Yugi has now gone to meet his friends on the blacony with a view of the arena where they have been standing and watching so far.

'It's all my fault,' the boy cries for the umpenteenth time, looking at the floor. 'Now grandpa will never regain consciousness. Because of me! I killed him! I KILLED MY GRANDPA!'

Tea places her lovely hands on the boy's shoulders. 'Yugi, don't talk like that,' she softly tries to console him. 'Your grandpa would be proud of you. You came to this island, knowing full well beforehand that you would be at the mercy of that madman, Pegasus. You risked your life. You reached the semi finals in a tournament full of super strong, professional players, even though, up to a few weeks earlier, you had been just a no name. You did everything in your power to save your grandfather.'

'Don't sugarcoat it,' Yugi snaps in a rude manner so unlike him, causing his female besty to let out a girlie cry and jump back in startlement. He raises his tearful eyes to her: 'No matter what you say, it won't change the fact that my grandpa is essentially dead. My grandfather! The only family I have ever had!'

Some silence follows. Everybody is looking at the floor with grim expressions. None of Yugi's friends knows what to say. How are you supposed to console someone who has just lost their only family member in the world and, moreover, hold themselves responsible for it?

Finally, Joey breaks the silence. He sighs and places his hand on Yugi's shoulder, thus causing the shorter boy to look at him. 'Umm, Yug, I don't know whether that means anything to you, but I'm still in the tournament,' he says, without much enthusiasm nonetheless. 'Even though I have known since the beginning that you were the only one who had a chance of beating that white haired asshole, even though I know that my chances against him are as close to nil as they can get, I swear that I'll fight with everything I have and pray for a miracle...'

'No!' Yugi snaps, startling Joey. He wipes his tears with his sleeves, having finally started somewhat recovering from his prior emotional outburst, and carries on, 'Joey, I really wish for you to win the semi final and the final match and save your sister. But, please, promise me you will stop there.'

Everybody in the group partly open their mouths in surprise.

'Yugi... what are you saying?' Joey asks, dumbfounded.

'If you win this tournament, which I know you can,' Yugi carries on determinedly, 'settle for that. Take the three million yen prize so that your sister can have the eye surgery she needs in order not to remain blind forever. But, please please please, I'm begging you, don't make the insanity of proceeding to challenge Pegasus afterward! Please!'

'But... but, Yug,' Joey stutters. 'I...'

'Please, promise me you won't do it,' Yugi takes Joey's hands in his and looks him in the eye. 'I have already lost my grandpa. I don't want to lose my oldest friend as well. Please!'

Joey lowers his eyes, his hands still in Yugi's. 'I don't know, Yug,' he says, troubled. 'I don't want to be a coward. I, too, loved your grandfather. And I feel I owe him one. I mean, he taught me whatever little stuff I know about duel monsters, thanks to which I somehow reached this tournament's semi finals, even if it was essentially a miracle. He...'

'And what about your sister?' Yugi snaps, causing his blond friend to gasp. 'If you lose to Pegasus, you will wind up in the same condition as my grandpa and the Kaiba brothers! Who is going to pay for your sister's operation then?'

With his eyes widened, Joey looks at Yugi, silent. He admits he didn't consider that. Is he really willing to take that chance? He would gladly risk his own life without a second thought for the sake of Yugi or Yugi's loved ones. But has he asked his sister, Serenity, whether she, too, wants to risk her eyesight for the sake of Joey's friends? For the sake of people she has never met? And, even if Serenity said she is cool with that, would Joey want to jeopardize her whole future? To risk dooming his baby sis to a life of darkness, a life worse than death?

Joey takes a calmer expression, one of resignation. 'Okay, I see your point,' he sighs half heartedly. 'I promise that, even if I win this tournament, I won't challenge Pegasus.'

'Thanks, Joey,' Yugi lets go of his friend's hands and smiles, wiping his last tear. 'That means a lot to me.'


Keith Howard, aka Bandit Keith, yawns, having just woken up after a nap. He finds himself on a sofa, his head on one arm of the luxurious piece of furniture and his boots on the other. He turns his head. Is this the duel hall in Pegasuses castle? Now he remembers. He dozed off.

Keith slightly raises his dark glasses in order to have a better look around. The duel arena is empty. He must have slept through the whole first semi final. So who won? That Mai babe? Or that Yugi brat? Oh, who cares? As if a high school boy whose body forgot to hit puberty or a stupid blondie could ever stop him. No matter which of those two faces him in the final, Keith will crush him or her. No one will stand between him and his long sought revenge on Pegasus!

As for the semi final, it is already won! Keith takes out the card he stole from Joey last night, the Glory of the King's Hand. He looks at the picture on it, an enormous amount of gold. Ahh, gold! Wealth. Money. Dough. No matter what you call it, Keith will soon get his hands on plenty of it. Without that card, Joey does not even have the right to fight in the semi finals in the first place. Not that he would ever stand a chance against Keith if they got to fight, mind you! How can a blond no name ever defeat the unstoppable USA champion? The only person that has ever defeated him is the creator of the game himself, and that was only because he cheated.

Keith chuckles. Ain't it funny that he is going to qualify for the final match of the Duelist Kingdom without having fought a single duel in this tournament? He took by force the star chips of his lackeys when the latter had outlived their usefulness, then he stole a card that he would have had in the first place if he had really been invited to this championship. He sure lives up to his nickname, Bandit!

Well, who cares how he does it, as long as he reaches Pegasus? That lousy cheater deprived him of more than a monetary prize that day at the intercontinental cup. He stripped him of his pride, the feeling that he was somebody.

Because, before duel monsters were invented by the aforementioned cheater a few years ago, Keith was nothing! A deadbeat with no college degree, no real prospects in life, no real skills other than his muscular strength and his underworld connections, Keith was kicked out of his parents' home at a young age. His father went as far as to call the police on him!

For a long time, Keith would make a living by getting involved in illegal activities, such as protection rackets, drug deals and gambling. It was only when he started playing duel monsters, though, that he became really rich. When he first heard about that game, he laughed it off. He disregarded it as a 'children's card game'.

The first few times he played, he did so just for the fun of it, because he had nothing better to do at that moment. He could never have imagined how good he was gonna become at this game.

And then, before he knew it, he was rich and famous. He was finally somebody, not the useless meatbag his parents had always called him! He wishes they hadn't died in the meantime, not because he loved them, but because he wanted to rub his success in their face.

That's why he despises Pegasus. Because the way that rich boy humiliated him at the intercontinental cup that day took away from him the right to see himself as something better than what his parents had always believed he was.

That loss devastated him to such an extent that he even did drugs a few times!

At those memories, he raises his eyes to Pegasus. Look at that scumbag sitting on his throne up there, arms and legs crossed, as if he determines everybody else's lives, acting all high and mighty, just because he was born rich and never had to struggle for a living the way Keith did. Who does he think he is?

'Just you wait, Pegasus,' Keith thinks, trying to repress a growl.


'So, Keith, time to get your stupid butt off the couch so that we can duel,' Joey says impatiently.

However, instead of getting up, the USA champion makes himself comfortable, placing his arm on one of the sofa's cushions. He turns to his opponent, his eyes momentarily gleaming behind his dark glasses.

'Heh. Wanna bet that I can beat you without taking my stupid butt, as you put it, off the couch?' he asks with an enigmatic smile.

'Huh?' Joey and Yugi give the sturdy man baffled looks. What is that jerk saying?

Keith turns to Croquet. 'Hey, referee guy,' he calls out. 'If I'm not mistaken, to duel in the semi finals, one has to possess at least one of the two cards that all tournament participants received the day they were invited. Right?'

'That's right, Mister Howard,' Croquet nods with a neutral expression. 'The Glory of the King's Hand and the Glory of the King's Opposite Hand.'

'So here is mine,' Keith flashes his Glory of the King's Hand, in a manner as if he's doing it more for Joey to see it rather than for the referee to see it. 'Now shows us yours, blondie.'

'No problem,' Joey replies determinedly and starts fumbling for his stolen card in his pocket.

Soon, though, his determined expression is replaced by a worried one. A bead of sweat appears on his forehead, in a manner that would be funny if the situation was not so dire. He searches all his pockets, those of his suit as well as those of his trousers.

'Umm, just wait a sec. It must be here somewhere,' he says anxiously as he even removes his shoes, in case he finds the missing card in there!

Tea closes her eyes and sighs, holding her nose in disbelief. 'Oh, boy. He would lose even his head if it wasn't attached to the rest of his body,' she unconsciously comments, before she realizes the next moment that this is no time for jokes, that Joey having lost his card is disastrous!

'Calm down, Joey. Just try to remember the last time you saw it,' Tristan tries to help.

'Great advice,' Joey thinks sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

'It's okay, Joey. Take mine,' Yugi gives his card to his friend. 'I no longer need it anyway.'

'No!' Croquet calls out, coldly pointing his finger in a prohibiting manner. 'This is forbidden, Mister Muto. Mister Wheeler has to display his own card, or else he will be disqualified.'

'But... but I have lost it,' Joey admits, trembling.

'You have five minutes to find it,' Croquet declares with no emotion.

'FIVE MINUTES?' Tea shrieks. 'This is unfair. He won't even be able to get back to his room in such a short time.'

'Five minutes,' the referee insists and starts looking at his watch.

'RUN, JOEY,' Tristan screams.

No need to tell him twice! The blond duelist is already lost from view.

'Heh. Run as fast as you want, blondie,' Keith thinks, turning his head and putting his hands under it.

High up, a smile of amusement forms on Pegasuses face. He knows that Keith has stolen Joey's card. Even if he didn't have the Millenium Eye, he would still be able to tell. I mean, it is obvious from how confident Keith is that Joey won't find the card. He's surprised that no one else has figured it out. Then again, maybe they all are too panicked to think clearly right now. How amusing!

Should Pegasus expose Keith? Nah. Why should he bother? Besides, it's not like Joey boy stood a chance against Keith anyway. That incident just saved Pegasus the trouble of watching a boring, one sided duel.


Joey is rampaging around his room, turning over everything in his way, desperately looking for his qualification card. He has searched everywhere: under his bed sheets, under his bed, in drawers, in closets. Where the hell can that fucking piece of paper be? Joey clutches his head, pulls his hair and lets out an inarticulate cry of despair.


The seconds are passing one after another, sadistically fast. Joey's friends are helplessly standing, silent. Everything in the enormous hall is so quiet right now that our heroes can almost hear Croquet's watch ticking! Every tick bringing Joey one step closer to disqualification.

And maybe, for Joey's friends, time is running fast, but for Bandit Keith, time is annoyingly slow. These are the slowest, most boring five minutes of his life. Why don't they disqualify that Joey sucker already?

'Two minutes left,' Croquet declares indifferently, eliciting gasps from Joey's group.

'Already?' Tea whispers, her hand on her heart.

'Two whole minutes?' Keith groans in a low voice.

Let's see, how can we kill some time till the inevitable disqualification of the blond boy? Let's make fun of his crew!

Still lying on the couch, Keith raises his eyes to the blacony which Joey's friends are standing on. 'Admit it, folks,' he calls out with a chuckle. 'Joey never really lost his card.'

'What are you trying to say, Keith?' Tristan cries, clenching his fists.

The American duelist slightly lowers his glasses and gives the schoolboy a provocative look. 'I'm saying that he knew he stood no chance against me, so he came up with an excuse to avoid a humiliating defeat.'

'ENOUGH!' Yugi snaps. His puzzle glows with a white light and he transforms into his Yami self in an instant, in anger. 'KEITH!' Yami Yugi points at him. 'I forbid you to talk like that about Joey. He's a fine duelist. He would never run away from a fight.'

'Your friend is a worthless player who came this far in this tournament only because you were telling him how to play,' Keith closes his eyes, turns his head and assumes a supine lying position, hands under nape, with a carefree smile. 'Believe me, right now, Joey is not looking for the Glory of the King's Hand but rather for a place to cower in fear.'

'Why... you...' Yugi whispers, clenching his fists.


In a corridor of the castle, Joey falls on his knees.

'I'M SO STUPID,' he yells at himself, bursting into sobs and slamming his hammerfists down on the red carpet.

He stays there, crying, looking at the floor, having lost all hope. 'I'm sorry, Serenity,' he sobs, addressing his sister, even though she's not there. 'I have failed you. You will remain blind for the rest of your life. Because I was so stupid and careless as to lose a card. The only card that I should by no means have lost! I don't deserve to be your brother. I don't even deserve to live!'

To think that it will all end this way! It could be funny if it happened to someone else. Joey, a low level duelist who, up to a few weeks ago, could not even defeat Tea in a duel, somehow managed to reach this island, to miraculously outplay experienced, professional players, to survive deadly traps of that Pegasus psycho, only to be disqualified because of a stupid, bureaucratic rule!


With only a few seconds left, everybody in Joey's group are in tears, having finally accepted the inevitable.

Croquet looks at his watch one last time. He raises his arm in an official manner.

'The five minutes are up,' he declares. 'Joey Wheeler is disqualified. Keith Howard wins by default and advances to the final round of the Duelist Kingdom tournament.'

'See?' Keith turns his head to Joey's friends. 'I told you I would win without getting my butt off this couch!'

Yami Yugi growls, further tightening his fists, his hands almost hurting. He wants to mind crush that jerk. He wants it so bad! Unfortunately, he can't mind crush someone unless he defeats them in a game first.

Well, theoretically, he can, nothing prevents him from doing so, but, for some reason, he doesn't deem it right. Perhaps some sort of ancient moral code is subconsciously remembered by him, even though he has lost his memories of his life in Ancient Egypt.


Joey is still on the same spot of the corridor, kneeling and crying. He doesn't have a watch, he has lost track of time, but he is at least able to tell that, by now, he has got disqualified.

He feels two hands on his shoulders. He raises his head and sees Yugi, back in his schoolboy form, kneeling in front of him, his eyes as full of tears as Joey's.

'We both have failed our loved ones, Yug,' Joey sobs, wiping a tear.

'We both are losers,' Yugi nods with a smile.

A smile! A tearful one, but still a smile. A smile that Joey reciprocates.

The two besties start laughing! At first tentatively. Eventually, their laughs become hearty, carefree!

Still kneeling, they hug each other and burst into laughter! Their despair has got the best of them. They have stopped caring!


'The final match shall commence in one minute,' Croquet declares. 'The two finalists are kindly requested to step at the duel arena.'

Tristan looks around, somewhat worried. Yugi has been missing for a while. Are he and Joey okay? Perhaps he should go and check on them.

He taps Tea on the shoulder. 'Umm, I'm going to find Yugi and Joey,' he informs her. 'Will you come?'

'No,' the girl shakes her head and looks at the arena with a solemn expression. 'I want to stay here and support Mai.'

'Huh? How come?' Tristan raises an eyebrow.

'Well, someone has to stay here and root for our frie...'

Tea abruptly interrupts that sentence when she realizes what she was about to say. She blushes.

Tristan smiles meaningfully and nudges her. 'So you consider Mai your friend? I thought you two hated each other's guts!'

'Well,' Tea places her hands behind her back and jerks her leg in an attempt to act cool, 'we're not exactly besties. But we did spend some quality girl time that night in the tent.'

'Okay. Cheer for her on my behalf too,' Tristan winks and runs to find Joey and Yugi.

Tea's eyes back to the arena, where the two finalists have taken their place at their respective boards, across from each other.

Mai is waiting for the referee to announce the beginning of the duel, arms crossed, a determined expression on her face. She's a little disappointed that Joey has been disqualified and, moreover, in such a dishonorable manner. She really hoped that she would get to have a rematch with that thickhead so that she would avenge her loss to him in the first round of the tournament.

Oh, whatever, now focus on the opponent right before you, girl!

Bandit Keith has a good look at the woman in front of him. What a babe! He licks his lips. 'How about you give up, sweetheart?' he suggests, slightly lowering his glasses with a flirty smile. 'I hate to have to sadden your beautiful face by crushing you in a duel. I promise that, if you resign now, when I have got the prize money, I will take you with me to a cruise.'

'Fuck off!' Mai snaps, arms still crossed, her expression not changing.

Keith snorts, kinda angry, kinda disappointed, but he retains his smile nonetheless. 'Then you leave me no choice,' he sighs, raising his glasses back to their original position. 'Tonight, honey, you are dancing. In America!'

'I thought it's dancing in Hell,' Mai comments indifferently.

'Same difference,' Keith chuckles. 'There is no greater hell than America. Believe me. I have lived all my life there and I know.'

Mai sighs. 'Are you here to duel, honey, or do you intend to just babble on about bullsh...'

Suddenly, she feels an intense migraine. She gasps and clutches the right side of her forehead. Everything seems to go dark for a moment.

What... what is happening to her? And why did it, whatever it is, have to happen now of all times? Now that she was about to kick the butt of that asshole and win the Duelist Kingdom tournament?

'What's wrong, Mai?' Tea calls out. 'Pull yourself together. Beat that creep! I know you can do it!'

Mai turns her head to the balcony. Heh. So Tea is here! The two women smile at each other. Mai nods to her frenemy.

Then she turns back to Keith, more determined than ever.

'The final match of the Duelist Kingdom tournament begins,' Croquet declares in a loud voice. 'Mai Valentine versus Keith Howard.'