Chapter 133 – Arrival at Worcester

Saturday was much more hectic than Alexander would have preferred.

The Promethean Academy team had spent the better part of the morning travelling, going through airport procedures, checking luggage, making sure every student was accounted for, and generally dealing with the kind of organised chaos that came with moving an entire school team across the country.

By the time they finally arrived at Worcester Regional Airport, everyone was tired, and yet, there was an undeniable sense of excitement in the air.

They were finally here, in Worcester, Massachusetts. The location of the Inter-School Duel Monsters Championship Final Phase. The tournament that Alexander had helped build.

As the students gathered their luggage and followed their teacher advisor through the airport, Alexander couldn't help but notice how different everyone looked compared to when they had left.

Some students were excitedly talking about the tournament; others were constantly checking their surroundings as this was likely the first time some of them ever travelled this far from their home and state, and a few were simply trying not to look too nervous.

Ginny fell somewhere in the middle. She wasn't panicking, but Alexander could tell she was thinking about tomorrow.

Alexander watched her for another few seconds before nudging her shoulder with his and said, "You're doing the thing."

Ginny glanced at him and asked, "What thing?"

"The thing where you pretend you're not nervous by staring at everything like you're expecting someone to ambush you."

"I am not doing that."

"You absolutely are."

She gave him a sceptical look. "And what, exactly, does being nervous look like?"

"For you?" Alexander considered it for a moment before he replied, "Usually involves you reorganising your deck around 10 times, asking me questions you already know the answer to, and pretending you suddenly care about the nutritional content of airport food."

Ginny snorted, "That last one was one time."

"It happened an hour ago, and it was very memorable."

She shook her head, but the corner of her mouth lifted.

Alexander smiled, "Hey. You'll be fine."

"That's easy for you to say."

"True. I don't have to play, but if I were, I would naturally obliterate all opposition."

"Arrogant."

"Handsome."

"Debatable."

"Cruel."

That earned him a small laugh.

Alexander bumped her shoulder again and said, "Seriously, Ginny. You've spent the last few months preparing for this. You know your deck, you know your strategies, and you've used everything I've taught you about the game to build such a degenerate deck that I'm starting to question whether dating you was strategically sound."

"You're just figuring that out?"

"I'm a slow learner."

She laughed again, and some of the tension seemed to leave her shoulders.

Alexander gave her a softer smile. "Tomorrow's just another tournament. The only difference is there'll be a few more people counting on you."

Ginny looked at him for a moment and asked, "And if I mess up?"

"Then you mess up."

She blinked, but Alexander shrugged and said, "We'll still be here afterwards. You, me, the team. Nobody's going to care if you misplay a card or even lose a game. This tournament can only be won by a team, not a single player."

Ginny smiled faintly and said, "I'm not so sure; you might make fun of me."

"Oh, absolutely. I'll make fun of you for years."

"Lex."

"What? It's my duty as your boyfriend."

She rolled her eyes, but this time she was smiling properly and muttered, "Idiot."

"Your brilliant and handsome idiot."

"Unfortunately."

"Still counts."

Ginny rolled her eyes before turning her attention back toward the rest of the group.

Eventually, everyone made their way outside, where a bus was already waiting for them.

The transportation had been arranged beforehand, along with the rest of the accommodations for the participating schools. Emma Frost and Frost International had made sure of that; after all, they weren't organising some small local competition.

The Inter-School Duel Monsters Championship was planned to become a major national event, and its Final Phase was being treated accordingly.

The students loaded their luggage onto the bus before climbing aboard.

Alexander took a seat beside Ginny while Chuck, Julia, and the others settled into their own seats.

As the bus pulled away from the airport, Alexander looked through the window and noticed that Worcester was lively.

Cars moved along the roads, people walked along the sidewalks, businesses were open, and the city continued with its normal Saturday routine, yet somewhere within it, dozens of schools were converging for the biggest school Duel Monsters event the country had ever seen; Well, it was also the very first school Duel Monsters event, so it wasn't that high of a bar to overcome.

Alexander leaned back in his seat and thought, 'Tomorrow's going to be fun...'

~~~▽~~~

The Worcester Marriott was already busy when they arrived.

The bus had barely stopped before Alexander noticed several other school teams entering and leaving the hotel.

Some had clearly arrived earlier; others were arriving around roughly the same time as Promethean Academy, and judging by the number of buses and vehicles still coming and going, plenty of teams had yet to arrive.

Students wearing different school uniforms moved through the lobby. Teachers carried folders and documents. Parents and chaperones attempted to keep track of their children. Tournament staff moved between groups, checking credentials and directing people where they needed to go.

For a moment, Alexander simply watched the scene, appreciating Emma's diligence and attention to the details. 'Not bad.'

The Promethean advisor headed toward the reception desk to collect the team's room keys, and Alexander followed him.

Technically, neither he nor Julia was part of the tournament team, so their accommodations were separate from the official student arrangements.

Fortunately, that wasn't exactly difficult to arrange because Alexander had helped create the tournament and had worked closely with Emma during its development; he had a pretty good idea of how Frost International was handling the accommodations, so he'd simply made his own arrangements.

Once he received the keys for himself and Julia, he returned to the group.

"Here." He handed Julia her key.

She looked at it before looking back at him. "This is for my room?"

"Yes. I made sure that our rooms are close to those of our friends. So don't worry."

"Thank you." She slipped the key into her pocket and added, "At least we don't have to worry about that."

"See? I plan ahead."

Julia gave him a flat look. "You also have an entire company and a very wealthy family behind you."

"Details."

She laughed quietly.

The two continued chatting with their friends while they waited for the advisor to finish dealing with the reception staff.

Eventually, the teacher returned with the rest of the room keys. "All right, everyone. You've got your rooms. Get settled in and rest."

A few students looked relieved.

"Tomorrow is going to be a long day," the teacher continued. "We have an early start, registration, final preparations, and then the tournament itself. I want everyone rested and ready."

Nobody objected.

After waking up early, travelling, going through the airport, and spending hours on the road, everyone was more exhausted than they wanted to admit.

The students began gathering their luggage.

Alexander, however, had other plans which he properly informed, "I'm heading to the Worcester Centrum."

The advisor looked at him and asked, "Shouldn't you rest too?"

"I'm not participating in tomorrow's tournament." Alexander gestured toward himself. "I don't have to conserve my energy."

"You intend to work?"

"Not exactly." He paused and explained, "I'm just going to check on the venue."

The teacher sighed and said, "Of course you are."

Alexander smiled, then after saying goodbye to the others, he headed outside and calmly waited for a taxi to pass by so that he could hail it.

It didn't take long for a taxi to arrive, and so Alexander raised his arm and waved his hand in the air to call it over, and once the taxi stopped in front of him, Alexander stepped inside, greeted the driver and gave the address of the Worcester Centrum before he settled into the back seat.

For once, he wasn't particularly worried.

The tournament preparations were no longer his responsibility as Emma had everything under control.

Frost International had teams handling the logistics, Industrial Illusions had provided its own support where necessary, and Alexander didn't have any other active part in that; for once, he could simply watch.

He turned toward the window and casually observed the city as the taxi moved through Worcester when suddenly he heard a familiar cry.

"Kurii~"

Alexander blinked, turned his head and saw a small, transparent figure floating beside him.

Alexander smiled and whispered, "Hey, Kuriboh."

"Kurii!"

The little Duel Spirit happily floated around him.

This was something that had changed recently. His bond with Kuriboh had grown strong enough that the Duel Spirit could now manifest in this ghost-like form whenever it wanted; more importantly, Alexander didn't need to spend Duel Energy to summon it; Kuriboh simply appeared.

And he wasn't the only Duel Spirit who could do it, as Dark Magician Girl also made her appearance a few times to tease or just chat with him.

Alexander had discovered that stronger bonds could allow certain spirits to manifest in a similar way; there was, however, a significant limitation as they couldn't actually interact with the physical world.

Kuriboh could float through the car, but it couldn't touch anything; it couldn't open a door, it couldn't pick something up, but it could physically interact and communicate with Alexander, which was still pretty useful.

"You're lucky nobody else can see you."

"Kurii?"

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not explaining to the taxi driver why there's a floating cute ghost sitting next to me."

Kuriboh tilted its body.

Alexander sighed, "Yes, I know you're cute."

"Kurii~"

"Don't get smug."

The Duel Spirit happily floated beside him, rubbing its furry body on his head from time to time as a show of affection for the remainder of the trip.

The taxi eventually arrived at the Worcester Centrum.

Alexander paid the driver before stepping out and taking a look at his surroundings.

The area around the venue was already busy.

He entered the building and approached the main access point, and a security guard immediately stopped him. "I'm sorry, but the area is currently closed to the public as there are ongoing preparations for tomorrow's event."

Alexander calmly provided his credentials while thanking the guard for his job and polite tone, while internally praising Emma's personnel choice.

The guard checked them; his eyes widened before he looked at Alexander, then checked the information again.

After a few moments, he nodded, "You're clear to pass, sir."

"Thanks."

Alexander walked past security and into the main area, and the sight immediately brought a smile to his face.

The venue was chaos. Organised chaos, but chaos nonetheless.

Technicians were moving equipment around. Cameras were being tested. Cables ran across sections of the floor. Lighting equipment was being adjusted. Tournament coordinators hurried between different areas while checking schedules and communicating with other members of staff. Judges were going through their own preparations. ESPN crews were setting up their equipment. Everyone seemed to have something to do.

Alexander stopped for a moment and simply looked around.

Normally, this kind of scene would have made him nervous, as there were dozens of things that could go wrong.

Technical failures. Scheduling problems. Equipment malfunctions. Rules questions. Communication errors. A hundred different things.

But this time? None of it was his problem. So Alexander simply smiled and enjoyed the scene, 'This is nice.'

For once, he wasn't the person who had to worry about everything.

He wasn't the tournament organiser. He wasn't responsible for making sure every piece fit together. He was simply one of the people who had helped create the event.

A partner. A spectator. And maybe someone who was still curious enough to wander around and see how everything was coming together.

He carefully walked around the venue, making sure not to get in anyone's way.

Several familiar faces noticed him.

Judges greeted him. Tournament staff waved. Members of the ESPN crew recognised him.

Alexander returned their greetings as he continued through the venue, then he noticed someone particularly familiar.

Mike Patrick.

Alexander smiled.

Mike was standing beside another man, apparently discussing something related to the broadcast.

The man was broad-shouldered and athletic-looking, with neatly trimmed dark hair, a square face, and the composed appearance of someone accustomed to being in front of a camera.

Alexander walked over. "Good afternoon, Mike."

Mike turned. "Alexander!"

The two exchanged greetings.

"It's good to see you again," Mike said.

"You too."

Mike gestured toward the man beside him and said, "Alexander, this is Mike Gottfried. He'll be joining me for tomorrow's broadcast. Mike, this is Alexander, the creator of Duel Monsters and owner of Industrial Illusions."

Alexander nodded. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Gottfried replied.

Mike Patrick smiled and said, "I've been telling him about the things I learned working with you during the second edition of the Duel Monsters Grand Prix."

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Of course." Mike laughed. "There's quite a lot to explain."

He began talking about the game and some of the things he'd learned while working with Alexander.

How to follow the flow of a duel. Which kinds of plays were worth highlighting. How important the players themselves were to the broadcast. How simply explaining every card effect wasn't enough to make a match interesting.

Gottfried listened carefully, occasionally asking questions.

Alexander answered where he could and gave some suggestions regarding the Tag Duel format.

It was strange hearing Mike talk about Duel Monsters like this.

The game had come a long way, as it wasn't just a children's card game anymore, but it was quickly being recognised as a sport, an entertainment product, a business, and now it had professional-style broadcasting.

After a little more idle conversation, Alexander noticed someone else across the venue, Emma Frost.

She was overseeing the final preparations.

Alexander politely excused himself from the two commentators before walking over. "Good afternoon, Emma."

Emma turned toward him. "Alexander."

She smiled slightly and asked, "What do you think?"

Alexander looked around.

He took his time observing the venue before answering, "Honestly?"

"Always."

"It looks incredible."

Emma smiled, "I'm glad you approve."

"Everything seems organised. The cameras are ready, the stages are almost finished, and everyone seems to know what they're supposed to be doing."

"Almost?"

Alexander shrugged. "There's always something that can go wrong when so many people work on something this large."

Emma gave him an amused look. "Fair enough."

Alexander looked around once more. "Seriously, though. You've done a great job."

"Thank you."

Emma's expression became slightly more thoughtful before she said, "I took quite a bit of inspiration from your Grand Prix."

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "I noticed."

"But I didn't want to simply recreate it." Emma gestured toward the venue. "I wanted to give it my own identity."

"And you did."

Emma nodded. "I also have you to thank for quite a few things."

"For what?"

"The rules. The format. The technical details."

She gave him a pointed look. "You spent quite a lot of time helping me iron those out."

Alexander smiled. "Someone had to make sure you didn't accidentally break the game. And this is a win-win situation for us. The better your result, the better it is for me."

Emma laughed softly, "True."

They continued talking for a while.

It wasn't a particularly formal conversation, as there was no business negotiation taking place or major decision needed to be made.

They were simply two people who had spent a considerable amount of time working on the same project, now standing inside the finished product.

Eventually, Alexander glanced at the time. "I should probably head back."

"Already?"

"I've been here long enough."

Emma nodded. "Then get some rest."

"I'll try."

Alexander turned before stopping. "Good luck tomorrow."

Emma smiled and confidently said, "Thank you, but I won't need it."

Alexander gave her a final nod before leaving the venue.

~~~▽~~~

The taxi ride back to the hotel was quieter.

Alexander leaned against the window and watched Worcester pass by as the sun slowly dipped down, calmly enjoying the fact that for once, he wouldn't be the one making everything happen, and he would simply be watching and enjoying the show while also gathering quite a bit of DP and DE through the Duel Network Synchronisation function.

The taxi eventually stopped outside the Worcester Marriott, and again Alexander paid the driver and stepped out.

He adjusted his clothes before heading toward the entrance until he noticed a group approaching from another direction.

At first, he didn't pay much attention as there were dozens of people entering the hotel tonight, but then he noticed the wheelchair.

A bald man sat in it, his features composed and dignified despite his relatively young age. He looked to be around forty, with a strong, clean-shaven face and dark eyebrows that gave his otherwise calm expression a certain intensity. He wore a neatly tailored suit, his posture remarkably straight despite the wheelchair, and there was something quietly authoritative about him, the sort of presence that made a person seem accustomed to being listened to.

Pushing the wheelchair was a beautiful young woman who couldn't have been much older than twenty-four. Her long red hair fell freely around her shoulders, vivid even in the fading evening light, framing a fair, delicately featured face. She had an athletic yet graceful build, and there was a confidence in the way she moved that seemed at odds with her youthful appearance. Her green eyes briefly scanned the hotel entrance as she guided the wheelchair forward.

Alexander's eyes narrowed as something about them looked familiar, then he noticed the man walking beside them.

Sunglasses; At night.

The man was young, perhaps twenty-five, with the lean, athletic build of someone who kept himself in excellent physical condition. His brown hair was neatly trimmed, his jaw clean-shaven, and his expression was serious without being openly hostile. He wore a dark jacket over a fitted shirt and carried himself with the disciplined posture of someone accustomed to constant vigilance.

But it was the sunglasses that really caught Alexander's attention.

They weren't fashionable shades meant to complete an outfit. They were practical, opaque, and firmly in place despite the rapidly fading sunlight.

Alexander stared at him for another moment, then recognition began to creep in.

Alexander stopped completely as his brain took a moment to process what he was seeing, 'A bald man in a wheelchair... A stunning red-haired woman... A guy with sunglasses and a stick up his ass...'

His eyes widened. 'No fucking way.'

He stared at them again, and there was no mistaking it.

A second later, the realisation finally hit him, 'Fuck! It's the X-Men!'