.
The card's image depicted a violet and gold open lock embedded with various gemstones, with a matching golden key in its slot.
Upon seeing the card, Anzu's face filled with alarm. Her eyes widened, and a pink hue spread across her cheeks as she murmured incoherently.
"No-no, that's not the—"
But Shin's voice cut her off a second later. His expression showed slight surprise.
"Chain. Your card doesn't prevent me from activating the effects of mine."
Before the astonished eyes of the others, Shin flipped both of his face-down cards in succession. He narrated the process in a serious tone.
"First I use my spell card, Change of Heart, to bring your Petit Angel under my control."
After pointing to one of his freshly flipped cards, Shin moved Anzu's Petit Angel to his side of the field in the same position. The card showed an androgynous person with long blond hair, delicate features, brown eyes, and a flowing white robe. On its back were two contrasting wings—one angelic, white and feathery on the right, and one demonic, black and ominous on the left. Near the figure's chest, above hands held together in a cupping gesture, rested a heart divided between light and darkness.
Blinking a couple of times in confusion, Anzu turned her gaze toward Yugi. But it was Bakura who spoke, his tone explanatory.
"That card lets you take control of an opponent's monster. It's very rare and powerful."
Meanwhile, Shin continued narrating his play without a change in tone.
"...And then I sacrifice it along with my Beast of Talwar to ritual summon Chakra from my deck."
After sending both sacrifices to their respective graveyards, Shin began searching his deck.
Meanwhile, Jonouchi asked curiously, looking confused. His hand roughly tousled his hair.
"Ritual? What's that? There are cards like that? I don't get it."
Several pairs of eyes turned toward Yugi with puzzled expressions. Raising his eyebrows, Yugi spoke in a reflective tone.
"It's natural you haven't seen them before. A ritual is made up of two cards—the ritual spell and the monster it's meant to summon. The cost to activate the spell requires a number of monsters whose total level matches or exceeds the monster's level. In this case, Chakra has seven stars and requires monsters whose stars add up to that or more. Beast of Talwar has six, and Petit Angel has three, so the conditions are met. Rituals are an advanced play style, and their cards are among the rarest in the game. Osako's an incredible duelist, no doubt. His deck is tremendously powerful. Although..."
Yugi's gaze shifted from Shin to Anzu, admiration giving way to respect in his expression. He raised a thumbs-up in encouragement.
"...What surprises me the most is you, Anzu. You pushed Osako to make that move. At any other point in the game, it might've cost you the match. Well done!"
In that moment, all eyes turned to Anzu. Jonouchi spoke in an excited voice.
"That's right, Anzu! Give that guy a beating!"
Hiroto opened his eyes wide in surprise, his words doubtful.
"I can't believe Anzu pulled that off."
Bakura exclaimed in a praising tone, a faint smile on his lips.
"You've got this, Anzu! Keep it up!"
Lowering her head, her face red, a murmur escaped Anzu's lips, her expression conflicted. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.
"But-but... That wasn't the card I meant to activate."
Riiiinnng!
At that very moment, the bell rang.