The Duel World Championship was the most anticipated event within the sport; coming along every four years, lasting six weeks of the summer and featuring professional duelists all across the world to do battle across the terrain of the city. This year, it was held at Heartland City, an emerging city of technology and innovation. A perfect event for a growing, aspiring city. Many traveled far to get tickets to the events – at least those not already taken up by the sponsoring duel schools. Usually, they sent off their best students as means to inspire and reward, as well as to observe the competition from the competing schools.

One of the biggest sponsors of the championship was Leo Corporation and their own school, Leo Duel School or LDS for short. Easily, they sent the most students as guests to the events, this one being no different. With such a high level of skill and prestige, it was its own entity – a lone wolf of sorts that provided tension amongst themselves and the students of other schools. But the first day of events was normally, peaceful.

"I said, move it!" A young girl yelled in irritation as she shoved through a group of boys blocking the hotel entrance. She could hear them grumbling about her bitchy attitude and heavy suitcase hitting their legs as she lugged them around. Normally, she would've retaliated and scolded them but she was in such a sour mood already, it would've been pointless to add to it. "Wait, what? No, Daddy – I wasn't talking you." She reassured him, adjusting her earbuds. "Sorry, some idiots were in my way. Anyway, I'm about to check in and then get a bite to eat so I'mma call you back in bit."

"That's fair. I doubt the airline food was all that great. Enjoy yourself sweetheart, call me later if you got the energy."

"Ok, Daddy."

"And I don't want some dumb text at 3am about how you forgot."

"Okay, I get it." She smiled, stopping at the check-in desk and putting her bags down, trying to give her aching shoulders some relief. "Talk to you later, Daddy."

"Bye, Rin."

Rin hung up and took off her earbuds and laughed nervously to the probably very exhausted desk attendant. She could only imagine how many people have checked in and how already fed up they were. "Ah, sorry – was talking to my dad." She passed on her student ID as well as a credit card. "Uh, my dad booked a room for me. A single, actually."

"Name?" The attendant asked, his eyes hardly leaving the computer screen

"Sakaki Rin."

His eyes were still blank, a sign of fatigue. "… I meant your dad's."

She blushed mildly from embarrassment. "Oh, sorry. It uh, should be under Sakaki Zarc." Rin was trying not to get into a slight panic, but it was inevitable. After such a long flight and carting around heavy luggage, the last thing she wanted to hear was a nightmare scenario that he forgot to call and book her room.

"Oh dear." The desk attendant's brows furrowed. Rin's heartbeat sped up. "We have your reservation but there seems to have been some confusion." Her leg started bouncing and she could only smile in an effort not to scream at the top of her lungs what exactly he was talking about. "My deepest apologies, due to the large number of duelists arriving – it seems you'll be sharing a suite with another student."

A suite? That was definitely an upgrade. Rin could almost laugh and she did, mostly as just a reflex of relief. "Oh, that's fine! No worries! As long as I got a room." She waved her hands, watching as the attendant finally took her dad's credit card, running it through the system. At least she had a funny story to tell him later that night. He'd probably laugh at her dilemma and say it was some kind of karma.

"And… you are all set, suite 51 at the third floor." He handed Rin a key card as well as the credit card back. "And please, don't worry about the bags – we'll send a bellhop to assist you."

Oh, thank god. Rin was just grateful she didn't have to have to lug them to the elevator and stumble into her room. Instead, she got to watch another attendant come along and pick up her bags, carting them onto a carrier and escorting her to the elevator. "Are there that many students here?"

"At this one?" The bellhop asked for clarification and Rin nodded, pressing the button for the third floor. "Eh… I wouldn't say so, no. This is where mainly the competitors stay, I've seen only a handful of students, mainly from that one school. The really big one. LSD or something."

Rin barely stifled a snort, loving how he referred to that school. "Yea, that one." She didn't want to correct him. Like many other students, she was not exactly a fan of that school – finding it overcrowded, pretentious, and overrated. But it was funny that her dad managed to get her into the same hotel where the competitors were staying. It must've been difficult to do so but nothing was impossible for him. Now she felt prouder of being able to upgrade to a suite. Maybe she'd get to share a room with a snob from LDS and give them a well-deserved taste of reality.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, and Rin squealed, following the bellhop down the hall till they reached suite 51 and she opened it. The room was… absolutely gorgeous, it had the charm of an apartment. "I believe the other student has yet to arrive so for now, you have the room to yourself. Do you have any questions?"

Rin shook her head as she collapsed on the couch, giving a groan of exhaustion and relief. It was so comfortable and she just wanted to sleep for a bit. Food was supposed to be in the plans but that could always be served later. "Nah, I think I'm good. You can leave my bags there, I'll take care of them later."

"Very good, miss."

A nap was definitely in order. She needed some time before dealing with an LDS snob for the next six weeks.

"Miss Serena, can you please concentrate?" Serena peered up from her phone, sighing in annoyance as she put it down next to her and squared up her shoulders – a sign that she was giving Nakajima her full attention. She still found it annoying that her mother had to send him to accompany her. A condition for her attendance, she had to be escorted there and back by her mother's personal secretary. A trivial matter.

She stared, merely waiting for him to continue.

He cleared his throat and stared down at his phone. "Thank you, now… do you have your vitamins?" Serena opened up her bag and took out a little purple bag, shaking it to make a rattling noise. Indeed, those were her vitamins and he took that as an acceptable answer. "Sunblock?"

"You think I'll be outside? Like, in the sun?"

"Miss Serena…"

The young girl rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "Yes. I have it."

"Pho- no, you have that." He muttered under his breath, again scrolling through the list and continuing to read it off as Serena merely gave off smart remarks. Ultimately, she knew her mother was just worried and wanted to make sure she was safe and comfortable at all times. But still, she was being a bit dramatic if she had to list off the snacks she had taken and if she had a jacket and first aid kit as though she were going to be camping or something.

It really had been too long an afternoon.

"Really, her list should be – wallet, suitcases, phone, and duel gear. That's… that's about it. She's being dramatic."

Nakajima nodded, putting away his phone in his pocket. "Well, she has a right to be worried. This is the biggest dueling event of the season and-"

Serena groaned loudly, knocking her head back. She heard the spiel multiple times throughout her life, knew when every dueling event was, which were the major and minors and the scheduling and qualifications almost as well as the back of her hand. It was almost second nature and for Nakajima to start repeating it… "Oh, we're here." A fateful moment when the car had stopped.

Another step closer to relaxing before the main activities. Nakajima stepped out of the car, helping Serena out who then stretched and held tightly onto her bag. "If you don't want to stay here-"

"No!" Serena exclaimed as Nakajima grabbed her other bags from the trunk. "No, no - I'm perfectly fine with this hotel. Just… bigger than I thought." It was really hitting her that she would be gone for six weeks. Her mother was far from her and so was LDS and all her family as well. Nothing ahead but six weeks of pro-dueling and an entire city engulfed in the tournament.

"Come, Miss Serena." She nodded and hurried after Nakajima, who was carrying her two other bags for the trip. The hotel wasn't as crowded as she thought but that may have been just because it was later in the afternoon and by now, most people had checked in to their rooms. The desk attendant looked exhausted. She almost felt sorry for him, recognizing that look she had seen several times on the employees of LDS. Every hotel in the city was probably in hell but this one in particular was where many of the high ranked duelists stayed in, hence why her mother was able to get her a room there. "The reservation should be under Akaba Ray, for her daughter Akaba Serena." Nakajima spoke for her and immediately the desk attendant clicked away.

The name 'Akaba' was well-known no matter what city she was in – especially for something like a duel tournament. Who in the dueling world didn't know of Leo Corporation and the Akaba Family?

It didn't surprise her that he was quickly trying to accommodate her. What did surprise her, however, was the worried look on his face and how furious his typing became.

"Is there a problem?" Nakajima sounded impatient. Serena sighed; what now?

"I, uh… it seems that we overbooked and…"

"Wait," Serena leaned on the counter, her expression hard. "I don't have a room?" She turned to Nakajima. It was a long day and she was finally feeling the effects of it. "My mother told you specifically to get my room months ago! Am I supposed to call her and tell her you're not doing your job?"

"Miss Serena, you don't have to go that far."

She groaned, pulling out her phone as a warning. Nakajima immediately responded by placing his hands on the counter, using his deep voice and stature as a means of intimidation. A slight argument ensued. Well, the argument mainly consisted of Nakajima threatening Leo Corporation lawsuit against the desk attendant who appeared to be the very definition of nervous wreck.

Serena wasn't paying much attention-

"She does have a room, however-"

-until now. And that was all she needed to hear. "Then stop beating around the bush and give me the key!" Serena interjected, holding her hand out and was counting down the seconds until the room key was given to her.

"Miss Serena, I'd rather you not share a room. Especially since your mother spared no expense to make sure you would be comfortable."

Oh?

Was that the problem?

No matter.

"I don't care. I just want a room and I'd take a broom closet. Just give me my key and lead me to my room." The sooner she got to her room, the sooner she could order food and sleep and start her activities in the morning. As well as finally be rid of Nakajima and any nagging orders he'd give her direct from her mother. And sharing a room with another person didn't sound too awful. It would either be another ass-kisser of an LDS student or maybe even a pro-duelist who would recognize her name. Either way, she was in safe hands.

The attendant complied, more than likely wanting their day to end as they slid the room key across the counter and Serena swiped it. "That'll be suite 51 on the third floor."

"Nakajima, see that my bags are handled and sent to my room."

"But Miss-"

"Thank you, Nakajima. I'll see ya in six weeks." She yelled, waving her hand overhead as she reached the elevator, not bothering to look up as she pulled out her phone again. She pressed the button for the third floor, finally seeing Nakajima's flabbergasted expression as the doors shut in front of her and she weaved a huge sigh of relief. It was finally a free moment.

Serena watched the buttons slowly lit up as she passed each floor till the third one lit up and dinged, the doors finally opening. The doors barely opened and she already was pushing her way through, eager to already get to the room.

48, 49, 50… and here we are!

She stopped by a door and inserted the key, the door opening. There were bags by the door that weren't hers, she just assumed it was the other person she was sharing the room with and a note on the table. She picked it up and scoffed.

Hey roomie! I'm Rin! Just letting ya know, I got kinda tired of waiting so I went out to get food and see the sights, so I won't be back till late. Don't be surprised if someone comes in past midnight. Hope we get along for the next six weeks!

It ended with what Serena could only assume was supposed to be a happy emoticon but it came off passive aggressive. Her roommate seemed to be a chipper, happy kind of person. It was just her luck too. There was a pen next to the note and she took it, writing a short reply next to it.

In any event, she merely shrugged it off – going off to the room and dropping her bag on what she assumed was the free bed. It was starting to sink in that she wasn't home anymore, this wasn't her room at Leo Corporation and her mom wouldn't be coming and fiddling with her hair or anything like that. Serena groaned – she wasn't supposed to be missing her mom already.

It hadn't even been a full day!

She merely laid down on the bed, hugging her bag close to her.

12:49am

Rin had lost track of time and the whole city was ablaze with light and life due to the tournament. And she was feeling just as restless due to her nap from earlier. The main entrance to the hotel was finally slow. Of course, there were still people but it looked more like just guests hanging around than anything else. But there wasn't a crowd by the elevator nor people to bustle through or even bags to have to carry around.

No, this time her walk up to her room was much easier.

When she did finally get into her room, her bags were still settled by the door. Oh, right, she remembered. She still had to take care of those and put them away. But there was a note taped onto there.

It was the same note she left on the table for her roommate and it was very clear what kind of person she was sharing the room with.

Hi, I'm Serena.
Move your stuff, it's a safety hazard.