“Ore no turn! Draw!” Yugi shouted with ferocity. He held the card at eye level. His gaze wasn’t on the drawn card, but on the enemy across the field. Seto Kaiba stared back, his eyes burning with all the hatred and pride in his heart. Yugi and Kaiba had a special relationship. They both respected the other’s power even if they didn’t always see things eye-to-eye. Kaiba wanted nothing more than to destroy the King of Games so that he could take the young man’s title. Yugi wanted to bury the hatchet between them. Their war went on for so many years that it was legendary. Yugi wanted the man’s friendship, not his animosity.

He wanted to put an end to the pain that Kaiba felt ever since he lost to Yugi’s other half, the forgotten king, so many years ago.

“Silent Magician, shokan!” Yugi slapped the card into his Duel Disk. White light pooled at his feet and from it rose a blue-haired boy with gray, black, and magenta robes. The Solid Vision system displayed his offensive and defensive attributes of 1000 each for the benefit of the audience. Yugi and Kaiba had dueled since high school. They knew everything there was to know about the key cards in each other’s decks, or so they thought. That was what made Duel Monsters such a wonderful game. Strategies changed, and so did the battles that ensued.

Even at the age of 26, Yugi dueled the same way he always had – with pride and courage, just as the Pharaoh did when Yugi owned the Millennium Puzzle. Every duel Yugi fought was in his memory. He planned to duel until the day he died. It was the only way he knew how to honor his friend’s memory. Besides, Seto Kaiba would never forgive him if he retired from Duel Monsters. As Seto often said, Yugi was the only person worth dueling. In the beginning, he only meant the ‘other’ Yugi. But times had changed.

“It’s useless!” Kaiba taunted. His Blue Eyes White Dragon – the third in his deck – roared fearsomely at his side. The other two dragons were in the graveyard, defeated by the previous combos Yugi had to offer. Both players had only 500 life points left. The audience was ablaze with excitement. They came to witness the best duelists in the world, and they got their wish. This year’s Kaiba Corp Grand Prix was the best yet. There were a handful of children in the audience who couldn’t agree more.

“I can’t believe Yugi took out the Blue Eyes White Dragon with just a four star monster!” said Bastion Misawa. To his left was Alexis Rhodes, the so-called Queen of Duel Academy, and the second biggest lover of Duel Monsters in the group. She was a very cool-headed girl, but watching the battle between Yugi and Kaiba made her blood boil to the point where she could hardly stay in her seat or contain her excitement. Bastion wasn’t sure if she even heard his comment.

The Ra Yellow turned to the two students from Osiris Red on his right. “Can you believe it? A four star monster – with no special abilities of its own! – took out a Blue Eyes thanks to Yugi’s trap card!”

Syrus Truesdale answered immediately. He was excited too, but he was also very attentive and courteous. He went out of his way to answer Bastion, though it was clear from the way his eyes darted how difficult it was to turn away from the action. “I know, it was amazing! Yugi Mutou is the best!”

Jaden Yuki had half a bag of popcorn at his feet. He dropped it when Kaiba’s second Blue Eyes went to the graveyard, and now he matched Alexis’ expression. “Unreal! The King of Games is simply amazing!”

“Shouldn’t we be cheering for President Kaiba, since he owns our school and all?” Syrus asked.

Jaden exploded with excitement. “When we get back to the hotel, we’re dueling all night, guys!!” Syrus sighed. Jaden wasn’t listening at all. He turned his attention back to the field. Yugi was about to make a move.

“I place two cards face-down and end my turn!” Yugi said. The holographic image of two cards appeared at his feet. He and Kaiba both had no cards in their hand, two cards face-down, and one monster to defend them. Both players were going in for the kill.

“Ore no turn!” Kaiba snatched a card from the deck. In a flash, Yugi’s magician gained a Level as per its special effect and increased to 1500 points. Nevertheless, Kaiba smiled smugly. “I’ve drawn the killing card, Yugi! Lord of Dragon!” (DEF 1100. Dark/Spellcaster. All Dragons cannot be targeted by effects.) Yugi and the audience trembled in unison. A card like that was murder in the late stage of the game, when life or death fell on a single card.

Bastion gripped the booth where he and his fellow Duel Academy students sat. “It’s over! The Blue Eyes is unstoppable now!”

Alexis nearly leaped from the booth entirely. “Come on, Mutoh-san! FIGHT!!” The three boys leaned back fearfully. Alexis was scary when she got this pumped.

“Blue Eyes, finish it!!” Kaiba ordered, laughing maniacally. “Burst Stream!!” The field flooded with lightning as the dragon’s magical breath sizzled the air and flew from its mouth.

“Reverse card, open!” Yugi’s hand slashed to his right, just as a spell card snapped upright. “Aria of Beyond!”

Alexis pumped her fist. “Yes! With that card, he can activate a spell that’s been removed from the game! And since Kaiba used Soul Release on Yugi’s graveyard in the fifth turn, that means-“

Bastion caught on. “His Magnet Reverse card!”

Indeed, Yugi’s Magnet Reverse card appeared on the field and glowed with power. “I can revive a Rock or Machine monster from my graveyard. And the card I choose is Valkyrion, the Magna Warrior!” A towering giant materialized in front of the small Silent Magician to protect it. It’s 3500 attack points were brought to bear. “Take this attack!” The magnetic monster pumped all its power into the sword it wielded, slashed its way through the Blue Eyes’ lightning attack, and went straight for the dragon.

“Too naïve, Yugi!” Kaiba roared. “Reverse card, open!” ‘Shrink’ took away the strength of Yugi’s monster and reduced its attack force to a measly 1750. The monster slashed the Blue Eyes with all its might, but the sword shattered on the creature’s scales. Kaiba’s coat tails swerved out of the path of a flying sword blade. The hologram stabbed into the steel floor beside him. “Disappear, sako monster!” The dragon launched into the air and readied one final blast.

Yugi’s second card revealed itself. “Shield of Interception! You may have taken away Valkyrion’s attack strength, but its defense is still intact. I can use it to power up my Silent Magician!!” Valkyrion disappeared from the field and the golden remains of its energy descended on the tiny magician, who suddenly surged with unbelievable strength (ATK 5350).

Bastion gasped in astonishment. “Over 5000?!”

Kaiba snarled angrily. “Mechanical Magic Mirror!” A tiny machine with the vague parody of a wizard’s costume appeared at his side. It held a mirror in its hands just right to reflect the image of a spell card in Yugi’s graveyard. The ‘Devil’s Seal Barrier’ appeared to protected Kaiba’s dragon from Yugi’s magician.

The field quieted. Both Yugi and Kaiba still had their monsters, but their spells and traps were exhausted. Kaiba was forced to end his turn, and it was clear from his angry expression that he dreaded the coming turn. He had the strongest monster on the field since Yugi’s magician returned to its original point total, but Yugi was a devastating opponent when his back was against the wall like this. Kaiba knew he couldn’t relax until the last card was played.

Yugi looked down at his deck, closed his eyes, and held his breath. The audience did the same. The silence was deafening. The stadium and its tens of thousands of people could actually hear Yugi’s draw.

“Level Award!” Yugi flashed the card. “This allows me to change the Level of a monster on the field anywhere from 0 to 8! And you know what that means, Kaiba!” Yugi placed the card in the Duel Disk and let the dramatic light show speak for itself. Silent Magician rapidly leveled up until it was all the way to Level 8. The child-like magician was now a full-grown adult brimming with mystical energy.

“Silent Magician, ike! Silent Strike!!” The magician’s hand opened calmly, and the Blue Eyes White Dragon vanished from existence. The battle ended with Kaiba losing what was left of his life points.

For a moment, the audience was too stunned to react. But soon, the crowd was in an uproar and cheered for the contenders. The kids from Duel Academy were especially proud. They clapped until their hands were sore.

Amidst the roar of the crowd, Yugi smiled at his lifelong rival. “What’s the score now, Kaiba?”

Seto grimaced. “40 to 38. I’ll close the gap. Next time.”

Yugi nodded. “I’ll be waiting.” Without another word, Seto Kaiba turned and walked off the field, leaving the 20-year-old Mokuba Kaiba to officially announce the winner of the 11th annual KC Grand Prix. Yugi’s name was called, and the crowd cheered again.

Alexis cheered the loudest. “Mutoh-san!” She waved. Her uncharacteristic behavior sent chills of terror down Syrus and Bastion’s backs. Jaden grabbed the others and reminded them that they were to meet President Kaiba backstage when the duel was over.

Although this was like a vacation for the students, they were technically here as part of a field trip to study with Seto Kaiba. It was one of his publicity stunts meant to show how strongly he felt about the Duel Academy system and the future of dueling. To the students, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the man who, second only to Maximilian Pegasus, was most integral to making Duel Monsters the worldwide phenomenon it was today.

“Have I thanked you yet, Bastion?” Syrus asked. “It’s because of your near-perfect scores on the Duel Academy written exams that the four of us are here.”

“You’ve thanked me many times already,” Bastion said, smiling proudly. “But thank me again if you’d like.”

Alexis had calmed down from her earlier high, but she was still eager and excited. She walked double-time, forcing the boys to keep up with her. She spoke as she usually did – calm and cool. “This really is wonderful. Even professional duelists don’t get to meet President Kaiba outside of a battle.”

Syrus shuddered. “I would never want to meet him in a battle. I think I’d faint.”

Jaden clenched his fist tightly. “Not me. I’d be so pumped up I couldn’t stand it! MAN, that was so exciting! I wish I could duel him right now!”

A grim voice spoke from around the corner ahead. “Duel who, now?” The students froze in mid-step. President Seto Kaiba walked to meet them, accompanied by his ever-faithful servant Isona. “I hope you don’t think that just because I lost to a duelist like Yugi Mutoh that you students can defeat me as well.”

Syrus tried to hide in his red jacket unsuccessfully. “Oh-oh, we would never think that Sir! Right Jaden? Jaden?” The other Red student had the all-too-familiar look on his face. He wanted Kaiba in the worst way. Syrus whispered a plea to his fellow student, reminding him that Kaiba was the second top ranked duelist on the planet and the owner of the school that gave Jaden food and shelter. Jaden didn’t care. He would give anything to duel the man. Someday, he promised himself. Someday.

Bastion took a big step past Alexis, who was right next to Kaiba, and supplanted her. “Sir! I noticed that you elected to forgo your Deck Destruction combo in favor of the Mosaic Manticore and your Blue Eyes White Dragon. You stuck to the strategy throughout the tournament except for your duel with the third ranked duelist, Joey Wheeler. Why did you go with Deck Destruction for him and not anyone else?”

Alexis took Kaiba’s opposite side, startling the president a bit. “Well obviously, Bastion, that strategy was enough for a bonkosu duelist like that guy! Besides, Wheeler’s deck uses a lot of high level warriors, and decks like that don’t handle Deck Destruction strategies very well. President Kaiba was obviously electing the strongest strategy.”

Bastion waved her suggestion away. “But Mutoh-san uses a lot of high level monsters as well! It seems strange that he would go out of his way to change his deck for that guy and not his rival. Perhaps President Kaiba had a strategy that involved-“

“It’s not like you could fathom every strategy in President Kaiba’s deck,” Alexis accused him.

Smoke rose from Bastion’s yellow collar. “I think it’s more accurate to say that I lack his experience, but surely a student who puts his efforts into studying the intricacies of the Duel Monsters game can understand what strategy goes into a fellow duelist’s deck. While you were busy cheering for President Kaiba’s enemy, I was paying close attention to his duels, so that I can learn from the best.”

Alexis’ knuckles popped from clenching them so tightly. “Are you suggesting that I don’t pay attention?”

Jaden leaned close to Syrus. “That vein on Kaiba’s head looks ready to pop.” They both took a step back. Alexis and Bastion continued arguing until Isona stepped in, perhaps to save the children from death at the hands of a man who tried to kill his rivals back in high school.

“If you would please follow me, President Kaiba has arranged for you to meet with the Master of Ceremonies, Mokuba Kaiba, in order to discuss the game with the President’s opponent. I’m afraid President Kaiba has an appointment at-“

Alexis shouted at Isona, and caught Kaiba’s ear in the crossfire. “We get to meet Yugi Mutoh? In person?!”

Seto headed for the helipad elevator calmly. “He’s better suited to dealing with children.” He left without any ceremonious words. Isona hurried the duelists along before any of them could ask why their host wasn’t letting them accompany him on his errand when they were supposed to stay with him the whole day.

Kaibaland Stadium was one of the largest entertainment centers on the planet, and yet it wasn’t the largest place in Kaibaland. The amusement park was built in America, a place well known for its obsession with entertainment. The students from Duel Academy had first class arrangements on their flight from Japan and at the hotel they stayed at while they were here. They were given a free tour of the park and its best attractions (mostly rides through holographic environments) before the Grand Prix officially began. They were given box seats to witness the battles, and they were now getting the opportunity to meet the King of Games himself at his presidential suite in the very same hotel they were staying at.

“You children have been given a rare opportunity,” Mokuba Kaiba said in understatement. He and Isona led the pack through the hotel lobby. “The average person would have to pay thousands of dollars to get the same treatment each of you received this entire trip.”

Jaden sipped his soda and tore into a rice ball he picked up on the way to the hotel. “You’re telling me. I thought the meal on the plane was great; the stuff at the hotel is just awesome!”

“It’s not the food that’s important, Jaden,” Alexis said harshly. “It’s the people we’ve met! Just think, we saw Mako Tsunami, Rebecca Hawkins, Leon Von Schroeder… and now we get to meet the King of them all.”

“It’s not that big a deal,” Bastion pouted.

“Are you kidding me? You’ve been waiting your whole life to meet him!” Alexis was truly amazed at his nonchalance. “You’re always telling me how you would give up your autographed Celtic Guardian to talk shop with Mister Mutoh for just ten minutes. You should be excited!”

Syrus leaned into Jaden. “He gets so jealous, doesn’t he.” Jaden sighed in agreement.

Alexis knew how sensitive Bastion was, so she thought that he was angry about the argument from before. She tried to lure him. “Come on, Bastion, think! What’ll we ask him about first? His Silent monsters? The God cards? Last year’s match with Zane?”

Bastion reluctantly smiled even though he remained silent. Alexis knew she’d won him over. “That’s what I thought. Play your cards right and I’ll let you get in a word or two.”

“You can’t hog him all to yourself.” Bastion decreed. “Don’t forget, I won us this trip. I intend to make full use of this chance.” Alexis promised to do the same.

--

Joey swore loudly and flopped on the couch of Yugi’s plush presidential suite. “Damn that Kaiba! It’s not fair! Every year, I’ve gone up against him and every year, he crushes me. It’s like he sets it up ahead of time so that I’ll never reach the final match!”

Tea shook her head. “Joey, it’s a tournament. The three of you are always the finalists when you’re in the same tournament. You have to face him or Yugi.”

“But why haven’t I faced Yugi then?” Joey complained. “It’s not fair,” he said again.

Mai grabbed his head full of hair from behind the couch and yanked hard enough for him to look up at her. “Consider yourself fortunate. I was top-decked by that crap duelist Weevil in the first round! I didn’t even place this year!” Mai swore enough to make Tea and Joey blush in astonishment. “So damned irritating!” Mai let Joey go, but only to point at him fiercely. “You’re paying for my spa treatment later since you got the prize money for third!”

“Yes, Dear,” Joey sighed. The two of them weren’t always in the same tournaments since their qualifications differed, but in the rare times that Joey and Mai dueled together, they agreed that the winner would pay for the trip so that the loser could have a treat and feel better about losing. For a while, Joey refused, but only because Mai insisted on dueling under her maiden name. He recently changed his mind, but only because he thought Mai would place higher than him all the time. It turned out he was stronger than he thought, to his chagrin.

“It’s too bad Tristan and Serenity couldn’t join us this time,” Tea said. “But if we’re fortunate, by the time we get back, Tristan will finally have given her a wedding ring and a proposal.”

“Not if he knows what’s good for him,” Joey warned.

“You’re so protective of your little sister.” Mai stroked her husband’s hair. “Let her go. She’s not a little girl anymore.”

“She’s always gonna be my little sister, dangit! And I’m not letting a bum like Tristan take advantage of her charity!”

Tea laughed. “You’re not gonna be like this when you have a daughter, are you?” Joey tried not to hyperventilate.

A knock on the door alerted Tea to the arrival of their guests. She answered promptly. Mokuba stood in front of the four Duel Academy students, all of whom gawked visibly. It seemed they hadn’t expected to see a beautiful woman in Yugi’s room.

“Mrs. Mutoh, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Mokuba said as formally as possible, although he knew Tea and her friends quite well. “Allow me to present my brother’s guests from Duel Academy. They’ve come to discuss the game with Yugi. Is he in right now?” Mokuba, of course, already knew the answer.

“He’s in the shower at the moment, but he’ll be right out. Please, come in.”

“I’m afraid I must decline,” Mokuba said, even as the duelists rushed inside. “There’s a lot of work to do, even with the Grand Prix festivities at an end. I’ll see you all at the airport before you leave, I hope.” Tea agreed wholeheartedly and wished the boy “Fair Well.”

Joey and Mai greeted the kids with the gusto they showed for any meeting. “Hey there! You must be the guys Yugi told us about. How’s it goin’?” Joey offered a hand to Bastion. He and Alexis were pale as ghosts. They both knew as much about Joey Wheeler and Mai Valentine as they did about Yugi and Kaiba. So many idols at once…

Jaden took Joey’s hand and clasped it proudly. “How you doing, Chum? Jaden’s the name, and dueling’s my game!”

Joey laughed. “What a coincidence, it’s mine too.” They laughed at their own cheesiness.

Mai greeted Syrus the same way she greeted shy Yugi back at Duelist Kingdom – very forward, very openly. “Hiya Handsome. You got a name or should I give you one?” She liked seeing little boys squirm. It was a hobby.

And Syrus squirmed indeed, though he wasn’t petrified like Alexis or Bastion. He answered clumsily. “My name is Syrus Truesdale.”

“Ohhhhh, Zane’s little brother,” Mai cooed. “Zane may be the Duel Kaiser, but he loses in looks to his sibling.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Valentine.”

“Mrs., you mean,” she corrected. “Sorry Hon’. Got myself a boy.”

“You mean a man,” Joey said, still shaking Jaden’s hand.

“Not yet. Like I told you on our honeymoon, not until you beat my new deck. Only then will you be a man.” Mai put her hands on her hips and showed off. “…and have all the perks that a man gets.”

Joey drew his deck from his pocket and started shuffling like a madman. “I’m ready when you are, Valentine!”

“Later, Dear,” Mai tsked in disapproval. “We have company.” She put an arm around Syrus’ shoulder, making the boy blush more still.

Tea looked at Bastion and Alexis with concern. Both looked like they were jump out the window in a panic at any moment. She tentatively tapped Bastion, startling the boy very much. “W-would you like some tea? We have oolong.”

Alexis managed a reply. “…Yes, that would be fine, thank you.” Bastion nodded as well. Tea put on her best waitress smile and went to grab the drinks.

Syrus blinked as she left. “Isn’t that Tea Gardner, the dancer from that Black Magician Girl Broadway show last year?”

Mai nodded proudly. “The one and only. Seems you don’t miss much, do you?” Mai slid Syrus’ glasses back onto the bridge of his nose. Syrus smiled politely and made a beeline for Jaden’s rear flank to hide. Jaden noticed his retreat and stepped in to reply for him.

“Sy’ here is a big Black Magician Girl fan. He loves Mrs. Mutoh’s work. With the blonde wig and the costume, she looks just like his favorite card.”

Tea came back with a tray of the oolong tea she promised. She heard the last bit of the conversation, but Mai had to fill her in on the details. Syrus hid behind Jaden all the while. Tea’s face glowed when she realized she had a fan.

“Your friends look like they need some fresh air,” Joey said. “You’re pretty calm though.”

“I’m not afraid of anyone or anything,” Jaden declared proudly. “That includes my idols!”

A slim young man in black jeans and a matching shirt traipsed into the room, his red and gold locks still hampered by wetness from his shower. “That’s good to know, Jaden-kun. Winged Kuriboh deserves a partner like that.”

Jaden’s friends fell in a heap behind him. Jaden gave a casual wave. “Hey Yugi.”

--

Alexis was the first to wake up. The three fainters were moved to the bedroom, with Alexis on one and the two boys on the other. Alexis rubbed her eyes tiredly and sat up. It took her a moment to realize where she was and what happened. She felt so ashamed of her behavior since she prided herself on being tough and detached.

“Elemental Hero Prismer, shokan,” she heard from the living room. Alexis wandered to the bedroom door and saw Jaden in the middle of a tabletop duel with Mister Wheeler. Miss Valentine and Mister Mutoh were watching from either side, and Mrs. Mutoh was on her way towards the bedroom. She was happy to see Alexis on her feet, but the duelist had to lean against the doorway to keep her footing. She was still in shock from seeing her idols, and despite her desire to tough it out, her body had other plans.

“Take it easy.” Tea offered her support and helped Alexis back into the bedroom.

Alexis tried to catch a glimpse of Jaden’s attack, but Tea took her to the edge of the boys’ bed before she could hear the end of it. Alexis felt the weight of her whole body drag her down to a sitting position. She cupped her head tiredly. “Ohhh….”

“Try this.” Alexis took the drink that was offered and sipped it. It had a sharp taste and a warm, invigorating odor. It felt pleasing on the way down her throat. She took another sip bigger than the last.

“Thank you,” Alexis said gruffly. Her throat was still dry.

“No problem.”

Alexis sighed. “I don’t understand how Jaden can be so casual. And Mister Mutoh called him Jaden-kun. This is his first time meeting his idols, so why...”

“Well, not exactly. Jaden-kun met Yugi in Domino City on his way to his Entrance Exam. They hit it off quite readily. It was at that meeting that Yugi gave Jaden his Winged Kuriboh. They’ve had a correspondence ever since.”

Alexis downed the rest of her tea during the story. Tea immediately refilled her cup as Alexis tried to get over her exasperation. “Yugi Mutoh gave Jaden a card? Why didn’t he ever tell us? That idiot!”

“Maybe he thought you’d be angry at his good fortune?” Tea said, noting Alexis’ behavior.

The girl from Obelisk Blue shook her head. “That boy… he seems to have all the luck, in dueling and in life.”

Tea glanced at her wedding ring thoughtfully. “Some boys are like that. Not always by choice though. I’m sure Jaden can’t help that he’s lucky.”

Alexis got back on her feet and found them much sturdier than before. “Yeah. I suppose you’re right. He doesn’t brag or anything. I guess I can’t be mad at him.” She breathed to make sure she was calm enough to go face her idols again. “Being jealous won’t help either.”

Tea patted the girl supportively. “Relax. Yugi and Joey are like little boys when it comes to Duel Monsters. They’re just as excited by the game as you are. They’re not like Kaiba-kun.”

“Maybe the problem is that I’m too much like President Kaiba. I take dueling very seriously.”

“A good friend gave me some important advice when I started studying dance: ‘Don’t be afraid. They were all beginners once.’”

Alexis considered her words carefully. It was hard for her to imagine Yugi Mutoh as a beginner, but she had to admit that the woman’s statement was true. Even Yugi Mutoh was a beginner, once. He was a person, not just a king.

“Ready?” Tea asked. Alexis nodded and they walked back to the living room together, just in time to witness Jaden’s cry of defeat.

“Darnit!” the boy yelled. “I knew you were gonna play Evil Dice. I knew it! Why didn’t I side-deck for it?”

Mai grinned. “Even if you did, how do you prepare for a deck that relies on luck?”

“There’s more to it than luck!” Joey said defensively. Even as the winner, he had to convince everyone how great his deck was. Joey Wheeler got no respect.

Yugi noticed the pair at the doorway. “Feeling better?” he asked. Alexis was reluctant to reply. Even with Tea’s pep talk, she was still talking to the King of Games. It was hard to shake her instincts.

“Miss Rhodes was just telling me how excited she was by the duel you had with Kaiba-kun,” Tea said, hugging her husband briefly. “I think she would like a duel, just like Jaden did.”

Jaden smiled. “Hey, that’s a great idea. The Duel King versus the Duel Queen!”

“Has a nice ring to it,” Joey agreed. Jaden had an older brother it seemed, and his name was Joey Wheeler. “Come on in and have a seat.

“It’ll give me a chance to side-deck for my rematch with Mister Wheeler!” Jaden said. Already, Joey was laughing and letting the trash talk fly, claiming that Jaden would have no chance regardless of what cards he used. It was the one chance that Joey could talk down to a duelist like Kaiba did and not feel guilty about it, since he knew Jaden would find the show of strength amusing.

“Oh… I don’t know,” Alexis said unsurely. She took Yugi’s calm disposition as a sign of apathy, which in turn she translated as a sign of annoyance at this little duelist wanting to duel him. She decided that it was best not to waste his time.

But Yugi had other ideas. He sat down at the table and smiled gently. “Sounds like fun. The Duel Queen must be really strong to earn such a title. I’m eager to see what sort of deck you’ve made.”

Alexis’ heart skipped a beat. A duel with Yugi? She must still be asleep. Don’t wake up, Alexis. Don’t wake up!

She sat at the table and withdrew her deck from her carrying case. She held the deck awkwardly like a newbie. “Please.” Yugi nodded, exchanged decks with her, and shuffled briskly. Alexis couldn’t believe that she was shuffling the strongest deck in the world. She almost forgot to breath, she was so excited.

Be cool, Alexis told herself. Cool as ice.

The duelists took back their decks and placed them at their sides. They drew five cards at the same time and began the duel traditionally. “Duel!”

Alexis watched carefully to see if Yugi wanted to go first or not, but when he made no move either way, she decided to take the initiative. “I’ll attack with this.” Alexis played the Hail Cyber card vertically near the middle of the table. (4/1300/1500, Water/Warrior, Place an Ice counter on any monster that attacks this card. Reduce the monster’s ATK by 300 for each Ice counter on it during the battle.)

“I’ll also put this face-down,” she said as she did so with one of her favorites, Doble Passe, “and end my turn.”

“My turn!” Yugi drew a card and summoned Red Gadget (4/1300/1500, Earth/Machine, Add a Yellow Gadget to your hand from your deck when this is Summoned). He explained the effect, although Alexis knew Yugi’s favorite cards by heart, and went to his deck for the card. Yugi flipped through the cards and drew the Yellow Gadget in barely a second, and shuffled his deck seven times in a few seconds more. Alexis was amazed by the speed of his hands. He was like a magician.

“I’ll also play the Toy Box and use it to place two of my Toys on the field.” Yugi slid two cards from his hand underneath the spell card.

Alexis blinked at the mention of toys. “Hunh?”

Tea laughed a little. “Yugi has a thing for toys. There’s actually a lot of them in his deck, though he doesn’t use them very often in tournament play. The other duelists usually aren’t amused by toys as much as he is. They always want to duel seriously.”

Yugi chuckled quietly. “It’s really hard to enjoy dueling when everyone’s aiming for your title. That’s why I’m glad you and your friends came to visit us today. It’ll be a great chance to enjoy the game rather than worry about winning and losing. This is a rare opportunity for me.”

“A rare… opportunity.” Alexis saw Jaden smiling over Yugi’s shoulder. She saw a little of one in the other. No wonder they hit it off so easily when they first met.

“Let’s have fun, Alexis-kun,” Yugi asked. “Let’s enjoy our game together.”

If Alexis was talking to anyone else, she might have declined and said what she told Tea before: Dueling is a serious thing. But she couldn’t bring herself to say that to Yugi, especially when his face had such a sweet smile on it.

“H-Hai,” she managed a reply. Yugi ended his turn, and Alexis drew again.

Alexis noticed that Yugi hadn’t set any traps. Now was a perfect time for her to attack his Gadget monster. It’s ATK was only 1300. She could beat it and attack directly if she played a strong enough monster. Thanks to her draw, she had just the one.

“I’ll play Cold Tiger,” Alexis declared. (4/1900/1400, Water/Beast.) “And I’ll use it to attack your Red Gadget.”

Jaden whistled innocently, making the ‘Uh-Oh!’ sound as he did. Yugi drew one of the cards from his Toy Box and handed it to Alexis for her to read.

(Toy Gardna. 4/100/2600, Earth/Warrior. If this card is face-down on the field by the effect of Toy Box, you can Special Summon it during your opponent’s Battle Phase. If this card is attacked, return it to the Toy Box or your hand at the end of the battle.)

“Since I’m performing a Special Summon during your attack, I can protect my Gadget using the Toy Gardna. And as a result...”

“I lose 700 life,” Alexis admitted.

“But at that time, it also returns to my Toy Box.” Yugi slid the card back into place. “And your Hail Cyber isn’t strong enough to defeat my monster.”

Alexis grimaced. She couldn’t even damage him when he had no trap cards. Reluctantly, she ended her turn. She still had two monsters on the field. Next turn, she could summon one of her high level monsters. It’s ATK was high enough that even the Toy Gardna wouldn’t be a problem.

“Turn Endo-da.”

Yugi noticed her seriousness. He drew and pulled another card from his Toy Box. “This one is the Toy Boat. It’s a seafaring card like the ones you play with in the bathtub. It’s cute, but it also has the ability to provide support to other monsters by firing missiles at the enemy.” Yugi summoned the card specially to the field. “I’ll use Toy Boat’s power to deal 800 damage to your Cold Tiger, reducing its ATK to 1100.”

Alexis gasped. “It’s too weak to defend itself now.”

“I’ll summon my Yellow Gadget and use its effect to add Green to my hand.” (Yellow Gadget. 4/1200/1200.) “I’ll then let my Red Gadget destroy your Cold Tiger.”

Alexis sent her card to the graveyard. With the 200 life lost in that battle, she was down to 3100. She was losing and Yugi hadn’t even played his real tournament cards. He was making a fool out of her!

Jaden cleaned some gunk out of his ear. “You’re so stiff, Alexis. Relax! This isn’t like you. All you need to do is-“

“Shut up, Jaden. I know what I’m doing,” Alexis barked. The Osiris student didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected Alexis to be so angry.

“Ore no turn.” Alexis drew and revealed her drawn card. “I’ll use Sacrifice Icicle to bring an Icicle Token to my field. It can be used as two tributes for a summoning, which I’ll use to play a monster from my hand!”

Mai’s interest was piqued. “Oooh, a quick summon.”

(The Ice Queen. 8/2900/2100, Water/Aqua, If an Aqua monster is on your opponent’s side of the field, you can gain control of it by paying 500 LP.)

“I’m using it to attack your Red Gadget!” Asuka declared. “But even if you use your Toy Gardna to defend it, that toy will be destroyed by Ice Queen’s superior attack.”

Yugi sent his Toy Gardna to the grave. He watched Asuka’s expression carefully. She wasn’t having fun. She was all business. Yugi replied with equal curtness. “But my life points are untouched.”

“Hail Cyber can fix that. She will attack your Yellow Gadget and destroy it. That brings your life points down to 3900.” Alexis smiled eagerly. She damaged him!

“My turn. I’m going to use my Toy Box to bring out my Toy Boat once again. It’s special attack will reduce your Ice Queen to 2100 ATK. And I will sacrifice my Boat and my Gadget to summon a monster from my hand.” Alexis watched the card flop onto the table, and her heart sank when she saw what it was.

(Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon. 8/3000/2000. Earth/Machine. The card gains effects if a Gadget monster is tributed to summon it. If Gadjiltron attacks, your opponent cannot activate Spells or Traps until the end of the Damage Step.)

A rare and mighty card, just like the ones found in Professor Crowler’s deck.

“The toys are off the table, Alexis,” Yugi warned her. Indeed, with both Toy cards gone, the empty Toy Box had to be discarded to the graveyard. “Now, Gadjiltron attacks the Ice Queen.”

Alexis discarded the card. Since its attack power was reduced, she lost a lot of life points. She still had 2200, but against a monster like Yugi’s, she might as well have had none.

“And then, Gadjiltron’s special ability gained from the Red Gadget. Since you took damage from my dragon's attack, Gadjiltron can deal 400 damage more with its effect.”

1800 life. Alexis was in trouble. If she wanted to make an impression on Yugi, she had to fight back. But what could she do?

“Ore no turn,” Alexis said firmly as she drew. Yes! She got the card she needed. “I summon Cold Enchanter to the field.” (ATK 1600) “And, since I have two Water monsters in play, I can sacrifice them both to special summon the Ice Master in my hand!” Alexis tossed Hail Cyber and her Enchanter into the graveyard. (Ice Master. 8/2500/2000, Water/Spellcaster. Once per turn, you can place an Ice counter on a card in play. Tribute Ice Master to destroy all cards with Ice counters on them.)

“Another quick summon,” Mai said. “You’ve got some spunk, kid.”

“I’ll use Ice Master’s effect to place an Ice counter on your Gadjiltron! And I’ll use my Field Spell to keep it from attacking me.”

(Absolute Ice Wall. Field Spell. Monsters with Ice counters on them cannot change modes. For each Ice counter on a monster, reduce its ATK by 500.)

“Gadjiltron is now at 2500 ATK,” Alexis explained. “If it attacks, both our monsters will die. Next turn, I’ll freeze it again and destroy it with my Ice Master. Until then, I have to end my turn.”

Yugi smiled. “A strong tactic. But I have ways to deal with your frigidity!” Yugi set two cards face down and summoned his Green Gadget (DEF 600). Since there were no more Gadgets in his deck, Yugi couldn’t add to his hand. He had no more cards, while Alexis still had one in her hand – a low-level monster in case she needed it.

“My turn is over,” Yugi said coldly. Alexis felt his strength in those words. It sent a shiver down her spine. She realized now that he wasn’t playing games either. Good, she thought. She wanted a serious duel with him. What was the point in dueling “for fun” if you weren’t going to be serious about it?

Alexis drew and got another low-level monster. “Aqua Spirit, in Attack Mode!” (ATK 1600) “I’ll use Ice Master’s special effect to put another counter on Gadjiltron, reducing its ATK to 2000." Alexis had two monsters now. She was in prime position to win. She was really gonna do it!

“Ice Master attacks your Gadjiltron and-“

“Reverse card, open.” Yugi flipped his card quickly. It was Shield of Interception, just like in his duel against Kaiba. Alexis watched in horror as Yugi sent his Green Gadget to the graveyard pile. Gadjiltron’s ATK was 2600, meaning her Ice Master was destroyed.

“At this time, Gadjiltron’s special ability deals 400 damage more. And I will also activate an instant magic card!”

(Strike Back. Quickplay Spell. Immediately following the end of your opponent’s Battle Phase, you may perform your own Battle Phase.)

“Gadjiltron destroys your Aqua Spirit.” That brought Alexis down to a measly 300 life points. Gadjiltron’s special attack brought her down to zero. Just like that, the game was over.

Alexis couldn’t believe it. She was in control of the game, and she lost completely in only a few turns. Yugi crushed her.

Jaden tried to sound reassuring. “I guess they call him King of Games for a good reason. That was a great duel Alexis.”

Joey chimed in. “Yeah, you’re easily better than half the chumps who call themselves professional duelists. You should be proud.”

Alexis forced a smile. “I should’ve been more careful. I forgot who I was facing.” She bowed. “Thank you for the duel, Mister Mutoh.”

Yugi nodded back. She was behaving submissively, but the duelist knew when he was in the presence of a mouse or a dragon. Alexis wasn’t satisfied. He avoided the casual cheerfulness he demonstrated earlier and remained professional. It was what she wanted.

The tension in the room was overbearing. Jaden came to the rescue. “Me next! Me next!”

“Ohhhh no you don’t!” Joey said. “You’re mine, remember?” The boys shared a laugh and helped to lighten the mood. They shoved the other duelists out of the way and sat down for Round 2 of their match.

Alexis remained silent. Her mind wasn’t on fun right now. All she could think of was how foolish she was to think she could impress the King of Games. He sliced her in half without a second thought. Some ‘Duel Queen’ she was.

She was nothing but a novice.

--

Like any theme park, Kaibaland had a central control responsible for maintaining the park’s major functions. If anyone were to commandeer the controls, the park’s guests would be at the mercy of whoever stood at the helm. And like any theme park, Kaibaland employed the best security system on the market and the safest security practices to make sure no unauthorized access occurred.

Nevertheless, there were people who could break through any security, regardless of how high-tech it was. Ghoul Cell #583 planned this attack ever since Kaibaland’s inception many years ago, back when they were still under Marik Ishtar’s command. The cell realized that by taking control of the world’s premiere center for unbounded Solid Vision, you could send holograms to any place in the world that a satellite can reach. In so doing, the hologram could do whatever its controller wished without suffering from the mortality a human agent would. A hologram could rob a bank without fear of police firearms. A hologram could assassinate a political figure. And best of all, the controller would not be harmed, meaning he could return another day to commit further felonies.

Cell 583 had only three members in it – all highly trained duelists and highly trained covert operatives. Ikonu was the disguise specialist of the group. For nearly a year, she’d been working at Kaibaland as a computer operative, handling routine data processing and sensor management for the park. She built up a report with her coworkers to the point where they trusted her implicitly and she made sure her bosses trusted her with difficult and risky tasks. She’d done all this so that today, she and her partners could put their plan into action.

Ikonu programmed the security in Central Control to enter a debug loop so that it wouldn’t look suspicious even while it was inoperative. When that was taken care of, she opened the door and waved her guests inside. “Welcome to Kaibaland. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

Cell Leader Vio and Demolitions Expert Grenadi stepped inside. They were dressed in full Ghoul garb of a black tarp draped from the head down and tied off at the neck with a white noose. On the tarp was a simple clownish face made of two empty circles and an arc for a smile. Vio was taller and thinner than the stocky Grenadi, but beyond that there was nothing to differentiate the two men.

“Is everything ready?” Vio asked in a voice as deep as the ocean.

“Class E, D, and C security are ready to enter the debug mode, and I will handle the remaining security once the top three layers are down.” Ikonu returned to the controls and punched up the necessary user interface. Vio observed her work quietly.

Ikonu drew a Duel Monster card from her jacket pocket. The title was Fortress on the Mountaintop and the depiction matched the title perfectly. Although the card had all the usual Duel Monster data on it, it was actually a virus meant to interact with the Kaibaland computer system. Once the card was activated, Central Control would become an impenetrable fortress unless Kaiba Corp shut down its entire Solid Vision system… a task that was nigh impossible thanks to the complexity of the Duel Server that manned it.

One way or another, Cell 583 would change the world. Either Kaiba Corp would be crushed, or Kaiba Corp’s technology would be put to good use by the Ghouls.

“Initiate shutdown of Kaibaland security,” Vio commanded. Ikonu went into action. The park descended into darkness, slowly but endlessly, until the horizon seemed devoid of civilization against the evening sky.

Ikonu unfolded a card reader from the control panel and held her virus at the ready. “Fortress on the Mountaintop! Ike!” The card surged to life and extended its tendrils into the heart of Kaibaland. A black cancer infested every program and gave its power to the Ghouls. Every hologram was now under the Ghouls’ control.

“Seal the park,” Vio ordered. “No one gets in, and no one gets out.”

--

Tea screamed when the lights went out. The confusion was loud enough to wake up Syrus and Bastion. Syrus screamed in turn and curled up defensively, while Bastion rushed to the dimly outlined doorway to see what was going on. “What’s happened? What’s going on?”

A Duel Disk activated. The light from the life point readout and the card slots was enough to illuminate Yugi’s face. He parted the curtains to bring in the theme park’s light, but he was surprised to see everything covered in darkness. “Something’s wrong.”

“What do we do?” Tea found a candle and lit it with a match. Light blanketed the room.

“It’s probably just a temporary problem,” Mai noted. “It happens.”

“Not in Kaiba’s theme park,” Yugi frowned. “A failure on this scale shouldn’t happen.”

Joey looked outside as well. “People will panic. We should make sure they find their way to safety.”

“We’ll help you!” Jaden said firmly.

“No. You kids stay here,” Joey replied. He and Yugi went for the door. Before he left, Yugi whispered a few words of caution and concern to his wife, who whispered back her reassurances. The duelist closed the door behind him.

Mai scowled. “So we just wait here for our heroes to get back?”

“It’s probably nothing,” Tea said. “There’s no need to worry.”

Alexis took a Duel Disk from Joey’s satchel by the couch, donned it quickly, and ran for the door. Jaden yelled in surprise. “Alexis! Hey, what’re you-“ But it was too late. There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation.

Mai sighed. “That girl’s got a chip on her shoulder. We should probably go after her. It’s better than waiting around in the dark.”

Bastion brought Syrus to the living room. “It really is for the best if we stay here until the emergency is taken care of.” But even as he said it, Jaden and Mai were leaving. “Why doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?”

Tea sympathized. But, ultimately, the three remaining in the room followed the others. There was work to be done.