Leotyrex [255] rushed into the Active Spot, towering and massive. Cracks in reality shimmered around it, and the air hummed with distortion as it let out a savage bellow, its signature [Portal Roar] echoing like a rift being torn open.

  "Let's go, Leotyrex! [Dimensional Jolt]!"

  A jagged pulse of warped space launched from Leotyrex's maw, crackling like thunder and slamming into the opposing Zeldritch. The impact was tremendous, knocking the creature back and leading to a knockout.

  ??? Jake's Conquest Points: [3 | 3] ???

  "Another KO," I muttered to myself, watching my opponent slump in defeat as their Zeldritch dissolved into glittering motes. That made three knockouts—my final Conquest Point. Game over.

  Win condition: Victory by knocking out three of my opponent's Active Zeldritch.

  Stats flashed across my Sync Band's screen, showing a cumulative total from several battles:

  ???

  Jake Garm's ZP: [180] → [380]

  Jake Garm's Ranking: [168920] → [115111]

  Jake Garm's Crystal Credits: [3508] → [5008]

  ???

  As I turned away after patting my opponent on the back to encourage him, Sarah greeted me with a grin, practically bouncing in place. "You crushed it!" she exclaimed, then paused to check the dueling leaderboard on her phone. "You just made the Top 120K. You're officially on the grid now."

  Finally, I noted the Apex Circuit's hefty registration fee: [5008] → [3008] Crystal Credits. Paid in full once I submitted the form. We were set for tomorrow's event!

  ??? ???

  After a week of grueling practice duels against Sarah and a gaggle of other rookies, I finally felt ready for the Apex Circuit. As we approached the venue, I was struck by the sheer scale of the crowd. Unlike the Duel Center, it felt more like a carnival than a tournament!

  Balloons shaped like drifting Zeldritch creatures bobbed overhead: the irritable Angroombo, the tearful Mournfoombo, and the ever-grinning Smiloombo, each swaying lazily against the bright sky. Performers twirled alongside their dancing monster pals, and vendors hawked sugar-dusted churros and other tempting treats that threatened to distract even the steeliest duelist.

  By the time Sarah and I navigated half a dozen detours—okay, I admit I got completely sidetracked sampling a Mournfoombo-shaped cotton candy—we spent about half an hour making our way to the main event. Just when we thought we'd arrived, Sarah stopped dead in her tracks, pointing excitedly toward a crowd gathered near the entrance of the Apex Circuit Dome. I squinted to see what had captivated her attention.

  "Whoa! Hold up, isn't that Ossedia?" she exclaimed, her glasses catching the sunlight but somehow reflecting her sheer excitement even more brightly. She was practically vibrating with joy at the sight of a girl surrounded by an adoring mob.

  The girl seemed to be a cosplay enthusiast, decked out in a shimmering crystal dress that could probably double as a mermaid's fit. Her platinum-blonde hair glimmered with a bluish tint, almost as if it were made of glass. But what really caught my eye were those crystalline mouse ears and the tail swishing behind her. She looked like an idol or a pop star, and I had to admit, she was adorably cute—though she seemed to be in the early college years, or at least that was what I guessed from her petite frame. The way she twitched nervously in the spotlight suggested she was feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the attention.

  Standing in front of her was a guy who bore a striking resemblance to her, only he sported razor-sharp crystalline fins on his head. With a fierce look on his face that screamed "back off," it was clear he would snap at any moment—and honestly, I couldn't blame him. He looked to be about the same age as her, and judging by his posture, he was likely playing the role of bodyguard—his outfit screamed "security"—the kind you'd expect to see protecting a president or some other important figure.

  I tried hard to recall seeing either of them before, but no matter how much I tried, nothing came to mind. When I returned my gaze to Sarah, it was at that point I answered empty handed. "Nope, don't recognize her, seems like she's popular?"

  Sarah shook her head. "You don't know? She's only the reigning champion of the Apex Circuit!"

  "Oh wow, really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I'd never heard of her before today, so it surprised me to hear that she held such an impressive title.

  We edged closer to the swarm of fans, Sarah practically dragging me along by the elbow. Every selfie stick and squeal only amplified the circus atmosphere—the carnival rides, the sugar-dusted churros, the Mournfoombo-shaped balloons wobbling overhead. If Spade were out of my Sync Band, he would have been overwhelmed by all the excitement around.

  "She's… unreal," Sarah whispered, having me look away from my Sync Band. "Ossedia—the Zeldritch Expert. Top of the Elite Circle. And get this: she fell into fashion by sheer accident after one runway gig. Now she designs dueling wear."

  "Doesn't she get tired of people constantly pestering her?" I nudged Sarah's bun with a light tap giddy mood.

  She gave a shrug as if to say, "Beats me." "I've seen videos of her matches. She's like a whirlwind on the field. Her Zeldritch can take down anything that crosses her path."

  I couldn't help but wonder if Sarah was right—but what made me pause was the fact that she'd mentioned nothing about Ossedia's deck.

  Suddenly, a loud voice rang out from nearby.

  "Hey, hey! There's no time to waste! Let's get this thing started!"

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  The crowd parted to reveal two guys strolling along toward us. One was tall, with a ginger faux-hawk hairstyle; the other was shorter, with long black hair tied up into a ponytail. They both wore matching blue-and-white sports coats, though they seemed to be of different sizes, with the shorter one's suit being a vest.

  As soon as they caught sight of us, they started waving energetically.

  "Well, well, if it isn't Sarah! I didn't expect to see you here!"

  "You know these guys?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "They're my friends, Max and Ren," Sarah explained. "Max is a top-tier duelist, and Ren is his assistant."

  Max's eyes gleamed with a sharp edge. "I'm gonna wipe the floor with you someday. Just watch."

  Ren shot him an exasperated look. "You've said that every time we've played together. Give her a break already."

  The two boys approached us with a friendly grin. "So, who's this? A new friend?" Ren asked.

  "Yep, this is my buddy Jake!" Sarah said. "He's pretty good, too!"

  Max let out a low whistle. "Is that so? Then you'll have to prove it. We're headed into the Apex Circuit Dome now."

  Ren frowned as he glared to where Ossedia's posse blockaded the entrance. "Unfortunately, we can't get inside with all those fans around her. They're blocking our way."

  I looked at Ossedia again. "Do you know how long that'll take?" I asked.

  "Depends," Ren replied. "It could be anywhere from five minutes to an hour."

  Sarah's eyes widened in surprise. "An hour? Seriously?"

  Max nodded solemnly. "Unfortunately, yes. And if we miss our slot, then we'll have to wait until the next round. So what are we waiting for? Let's get moving!"

  He began marching toward the crowd, followed closely behind by Ren. Sarah and I shared a quick glance before rushing after them.

  When we were close to reaching the entrance, I craned my neck to get a better look. Ossedia's eyes were wide, pinned on her phone as she scrolled through well-wishes. Her crystalline ears twitched every time someone shouted her name; her tail gave tiny, nervous swishes against the polished marble floor. The bodyguard beside her—who I silently nicknamed "Finhead"—was all sharp angles and low growls, scanning the throng like he smelled trouble.

  Sarah's eyes were practically heart-eyed at the sight.

  She tugged on my sleeve. "Come on—we've got to say hi! Ossedia's a legend in the tourney scene. She's top fifty in the bracket." And she continued to ramble on, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, like someone had replaced her sneakers with pogo-sticks.

  I squared my shoulders. "Alright, but if she asks for my autograph first, I’m calling you out." We threaded through the press of bodies—kids in dragon hoodies, parents juggling snack towers, and dueling teams waving pennants. The security guard snapped to attention as we neared, his crystalline fins reflecting carnival lights like razor-sharp prisms.

  Max stopped in front of Ossedia's guard and cleared his throat loudly. "Delta! Man, it's been awhile!"

  Delta didn't even spare him a glance. "I'm afraid now is not the time, Max. As you can see, I'm quite busy."

  Sarah elbowed me in the ribs and pointed. "That's Delta, Ossedia's bodyguard and manager." She grinned. "They've known each other since middle school."

  I nodded in understanding. Half horrified and perplexed as to how she knew all of this, but understanding nonetheless.

  A loud sigh came from beside us, followed by a pair of footsteps approaching. "Hey, please allow me to stick between you two for a moment."

  I turned around to spot a hooded girl squeezing between me and Sarah, but I saw a shimmer from her hair despite having her head down. I caught a glimpse of her face and was surprised to see it that it belonged to Ossedia.

  "Whoa," I whispered. "You're..."

  I trailed off when I caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were glowing purple. She looked at me and smiled, though it was a little strained.

  "I know they're weird, but thank you for noticing. While Max and Ren are distracting Delta, I've decided to leave the crowd for a moment and take a break," Ossedia explained, her crystalline tail swaying behind her. "I don't like crowds very much, and Delta worries about my safety whenever he sees one."

  I nodded slowly, trying not to stare too much at her eyes. "I get it, yeah. Being famous must be hard."

  Sarah held her lips clamped together as we eased our way through the mass of people. As we broke out into the open air, Ossedia let out a relieved sigh. Her expression brightened considerably, and she turned to face us. "So, how can I help you?"

  "We just wanted to say hi," Sarah replied. "You've got a pretty awesome following."

  Ossedia giggled and those large ears of hers twitched as the hood dropped. "I do, don't I? But I'm still getting used to it. Everyone's always asking for autographs and pictures with me." Her voice took on an apologetic tone. "Sorry if I seem rude, but I'm really tired from all this attention. I'm looking forward to seeing some new faces at the tournament."

  I gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I understand completely. It must be hard being a celebrity."

  She chuckled again. "You're not wrong. But enough about that—what about you two? Why are you here?"

  "Oh! We came to try out the Apex Circuit!" Sarah said excitedly.

  "That's wonderful! I hope you have fun! It's going to be exciting to see new duelists challenging the circuit," Ossedia said with a smile.

  It startled me when I watched her face shifting from cheerful to a squint as she leaned closer to Sarah and sniffed. "You look and smell familiar. Have we met before?"

  Sarah shook her head in rapid succession to her responses. "What? I mean, no, not really, but yes, kinda? Maybe. You're mistaking me for someone else."

  Ossedia tilted her head curiously. "Hmm… maybe it's just my imagination then. Well, I should get back before Delta notices I'm gone." She waved goodbye as she headed off towards the entrance of the dome.

  Sarah stood there in stunned silence. "That... that was close."

  I patted her on the shoulder gently, but carefully watched as her angst transformed into a scowl. "Let's get inside, we're probably running late."

  The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful, aside from bumping into various vendors, booths, and a few other players along the way.

  When we reached the venue, we finally stepped inside the Apex Circuit Dome. The place was packed with duelists, so much so that we had to push our way through the crowd to get past them. Once inside, however, things calmed down significantly.

  There were several large screens mounted on the walls, showing off different matches taking place throughout the building.

  "Hey, Sarah," I said. "Is it just me or does it look like some kind of coliseum?"

  Sarah nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! That's because it is! This place has been used for many different events over the years, but this is the first time it's hosting a tournament like this!" She gestured to the huge field at the center of the arena. "The Apex Circuit Dome was built to accommodate huge events and tournaments."

  She continued to explain how the Apex Circuit worked while we walked toward the registration desk. Once there, we handed over our registration cards and signed up for our slots. After a brief wait, we were given our schedules and told to proceed to our assigned arenas.

  The Apex Circuit Dome was divided into four sections, each with its own tournament bracket. Each section contained thirty-two duelists, with the first round being two-on-two battles. The second round would feature one-on-one matches, and the third round consisted of a single-elimination round between eight players.

  Sarah and I were paired as partners. We had registered ourselves as the Arcane Hounds—a name suggested by her. We were lucky enough to get our first match early, so we headed over to the arena immediately after we received our schedules.

  The arena was enormous, consisting of several different sections for each battle. There was a large circular stage in the center of the room with an elevated platform above it, which served as a spectator area. The other sections had smaller stages surrounded by a number of seats for the spectators.

  After the briefing, we were led through a pair of gleaming chromatic gates into the arena proper—two long tables under spotlights shaped like roaring Archliorexes heads. The announcer's voice boomed through hidden speakers, reciting our names and ranks as if we were rock stars instead of rookies.

  Sarah and I stepped up into the arena just as the announcer's voice boomed over the P.A.: "First Round, Match A3—Team Arcane Hounds versus Team Hazard Veil!" A flare of lights framed our opponents before they even had time to wave.