A Dragon's Destiny

by Magi Mana

Talesverse. Kisara is a new student at Domino, returning after years of being away. She sees her childhood friend Seto has become cold and distant while she quickly makes friends with his soon-to-be rivals Yugi Muto and Joey Wheeler. While facing the return of the Shadow Games, Kisara will have to face both her past with Seto and the truth about the Millennium Items.

17. Duel Monsters is Now a Dice Game

I meant to post this yesterday, but life got in the way. So happy one-day-late birthday to A Dragon's Destiny! It's officially been one-year since I started this story. Unfortunately, that does not mean I own Yu-Gi-Oh! It just means I've spent a year writing about it.

Chapter Seventeen: Duel Monsters is Now a Dice Game

Kisara fell back into a routine after that day. Walk to school with Tea and Yugi, take notes in class and kick Joey and Tristan when they fell asleep, head to the game shop to do homework and hang out, go home and do chores for Yumi. She visited her parents' graves every other Sunday. She often ran into Roland there, and they began alternating bringing flowers. Kisara was glad Seto had the quiet guard looking out for him, and she was infinitely grateful for all that he'd done.

Seto started frequenting class again, but his attendance was still sporadic depending on business meetings at KaibaCorp. When he did come, Kisara made sure to visit with him. She tried to get him to join the group for lunch, but it was hard enough to keep him and Joey in the same room outside of class, let alone in the same conversation. No matter how much she tried to play peacemaker, 'Rich Boy' and 'the mutt' were not going to get along. They had a better chance of running into another Millennium Item.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to see Mokuba in person because they never seemed to be free at the same time. She had the mansion's phone number, and Mokuba often called the Gardners' landline so Kisara wouldn't burn all her minutes when he wanted to talk. Odds were slim of that happening, but they decided to be safe.

The landline rang one morning when Kisara was getting ready for school. "Kisara, it's for you," Yumi stuck her head into the white-haired girl's room.

"Okay," Kisara took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Kisara," Mokuba greeted her.

"What's up? You never call this early."

"I need a favor," he said. "What was that fairy tale book you used to read us way back when?"

"You'll need to be more specific," she answered. "I went through quite a few."

"Just any of the ones with the dragons being the ally instead of the thing slayed by the hero," Mokuba explained. "I forgot last night, but we were assigned to do a book presentation yesterday. I want to do it on what you used to read us."

"Okay, I think I know just the book," Kisara told him. "I'll stop by the library on my way to school, and then I'll come by the mansion to hand it off to you. I just hope it's still there."

"Thanks, Kisara! You're the best!"

"Sure thing," she smiled. "I'll see you later, Mokuba."

"Bye!"

She finished tying the bow of her uniform and headed down the stairs to the kitchen. Tea sat at the table spreading jelly over a piece of toast. "So who was on the phone?" she asked.

"Mokuba," Kisara answered as she filled a bowl with cereal. "Do you mind if we stop at the library on the way?"

"We should have time," Tea answered. "I'm sure Yugi won't mind."

"Then let's hurry so we won't be late," Kisara poured milk on her cereal and grabbed a spoon.

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"Good morning, Yugi!" Tea called to the tri-colored haired teen as the two girls approached the game store.

"Good morning, Tea, Kisara," Yugi waved at them. Grandpa swept the entryway behind him.

"Mr. Muto, good morning," Tea greeted the old man.

"Good for you, maybe," he grumbled.

"What's with him?" Kisara lowered her voice in case the old man decided to bite her head off.

"I've never seen him like this before," Tea added. "Is he sick?"

"I don't think so," Yugi whispered. "But I'm worried. He's been acting really weird all morning."

"But why?" Kisara asked.

"All right, I'm going to tell you," Grandpa's voice sounded right behind them. Kisara jumped and placed a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart. The old man pushed past them, clenching his fist as he looked to the sky. "I've endured many things in my life. I've been trapped in an ancient pyramid, stung by scorpions, attacked by Tibetan wolves, but nothing compares to this!" He pointed to a building in the distance. "A new game shop!"

"There's a new game shop?" Tea repeated.

"When did that happen?" Kisara asked.

"They think they can drive me out of business selling their trendy new trash," Grandpa crossed his arms as he ranted on. "But they have no respect for the gaming traditions—the true classics because they only sell the fads of today."

"Wow," Yugi looked with interested at the new building. "I better go check out the competition and see what we're up against."

"Don't you even think about it!" Grandpa yelled at him.

"I just hope its opening doesn't block our way to the library," Kisara said. "If it does, we'll be late for school."

The new game store was down the street from the library. After Kisara ran inside to get Mokuba's book, Yugi weaved through the crowd to get a look at the new place. The building dwarfed the Mutos' store. Grandpa was right to have some concern.

"Yugi," Tea grumbled. "If your grandfather finds out we've been here, you're going to be so grounded."

"Ah, what's the harm in a little window shopping?" Yugi brushed it off.

"There'll be a lot of harm if we're late for school," Kisara said. "Let's go."

"Here," a girl handed a flyer to Yugi.

"What is it?" Yugi asked as he glanced over the image. Kisara looked over his shoulder to see a monster coming out of a colored dice with strange symbols on it.

"Dungeon Dice Monsters," the girl answered.

"Wow," Yugi said. "This looks like a pretty cool game. But I wonder how you play."

Tea grabbed him by the collar and started pulling him along. "Let's go. You're going to make me miss my first class again. If I get detention for this, you're going to have to do my homework for a week."

Kisara rolled her eyes at them. Yugi would be lucky to live long enough to play that game at this rate.

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"Whoa, be still, my beating heart," Joey said when they told him about their morning adventure before class. "You sure? There's a brand-new spanking game shop?"

"Yeah, my grandpa's real worried about it," Yugi said.

"Enough that he practically banned Yugi from setting foot in it," Kisara added.

"It just opened," Tea explained. "They've got all the latest and greatest games. They were really trying to hype this new one. Something about dice or dungeons."

"You saying they got that Dungeon Dice Monsters?" Joey asked.

"Hey, how did you become an expert all of a sudden?" Tristan raised an eyebrow at him.

"A little thing called the newspaper," the blond answered. "Every heard of it, genius?"

"What?" Tea gasped. "You never read the newspaper!"

"Ugh," Joey leaned back in his chair. "I read them when I'm out delivering them, okay?"

"Why are you delivering newspapers?" Tea asked.

"Listen, Tea," Joey shook his finger as he spoke. "I don't get one of them big fat allowances. I just need a little extra spending money. That's all."

"I know the feeling, Joey," Kisara said.

"And I gotta save every penny of that award money Yugi gave me for my sister's operation," Joey added.

"Hey, how is Serenity doing?" Tristan asked.

"Great," Joey grinned. "The eye guy says she's going to see good as new, and the first thing she's going to see is my beautiful mug."

"I think that's an oxymoron," Kisara said.

"That's awesome news," Yugi matched Joey's grin.

Squeals drew their attention to the next room. "What is that?" Kisara asked.

The group stood in the doorway of the other classroom. A group of girls surrounded a desk; through the crowd Kisara could see a boy performing dice tricks. He had long black tied in a ponytail, bangs that fell over his red and black headband, and a die hanging from his left ear. He scooped the dice on his desk into a cup and swirled them around, placing the cup face-down on the desk. He pulled the cup back to reveal all the dice stacked in a neat tower. The girls cooed at the trick.

"Who is this guy?" Joey asked.

"Beats me," Kisara said.

"Hey, you kids know who that dice man is over there?" Tristan asked the students sitting by the door.

"Yeah, that's Duke Devlin," one of them answered. "He owns the new game shop that just opened up."

"That explains the dice tricks," Kisara said.

"Eh, if there's one thing I can't stomach, it's a guy who'll do anything to get a girl's attention," Joey muttered.

"You mean like charging headfirst through a labyrinth?" Kisara smirked.

"Shut up," Joey rolled his eyes. "That girl was really in trouble. Dukey over there is nothing but a filthy show-off."

"And I thought you just couldn't stand guys who were more popular with the girls than you," Tea jabbed.

"Listen," Joey glared at them. "If I wanted, I could be just as popular, but I don't want to stoop to the level of that two-bit Houdini."

"And you don't want to make Mai jealous," Kisara added.

"Why do you gotta bring Mai into this?" Joey's glare intensified. "I don't need her opinion. I got my self-respect, and I have more talent in my little pinky than Duke'll ever have."

"If you count talking with food in your mouth as talent," Tristan joined in on the poking fun at Joey. Kisara was surprised he'd waited this long.

"Didn't you catch any of my moves in the Duelist Kingdom, you numbskull?" Joey turned his glare on the brunet.

"Now you're adding lucky to your list of talents," Tristan grinned.

"You're lucky I don't rearrange your face!"

"Save it for the dueling ring, guys," Yugi stepped to pacify the other boys.

"Come on, Yugi," Joey appealed to the shortest member of the group. "You gotta back me up on this. I was one of the best duelists on the island!"

"I don't wish to intrude, but I couldn't help but overhear you dabble in the game of Duel Monsters." Duke said as he walked over to them. "And who are you ladies?" He smiled at Kisara and Tea. Apparently he wanted all the girls in his little fan club.

"Not interested," Tea and Kisara said at the same time.

"Aw, that's too bad," Duke didn't let their blow-off faze him. "I'm very interested in you."

"Dabble schmabble," Joey responded to Duke's other inquiry. "Now, listen up. If you knew the first thing about Duel Monsters, then you would know all about Bandit Keith, the intercontinental champion. The guy was unbeatable, and you should have seen me wipe the floor with him."

"Good thing Joey's not a show-off," Tea sighed.

"I guess modesty must be another talent of his," Tristan grumbled

"And I managed to beat the Blue-Eyes White Dragon," Joey continued bragging, not hearing his friends' comments.

"Wow, you managed to beat Seto Kaiba?" Duke asked.

Joey faltered with that. "N-No. It was another duelist with the dragon."

"But I thought Kaiba was the only duelist with that card, let alone three?"

"It was me," Kisara stepped forward. "I used the fourth copy of the card at Duelist Kingdom."

"I knew there was something interesting about you," Duke focused his green eyes on her. "Can I get a name now?"

"Kisara," she said. "And I'm still not interested."

"All right," Duke backed off. He glanced to Yugi standing next to her. "What do we have here? Are you Yugi Muto, champion of the Duelist Kingdom?"

"Yeah," Yugi rubbed the back of his head as he answered.

"I've heard a great deal about the way you play the game," Duke gave a friendly smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. Kisara tensed. She knew that look. She'd seen it far too many times in her life to mistake it.

"Hey, Dicey, what have you heard about me: Joey Wheeler?" Joey stepped between them and pointed at himself.

"Nothing at all," Duke answered. He strode back to his desk and flicked his bangs. "But why don't we play a little game, and you can show these lovely ladies just what you're made of?"

"What game?" Joey asked.

"This," Duke held up his cup and one of the dice. "A cup and die are all we need to play the game. Are your talents up to the challenge?" The girls behind him started cheering.

He's up to something. He's definitely more than arrogant flirt. Kisara watched him closely as he placed the cup over the die on the desk. "Using the power of my mind," Duke held his hand up as he spoke, "I bet I can move the die into my right hand without touching the cup."

"Next you'll be telling me you can fly around the room," Joey rolled his eyes. "Unless you've got telekinesis, there's no way you can do what you're saying. It's just plain impossible."

"You shouldn't underestimate me," Duke scoffed. "Perhaps the die is already gone."

"What?" Joey's eyes widened.

"Why don't you just look under it for yourself?" the dice trickster suggested.

It has to still be there. No one had touched the cup, so there was no way the die had moved. "Joey, no!" Yugi tried to stop him. "It's a trick!"

The warning came too late as Joey pulled the cup up. "It's still there," he said.

"I'll take that," Duke grabbed the die. "I moved the die into my right hand, and I never, ever, had to touch the cup. That makes me the winner."

"That's no game," Kisara glared at him. "Games are equal to all people involved. You 'won' as long as someone else moved the cup. There was no winning for him or anyone else here."

"Is that what you really think?" Duke smiled at her.

"I have a very low opinion of tricks like this, and an even lower opinion of the people who do them," Kisara scowled at him. She gestured to the girls behind him. "They might be impressed with a con, but I can't stand it. I see it the same as cheating, which I don't tolerate." Not to mention I don't like the look in your eyes.

"Yeah, if you were a real man, you'd play a real game," Joey got in Duke's face. "I challenge you to a match of Duel Monsters."

"As you wish," Duke twirled a lock of hair around his finger. "But since this game is your specialty, I do have one very small condition."

"Condition?" Yugi repeated.

"Okay, but no more funny stuff, capisce?" Joey agreed.

"I'm afraid I don't have a deck of my own," Duke shrugged. His fan club started muttering and glaring at their group. Apparently they thought that wasn't fair despite Duke's tricks.

"That's not my problem," Joey narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "You're the one with the new card shop."

"My condition is this," Duke remained unfazed by Joey's attitude. "We open up new packs and create our own new Duel Monsters decks. That's fair, even by your high standards." He cast a glance at Kisara.

"What's fair about that?" Yugi scowled at the new shop owner. "If you're not playing with your own cards, then the game's just pure luck." He looked to his blond friend. "Besides, there's an awful lot of cards that we've never even seen before."

"Have a little faith in me, pal of mine," Joey smirked at the tri-color haired student. "Was I or was I not a finalist in the Duel Monsters championship?

"This isn't the same, Joey," Kisara said.

"I accept your condition," Joey ignored his friends' other protests.

"Excellent," Duke grinned. "But playing a game for fun is so pointless. So let's make a little wager. If I win, you'll do whatever I ask for an entire week."

"You got it, Dicey Boy," Joey agreed. "Because when I win, you're going to have to do whatever I want you to, and I want you to close down you're stinking shop!"

"Come on, Duke! You can beat him! Go, Duke!" the swarm of girls chattered their support for the dice trickster.

"No way I can lose to that show-off," Joey glared at Duke.

"He's toast," Tea sighed.

"Burned to a crisp," Tristan added.

"Yeah, looks like Joey's getting in over his head again," Yugi agreed.

"We tried to warn him," Kisara rubbed her forehead.

"You guys can't seriously think I'm going to lose to a guy with a die stuck in his ear," Joey turned to them. "I'm one of the top-ranked duelists in the whole world. I'm not some snotty-nosed rookie who just brought home his first deck.

"But you're agreeing to using cards you don't know," Kisara argued. "That's almost like dueling blind. Remember when we started and how long it took us to figure out how our own cards worked? It'll be like that all over again, but—"

"But nothing," Joey cut her off. "I know what I'm doing."

"Very well," Duke smirked and tossed his die in the air, catching it with the same hand. "We'll hold the match today after school. I have a state-of-the-art dueling ring located in my game shop. All right?"

"Sure," Joey agreed.

"Of course you're all invited," Duke looked to each of them, his gaze lingering on Yugi. "I wouldn't want you to miss your friend's finest hour."

I've got a really bad feeling about this. Kisara watched Duke disappear into his crowd of fans. There was definitely more going on than just a wager between rivals.

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The group split up to change clothes and drop off their school stuff before they had to head to the new store. Kisara pulled on a pair of white shorts and a blue tank top and added her new white jacket to complete her look. While waiting for Tea to finish getting ready, she called Kaiba Mansion to let Mokuba know she was going to be late dropping off the book.

"Who are you, and how did you get this number?" a gruff-sounding woman barked into the phone.

"My name is Kisara White," she answered. Mokuba always called her, so it was strange to hear someone else on the other end. Especially one who didn't sound happy to talk to her. "I'm looking for Mokuba; he asked me to drop off a book for him."

"White, do you take me for a fool?" the woman snapped. "Only certain personnel are allowed to have this number, and you are not on my list."

"But I got this number from Mokuba," Kisara protested.

"Do not call here again," the woman hung up the phone.

I guess that's Seto's way of dealing with unwanted callers. Kisara sighed. She'd just have to drop if off later than she planned. Tucking her phone into her jacket pocket (Mokuba could always call her on that when he was available) she grabbed the book and knocked on Tea's door. "Are you ready yet?" she asked.

"Almost," Tea called from the other side.

"Well, hurry up," Kisara said. "We don't need Joey and Tristan giving us grief for being late. It sets a bad precedent."

"Okay, okay," Tea opened the door, pulling on her jacket. "Let's go."

They met up with Yugi on their way; the three arrived at the store just minutes before Joey and Tristan. "I can't believe that dice guy owns this place," Joey commented as he took in the size of the building. "Looks like he spent some major moola. Too bad he's going to be closing it down."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Joey," Kisara said as the blond ran inside. "Waste of breath."

"Joey's heart's in the right place," Tea agreed. "It's his head I'm worried about."

"Yeah, if it gets any bigger, he's going to get it stuck in the front door," Tristan added.

They caught up to Joey as an employee greeted him. "Welcome to Duke Devlin's game world," he said. "Mr. Devlin was beginning to worry about you. Follow me." He led them to the elevator at the back of the store.

It pinged open just as they got there, revealing Duke in a black sleeveless shirt and black pants with a red vest. "Ah, you showed up," he smirked as he greeted them.

"The dueling ring is on Sub-Level six," the employee said. "Your chariot awaits." He pointed to the box of Duel Monsters packs by Duke's feet.

"Go ahead, Mr. Wheeler," Duke encouraged the blond. "Choose your packs carefully. We'll build our new decks from these new cards."

Both duelists selected packs from the box. Kisara could tell from both their expressions they were pleased with what they pulled. The elevator pinged again as the players finished assembling their decks.

The door opened, and lights flashed, illuminating a large dueling arena. In front of the elevator, three of the girls from Duke's fan club were dressed in cheerleader's outfits and shaking pompoms back and forth. "Give me a D! Give me a U! Give me a K! Give me an E! Go Duke!" They cheered.

"This is going to be a long day," Kisara muttered, hoping the girls would be on the other side of the arena during the duel.

"This place is huge," Joey commented as he took in the size of the arena.

"Actually, this is the smallest ring in the place," Duke smirked. "But it does have all the bells and whistles." The girls continued cheering for him.

"Okay, Camera One in position," someone announced, drawing the groups attention to the cameras surrounding the area.

"TV cameras?" Joey voiced their confusion.

"Yeah," Duke grinned. "I have a little theory that the bigger the audience, the better performance. That's why I've decided to broadcast this match live to the entire world. I know my fans will enjoy watching me defeat the second-best duelist. I just hope you really are second-best, not second-rate."

"Second-rate?" Joey repeated. "You're going to need a second life! 'Cause when I'm through with you, Dukey, there won't be anything left!"

The cheerleaders started sobbing at his declaration. "Don't worry," Duke soothed them. "I've never disappointed my loyal fans yet." They immediately went back to cheering him.

And he intends to follow through when he claims to have never built a deck? Kisara narrowed her eyes at the new shop owner. Joey raced to the blue side of the arena and slammed his new deck on the display. "Let's get this show on the road," he said.

Duke sauntered over to the red station, waving to his cheerleaders as his platform rose. The arena powered up, and the duelists drew their hands. "Let's duel!" they yelled.

"For my first move," Duke played his card, "I'll attack with Oni Tank T-34." An army green tank with a large, red demon face materialized on the field. "All right, that ends my first move. Now let's see some of that world-class talent of yours, hotshot."

"Hold onto your headband, dicey-boy," Joey drew his card. "Sword Hunter in attack mode!" A warrior with multiple swords strapped to his armor appeared. "Let's slice and dice the dice man." The swordsman drew two of his blades and slashed through the demon tank. Duke's LifePoints fell to 950. Due to Sword Hunter's effect, the Oni Tank was absorbed into his armor, signified by a red demon face appearing on the warrior's chest. Duke's cheerleader's whimpered.

"Not bad," Tristan commented. "Maybe Joey won't embarrass himself after all. Think he's got a shot?" He turned to Yugi.

"Yeah," Yugi gave a worried smile.

"Duke doesn't seem that worried though," Kisara eyed the store owner. "And that makes me worried."

"Hey, Puke Devlin," Joey taunted his opponent. "Why don't you quit before my sword guy messes up your pretty hair?"

"I've got you just where I want you," Duke smirked.

"Ha, you crack me up, Pukey-boy," Joey laughed. "But hey, it's your funeral."

Duke ignored the blond as he drew his card. "I play Dark Bat in defensive mode, and I lay another card face-down as well." A dark purple bat materialized on the field, its wings wrapped protectively around its body.

"A bat?" Joey scoffed. "If that's the best you got, you're saying bye-bye card shop." He drew his card. "Mad Sword Beast in attack mode!" He summoned a large, horned rhino. It charged at the bat, its center horn flinging it into the air.

"No harm done," Duke flicked his bangs. "The Bat was in defensive mode."

"Ha, that's where you're wrong, Ponytail," Joey grinned. "The Mad Sword Beast reduces your LifePoints even if your stinking bat was in defense mode."

Duke threw a surprised look as his LifePoints fell to 550. "Perhaps I've underestimated you," he smirked. "But my Dark Bat won't be going to the graveyard all by himself thanks to Michizure." He revealed his trap. "Michizure will drag you to your doom." Hands reached up from Duke's side of the field and grabbed Sword Hunter, pulling him to the bowels of the earth.

"Ow, that hurt," Tea commented. "Joey better start thinking more than one move ahead."

"Don't get too cocky, Joey!" Tristan cautioned his friend.

"Like I said before, I got this match here in the bag," Joey brushed off their concerns. "I could beat this two-bit loser even in my sleep."

"Don't turn into everyone you fought at Duelist Kingdom," Kisara warned. "They underestimated you, and you proved them wrong. Don't make the same mistake they did."

"Don't worry," Joey fell into a relaxed grin.

"Someone has to," she muttered, keeping an eye on Duke.

Joey's gaze fell on his opponent. "Think that little trick's going to save your bony butt? Think again! I still got you where I want you."

"We'll see," Duke scoffed. "Since your strongest monster went off to an early grave, now would be an excellent time for me to go on the attack." He drew his card. "First I'll play this card face-down, and then I'll summon Spikebot!" A machine with maces at the end of its arms appeared on the field. It swung one of its massive weapons into Mad Sword Beast, shattering its hologram and knocking Joey down to 1600 LifePoints. The cheerleaders waved their pompoms as they resumed their support.

"Come on, Joey! Concentrate!" Tea chastised the blond. "Duke Devlin's just trying to psyche you out! Don't let that joker get to you!"

"If you lose, you're going to have to do whatever he tells you!" Tristan reminded him of the stakes. "Don't you forget that!"

"Fat chance!" Joey's expression was of pure disgust as he drew his card. He grinned at the card. "This super card's going to kick your Spikey-Bot's keister! Goblin Attack Force! Bash him!" Multiple green-skinned goblins clad in purple armor materialized on the field. They each slammed a club into the machine and shattered the hologram. Duke's LifePoints dropped to 50. "Yeah! You don't have a snowball's chance in Hades now, Duke Deadman!"

"I don't like the look on Duke's face," Kisara said. "Even with only 50 LifePoints, he doesn't seem worried at all. I know if I were in his shoes, I'd be a lot more nervous."

"Unless you had something planned to turn it around," Yugi added. "He's definitely got something up his sleeve." The cheerleaders, oblivious to Duke's nonchalant attitude, hugged each other to fend off their fears of his defeat.

Kisara noticed Joey's goblins fell asleep on his field. "Yugi, what's up with Joey's monsters?"

"The Goblin Attack Force goes into defense mode after attacking," he explained. "Which leaves Joey in a vulnerable position." Yugi cupped his hands around his mouth to make himself heard over Joey's private victory party. "Joey, be careful! It's not over yet! Don't let your guard down!"

The blond remained oblivious to his friend's warning. "Waste of breath," Kisara rolled her eyes.

"I can't watch," Yugi slapped his palm against his forehead.

"Enough fooling around," Duke made his move. "Time to summon one of the most powerful cards in my deck: the mighty Gradius!" A fighter jet flew onto the field, its nose pointed directly at Joey.

There has to be more. That jet only has 1200 attack points. Kisara bit her lip as she eyed the jet.

"That all you got?" the blond scoffed. "'Cause that won't save you."

Duke smirked. "And I use a magic card: Limiter Removal, which doubles my attack power."

"Holy cannoli, that's a lot of points," Joey's eyes widened at the enlarged jet. "Good thing I got all my Goblins or he'd beat me with one lousy shot."

"Wait!" Duke paused for his own dramatic effect. "Another magic card: Fairy Meteor Crush!"

"Not that!" Joey recoiled. "Wait, I've never heard of that fairy card. What's it do?"

"Yugi?" Kisara looked to her shorter friend.

"It's bad news," Yugi said.

"Don't tell me the second-best duelist doesn't know what this card does?" Duke mocked his opponent. "Well you might say it's a magic card version of the Mad Sword Beast card you played."

"That's really not good," Kisara realized Duke's play. Joey's expression showed he came to the same conclusion. With that magic card, the lack of defense points the Goblin Attack Force had meant Joey would take the full damage of Gradius's attack.

"It's a pity this match was so short," Duke narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "I was hoping for an actual challenge, but it was not meant to be. The only thing that cheers me up is knowing that you'll soon become my servant for an entire week. Gradius, annihilate!" The jet charged through each of the goblins, shattering their holograms and exploding in front of Joey. The blond's LifePoints fell to zero. The cheerleader's volume tripled.

The duelists left the arena, and Joey walked dejectedly to his friends. "It's okay, Joey," Yugi consoled the blond. "You did your best."

Duke grinned as he walked over to the gang. He snapped his fingers, and the tallest cheerleader brought over a dog suit. "Put it on," she instructed.

"I hope you're a man of your word, Joey-boy," Duke smirked. "I'm looking forward to having an obedient dog for the next week.

"Hey, knock it off," Yugi glared at the victor. "Just 'cause you won doesn't mean you can put Joey down."

"Yugi, a promise is a promise," Joey silenced his friend. "And I gotta keep it even if it's to a creep like that Devlin."

A dice flew through the air and hit him in the forehead. "Shut your yap, you mongrel," Duke commanded. The look of disgust in his eyes grew. "You will not speak until your master commands you to."

"Let's get out of here, Joey," Tristan urged the blond.

"Sorry, guys," Joey didn't meet any of their eyes. "I gave my word." Two more dice struck his forehead. "Ow!"

"You're a dog now, Joey," Duke corrected him. "You don't say 'ow.' You say 'woof-woof.' Now put it on and bark for me."

Reluctantly, Joey pulled the suit on over his clothes, the head covering all but his face. "It fits you perfectly," Duke sneered. "Now give us your best bark." Joey got on his hands and knees and gave a half-hearted woof. "Ha, good boy, Joey."

The sound of skin hitting skin echoed through the room. Duke stepped back, his left hand pressed to his reddening cheek. Cold sapphire eyes glared at him through icy hair. "That is enough," Kisara spat. "You've taken this far beyond a stupid wager. This is not part of the game."

"A deal's a deal," Duke argued.

"Not this," Kisara scowled. "This was never a bit of fun for you. You started this with the sole purpose of humiliating him. And all because you hate Yugi. I want to know why."

"Who says I hate the famous King of Games?" Duke feigned innocence.

"I can see it in your eyes," she said. "They're filled with nothing but disgust and hatred, and it grows when you look at Yugi. And before you say I'm mistaken, I lived with seeing that same look directed at me every day since I was nine."

"Oh, that's so tragic," Duke taunted her. "But you're mistaken. I'm just happy I get to have my own personal dog for a week."

"That's a lie, and we both know it," Kisara mimicked the glare she saw Seto use on their classmates when they got on his nerves. She didn't have to try too hard; she was far more furious at Duke than Seto ever was at them. Green and blue eyes stared each other down, waiting for the other to budge.

"That's enough, Kisara," Yami stepped between them, ending the staring contest. "Words will not solve this." He turned hard amethyst eyes on the store owner. "Duke Devlin, I challenge you to a duel. And when I have defeated you, you will declare Joey a free man again." He glanced to her. "And you will answer Kisara's question. I believe I deserve to know why you hate me so."

"Excellent," Duke grinned. "But we will play a game of my own choosing. We will battle to the finish in a game called Dungeon Dice Monsters. And when you are the loser, you will give the title 'King of Games' to me, and you will swear on your grandfather's life never to play Duel Monsters again."

"That is going too far," Tea glared at Duke.

"Yeah," Tristan agreed. "Yugi, you've got too much to lose. This is completely crazy."

"Yugi, you can't do it!" Joey pleaded with his friend.

Duke scowled and threw another die at his victim. Joey flinched and put his arms up, bracing for the impact. But it never hit. Yami caught the die before it reached its target.

"Yugi, this is what he was planning," Kisara said, connecting the dots of the scheme. He wanted Yugi to challenge him. "It's why he set up the duel with Joey. It's easy to goad him into fighting. You only get involved to help a friend."

Yami nodded. "I know." He pointed at Duke. "I will accept your conditions. I will not let you destroy the dignity of a friend. We will do battle in your game of choice: Dungeon Dice Monsters."

He snapped his fingers, and the arena began to transform. The duelists' consoles folded into the edges, and new consoles popped out and extended, revealing three iridescent hearts. The bottom with the Duel Monsters slots dropped, and a gridded field overlapped it from the sides. "Looks a bit different than a dueling arena, huh?" Duke smirked. "Well get used to it, Dungeon Dice Monsters is a whole new game with a whole new set of rules. You're going to have to play close attention." The camera crews moved their equipment around to get the best shots of the players.

"Don't you worry," Yami glared at him. "I'm a quick study."

"You better be, Yugi, because I know this game inside and out," Duke bragged. "And if you want to win, you're going to have to learn it as well."

"Does that mean you're going to explain the rules to those of us who don't know them?" Kisara asked. "It's not really fair if you expect him to play without knowing them."

"Don't worry, I'll walk him through it," Duke gave a confident smile. "That's the dice pool," he pointed to something on his console. Yami looked to the same spot on his. "Select fifteen dice to use for the game. I'd give you some tips, Yugi, but being the master gamer that you are, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"That's not fair, Duke," Kisara glared at him. "You should explain what the dice do before he chooses."

"He's the King of Games; he'll figure them out," Duke tossed his bangs. "Now, hurry up, Yugi. I got mine all set."

"I'm ready too," Yami held up a handful of colored dice.

"Good," the store owner grinned. "Now here's how it works. These are going to be kind of like your dueling deck. And just like you shuffle your deck, we shuffle these—like this." He dropped his dice into a compartment on his right. Yugi did the same. "The dice automator will randomize your fifteen dice into groups of three. Take a look." Yami glanced to something on his right—Kisara assumed that was where the dice were spit out. "You get three dice per round. You roll all three at the same time, and then you get to make your move depending on what you rolled. But I'll explain a bit more about that later."

"I don't like this," Kisara said to Tea and Tristan. "He's not being honest about what Yugi needs to know in order to play."

"I'm with you, Kisara," Tristan agreed. "That slimy snake is up to something."

"Now, take the three dice out of the auto hatch," Duke continued his demonstration, "I suppose you're wondering how you score. Well, in this game, we have Heart Points. They're like LifePoints, only you only get three—that's it—and whoever loses all three of their Hearts first is out. Now, game on!" The cheerleaders began voicing their support for him.

"What game on?" Tea asked. "Yugi just learned the rules."

"Exactly," Kisara said.

"That's probably just how Duke likes it," Tristan agreed.

Kisara glanced to Joey in the dog suit next to the cheerleaders. He must have spoken out of turn, because the girls were wrestling him to the ground. The smaller girls held him down, and the biggest one body-slammed him. That looks like it hurt.

"I'm going to make my first roll now, Yugi, so from here on out your just going to have to listen carefully and learn as we go," Duke tossed his dice onto his console. "See those markings? Those are called crests. Different crests do different things. Take that green die for example. That star crest I rolled is for summoning." Kisara assumed that, like the arena settings for Duel Monsters, Duke's field was displayed on Yugi's side as well. "To be able to summon something, at least two out of the three dice that you roll during your turn have to land with the same type summon crest face up. And if I'm not mistaken, it seems I've come up with two matching Summoning crests on my very first roll of the game."

He held up a white die. "For the dimensionalizing part of the process: Dimension the Dice!" A white die appeared on his field and unfolded, revealing a pinkish colored demon. "And there you go: Ryu-Kishin! My very first monster is on the board.

"The monsters are inside the dice?" Yami asked.

"And that's not all," Tea added. "It looks like the dice themselves are part of the game."

"It's like some kind of path," Kisara observed.

"I'm glad you noticed, my little cheerleaders-in-waiting," Duke gave the girls a charming smile. "That's one of the key elements to Dungeon Dice Monsters. For you see, once a die unfolds to dimensionalize a monster, it becomes a Dungeon Pathway, and with enough of this Dungeon Pathway, I can construct a route my monsters can use to get your Heart Points."

"It's too simple," Kisara narrowed her eyes at the demon. There has to be more to the game than that."

"Yugi, we're with you!" Tea called to the tri-color haired gamer.

"Yeah, all the way, buddy!" Tristan chimed. "Long live the King of Games!"

"You can do it!" Kisara added.

Yami nodded to them. "Go, Dice Roll!" he tossed his dice. He frowned at the result. "None of them match."

"Yeah," Duke gloated, "'Cause the level of dice you threw were way too high. Sorry, didn't I mention that different dice have different levels?"

"You know very well that you didn't!" Kisara yelled at him. One… Two… Three… She gritted her teeth and counted to rein in her temper.

"Oh," Duke threw a look of innocence at them. "Well here's how it works. There are six types of crests on the surfaces of these dice. Summon, Movement, Magic, Attack, Defense, and Trap crests. How often each of these crests appears on a die depends on that die's level. The Level Two dice that I just used had three Summon crests on each, so it was easy for me to roll two of them. But the easier a monster is to summon, the weaker he is. Now look carefully at your dice, Yugi."

Yami scooped up the dice he had rolled. "They each have only one Summon Crest."

"Right," Duke grinned. "And that makes it much more difficult for you to roll a pair of them. Of course, had you, it'd have been a very strong monster. Still, I'm of the opinion that, in the early stages of the game, it's better to go for a low-level sure thing. After all, the odds of summoning a monster with high-level dice are slim-to-none. Sorry, but if all you have are high-level dice at your disposal, you're going to have a real hard time summoning any monsters.

"Hey, this ain't fair, Duke!" Tristan yelled at Yami's opponent.

"You should have told Yugi all the rules before the game started!" Tea agreed.

"You should start the game fresh!" Tristan insisted.

"If it were someone else, maybe," Duke refused. "But not the King of Games." He spat the phrase like it disgusted him. "He'll be okay."

One… Two… Three… Kisara clenched her fist as she counted in her head. She felt ready to slap Duke again, something that, had she not been so furious, she'd be ashamed for even thinking. But Duke had no right to disrespect Joey or Yugi like that. She had to believe Yugi and Yami would put him in his place. Just like they did to Seto the day he tore up the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Duke tossed the dice for his next turn and summoned Yaranzo. He also used the Movement crest he rolled to move the boxed demon closer to his opponent. Yami threw his dice but was still unable to summon anything. Duke mocked him and brought out Gator Dragon, moving him forward as well. Yami finally managed to roll two Summon Crests, but since they were different levels, he still couldn't use them.

"Ooh, high level dice," Duke smirked at his set. "They were too hot for you to handle, but let's see how I can do. Go, Dice Roll!" He tossed the dice. He laughed at the result. "Oh, what can I say? I guess Lady Luck has the hots for old Duke Devlin. Like everyone else. I mean, what is that? Four summonings in a row?" A treasure chest appeared on his field. "This is an Item Summoning, Yugi, but more on that a bit later."

I wish he'd quit doing that. Kisara resisted the urge to glare at Duke again and kept her eyes on the field. Yami and Yugi need to get a monster out fast, or they and Joey are going to be at the mercy of this creep.

Yami threw the dice but still didn't get a summon. "You know, maybe we should change your title from the King of Games to the King of Lame," Duke taunted him. "I mean, at this rate, I'll have you beat even before you're on the board. I knew that you weren't the real deal, Yugi."

"And you can be so proud of stacking a game completely against him," Kisara spat. "That's something you can brag about to your little fan club."

He narrowed his eyes at her and tossed his dice. "Yes! Another summoning!" Duke grinned at his result. The Thirteenth Grave materialized alarmingly close to Yami's Heart Points.

Come on, guys! Kisara prayed for the two to get a monster with this roll.

"There!" Yami smirked at his roll. "I rolled two Level Four Summon crests. Now I can finally summon a monster and defend my Heart Points." Duke scowled at the prospect. "Dimension the Dice!" The Mighty Mage appeared on his field. "Next I'll access my Crest Pool dice and use a movement crest to move my Mage one space forward so he can attack the Thirteenth Grave. Lightning Staff!" Electricity shot from Mighty Mage's staff, frying the zombie near it.

"All right!" Tristan cheered.

"In your face!" Tea glared at Duke.

"Way to go, Yugi!" Kisara gave them a thumbs-up.

"Knowing this game and all of its rules may have given you the advantage in assembling your creatures against me," Yami stared down his opponent. "But now I have a monster of my own."

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Mokuba flopped onto the couch in his brother's office at KaibaCorp headquarters. "Hey, Seto, can I watch TV?" he pointed to the closed cabinet across from the couch.

"Do you have your homework done?" Seto kept his eyes on his computer.

"Almost," Mokuba answered. "I have a presentation I need to work on, but I can't until Kisara stops by later with the book I need."

"What?" Seto actually broke away from his work to look at his brother.

Mokuba hid a smile. "We have to do a presentation on fairy tales for English class. I asked Kisara to get me one of the books she used to read us."

"Okay, you're off the hook until she gets here," Seto tossed him the remote. "Just don't lose track of time."

"Sure thing, Seto," Mokuba opened the cabinet and flipped on the TV. A shot of a guy with black hair over a patterned headband smirked at the camera. The angle changed, and Yugi's face filled the screen. The camera flipped again, showing Kisara, Tristan, and Tea watching whatever game was being played. Another shot showed Joey in a dog suit surrounded by three cheerleaders. "Hey, check this out, Seto."

"Mokuba, I don't have time for whatever cartoon you found. Especially after dealing with Pegasus."

"But Yugi's on TV," Mokuba protested.

Seto looked away from the computer screen. "Who is he dueling?"

"I don't think they are," Mokuba said as the cameras panned to the field. It was some kind of grid with red and blue paths on it. "Hey, what was that new game coming out? Some kind of dice game?

"Dungeon Dice Monsters," Seto rolled his eyes. "A Duel Monsters knock-off. The new shop in town is the only place that carries it."

Yugi's opponent—Yugi called him Duke—identified the same game as he tossed a handful of dice. Duke also mocked Mokuba's friend about not doing well with the match and the stakes. "Yugi promised to give up Duel Monsters if he loses?" Mokuba repeated. "And Duke will take his title?

"What is he thinking?" Seto gave up on his work and stood over the couch. "I'm the only one who can take that title from him!"

"He can't lose that easily," Mokuba assured his brother. "He beat Pegasus after all. This should be a piece of cake for him." Yugi, if you lose, I don't think Seto's ever going to forgive you. Or at least he won't let you give up Duel Monsters until he gets his rematch.

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"What do you guys think?" Tristan asked. "Is Yugi in the clear now?"

"No, I don't think so," Tea answered. "Duke's Dungeon Path is way more widespread than Yugi's, and he's still got more monsters out on the board too."

"Not to mention Duke's been withholding vital information all game," Kisara added. "This game is going to be anything but easy."

"Congratulations on your first monster, Yugi," Duke taunted. "Just four more now, and you'll have as many as I do." He tossed his dice. "Whoops, spoke too soon. Make that five more." Blast Lizard appeared on his field holding a bomb in each hand. "Don't be fooled by his low level status. When played in just the right way, Blast Lizard has a special attack that packs a surprising punch."

"My roll," Yami threw his dice. Low-level, he was able to summon Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress.

"Roast him!" Kisara cheered at the sight of the dragon. Tristan and Tea rolled their eyes.

Duke tossed the dice for his turn. "You failed to summon anything," Yami commented on the result.

"Whoever said I was trying to summon a monster on this roll?" Duke smirked. Yami's eyes widened. "Boy, are you dense. Remember what I said about playing my Blast Lizard in just the right way?"

"So you were rolling for his special attack?" Yami asked.

"That's kind of right," Duke grinned. "The Blast Lizard's special attack requires four Magic crests. I already had two in my Crest Pool, so I needed to roll two more, which I did. So I'll use a movement crest to position my Blast Lizard. And next, I'll use my four Magic crests to have him attack you." The green lizard threw his bombs at Winged Dragon, obliterating the hologram. "That's too bad. You worked so hard to summon that Winged Dragon too."

Kisara crossed her arms and scowled at Duke. "Are you still mad at Duke in general or just ticked off because he destroyed Yugi's dragon?" Tristan asked.

"I'll let you figure that one out," she glanced to him before returning her focus on the match.

"Don't give up!" Tea yelled to Yami. "You can beat him, Yugi!"

"We're with you!" Kisara added.

Yami tossed his dice, but he was unable to bring out another monster. Duke managed another summon with his roll, bringing out Dark Assailant. He moved his Blast Lizard and Gator Dragon right in front of Yami's Heart Points. The Puzzle wielders had to bring out something fast in order to stop Duke's assault. "Go ahead, take your turn," Duke mocked them. "Nothing you roll is going to help you get out of this mess. I mean, I don't even think that I'd be able to pull it off, and I'm the one who invented the game."

"You're its inventor?" Yami repeated. "I knew you were its champion, but—"

"I'm both!" Duke cut him off, scowling. "And everyone in the entire world should know it! I should be known as the second greatest game creator in all the world by now, Yugi! But I'm not! And it's all because of your cheating ways!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Yami. "That's the only way you could have beaten a great man like Pegasus! He has twice the skills you have!"

"Are you serious?" Kisara yelled at the game creator. "You're upset because someone beat your idol? That's why you pulled this?"

"Yugi ruined my life on that day!" Duke spat, glaring at the King of Games. "The defeat that you handed Pegasus changed everything for me!" He clenched his fists as he continued. "I dedicated my life to creating Dungeon Dice Monsters. I spent all of my free time perfecting its gameplay and fine tuning its rules. And when I was finished, it was clear that I had created something truly remarkable. I decided I had to send it to the only man who could possibly appreciate it: Pegasus. A couple of days passed, and I didn't hear anything from him until I got this crazy email. He said he'd read my proposal and wanted to fly me out on his personal helicopter so we could discuss the game in person.

"The very next day, I was brought to Pegasus's island: Duelist Kingdom. I could hardly believe it—all my hard work was paying off. I was going to meet my idol. When we met, he immediately challenged me to a game of Dungeon Dice Monsters. I expected him to be good, but he was phenomenal. It was his first time playing and he completely overpowered me. Me, the guy who created it. I was amazed with his skills.

"He offered me a deal right then and there, and he told me we'd draw up the official contract after he'd finished hosting a dueling tournament that was about to take place on his island. The tournament that you were headed to, Yugi. And ever since you beat him there, I haven't been able to contact him at all. Everything that I worked for was shattered that day, and it's all your fault!"

"You don't know what kind of man Pegasus was at all!" Yami argued.

"He was a great man!" Duke shouted. "Until you came along and broke his spirit with your dirty cheating ways! And now I'll get my revenge by breaking you!"

"I've never cheated at anything in my life!" Yami scowled.

"Please," the game designer scoffed. "You expect me to believe that someone like you could defeat a great game master like Maximillion Pegasus? You can't even hold your own in Dungeon Dice Monsters!"

"Grow up!" Kisara yelled, her temper rising again. "So you didn't get the contract you wanted. That doesn't give you the right to come after us and accuse Yugi of misconduct. You don't even know what was going on there, or have even considered that Pegasus might simply be unavailable. At the end of the tournament, Pegasus had," she stopped herself from saying 'had his Eye ripped out' and amended, "a health problem which prevented him from giving the rewards earned during the tournament. And instead of moving on or finding out what really happened, you're throwing a tantrum and trying to steal the title Yugi more than earned with this match you've stacked to give yourself the advantage."

"Are you accusing me of cheating?" Duke snarled at her, he green eyes as cold as ice.

"It's certainly not a fair game," Kisara glared at him. "A fair match would have both players know all the rules before it even starts, not having one player 'conveniently' forget to tell the other important information like the dice levels. You say because he's struggling at this game he couldn't beat Pegasus at another. They're completely different games. You're comparing apples and oranges. If you really want to prove yourself the better gamer, you start a match with Yugi knowing everything to properly play. What do you prove by winning a game rigged in your favor? I see it as the actions of a child who didn't get their way. And you're a little old to be pulling that."

"Shut up!" Duke snapped.

"Just listen, Devlin," Yami pleaded with his opponent.

"Never!"

"Your hero worship of Pegasus has blinded you to the truth," Yami narrowed his eyes.

"No, I can see perfectly!" Duke glared at him. "And I see a cheater who's about to be retired from Duel Monsters forever! Now roll, you fraud!"

"Show him what you're made of, Yugi!" Kisara yelled.

"I will roll," Yami grabbed his dice. "And I will defeat you!" He rolled and summoned Thunder Ball, a Level Three monster with fairly low stats. Its limbs extended from its round body, its mechanical gaze focused on Duke.

Duke rolled attack and movement crests, allowing him to move the Gator Dragon and Blast Lizard right in front of Yami. The Gator Dragon attacked, wiping out the first of Yami's Heart Points.

The cheerleaders went into a frenzy cheering their idol's success. Joey snapped at them, and they bashed him into submission. "Man, those girls really know how to yank Joey's chain," Tristan sighed.

"At least they haven't reduced him to howling yet," Tea rubbed her forehead.

A mournful cry came from the dog suit. "I think you spoke too soon," Kisara dropped her head as the cheerleaders got louder. She glanced to Yami typing on the minicomputer on his right.

"I'm not housebreaking him," Tea stated.

"Go, Dice Roll!" Yami started his move. He smirked at the result. "It appears I've rolled two Magic crests, Duke. But since they both have times two multiplier emblems, each of their values are doubled, giving me four magic crests—more than enough to activate Thunder Ball's special ability."

"Not bad," the game creator scoffed. "You've even learned how to use your help screen to find out how to activate the monsters' special abilities."

That must be what that computer is. Kisara's eyes darted between the two players.

"That's right," Yami continued. "Now I'll use three of the crests I rolled and activate Thunder Ball's special attack. Go, Rolling Crush! Your Blast Lizard's about to be bowled over." Thunder Ball's limbs retracted into its round body, and it rolled, picking up speed until it crashed into the bomb-wielding lizard. "But my attack will not end there. I'll use three more Magic crests I saved in my Crest Pool and have Thunder Ball strike again. Attack Gator Dragon!" The ball picked up speed again and slammed into the red dragon.

"He nailed him!" Joey cheered. "Way to pick up the spare, Yuge! Great job!" The cheerleaders hugged each other and whimpered at the upset.

"Okay, Duke," Yami clenched his fist to emphasize his point. "Now we have a game."

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"Boy, this is some game," Mokuba could barely take his eyes off the screen. For having never played the game before, Yugi was holding his own pretty well, despite not knowing all the rules. He couldn't believe that Duke guy. Accusing Yugi of beating Pegasus? No way! Based on what Kisara said, Pegasus was the one who cheated! And if it weren't for Yugi, Mokuba and Seto would still be that creep's prisoners. No wonder Kisara looked so ticked off. I don't know if I've ever seen Kisara get mad.

Mokuba glanced to his brother to gauge his reaction. He couldn't remember the last time Seto was this tense. He leaned over the couch, his eyes narrowed and his mouth a tight line. "Yugi's going to win this no problem," Mokuba assured his brother.

"He better," Seto kept his eyes on the screen. "That title is mine. Not that wannabe's. Besides, Yugi got past his disadvantage. It's only a matter of time."

You heard him, Yugi. The only person who can take that title is Seto. Mokuba smirked as Seto still didn't go back to his work. The camera panned to the spectators attending the game, and it almost seemed like his brother's eyes lingered for a second on white hair.

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"Not bad, Yugi," Duke mocked him. "You used that help screen to come up with a pretty impressive move there. But still, I wouldn't get any ideas about winning this match. You'll never know Dice Monsters as well as I do." He tossed his bangs. "After all, I'm the one who invented the game."

"That's true," Yami narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "Just as your idol Pegasus invented the Duel Monsters card game. But inventing a game doesn't mean that you can't be beaten at it, Devlin." Yugi nodded next to him, though Yami was the only one who could see him. "But perhaps my beating Pegasus was the exception to the rule. Perhaps you are better."

"Why, thank you," Duke smirked at the praise. He eyes widened as if he'd momentarily forgotten his vendetta. "Hey, wait! You only beat Pegasus by cheating! Don't try and fool me!"

'I can't believe he really thinks this,' Yugi turned sorrowful eyes on their opponent.

'We will prove him wrong,' Yami assured his partner. He would not allow Duke to continue to humiliate Joey and besmirch the reputation Yugi had earned. "No, Duke, you're fooling yourself."

"Yeah right, cheat," Duke snarled and grabbed his dice. He rolled, but nothing he got could be used, so he stored them in the Crest Pool.

"Now it's my turn, Duke," Yami grabbed the dice. He looked to his partner, and together they rolled. "Go, Dice Roll!" They grinned at the result: two Summons and a Movement. They summoned the Knight of Twin Swords, but since the purple armored knight was too far away from any of Duke's monsters, they stored the Movement for later.

'How do I look for the Knight of Twin Sword's abilities?' Yami glanced to his partner as he ran his fingers over the computer's keyboard.

'Click that icon right there,' Yugi pointed a transparent finger at the screen.

'This?' Yami tapped an icon.

'No,' Yugi said as Yami hit the wrong one. Instead of finding information on the Knight, rules on Defense crests popped up. 'Well that's helpful.'

'More rules Duke conveniently forgot to mention,' Yami frowned at how far Duke was willing to go to humiliate them. He closed the Defense rules and clicked on the Knight's abilities Yugi pointed out.

"Go, Dice Roll!" Duke drew their attention back to his turn. He rolled another pair of summoning crests. "Here's a monster your Knight will definitely want to steer clear of: the Battle Ox!" The monster Yami and Yugi recognized from Kaiba's deck materialized in front of the Knight. "But then, you may have a hard time avoiding him once I use these four stored Movement crests and have him charge in for an attack." Battle Ox moved onto their blue spaces and swung his axe at the Knight of Twin Swords.

Now's a good time for those defense rules. "Knight, switch into defense mode!" Yami commanded, using one of the Defense crests he and Yugi had stored away. Since their Knight had ten defense points, he was able to avoid losing all of his hit points in the battle.

'Looks like that wrong button came in handy,' Yugi smirked next to him.

'Let's keep going,' Yami grabbed his dice. "Go, Dice Roll!" Yes. "I'm activating my Knight's special ability by using both these Attack crests. Now he's allowed to attack you twice in one turn and make two assaults on your beast's hit points. Go, Double Slash Attack!" The Knight slashed the Battle Ox with his blades. "Face it, Duke. Your Ox has been gored."

"Way to go, Yugi!" Tristan cheered. "You're really on a roll, buddy!"

"Yugi, great move!" Tea yelled.

"Keep it up!" Kisara added.

"Your turn, Duke, but this time you might want to steer clear of my monsters," Yami mocked his opponent. Now it was becoming a real game.

Duke broke out into laughter. "So you were able to defeat my Battle Ox, Yugi. So what?" He continued to snicker. "My last brilliant move wasn't about just creating another monster. It was about building out my Dungeon Path."

"Your Dungeon?" Yami raised an eyebrow. What else had Duke 'forgotten' to tell them?

"That's right," Duke grinned. "Just take a look at your Dungeon Path, you dunce."

"What about it?" Yami scanned the field. Yugi did the same next to him.

"I'll tell you what," the game creator couldn't hide his glee. "It's been stopped dead in its tracks." Yami and his partner leaned closer to see the colored Paths. "See my red Dungeon Path? Do you see how it reaches from one side of the board all the way across to the other, creating one solid line in front of your blue Path? Well guess what, Yugi? Your Dungeon Path can't cross it! And that means your monsters can't get to my Heart Points on the other side of it. You're stuck, Yugi! You can't build your Path forward anymore. You're completely boxed in!"

'He's trapped us!' Yami looked to his partner.

'We can't give up,' Yugi pointed to another icon on the screen. 'Let's see if there is something we can do.'

'You're right, Yugi,' Yami tapped the icons his partner pointed out. The information gave them some semblance of a plan, but it would not be easy. Their best hope involved another monster that would be difficult to summon.

"It seems the so-called King of Games is about to be forced into an early retirement," Duke twirled his bangs as he gloated.

"There's gotta be some way Yugi can still win," Tristan clenched his fist.

"Well actually there is," Duke smirked. "Yugi could always try cruising his monsters through my Dungeon Path. That is, if he doesn't mind running his monsters through a virtual gauntlet, 'cause to get to my Heart Points he'll have to survive every one of my monsters that he meets on the way."

"But that means his monsters would be attacked every step of the way," Kisara said.

"No joke," Duke laughed. "My roll now." He grabbed his dice. He chuckled at one of them. "You know what this is, Yugi?" He held up a die for them to see.

"It looks like a black die," Yami narrowed his eyes at it. Yugi was already sorting out where to find the information once Yami could type it in.

"A very rare black die to be exact," Duke confirmed Yami's observation. "And with it, I'm going to finish you off and win this game. Go, Dice Roll!" He tossed the dice. Yami tensed, typing into the keyboard as quickly as he could. Duke rolled a Summon, dimensioning his black die. "Now you'll see the power of the rare Black Die!" The die unfolded, revealing a black hole in one the squares. "Behold the Warp Vortex!"

"Warp what?" Yami leaned in closer to get a better look at it.

"Warp Vortex," Duke rolled his eyes. "Guess I'll have to explain this too. The dark hole you see before you is a special summoning that only a rare Black Die can produce. It's a cosmic portal. When monsters jump into it, they're sent to another place on the board instantly. This other place is determined by wherever the second Vortex is laid. That's where the monster pops out of. It takes two Vortexes to complete the circuit, creating a Warp Two. And guess what, Yugi? I've already got the second location all picked out—deep within your territory and well behind your defenses. It's the perfect spot for easy access to your Heart Points." He pointed to the spot at the edge of the red path. "Now, Yugi, all that stands between you and defeat is the time that it takes for my automator to spit out the next rare Black Die. And I have a feeling it won't be long now, so start working on your retirement speech.

'There's not much we can do,' Yugi directed Yami through more information on the screen.

'We'll just have to build up our defenses for now,' Yami grabbed their dice and tossed. He smirked at the pair of Summon Crests. "Now, Devlin, let's see how well I've learned your game. I summon the Strike Ninja!" A black-clad ninja with gold wrist protectors and a long red scarf stood tall on the square. "His high speed allows him to move three spaces for each movement crest."

"High speed, huh?" Duke rubbed his chin as he assessed the Ninja. "Nice try, but he doesn't come close to the warp speed that my Vortex will give me. Speaking of which…" He pulled his dice from the automator. "Check out this baby." He held up a second Black Die. "Now I'll roll to complete the warp tube and then finish you off for good."

Yami held his breath as Duke rolled the dice. Yugi relaxed when none of the dice revealed a Summon crest. "No Warp Vortex," Yami smirked.

"You lucked out… this time," Duke relented.

Yami's eyes widened at his next set of dice. 'Alright!' Yugi cheered next to him.

He leveled his eyes on his opponent. "Devlin, I've just found a major hole in your plan," Yami held up his dice. "Or if you prefer a Vortex. Thanks to this." Yugi placed his hand over his, and together they tossed the dice. They rolled the Summon Crests. Yami placed the vortex at the end of his path, within range of the Strike Ninja. His Ninja charged forward, speeding through the Vortex and straight to Ryu-Kishin. A quick stab with the Ninja's dagger eliminated the pink demon.

"Yeah!" Tea and Tristan cheered.

"Go, Yugi!" Kisara joined in.

'Duke may have kept us from extending our path further, but that Vortex just became our way in,' Yugi grinned.

'Yes, now let's keep it up,' Yami agreed.

Duke failed to summon a monster, giving the tri-color haired partners an opportunity to go for his Heart Points. With the Movement crests they rolled, Strike Ninja was able to throw his daggers into the iridescent hearts, darkening the bottom one was it was eliminated.

Duke laughed at the turnout. "I'm sorry, Yugi," he couldn't keep the malevolent grin off his face. "It's just been so long since anyone's destroyed one of my Heart Points. You should really give yourself a pat on the back—'cause I guarantee you it's not going to be happening again!" He threw the dice with more force than Yami had yet seen. Duke rolled a Level Three Summoning and brought out Orgoth the Relentless—a massive warrior clad in purple and blue armor. With Orgoth's power, he used to Magic crests to raise the warrior's attack stats by ten. Orgoth lumbered toward the Strike Ninja, its eyes never leaving its prey. "Diamond Blade Strike!"

'Yami!' Yugi pointed to the Strike Ninja's stats on the help screen.

'On it,' Yami used the information to counter Duke's attack. Smoke filled the arena as Orgoth's attack hit.

"Your Ninja has been destroyed!" Duke grinned.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," Yami scoffed. "Why don't you take a closer look, Devlin?" The smoke cleared, revealing the Strike Ninja, completely unharmed. "Sorry, Duke, but just before Orgoth the Relentless attacked, I activated my Ninja's special ability with a stored Trap crest. It allows him to quickly dodge any attack that's waged against him and escape harm.

'His eye is twitching,' Yugi observed.

'That means we're getting to him,' Yami agreed. He grabbed the dice and rolled. "And now I can attack again. Strike Ninja! Lunging Claw Thrust!" The ninja threw more daggers at the hearts, darkening the middle one. Now they were in the lead.

"Way to go!" Kisara cheered.

"Keep it up, Yugi!" Tea added.

"Only one more to go!" Tristan raised his fist.

Duke's eye twitched more as he threw his dice. "Now, Orgoth, show that ninja why you're called Relentless!

'We don't have any more Traps!' Yami eyed the zero next to the Trap symbol. There was nothing they could do to save the Strike Ninja this time.

"You were close, Yugi," Duke tossed his bangs. "Closer than anyone I've ever faced. But I'm afraid close doesn't cut it in Dungeon Dice Monsters. Sure you may have one more Heart Point than me, but I have Orgoth the Relentless, and none of your monsters will stop him from getting to your Heart Points."

"We'll see, Devlin," Yami kept his composure and tossed the dice. With the Double Movement crest, he could move the Knight of Twin Swords closer to their hearts and defend against Duke's incoming assault.

The game creator rolled two Double Movement crests, allowing Orgoth to advance to the Warp Vortex and move directly in front of Yami and Yugi's monsters. They rolled more movement crests, creating a barrier with the monsters between their Heart Points and Orgoth.

"You coward," Duke tossed his dice. He moved Orgoth into attack range and used two Magic crests to boost the warrior's attack stat again. Orgoth slammed his blade into Thunderball, shattering the hologram. "It's tough to watch, isn't it Yugi?"

"Just two more monsters left," Tristan grimaced. "Duke's taking out Yugi's defenses one by one."

"I know," Tea frowned. "But Yugi's been in tough spots before, and he's always come through. And remember he's still got the lead."

"And it's not over yet," Kisara added. "The duel against Pegasus was way harder this, and with more on the line. Duke's lost the advantage he had from Yugi not knowing all the rules. I'm sure there's still something Yugi can do to turn this around."

"You've played well for a first-timer, Yugi," Duke twirled his bangs. "I'll give you that much. But there's no way a hack like you could have beaten the great Pegasus. Now I'm going to expose you for the fraud you really are."

"I wouldn't write that victory speech just yet, Devlin," Yami grabbed their dice. There was no convincing him of their validity until the game was over. "This game's not over." He tossed the dice, storing the Movement crests for later. With Yugi's instructions, they found Mighty Mage's power—he could attack from two squares away.

Duke countered with a Defense crest, allowing Orgoth to withstand the attack. And since he had a higher attack stat, Mighty Mage also took damage from the attack. Duke rolled and advanced Orgoth. He used the last of his Magic crests to boost the attack power of the warrior by another 30 points. Orgoth slashed Mighty Mage in two, shattering the hologram.

"Looks like your beginner's luck has run out, Yugi," Duke taunted them.

'What if he's right?' Yami looked over the field. They were out of options and space to summon. 'This is a different game.'

'I'm not seeing a way out of this,' Yugi scanned the field and help screen. 'What do we do, Yami?'

'I don't know.'

"Yuge, you can't give up!" Joey yelled to them. "You can't surrender to that blow hard!"

"Bad dog!" the cheerleaders glared at him. "Get the muzzle!"

"Muzzle yourselves!" the blond snapped at them. "I got something to say here. Don't let Duke rattle you, Yuge! You've been in tougher situations against better duelists than this guy, and you've always turned it around. You even whipped Pegasus, and he was as crooked as they come. You won the entire tournament at Duelist Kingdom!"

"Even so, this is different," Yami voice their uncertainties.

"Come on," Joey brushed off their concern. "This is no time to be humble, buddy. You won the championship because you were the best gamer on the island. Better than Weevil. Better than Mako. Even better than me, Mai, and Kisara. All because you believed in the Heart of the Cards, no matter who your opponent was or how tough he seemed. Don't forget that you defeated the inventor of Duel Monsters at his own game. You can beat this joker at his. You can't let this Duke of Dork shake you! You're the King of Games, Yuge! So what if Dungeon Dice Monsters has a few new rules? If you just trust in yourself, you can still win! You taught me that, pal!"

"What he said!" Tristan agreed.

"Joey's right, Yugi!" Tea yelled. "You've got to keep the faith!"

"And we're all with you!" Kisara added. "All the way, and until the end!"

"Inspiring speech, Joey," Tristan grinned at their indentured friend. "No one can accuse you of rolling over and playing dead."

'What were we thinking?' Yugi smiled next to him.

'I don't know,' Yami gripped their dice. "You're absolutely right, Joey. I can never forget what made me Duel Monsters champion in the first place: believing in the Heart of the Cards. Dungeon Dice Monsters is no different. So long as I have the same faith in my dice that I had in my dueling deck, I can still win this." He turned his gaze on their opponent. "Keep an eye on your last Heart Point, Duke, because I'm coming after it!"

'Let's do it, Partner,' Yugi held his hand over Yami's, combining their power into one to get the crests they needed. Two Attack crests and a Double Movement. They moved the Knight of Twin Swords forward and used the six Attack crests they'd accumulated. Since Duke only had five Defense crests, they should be able to overpower him. Duke countered with Yaranzo's ability to turn any stored crest into a Defense one, allowing Orgoth to survive. Duke rolled an attack crest, and, with nothing left to protect him, Yami could only watch as their Knight was destroyed.

"That was your last monster, Yugi," Duke mocked them. "Now nothing stands in my way. This is going to be sweet."

There was nothing they could do with their roll. They were helpless as Orgoth swung his massive sword at their Heart Points, darkening their middle one. "You only have one more turn before Orgoth destroys your last Heart Point," Duke grinned. "Finally I'll avenge Pegasus's loss and show everyone what a phony you are, Yugi!"

Ringing filled the arena, drawing everyone's attention to Kisara. "Hello?" she answered her cell phone. "Seto? I know I'm late to drop off Mokuba's—wait what? Okay, I'll tell him." She held the phone away from her ear and looked at Yami. "Yugi, Seto's watching the match at KaibaCorp right now. He wants me to tell you that you better not—let me make sure I get this right—" she listened to the phone again, "lose to a wannabe game master… whose self-proclaimed fame comes from a Duel Monsters knock-off… all because of a mess the mutt got himself into." Joey glared at her with that comment. "Sorry, Joey. I'm just passing along what Seto says." She continued, "That title is his, and you are not allowed to give up Duel Monsters until… he completely destroys you and reclaims his status as the number one duelist. Anything else?" Kisara waited for his response. "And he's not sorry for calling Joey a dog when he's dressed the part and is already one. Okay, I'll see you later, Seto." She closed her phone and stuck it back into her jacket pocket. "You heard him, Yugi! Take Duke down!"

'Who would have thought Kaiba would encourage us?' Yugi grinned. Duke glared daggers at them and Kisara. He apparently did not appreciate Kaiba's comments about the match.

'I didn't,' Yami grinned back and grabbed their dice. This was it. There was still one monster they could call on. Yugi placed his hand over them, and together they threw the dice. Level Four Summoning.

"Nice roll," Duke scoffed. "Too bad I've got you so boxed in you can't Dimension the Dice."

"Don't be so sure," Yami smirked. "There's more than one way to Dimension the Dice, Duke Devlin. You just have to believe."

"Don't tell me how to play my game!" Duke snapped.

"I'll let the dice tell you," Yami inserted the die into the display. It unfolded into the last bit of space they had left on their side. "I summon the Dark Magician! The Dark Magician had never failed me, Duke. All I had to do was trust my dice, and sure enough, he as appeared." He moved the purple-robed spellcaster within range of Orgoth. With a 40 attack stat, he was more than powerful enough to take out the warrior. Their Heart Point was safe.

"Hang that from your ear and dangle it, Dukey-boy!" Joey yelled.

"Yugi's really beating Duke at his own game now!" Tristan cheered. Duke's fans whimpered at the upset.

"Your comeback ends now!" Duke threw his dice onto his console. He moved the Dark Assailant to the treasure chest from earlier. The chest opened in an explosion of smoke, revealing a large lizard with a cannon on its back. The Assailant sat behind the cannon. "The Monster Cannon is a weapon that fires a monster at the enemy instead of a cannonball," Duke explained. "Today's target? Your Dark Magician!" He pointed at the purple-robed spellcaster to accentuate his point. "Monster Cannon, ready…" Dark Assailant slipped into the barrel of the weapon. "Aim…" The cannon lowered to point directly at Dark Magician.

"I activate Dark Magician's special ability now!" Yami countered. "Conceal yourself with Magical Hats!" Four hats materialized around Dark Magician, turning Duke's one shot into a game of chance. Monster Cannon fired the Assailant, but it missed. The spellcaster emerged from the end Hat unharmed. "I should thank you for making the Dark Magician's special abilities in this game the same as in Duel Monsters."

"Yaranzo, retreat to your original square!" Duke called his monster back.

"You can run, Devlin, but you can't hide!" Yami tossed the dice. Just the crests they needed. "I'll use those two Magic crests to activate another special ability: Mystic Box!" A box materialized around the purple-robed spellcaster. "Your Warp Vortex inspired me to find an alternative path to your side of the field." Swords pierced through the box, skewering whatever was inside. Another box appeared around Yaranzo. The first box opened, revealing the chest monster skewered, and Dark Magician emerged from the second within range of Duke's Heart Point. He waved his finger in a 'tsk tsk' motion at Duke. "Dark Magic Attack!" Dark Magician eliminated Duke's final Heart Point. The defeated gamer slumped over his console.

"My dog days are over!" Joey ripped off the suit.

"All right!" Tristan, Tea, and Kisara cheered.

Yami smiled and let Yugi take control.

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"Told you he'd win," Mokuba grinned.

"Like there was ever any doubt," Seto left his spot by the couch and sat at his desk. He wasted more time watching that knock-off game than he intended. Now he had to catch up on the work he'd neglected. "I'm the only one who can defeat Yugi."

"Whatever you say, Seto," Mokuba rolled his eyes. Seto ignored him. "It was kind of funny watching Kisara repeat your insults to Duke and Joey."

"We'll work on that," Seto rolled his eyes and resumed his work.

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"Croquet, bring me another white wine spritzer, please," Pegasus instructed his right hand.

"Yes, Mr. Pegasus," the butler left to fulfill his master's request.

Pegasus flipped on the TV, looking for something to entertain him. He was getting used to the emptiness the Millennium Eye left behind, but it still unnerved some of the guards and servants. He really should get a glass eye or something to fill the gaping hole in his face. Once the doctors cleared him, of course. Who knew having an eye forcefully removed from their body could lay one up for so long?

"Ooh, what's this?" Pegasus grinned at the live game that came up on the screen. His grin widened when he recognized the two players. "Ooh, Yugi-boy and Devlin-boy going at it in Devlin-boy's game? I never did send that contract, did I? Oops."

"Your white wine spritzer, sir," Croquet returned at that moment with the requested drink.

"Croquet, where were we at with the Dungeon Dice Monsters contract?" Pegasus kept his eye on the match, taking a sip of the drink. He burst out laughing at Kisara-girl's attempt to parrot what Kaiba-boy considered encouragement.

"It's almost ready," the butler answered. "It just needs a final read-through and approval from you, sir."

"Make it so," Pegasus instructed. He paused when he got a look at Yugi-boy from the side. Wait, not Yugi-boy. The other one. From this angle, Pegasus was sure he'd seen that likeness before. "Also, get Miss Ishtar on the line. I have some information I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear. Assuming she hasn't already pieced it together herself, that is."

"Yes, sir," Croquet left again to fulfill the assigned tasks.

I think things are about to get interesting. Pegasus smiled and took another sip of his drink.

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The group left the arena and headed to the main level of the store. On the way, they found Grandpa in a not-so-good mood after he'd managed to elbow his way into the store. Yugi got the chewing out they all knew he would get for disobeying him, and then the group made themselves comfortable in the lounge.

"Yugi, I'm sorry I accused you of cheating," Duke opened the dialogue by apologizing. "The better player won today, and it was you. You proved you really did beat Pegasus fair and square." Kisara started to feel bad for him as he finally realized what all he did. "I was such a creep today, and thanks to those TV cameras, the whole world knows it. My store is ruined. No one is going to want to play Dungeon Dice Monsters now."

"That's not true at all, Duke," Yugi assured the game creator. "Dungeon Dice Monsters has the potential to become a huge hit."

"True," Grandpa agreed, having settled down from his chastising of his grandson. "I haven't seen a game this exciting since Duel Monsters. You've got to keep your store open."

"There's more than enough room for two game stores in town," Tea added. "I've got a feeling once Dungeon Dice Monsters takes off, you'll both have all the customers you can handle.

"Do you really think so?" Duke asked.

"Sure," Joey held up one of the dice. "Dice Monsters is great. It's you I don't like."

"I'd love to learn how to play," Tristan agreed.

"I can teach you," Duke offered.

"Just don't add any extra stakes to it," Kisara said. "I think we've had enough of that for a while."

"And now that Joey's out of the doghouse, maybe things will get back to normal around here," Yugi agreed. "Which means that I can finally get back to playing Duel Monsters."

"How can you let me off so easy, Yugi?" Duke turned his attention to the day's victor. "I was a total jerk to you and your friends."

"The game is over now," Yugi answered. "Let's just leave the fighting on the field because revenge leaves you with nothing except more bad feelings. And if you're truly sorry, the best thing to do is be friends."

"I am sorry," Duke lowered his head.

"So am I," Kisara brushed her bangs out of her face. "I shouldn't have slapped you earlier. That was uncalled for."

"Don't worry about," Duke accepted her apology. "And you guys are offering me something better than winning.

Yugi extended a hand to him. "Friendship always is." Duke accepted, and the handshake forged their friendship.

"Email for Devlin-boy! Email for Devlin-boy!" Duke computer started chanting.

"Why do I suspect that's from Pegasus?" Kisara asked.

Duke opened the message, his face breaking into a grin as he read it. "Industrial Illusions did send a contract after all! They want to take Dungeon Dice Monsters global!" The other six occupants of the room voiced their support at the same time. The creator turned to Yugi. "Thank you so much. I really couldn't have done it without you setting me straight."

"It just goes to show there's more to games than just the rules," Kisara smiled. "I'm starting to see why Seto takes them so seriously." Shoot! "Speaking of Seto, I've got to run. I promised Mokuba I'd drop a book off for his class project, and I'm late. I'll see you guys later."

"Smell you later, Kisara," Joey waved.

"Do you need Mom to pick you up when you're done?" Tea asked.

"I'll call and let you know," Kisara answered. "See you guys later.

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Kisara sprinted out of Duke's game shop and ran into a familiar black limo parked on the curb. A green-haired guard stepped out from the driver's seat. "Roland?"

"Miss White," Roland nodded to her. "Mr. Kaiba knew you were here and were heading to the mansion, so he sent me to pick you up." He opened the back door for her to get in.

"Thank you," Kisara slid into the seat. Roland shut the door and got back into the driver's seat.

The drive was uneventful, and Mokuba bolted out the front door as soon as they arrived. "Took you long enough!" he said.

"You were watching the match I was at," Kisara answered. "I can't believe you guys actually saw it."

"It was on," Mokuba grinned. "Do you have the book?"

"Right here," Kisara held it out to him. "It's due back at the library in three weeks."

"Thanks! Come on," he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the mansion.

"I'm coming," Kisara protested. "Slow down."

Mokuba pulled her to a room she hadn't been in before. The shelves were only as tall as Kisara's shoulder, and they were filled with board games. Bean bag chairs provided the majority of the seating—the only exception being the couch in front of the large flat-screen TV in the back of the room. Multiple game consoles were hook to it with controllers littered around it. "What do you think?" Mokuba grinned.

"Is this your own game room?" Kisara asked.

"Pretty much. Sometimes I get Seto to play too, but he's usually busy with work," the eleven-year-old answered.

"I'm not that busy," Seto stepped into the room at that moment, ruffling his brother's hair. "So do you have what you need to do your homework?"

"Yes, Seto," Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Do I have to do it right now?"

Seto looked to Kisara. "As soon as she leaves, you start on it," he said. "I still have work to do, so I'll check in on you later." He left the room.

"Thanks, Seto!" Mokuba called to him. He pulled Kisara over to the video game. "Have you played Mario Kart before?"

"No, but I've had some practice with racing games," Kisara smiled, remembering the several matches she played against Yugi, Yami, and Joey at the arcade. "Let's find out how this compares."

Mokuba started up the console, and the two began the process of choosing their avatars and vehicle constructions. Mokuba grinned and chose the Rainbow Road course, proving to Kisara that the video game could have a significantly higher difficulty level than the arcade game. Mokuba flew through the course while Kisara fell off the road on every curve. Not to mention the computer players kept throwing turtle shells at her. Mokuba claimed first place while Kisara didn't even make it to the finish line.

"How the heck did you do that?" Kisara lowered her head in defeat.

"Lots of practice," Mokuba grinned. "That's the only reason I can beat Seto in this."

"You actually beat Seto?" Kisara's eyes widened. When they were kids, Seto won every game they played.

"Yeah, but it's the only one I can," Mokuba answered. "The only way to get good at this course is practice, which I have lots of time for. Seto barely has time to play, so he hasn't mastered it like I have."

"Okay," Kisara smiled. You have to love brotherly competition. "Can we try an easier level?"

"Sure," Mokuba chose another course, and they started the next race.

Thanks for reading! And like I said in the disclaimer, this story is now one year old. It amazes me how many people read this, especially when I barely knew what I was doing when I started this last year. Thank you to everyone who reads, favorites, follows, reviews, and enjoys this story. You guys make writing this worthwhile.