Chapter 7: Let's Have a Duel Monsters Match! Of course, no one in the village can beat me.
"Everyone, my house is just up ahead." Yugi Mutou and the others walked home, with Yugi Mutou leading the way. He pointed to a small house not far ahead and turned to the other four, saying.
"Huh, Yugi Mutou lives here?" Although Téa had known Yugi Mutou the longest among the four, this was her first time visiting Yugi Mutou's house.
After all, before Yugi Mutou became friends with Joey Wheeler, Tristan, and Hayato, he barely played with boys. In such a situation, even if Yugi Mutou invited Téa, Téa couldn't possibly come over by herself; it would too easily lead to misunderstandings.
Following the direction Yugi Mutou pointed, Joey Wheeler could clearly see the huge red "GAME" sign in front of the small house from a distance: "Is that the shop? I wonder how many powerful Rare Cards Yugi Mutou's Grandfather has. I'm really looking forward to it."
"I actually think the strength of the Cards isn't the most important thing. The most important thing in Duel Monsters should be the synergy between the Cards," Yugi Mutou didn't have too much anticipation. Firstly, because he had seen many powerful Cards since he was a child, and secondly, he had already seen the true form of the Card his Grandfather collected.
Its powerful physique and magnificent appearance were unforgettable once seen. However, Yugi Mutou didn't think such a Monster was invincible. As long as the Deck worked well together, there was no enemy that couldn't be defeated.
"Is Duel Monsters really that interesting?" Tristan looked uninterested.
"Of course it is. You control all sorts of Monsters to battle in a small space. The strong can accumulate advantage and build an unstoppable army, while the weak can also rely on a constant stream of Cards with various effects to turn the tide and make a comeback," Hayato explained enthusiastically. "The charm of Duel Monsters, you'll know it once you play."
Tristan was somewhat moved by Hayato's words. Joey Wheeler, Yugi Mutou, and Hayato all seemed to play that game called "Duel Monsters," which he wasn't very interested in. However, since his companions all played, should he give it a try too? Besides, Yugi Mutou's family runs a Card Shop, right? He could also support his friend's family business along the way.
While they were talking, they arrived in front of the small house. Yugi Mutou pushed open the door while saying inside: "Ji-chan, I'm home."
"Oh, Yugi Mutou, you're back." Pushing open the door of the small house, the first thing that came into view was a white-haired old man standing behind the counter, holding a magazine and flipping through it. Hearing Yugi Mutou's voice, the old man looked up and responded, quickly noticing the few people who followed Yugi Mutou in. "This is rare. You came back with classmates today."
"Excuse us for intruding, Grandpa Mutou." Téa was the first to greet him. Hayato and the other two also smiled and greeted the old man.
Sugoroku Mutou, officially rated as a powerful Duelist with a Duel strength and Deck rating of 4☆ (maximum is 5☆). His hairstyle was exactly the same as Yugi Mutou's, the only difference being that Sugoroku Mutou wore a yellow bandana on his head and his hair color was gray.
Furthermore, the height difference between Yugi Mutou and Sugoroku Mutou, this grandfather-grandson pair, was an awkward 0.
Looking at Sugoroku, who had a look of relief that "Yugi Mutou finally has friends to play with," Téa couldn't help but worry for Yugi Mutou in her heart – judging by Grandpa Sugoroku's appearance, is the height of Yugi Mutou's family hereditary? Doesn't that mean Yugi Mutou's current height is his life's peak?!
Grandpa and grandson Mutou, who were in a good mood, didn't have the Millennium Eye, so they naturally wouldn't know Téa's inner thoughts. Without even having time to put down his school bag, Yugi Mutou excitedly requested Grandpa Sugoroku: "Oh right, Ji-chan, let everyone see that super~ amazing Card of yours."
"What, you mean that Card?" Grandpa Sugoroku tilted his head, put down the magazine in his hand, and stroked the beard on his chin, looking thoughtful.
Yugi Mutou quickly put his hands together in a pleading gesture: "Please, Ji-chan."
"We beg you," Joey Wheeler also bowed very politely.
"Ah, there's really no helping you guys. I'll make an exception just this once." Sugoroku Mutou was, after all, running a Toy Shop and wasn't a difficult person to deal with. His thoughtful look earlier was just his naturally playful personality. Seeing Yugi Mutou and Joey Wheeler plead, a bright smile appeared on his face, and he walked into the back of the shop to find his hidden treasure.
While waiting, Yugi Mutou led the others around the Toy Shop. Originally, this Toy Shop sold all sorts of toys, but because of the increasing popularity of Duel Monsters, Grandpa Sugoroku was considering transitioning into a specialized Card Shop. Even now, before the complete transition, nearly 90% of the shop's area was used for selling Duel Monsters Cards.
"I say, are there really that many Cards?" Looking at the almost dazzling array of Cards, Tristan couldn't help but exclaim, "There must be hundreds of them here. Are there that many Duel Monsters Cards?"
"Not quite."
Seeing Yugi Mutou shake his head, Tristan finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I knew it, there couldn't be that many."
Hayato smiled and patted his shoulder: "Yugi Mutou means that these aren't all the Cards. The number of Duel Monsters Cards is much, much more than what's displayed here. It's estimated to be over a thousand. Some Rare Cards are even globally limited editions."
"O-over a thousand?! That's a bit exaggerated." Tristan and Téa both showed surprised expressions, while Joey Wheeler spoke with a smug look: "Not only that, the number of Cards is constantly increasing. Maybe in the future, there will be two thousand, five thousand, or even over ten thousand Cards."
You really jinxed it, huh? Hayato recalled that Card nicknamed "Ten Thousand Dragon," the ten thousandth Card. It was a special commemorative Card released to celebrate the Yu-Gi-Oh! Card issuance reaching 10,000, not only available in Japanese but also with a unique rarity level. And because some anime-exclusive Cards haven't been made into real Cards, the number of Cards in the anime is even more than 10,000.
However, that was still a long time in the future.
"Duel Monsters is what's called a Trading Card Game. Players can build different Decks according to their preferences, and the more total Cards there are, the more interesting it becomes."
"Wow, the pictures are drawn so beautifully. These few Cards are so pretty and cute," Téa seemed to really like a few Cards displayed in the counter. "But there are also some Cards with really strange drawings."
"Is this your first time seeing Duel Monsters, Téa?" Joey Wheeler asked. Téa shook her head, "I've heard about it before, but I've only seen others play. This is my first time seeing the Cards up close."
Yugi Mutou seemed to think of something, took out his Deck from his school bag, and asked Hayato: "Speaking of Duel Monsters, simply collecting Cards is fun, but playing against each other is the most interesting part."
"We really are on the same wavelength, Yugi Mutou boy." Hayato also smiled and took out the Tin Box containing his Deck. "Let's have a Duel Monsters match."