Using the funds provided by [Ten Thousand Dragon], Youmi ate three big bowls of ramen at a shop downstairs, finally about eighty percent full, before returning to the inn to grab her Duel Disk and heading out to the street.
Though she already had a rough grasp of this world's era and setting, she hadn't actually played yet. To confirm this world's rules and timeline, Youmi, wearing her Duel Disk, raised her hand to stop a passerby who also wore one. However, the man had a shifty look and tiny glasses… he definitely didn't look trustworthy.
"Ah, Duel City! But the Duel City tournament doesn't start until tomorrow. I'm actually one of the shop owners assigned to provide Duel Disks. My, what a beautiful young lady! You must be a foreigner? Truly stunning." The man rubbed his hands together with a sly grin—an absolute caricature of a shady merchant.
Putting on her best customer-service smile, Youmi thought the man looked oddly familiar, then decided to fish for information.
"Ah, you could say that. I came here to participate in the Duel City tournament and maybe collect some cards on the side. Since you're one of the shopkeepers supplying Duel Disks, would you happen to have any cards or packs for sale right now? Money isn't an issue—I'm quite confident in that regard as a Duelist."
"I see, I see! Well, because of the tournament, packs have been in high demand, but I still have a few left. How about coming to my shop and trying your luck? If you pull any rare cards, I'll buy them off you at a high price."
Apparently, her [Lovely Labrynth of the Silver Castle] appearance worked wonders—the swindler's suddenly polite attitude made Youmi inwardly cringe, though convenience was convenience.
Nodding silently, she followed him to the card shop.
Tearing open a booster pack, Youmi spread out the cards inside. Among them were [Night Assailant] and [King of the Swamp]. If her memory served right, those were from the 309 pack—[Night Assailant] hadn't yet been errata'd. She hadn't planned a Deck around it yet, so she decided to keep it for collection.
"Oh~ and a [Vampire Lady] too?"
As an OCG-era player, Youmi knew this card wasn't exactly meta; regardless, for this timeline, it was decent enough to replace some useless filler monsters. "Wait a sec… this one, and this [Avatar of The Pot]… those are from 308, right? These Duel City packs are a real mix. What kind of card pool is this?"
After a few more packs, something interesting finally appeared.
[Mazera DeVille], Level 8 Fiend, 2800 ATK, 2300 DEF. Cannot be Normal Summoned. Must be Special Summoned by Tributing one face-up [Warrior of Zera] while [Pandemonium] is on the field. When successfully Special Summoned, your opponent randomly discards three cards from their hand.
"Now that's a solid ace." Youmi held [Mazera DeVille] between her fingers, examining the artwork with appreciation. She stacked her unwanted cards neatly beside her. "Boss, these are the ones I don't need. You buying? Just name your price."
The shopkeeper grabbed a calculator to tally up the value—abruptly, then, before he could, a spiky-haired boy and three friends (two boys and one girl) entered the shop. Youmi instantly recognized that star-shaped hair—it was none other than Yugi Muto, the protagonist of Yu-Gi-Oh! itself. That hairstyle was unmistakable.
As the shopkeeper turned to greet them, Youmi suddenly remembered—this guy was the Rare Hunters' informant!
He was the one who leaked the information about Joey Wheeler's rare card [Red-Eyes Black Dragon], leading to that infamous nighttime ambush Duel.
Well, no way was she letting the Rare Hunters get anything from her. Scooping up all her cards, she tucked them neatly into her bag and walked out of the shop.
Standing outside, she began reorganizing her Deck and waited for them to come out.
Since she was already in Duel City, how could she not duel Yugi or Joey? Missing that chance would be a crime.
Hearing footsteps from inside, Youmi knew they were coming out.
Standing before the door, she looked at Yugi and Joey holding their Duel Disk boxes. "The moment you stepped in, I recognized you—the Duel Kingdom champion, Yugi Muto, and his friends, right? What an honor. Since you've got your Duel Disks, how about a Duel with me?"
"Huh? You know me?" Yugi blinked, clearly surprised to be challenged here of all places. Before he could answer, someone else stepped forward.
"Hey, who are you, just walking up and challenging Yugi?" Apparently offended that the stranger only acknowledged Yugi, Joey jabbed a thumb at himself. "I'm Joey Wheeler, runner-up of Duel Kingdom! How about you Duel me first before going for Yugi?"
"Joey-kun."
For Youmi, whether she faced Joey or Yugi didn't matter much—though since the 'commoner' had stepped up, she might as well tease him a bit.
"Ah, Joey Wheeler-kun, right? I've seen your file in KaibaCorp's Duelist database. One of the rare few officially recognized with the title of 'Commoner Duelist.' Truly unique! That hot-blooded, reckless energy of yours is quite something. Very well, if you want to Duel, let's Duel~
"As a little appetizer before my Duel with the Duel Kingdom champion, of course~"
Youmi shook her card case mockingly, smirking.
"Oh, you'll regret calling me an appetizer! And what's with everyone calling me a commoner anyway? I was the runner-up!" Joey stepped outside, tearing open the Duel Disk box, strapping it onto his arm, and inserting his Deck. "I'll show you the greatness of Perfect Joey!"
Narrowing her eyes with satisfaction, Youmi relished the moment—she was talking to one of the Yu-Gi-Oh! icons in person.
She readied her own Duel Disk and slid in her Deck. "Alright then, let's begin. Show me your strength, Perfect Joey~"
...
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