To Isabel

[pendulum_soul]

I guess you still haven't let it go that I decided to choose my finals over competing in the Action Duel tournament. That was my own choice, but you seem to have enough issue with it, to call me out over it.
I guess I do kinda have my own issues with how you've been dueling too. I don't really agree with the physical violence you've been using. To me, duels should be about entertainment and smiles for both the audience and the duelists involved! It shouldn't be about purposely hurting your opponent in order to win.

But I should just let my dueling do the talking right?



I'm accepting your challenge! I'll show you my best Entertainment Dueling!

Comments

[naturalcure]

That's a cute sentiment. I've been doing this since before you could walk, so I'll just go ahead and ignore you telling me what dueling should be about.

You still don't seem to get it, so I guess I'm gonna need to explain why I called you out.

You created a new summoning method and you did it by challenging a duelist that, on paper, was way out of your league. Yeah? I got that about right?

[pendulum_soul]

Well, technically, Strong Ishijima was the one who challenged me, but yeah, that's about right.

[naturalcure]

Haha. No he wasn't.

You challenged him first. Months before that.

[pendulum_soul]

... You mean when my dad didn't turn up for the match and how I yelled that I'd take on Strong Ishijima on in his place.

Yeah, okay, I guess that was kind of a challenge.

[naturalcure]

I'm not tryin' to upset you, Sakaki, I'm trying to prove a point.

He was the top duelist in your city, he was a champion and you challenged him and you didn't give a shit what'd happen if you lost.

But when you were invited to the tournament, with an opportunity to duel some of the greatest duelists in the world, the chance to duel Juudai and me, the chance to become a champion and instead of going for it, you started hedging - you were worried about what would happen if you entered and you lost, you cared more about your grades, at a school that's teaching you how to be a duelist, you cared more about being graded on being a duelist then going out and ACTUALLY BEING ONE.

You have more raw talent than anybody I've seen in a long time, Sakaki, but you cannot be a real duelist if you're too afraid to take chances. Do you understand what I'm saying? I called you out because I want you to think, really think if this isn't the right place for you to be.

[pendulum_soul]

When I dueled Strong Ishijima, I was already at the bottom of the barrel in everyone's eyes back then. Everyone saw my dad as some coward who ran away from the match and because of that, they also saw me as a coward who'd do the same. Nobody took me seriously. I was teased and talked about constantly, even by people I didn't know.
At best, I'd win and show everyone that neither me or my dad are cowards and at worst I'd lose and.... everything would just go back to being how it was.

I felt I had less to lose back then.

But now I've built up so much, not just as the pioneer of pendulum summoning, but as a duelist in general. Yuzu and I were the first users of Action Dueling outside of Maiami City. We're pretty much the spokespeople for Entertainment Dueling. I even improved on Action Duels by adding the Action Cards. I feel I've grown so much in just the last few years, both as a duelist and a person and I didn't want to risk that!
Sure! Had I done well in the tournament, the payout would of been bigger, but had I done badly, the amount I would of lost would of been bigger, including the risk of losing my place at Duel Academy. Had it not taken place at such a crucial time such as finals, I would of taken that risk, because I knew that at least I would of had the Academy to fall back on.

I understand what you're saying and I'm not saying you are wrong, but I don't think I was wrong either. There's a right and wrong time to take risks for everyone. What might feel 'right' to one person can feel 'wrong' for another depending on the situation and I just felt I wanted that security.
I don't think it was wrong of me to be cautious and to want something to fall back on.

You seem to be acting like this was all an excuse, but like I said, had it not risked my place at the Academy, I would of taken part, risks and all... but with that one little bit of security that would of made me feel it was a risk worth making.

[naturalcure]

Dress it up as being "cautious" all you want. I have another word for it.

Gutless.

[pendulum_soul]

... I don't think we're going to agree here.
I guess we'll have to settle this with the duel.