"This is absolutely ridiculous," Seto grumbled as he lay in bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling through the dark. "I thought once I got inside this castle, we'd begin our duel. I didn't expect to have to wait around until he was ready."

Yami sat on the edge of the mattress, his legs crossed and his arms folded. "He's messing with your head. Trying to make you more anxious so you lose focus during your duel tomorrow. At least, that's what I think."

Seto sat up, looking Yami directly in the eyes. "And there's another thing, too. That eye of his. You were able to warn me before he even used it. Does that mean you know what it is?"

Yami seemed unsure of how to answer. "I feel like I do. Like I've seen it somewhere before, I just don't know where."

"Could it have something to do with the puzzle?" Seto suggested. "After all, they have the same weird symbol."

The spirit nodded. "I think so. It's just an instinct, but I believe they're a part of some kind of set."

"So Pegasus wants to collect the set," Seto confirmed. "What happens then?"

Yami shrugged. "Maybe he gets something from combining them? A special ability or power? Or maybe it's simpler than that. Maybe the whole collection is just worth a lot. I couldn't say."

"I don't think that's it. Money, he has." Seto wandered over to the window, looking out at the island below. "There's something more. There's got to be."

Yami didn't move from where he was seated. "We'll get your brother back," he promised.

"You can't know that. I almost lost that duel with Yugi. If I'm defeated by Pegasus, I'll lose Mokuba forever." He leaned against the cool glass. "That cannot be allowed to happen."

"It won't," Yami insisted. "You're a strong duellist, but that won't win you the day. You'll need more than just good cards to fight Pegasus."

"I know," Seto agreed. "Which is why I can't afford to doubt my methods now. I have to stick to what I know. I don't have time to learn anything new." He turned away from the window to face Yami, knowing full well the question he was about to be asked.

"What is it you know that you haven't told me?"

"It was the Intercontinental Championship Final in New York City. Despite not being a competitor, I was invited to attend as Pegasus's guest of honour. It was a little rudimentary to watch since by that time, we were already developing holographic technology for duelling, but the battles themselves were interesting enough. Some of the players actually had skill.

"Pegasus was up against a duellist named Bandit Keith. There was nothing particularly special about him, but he fought well enough. His deck was strong, and he battled with confidence. Blow after blow he dealt to Pegasus's life points, and he just sat there and took it like it didn't even bother him.

"Then just when it looked like Bandit Keith might actually win, Pegasus scrawled something on a piece of paper and called a kid over from the audience. Keith accused him of cheating, but Pegasus just told him that he was so easy to beat, a child could do it – and that he intended to prove it.

"He let the kid have his spot in the duel and came to sit by me, making smalltalk I payed no attention to. Whatever he was up to, I didn't think much of it at first – but then the kid, by reading the instructions on the paper, managed to defeat Bandit Keith in one turn. The words he'd written before had everything – the card Keith would play, how to counter it, even how to win the whole duel."

"Everything?" Yami echoed, sounding like even he was struggling to believe it. "What does that mean – his eye can read minds?"

"I think it's more than just that," Seto mused. "Even Keith couldn't have known for sure what he'd draw next.

"No," Yami agreed. "But he'd know his own deck better than anybody." Finally, he came to stand by Seto. "Listen, I know you're used to facing these things by yourself; but not only do you not have to anymore, I think it would be most unwise of you to try. No one can take Pegasus by surprise, that's what Kemo said. But you're not one anymore, and neither am I." He smiled determinedly and held his fist out. "Whether you like it or not."

Seto didn't answer. At least, not with words. Moonlight poured in through the window beside them, but only his shadow sprawled across the ground. Although by many meanings of the word Yami wasn't technically there, Seto had scarcely felt less alone in his life. So he balled up his own hand, resting it against his friend's. Despite the spirit having no corporeal form, Seto could've sworn he almost felt the contact.

Seto stood before the door his instructions from the staff had brought him to, squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath. "Here goes everything," he murmured, reaching for the handle.

As he did, another hand settled over his, and together, Seto and Yami stepped into the large, bright room.

The space was clearly designed for one purpose and one purpose only: duelling. In the middle of the area was one of the duelling platforms Seto had seen before; and when he looked around, he could see that this room was several stories tall, and that it had railing-encompassed pathways high up, as if they had been designed especially for spectators.

Despite the state-of-the-art tech dominating the room, the whole place had a dark, cold, almost dead feel to it. Seto's briefcase had been confiscated; he had intended to fight Pegasus with his new Duel Disk – the realism of the holograms was beyond compare, and Seto hoped it would have been enough to tilt the odds even just slightly in his favour –but now that was no longer an option. Everything in this room was designed to remind Seto, no matter where he looked, this was Pegasus's territory, and he was the only one making the rules.

But though this was Pegasus's game, Seto was determined to win. He stepped up to the blue podium, taking his place with nothing short of the utmost determination.

"I see your heart is in this battle," Yami remarked. "That is a good start."

Before Seto could respond, he heard a familiar voice coming from above him. He looked up and, leaning over the balustrade, was-

"Kaiba-kun?"

"Yugi! What are you doing here?"

"I won ten star chips," Yugi explained cheerfully. "I'm in the semi-final."

"Good for him," Yami remarked, and Seto couldn't help but agree.

"What about you?" Yugi went on. "I thought only the winner of the tournament could battle Pegasus? Is this about what you said before – when you told me this is more than a game to you?"

Seto's eyes flickered to the empty red podium opposite him, then back to Yugi, as he carefully weighed up what he should say. Yugi wasn't alone up there, of course. Those friends of his from before stood by his side, even in a place like this. Wheeler included, leading Seto to wonder if, and if so then how, he got into the final four. The blonde woman who he'd seen duelling the day before was there too; and far away from the group solitarily stood the finalist from the Intercontinental Championship himself, Bandit Keith.

When Seto eventually spoke, his voice was soft; softer than Yugi had probably ever heard. "Pegasus has my brother."

There was a collective gasp from the spectators. "By has, you don't mean…surely…" Téa didn't seem to be able to wrap her head around it, and she wasn't the only one.

Joey slammed his fist on the balustrade. "He what? That slimebucket! Kick his butt from all of us, Kaiba!"

Seto was surprised enough to hear any kind of support from Joey Wheeler that he just nodded.

"Well, if you ask me, this whole thing is crap." Bandit Keith spoke up from his own little corner. "I saw your duel with Yugi, Kaiba. You got guts. But I came here for one reason and one reason alone, and that was to get my revenge against Pegasus for what he did to me." As he spoke, his voice got louder and angrier. "Only the winner of the tournament is supposed to earn the right to battle Pegasus! And last I checked, I'm still in this thing – so battle me, I dare you!"

Seto was about to tell him in no uncertain terms just where he could stick his bad attitude and cheap sunglasses, but he was beaten to it.

"Hey, lay off, will you?" Tristan shouted, effectively shutting him up.

"Yeah!" Joey agreed. "First, you trap us in that underground cave, and then ya pull this! Can ya put your own arrogance down for two minutes and think of somethin' besides yourself for once?"

"Oh, I know you didn't just call me arrogant!" Keith rolled up his sleeves, like he was ready for a brawl. Joey and Tristan braced themselves, but it was Mai who stepped in, stopping the fight before it started with one strategically placed knee.

"Zip it, bandana boy! If I've learned one thing since coming here, it's that some things matter more than winning!"

"Right!" Téa agreed. "The tournament isn't what's important here. Kaiba's fighting for something that matters, and we can support that."

"Beat him for Mokuba, Kaiba!" R…Roulette? shouted. "Kill him!"

"Ah, maybe don't kill him," Yugi amended. "But you can beat him, Kaiba! We're right beside you!"

Seto watched the whole mess unfold with wide eyes. Nobody had ever stood up for him like that. Heck, he wouldn't have stood up for him, what with the way he treated Yugi and his crowd in the past. But here they were, defending him like he was one of them. Like, well, a friend.

"What did I tell you?" Yami said pointedly. "You're not alone, Kaiba. You have me, and you have them. That will be the key to winning this duel somehow, I am sure."

Frankly, Seto didn't see how having a cheer squad would help, but he kept quiet and let Yami believe whatever he wanted to. With a curt nod to the small crowd on the balcony, Seto turned his attention to the other side of the room, where a set of double doors opened and the man himself stepped through them.

"Well then, Kaiba. Shall we begin the show?"