The duel arena is bathed in the blue light coming from the spotlights. The audience sitting in the stands is rooting for either of the two duelists. This is such an exciting battle.
'LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,' the commentator's voice resonates throughout the stadium. 'THE EUROPEAN DUEL MONSTERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL HAS REACHED A CRUCIAL POINT. WHO WILL WALK AWAY WITH THE TITLE IN THE END?'
The two finalists are standing at the duel arena, across from each other. On the left side of the arena, Sir William Firewall, from England. A black guy dressed in a tuxedo. On the right side, Robert Schmeichel, from Germany. He has short, blond, curly hair. He's wearing a white jacket and blue jeans.
Robert is the new phenomenon in the duel monsters world. Totally unknown up until a few weeks ago, he arose from nowhere and, winning one duel after the other, reached the final of the European Championship taking place in Finland! However, in this match, the final match, he seems to be having a hard time.
His opponent, William, has a huge, tough looking monster on his field, a nameless creature that looks like a giant wolf with a mane or something. The aforementioned monster has just destroyed one of Robert's creatures, thus decreasing the German's life points to 150.
'Hah. Let me see you make a comeback now,' William cries, elated, having forgotten about his British phlegm. He has 800 life points left.
Robert has a face down card on the field and 2 cards in his hand. He sighs and closes his eyes. 'This is the only monster left in my hand,' he admits, in a German accent, and shows the opponent a card depicting a green, serpent like dragon with 1600 ATK points and 1500 DEF points.
'Thunder Dragon?' William scoffs. 'Hah? It's far from enough. Is this a way of admitting defeat, blond boy?'
Robert opens his eyes wide, a determined look in them. 'Do you know what is better than one Thunder Dragon?' he asks rhetorically. And, without waiting for a response, he proceeds to activate that monster's effect, discarding it to the graveyard in order to add two copies of that card from his deck to his hand. 'TWO THUNDER DRAGONS,' he bellows, answering himself.
'Still not enough,' William chuckles, with a bead of sweat appearing on his cheek nonetheless; he knows that two Thunder Dragons can be fused, though he's trying not to show his agitation. Let's just hope that the blond boy doesn't have a Polymerization card!
Indeed he doesn't. In his hand, that is! The face down card on the field, though, is a different story!
'I ACTIVATE MY FACE DOWN CARD. POLYMERIZATION!'
William gasps as the two Thunder Dragons in Robert's hand are fused to form the Twin Headed Thunder Dragon (2800/2100). A giant, red, two headed, flying dragon with a purple horn on each head. The creature lands on the arena with a flap of its wings, a roar and a thud.
William gulps. 'It's okay,' he thinks. 'Even if he destroys my monster, I can still win.'
'The duel is over right now,' Robert cries, as if to reply to his opponent's thought.
'What?' William gasps as his opponent shows him the last card left in his hand, which he activates while he is at it.
'HORN OF THUNDER,' Robert haughtily speaks the card's name. (ORIGINAL CARD) A green card depicting a horn surrounded by sparks. On cue, sparks appear around both horns of the Twin Headed Thunder Dragon. This equip spell card does not make the equipped monster any stronger in terms of ATK or DEF, but it does something else, something really interesting.
'The-the damage,' William stutters. 'The damage inflicted to my life points by an electric, horned monster equipped with this card is doubled! I LOST!'
Robert smiles and winks. 'THUNDER DRAGON, ATTACK!' he subsequently yells, unnecessarily pointing a finger.
The dragon gathers energy, which coalesces into two bright spheres above either of its horns. Finally, it fires. William's monster is destroyed and his life points decrease to zero.
'WE HAVE A NEW EUROPEAN CHAMPION,' the commentator cries as the crowd goes wild. 'IT'S ROBERT SCHMEICHEL, FROM GERMANY!'
The two finalists get off the arena and walk over to the stage where the closing ceremony will take place.
'You are an amazing duelist,' William smiles and offers his hand.
Robert reciprocates the smile as well as the handshake.
Holding the trophy that will be awarded to the winner, a special surprise guest gets on the stage as well: 'MOKUBA KAIBA, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE YOUNGEST AND PERHAPS THE RICHEST HEIR IN THE WORLD,' the commentator cries amid the audience's cheers.
The little boy gives Robert the golden cup. 'Congratulations,' he smiles. He's wearing his formal outfit for the occasion: a white blazer, trousers the same color, a purple shirt and a blue tie.
'It's an honor to be awarded by you, sir,' Robert closes his eyes and bows in a Japanese fashion which indicates that he has studied eastern countries customs.
Mokuba produces a microphone and turns to the audience. 'And now, ladies and gentlemen, an important announcement. Soon, in Japan, in Domino City, the city also known as the mother of all games, a duel monsters tournament shall take place, organized by KaibaCorp. The Battle City tournament!'
After a few seconds, which it took Mokuba's words to sink in, the crowd goes wild anew.
The underage president of the multi billion company turns back to the newly crowned European champion and addresses him. 'Although anyone who ranks high enough in the duelists database can participate anyway, I would like to officially invite you to the tournament, Robert.'
'Umm, it is an honor, Mister Kaiba,' Robert drawls awkwardly, trying to come up with an excuse to reject the invitation. 'But... umm... I...'
'Er hem,' someone clears their throat, in the stands, among the audience, amid the cheers of the other people around.
Despite all those incredibly loud sounds flooding the stadium, Robert somehow managed to hear that person clearing their throat! He turns his head to the stands, raises his eyes and looks at the aforementioned person. He is sitting with his arms and legs crossed. A hood conceals his face, but, from some red hair protruding, one would say that he is... Kaiba! Seto Kaiba! Mokuba's brother!
In any case, Robert somehow manages to discern, under the hood, a meaningful glare. Having got the message, he turns to Mokuba anew and resumes, 'I would be more than glad to come to Japan and compete in the Battle City tournament.'
'I guessed so,' Mokuba responds with an enigmatic smile.
Yugi and Rebecca are sitting in the former's room, on the floor, and watching on tv the final match of the European Championship.
'That Robert guy is awesome, isn't he?' Yugi remarks, excited. He's sitting cross legged. He's wearing his usual student uniform and white socks.
'Not bad,' Rebecca admits half heartedly, being way less modest than her peer. She is wearing a red t-shirt, a light blue skirt and pink, almost knee high socks. She's lying in a lateral position, with her elbow resting on a pillow and her hand supporting her head. Her hair is tied in a casual ponytail.
Her grandfather, Arthur, left for another archaeological expedition some time ago, but Rebecca somehow managed to convince him to let her stay with the Mutos for a little while! No, don't think of anything naughty just because she and Yugi are hanging out in the same room right now; at night, she sleeps in the guest room!
Yugi is looking at the tv screen, with a troubled expression on his face. Something about Mokuba feels wrong. Has that 12 year old boy even realized that, not long ago, his older brother went missing? Why is he acting as if things couldn't be better?
Rebecca snaps her fingers right in front of the boy's face, thus interrupting his thoughts. Yugi cries in startlement.
'HEY, YUGI,' Rebecca snaps, annoyed. 'I've been talking to you for a good two minutes! Where is your mind wandering?'
'Umm, I'm sorry, Rebecca,' the male teenager closes his eyes and pinches his nose. 'I was thinking about... the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. He's been going through some sort of existential crisis lately, which is why I have arranged for him and Tea to go out tonight.'
Although this was not really what Yugi was thinking about a moment ago, he did not lie when he said that his partner from Ancient Egypt doesn't feel himself lately. And indeed, he hopes that Tea will help Yami Yugi sort his thoughts out.
'A date?' Rebecca takes a meaningful expression and leans towards Normal Yugi.
The boy blushes and gulps. 'Umm, no, nothing like that, you misunderst...'
'I'M IN!' Rebecca jumps to her feet and claps. 'I'm going to put on something more appropriate.' And, running out of the room, heading to hers, she cries, 'WHOO HOO, a double date. Me, Tea and the two Yugis! This is going to be so much fun!'
Yugi is left speechless!
'Double date? Who invited her?' a male voice, deeper than that of Normal Yugi, is heard. An annoyed voice, that is!
Yugi gulps once more. Slowly and tentatively, he turns his head and sees the immaterial spirit of Yami Yugi standing next to him, with his arms crossed. He's wearing the same clothes as his partner from the modern world (well, he's not actually wearing anything, since, as I said, he's immaterial, but, by convention, that immaterial image of him that appears whenever the two Yugis converse in private always appears to wear the same clothes that Yugi wears at the respective time).
'First, you arrange a date, or whatever you want to call it, between me and Tea, without asking me first,' Yami Yugi reprimands Normal Yugi. 'And now... THIS?'
'Umm, I apologize, partner,' Yugi lowers his eyes and scratches his head in shame. 'I swear I didn't plan for this to happen.'
Yami Yugi sighs, with his arms still crossed. 'You know, it's a good thing your puppy eyes are so adorable. Otherwise, I would have mind crushed you by now,' he jokes.
Robert Schmeichel enters his room in the hotel close to where the European Duel Monsters Championship took place.
The person from before is sitting on a chair, arms and legs crossed this time as well, right in front of the door of the room, as if he has been waiting for Robert. On second thought, scratch out 'as if'; he has been waiting for him indeed!
As soon as the German enters, he cries and flinches in startlement. He places his hand on his chest. 'You almost gave me a heart attack,' he protests. 'I'd appreciate it if you stopped doing that!'
'And I'd appreciate it if you stopped taking so many initiatives,' the figure replies and lowers his hood, confirming our suspicions. He is Seto Kaiba indeed!
Except something about him doesn't seem right. That look in his eyes... that look of madness and instability... it reminds us of the old Kaiba. The person that Seto used to be long ago, back before Yugi defeated him in a duel and cleansed his soul of all those negative emotions that clouded his judgement.
'Need I remind you that you owe to me all you are?' Kaiba carries on. 'Before abandoning my company, I took a few million dollars with me. Which I kindly put at your disposal! Without my money, without my resources, without my cards and, most importantly, without my tutelage, you would be nothing. You would be a no name living on the street, begging for some change and sleeping next to his very own poo!'
Robert gulps. 'Y-yes, sir. I remember,' he stutters.
'Then do as I say,' Kaiba snaps, uncrossing his legs, leaning forward and steepling his fingers around his nose and mouth. 'Go and win the Battle City tournament.'
'Y-yes, sir,' Robert gulps anew.
'Good,' Kaiba smiles. 'I'm glad we understand each other. I hope you also remember what awaits you in case you lose!'
'I-I remember,' Robert stutters.
