A Song from the Divines Chapter 21: Day of the Dragon, a Yu-Gi-Oh GX + Yu-Gi-Oh Crossover fanfic

Hall of Parliament - Rassay, Emboldor

Tel. XIV - Year 18 4AOS

Even though the Princes of the Alliance were strong, the war was still going in King Forrest's favor. His army of robotic knights was much stronger than anyone had anticipated. Normal footsoldiers could barely last a fight against them, for their armor was tough and they had the capabilities of a squadron of elite knights. Because of this, the princes were called to each theatre of war. They fought all day, sometimes all night long. And they were getting tired. The best alternative was to have Black Luster Soldiers sent to the frontlines of each kingdom that was under threat but that took too long and the magic Wayshrines that offered Fast Travel for adventurers were beginning to overheat and malfunction due to constant use. There was no way they could withstand sending an army of thousands anymore.

And that's where Seto Kaiba came in. Knowing full well of the grim predicament, he called a session of congress in Rasaay, proposing a bill to allow the use of tactical dropships and other highly advanced vehicles in the West. However, being the traditionalists that they were, many were not happy with this bill. They refused to live their lives with technology, for they felt technology was an insult to the beautiful world the Goddesses created. They did not wish to live like Eredas, which was consumed by electricity, the internet, advanced technology, and so much more. It was unnatural in their eyes.

"You don't have much of a choice in the matter," Seto said via hologram, for he was overseeing the advancement of new technology in his space station high above Domino City. "You can either accept the use of Eredas's advanced military technology or allow King Forrest to march over you and claim your lands. May I remind you that he has never set foot into Eredas? Our weapons are far too advanced for him, so he leaves our kingdom and its great cities alone. Even he has seen the power of technology and has used it to his advantage with his robotic knights and tanks. And now, from what I understand, he's created giant flying battleships to lay siege to you from the sky. All he has to do is send a salvo of missiles your way and he'll destroy you, without even sending a single soldier onto the battlefield. I think it's high time you all made some changes, too."

"But you have always pushed for the modernization of Termnnia!" said a senator from Gardenrealm. "Why should we trust you? How do we know you simply aren't taking advantage of the war to push your agenda on us, Seto Kaiba!"

"Believe whatever it is you want to believe," said Seto. "The fact of the matter is our technology is the only thing that stands in the way of total domination by Naralia. You cannot rely on the Princes of the Alliance forever. They are getting tired and overworked, fighting hard on the frontlines while you, your kings, and your troops cower behind your castle walls. That seems highly unfair to me, Senator. Heh, did you know it was they who came to me and demanded I force all of you to take action?"

The Senators grumbled and murmured with one another. "Order! Order!" shouted Pegasus, smashing his gavel on his desk. "Seto Kaiba is right. I am a big supporter of the technological advancement of Termnnia, but I am also not in favor of forcing it upon kingdoms that do not desire it. However, we have an enemy up North who has made use of technology and has turned it into a powerful war machine that continues to push down on us despite the constant fighting of our brave and noble heroes on the frontlines. Seto Kaiba is right. We cannot depend on the Princes forever. They cannot fight for you forever. We need to take action."

"May I make a suggestion?" asked Princess Kira of the Orange Island Kingdom. She stood up and raised an orb over her mouth to amplify her voice. "I am not in favor of the technology Seto Kaiba and the Eredians are using in the East. However, it is a necessary evil that we must accept. But it should not be one we should live with forever. I propose that the use of modern technology in our kingdoms be temporary."

"What do you mean?" Pegasus asked.

"I will allow the use of Eredian technology in my father's kingdom provided Seto Kaiba evicts it from our lands post-haste when King Forrest is defeated or if he surrenders."

"I agree," said a Senator from Katina. "They may stay until the war is over. This is a grim time for all of us and we must make use of all our recourses to stop King Forrest. Even it means we have to use...those alien mechanical monstrosities that Eredas favors so greatly. Seto Kaiba is right when he says that King Forrest does not dare cross through the Five Passes of the Wyvernback Mountains to try and conquer Eredas. If the weapons they possess have served them this well for so long, perhaps they can help us, too."

"I will agree to this bill then," said a Riftgaardian representative. "Provided the Eredians get their technology out of our lands after the war post-haste as Princess Kira proposed. Lest we take it as a proclamation of war."

"Indeed," said the senator from Thara. "You may have your technology, Seto Kaiba, but when the war is won, we will have High King Yuri and the God Cards. Not even your technology will be a match for them."

"Understood," said Seto. "Who knows? Perhaps you'll grow to like our technology. So it's decided?"

"What say you?" said Pegasus.

"Aye!"

Hundreds of Ayes followed. They all agreed to the terms and would allow Eredas to send their technology to their lands.

"Then it's decided," said Seto. "I will speak to King Eldon at once and have him send our Skyships to Emboldor immediately to pick up the Black Luster Soldiers and distribute them to every kingdom in Termnnia."

"We've just acquired five hundred thousand of them from the Goddess of War," said a priestess from the War Temple. "It cost us greatly, but those numbers combined with the Skyships from Eredas should allow us to spread them evenly and quickly across the continent. Mayhaps they'll give our beloved princes some time to breathe."

"I'm sure they'll appreciate that," said Pegasus. "This meeting is adjourned."

Crystal - Brett Martinetti's Mansion, Aquarius/Standard Dimension

A sudden rasp on the white gilded door awoke her from her slumber. Crystal opened her sleepy eyes. The incoming sunlight was almost blinding her, causing her to squint. She picked herself up with her elbows and looked around her beautiful bed chamber.

"Up!" her mother, Helen, shouted from the door. "Up now!"

"I am awake, mother!" Crystal shouted.

"Hurry up then," Helen called. "You have much to do today."

She was gone. The walls were trimmed with gold and lit up with wall light strips. The chandelier above was made of polished bronze and crystal. Her room resembled that of a king's chambers. Ornate and beautifully decorated, it was located on a black glass tower that went fifty feet high above the mansion. However, the only room in the tower...was her room. Outside the door, there was nothing but a long flight of winding glass stairs that kept going and going until it came upon a locked door. Literally, Crystal was a princess trapped in a tower. And the dragon keeping her there was living comfortably in his horde of treasures below. Her looks, her singing, her Dueling, and even her body were what he used to acquire those treasures.

The doors suddenly creaked open. Crystal's maids arrived with fresh clothes and a tray of pancakes and freshly cut fruits with a glass of ice-cold orange juice. When she was done eating her meal, some maids helped her out of bed, then straightened her bedsheets while a few more opened the curtains of her bedroom, letting the sunlight into the room and revealing the view from the fourteenth floor of the tower.

"Good morning, dear," one of the maids said to Crystal. She held up two dresses for her to choose from. "Another busy day today it seems."

"Yeah, I guess so," Crystal said picking a white gown to wear for her morning drive with Brett.

"Good morning, Crystal," Brett said walking into the room. He was finely dressed in a crisp black suit and tie. He stopped and examined her nightwear, a thin, white, babydoll nightie. "Another lovely weekend for us to enjoy."

"What are you doing here?" Crystal said stepping behind a dressing screen at once to change and escape Brett's wolf-like gaze. She heard Brett sniggering at her shame. She ground her teeth and balled her fists. Her ears started to grow hot and the knot in her chest had returned to make her day ill. She could always count on Brett to ruin her day. Thankfully, it was just a morning with him alone.

"Have you forgotten?" Brett said, casually strolling towards one of the windows and looking out to sea.

"What?" Crystal asked, tossing her nightie over the screen.

"Today we have breakfast with Leon Caldwell. The host of the Millennium Tournament." He turned his head to look at Crystal's silhouette on the screen, lit up by the rays of the sun from the window on the other side. His mouth twisted into his wolfish grin, watching her change.

"Mr. Caldwell?" Crystal said after a long pause. She stopped and looked out the window. The long white curtains flapped in the strong oceanic breeze from the south. She heard the palm trees rustling outside in the garden. The serenity of the morning almost soothed her frustration. She let out a deep sigh to finally relieve it all from her body. "Really? He's back from Majorca?"

"Yes," Brett answered. "He's going to discuss the rules and overall layout of the tournament. It's going to be the biggest Duel Monsters event in history, what with the holograms getting better and better. Mr. Montgomery spared no expense in making the monsters as real as possible. Maybe he made them too real. Yuri almost wet his pants when he Dueled against Lawson last time. That just goes to show that Duel Monsters is becoming a game that's not for the faint of heart."

"Oh, please," Crystal said coming out from behind the screen in her silky white dress. She strolled to her vanity mirror and started preening herself. "I think you're taking this a little too seriously. Duel Monsters is a game. It's supposed to be fun."

Brett let out a hardy laugh. He walked towards her and watched as she brushed her hair. She froze. A sense of power overcame Brett. He loved that Crystal was so scared of him. So obedient. "It was a game, Crystal. Now it's something more. Duel Monsters is unique. It gives players power. Those who can harness it become champions, like us. Playing for fun strips the game of its pride. The losers can play for 'fun' if they want to, but I guess they can have those cheap card shops to play in."

"Power, huh?" Crystal said, peering at Brett from the corner of her eye while putting on the choker Yuri gave her. "You're still young. Maybe one day you'll grow up and realize how ridiculous you sound."

Brett didn't appreciate those words. He grabbed her by the forearm and lifted her up so her ear was close to his lips. "Maybe when you mature a little more you'll come to see Duel Monsters as I do!" Brett said with a scowl on his face. His breath smelled of scotch, making Crystal cringe.

"You're hurting me," she said.

Brett went silent and then scoffed as he let her go. "Take that off," he said, ripping the chocker Yuri gave her off Crystal's neck. "I expect you to wear the diamond necklace I bought you last night."

"What's wrong with this?" Crystal whined, examining the jewel desperately to make sure it wasn't damaged. She sighed with relief to see that it was fine.

Brett snatched it from her hands and tossed it to the side. It slammed into her perfume bottles placed neatly on a silver platter. They clanked loudly as they fell. The platter shook for a moment then came to a stop. Brett grabbed her chin and held her head up. Crystal gasped, feeling his rough hands press tightly against her skin. "You look like a common dog wearing that thing!" he said, sliding his hand down her neck and to her chest.

"It was a present," Crystal replied in a frightful whisper. "Yuri gave it to me."

"All the reason for you to take it off."

"Fine, if it bothers you so much, I won't wear it."

"Well, I'm glad you finally see some logic," Brett said with a confident smile. He let her go and kissed her shoulder. "Mother always told me you were a little dunce. I was beginning to think she was right. You're so naïve, confused...idiotic at times. But, my God, you are so damn beautiful."

He held out his arm. Crystal took it, and they walked out of her bed-chamber and down the mirrored halls with bronzed statues and chandeliers of diamond and glass. They, at last, left the estate and went down the white steps towards Brett's Knight XV which took them to a restaurant in the middle of town.

Crystal stared sadly out the window, watching the other kids her age walking about the streets, eager for Halloween which was fast approaching. They were laughing and joking. Some chased each other into the fountains to cool down from the hot tropical sun. How Crystal wished she could join them. How she wished to have a normal life. She continued watching the kids until they were out of view. Crystal gave a long sigh and stared at her lap.

"Master Martinetti must be pleased today," said the driver.

"And why is that, Bernard?" Brett asked, checking the sales of his online business on his phone.

Bernard let out a friendly laugh as he looked back at them from the rear-view mirror. "Have you forgotten, sir? Today is your twenty-first birthday. You are finally a man."

"Ah, yes," Brett said with a chuckle as he set down his phone. "I've been so busy with work and this little mouse's career that, I almost forgot." He pinched her bottom and howled with laughter.

Crystal narrowed her eyes at him and looked out the window. She couldn't stand his grandiloquence any longer. It stank up the air as much as his cologne did. She had an urge to just rip the car door open, jump out, and run away to find Yuri and Ren.

"Time sure flies, eh?" Brett said.

"Yes," Bernard laughed again. "I remember driving around a little toddler. Now, look at you. And your lady friend. You look very young, I must say. What age will you be turning, sweetie?"

"Oh, I just turned eighteen in August," Crystal replied.

Bernard nodded at her reflection in the rearview mirror. "And what of those little friends of yours, miss? The boy with the red hair and the one with the green eye? Montgomery's boy if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes. My best friend, Yuri, is seventeen going on eighteen in October on the twentieth."

"Oh, oh, yes. Heh, I've been so busy I almost forgot about the big birthday celebration. What a party that's going to be."

"You will not speak of him here, dear," said Brett. "Ren, I don't mind, for I respect him as a Duelist. I get ill feelings only when I think of that Yuri."

Crystal flashed him an arrogant smirk as she rolled her shoulders. "You're just mad he beat, Lawson,"

His cheeks started burning red at the memory of seeing the Black Tyranno destroy the reputation of his star pupil. "Any fool could have beaten Lawson," Brett scoffed.

"That's not what you said during the Duel," jeered Crystal. "You were on Lawson's side the whole time."

"He was up against the kid I loathe with all my being. What else was I supposed to do? Besides, I didn't think he'd have that card in his possession."

"The Black Tyranno, I know," Crystal said with a smile. "What power."

"And it belongs to Yuri of all people," Brett said, balling his fists. "That's what's been pissing me off. A card of such ferocity should belong to only the greatest duelist, not that amateur."

They arrived at the restaurant. Bernard got out and opened the door for Brett and Crystal. They stepped out of the cool car and into the humid air of Aquarius.

"Enjoy your breakfast, kids," Bernard said returning to the limo and driving off.

"This is the vice president of Phobos Corp," Brett whispered into Crystal's ear. "Now be on your best behavior."

"You don't have to worry about me," Crystal said, stepping forward.

The two walked inside, graced by a cool blast from the air-conditioning. Brett told the waiter they had a reservation. The waiter bowed and led them to a table by a pool with cerulean blue water and gray stones from which water fell into the pool below. There was a young man, twenty-two years old, sitting at the table sipping coffee. He wore a pin-striped suit with a dark red tie.

"Caldwell," Brett said.

"Martinetti," said Leon. "Have a seat. Ah, this must be the lovely, Crystal Anderson. The winner of the Tournament of Champions. I never got a chance to meet you since my father was hogging all the ceremonies. You're even more beautiful in person."

He took her hand and kissed it. Crystal thanked him for his compliment, then sat down next to Brett.

"I understand your student was beaten in a Duel a few days ago," said Leon. "Word has reached my ears that it was…James. Or is it Yuri now, as they called him online."

"You know him?" Crystal asked, setting down her purse on the table.

Leon looked at her and sniggered. "A sort of silly question, my dear. Everyone knows him. But...if you mean personally, then yes. We have crossed paths before. It was not pleasant. I will leave it at that; I hope you understand."

"Oh, very well, sir," Crystal said with a polite nod.

"Glad I'm not the only one who sees him as a nuisance," Brett said, crossing his arms. "The kid's a nightmare. He had the gall to put his hands on me."

"And he had every reason for attacking you," Leon said sipping his coffee. Brett's expression suddenly morphed from arrogance to shock. "Yes, I said it," Leon assured him. "You did hurt this young lady very badly. What? All because she went to her school dance with Yuri for a night? That was not very gentlemanlike of you, Brett, putting your hands on a girl the way you did. Had I been there, I would have helped Yuri kick your ass, too."

"Well, I learned the error of my ways," Brett said taking Crystal's hand. "Crystal, I was just…agitated. I was...jealous. You mean so much to me. You know I would never hurt you."

Crystal smiled, but it was forced. Deep down she knew he didn't mean that from the bottom of his heart.

"Well, what's done is done," said Leon. "Let's leave that matter behind us. We have a tournament on the way, do we not?"

"Of course," Brett chirped. "Why don't we start by…" His phone vibrated. "What!" he growled, for it was Randall Lawson calling for a second chance. He looked at Crystal and Leon, putting his hand over the microphone. "Would you two give me a moment?" Brett said walking off.

"Sit next to me, my dear," Leon said holding out his hand towards the empty seat beside him.

Crystal did as she was told and sat down, cautiously beside Mr. Caldwell. It amazed her how young he was. She had heard much about him and had seen him in the Phobos Corp magazine from time to time, but this was her first time seeing him in person. His skin was sunkissed, meaning he vacationed a lot in the tropics, but she didn't need to see the color of his skin to know that. She was a follower of his on social media.

She would see him on yachts on the waters of Italy, partying with girls in Greece, and sunbathing in Dubai. He had a slicked pullback hairstyle with a stripe on the side, a clean beard, and green eyes. Brilliant green eyes pulled Crystal in like a moth to a bug zapper. Crystal hunched her shoulders and bit her lip mischievously as she smelled his exotic cologne. She had also seen enough of his beach pictures to know he was well-built underneath that clean, black suit. She had even seen him naked before in many pictures with models. Crystal didn't want to say it, but Leon was a boy she admired and fantasized about when she was alone.

She wanted to let him know how she felt, but how would she say it? She didn't want to seem easy, especially now that everyone knew of her affair with Brett and Yuri. But just looking into his eyes, Crystal could tell he knew how she felt about Yuri. He seemed to bear the same resentment in his eyes that Brett had whenever Yuri was mentioned.

"You okay?" Leon asked.

Crystal snapped out of her hypnosis and coughed timidly. "Yes. Yes. I'm fine. I'm just...uh...I'm a big fan." Damn it!

The waiter arrived and asked them for their order.

"Bring us stacks of hotcakes, Devon," said Leon. "And don't stop bringing them out. We'll eat as many as our stomachs can handle. For drinks, I'll have a refill on my coffee, my friend, Brett, who stepped out a while ago will also take a coffee, and my lady friend here eh...she will have a glass of milk. Would that be all right with you?"

"Yes, that's fine," Crystal said with a nod. The waiter bowed and left. "Mr. Caldwell," she said once the waiter left.

Leon held out his hand to stop her. He grinned. "Call me, Leon, please. You're making me feel rather old."

Crystal nodded her head and placed both hands on her lap. "Oh, of course, Leon. How do you know Yuri so well? What did he do to make you feel this way?"

"You love him very much don't you?" Leon asked, tapping the table.

"Yes, he's my friend," Crystal replied, doing all she could to keep from blushing. She twiddled her thumbs nervously on the crisp hem of her dress. She felt her toes curling in her shoes, and sweat starting to spew from every pore. She hated it when people asked her that question. In love? With Yuri? She may have looked at him as her brother, but to be in love was rather difficult.

Leon nodded his head and fixed the cuffs of his shirt. "Yes, I know you two are good friends, but you love him, don't you?"

"I call him my brother sometimes," Crystal said, almost as if stamping those words down to keep Leon from asking any more questions.

Leon sighed and looked up at the painting hanging on the walls of the restaurant. He figured Crystal was dodging the question and continued on with the conversation. "A brother? How sweet. How long have you known him?"

"We first met when we were still babies," Crystal replied. "Oh, Leon, we've been through so much together. He's like family to me. So, to answer your question. Yes. I love Yuri very much. We've been there for each other for years. Nothing can separate us. Well, except for my music career, but thankfully I have a few months off before the next concert."

The waiter arrived with the hotcakes and the drinks. He placed Crystal's milk beside her plate with a thud then handed Leon his coffee.

"Ah, drat," he said with a chuckle. "I don't know how many times I have to tell them to bring more butter when I order these damn things. Devon, bring me a plate of butter please."

"Yes sir, sorry sir," the waiter said as he left.

"Why so much butter?" Crystal asked.

"Because the butter here is homemade. In this place, the butter goes with everything; it's to die for. It mixes so well with the maple syrup making it so much sweeter. And I love the way the spongy interior of the hot cake just soaks up the flavor. I never eat my hotcakes without my butter and my syrup. You can eat them if you want, but I recommend waiting for them to bring out the butter."

"I can wait. I'll take your word for it," Crystal said, placing a handkerchief on her lap.

"Smart girl. Pass me the sugar, please, sweetie," Leon said pointing at the bowl next to Crystal.

She nodded and picked up the bowl by its handle, carefully giving it to Leon. He took it from her and placed it near his plate of hotcakes with a loud thud that shook the silverware. He dumped spoonful after spoonful of sugar into his coffee.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you what I know about Yuri. What I say could be a little too devastating for you."

Crystal frowned. "I can handle it, Leon. Don't treat me like a child. Everyone around her does."

Leon stared at her with a smile. The girl was very persistent, and the wide grin he flashed her meant that he admired that. Devon arrived with his plate of butter.

"Thank you, Devon," Leon said, sending him away with a wave of his hand. Leon took a spoon and scooped up as much of the creamy butter as he could from the plate. He shook it off over his hotcakes, then gave Crystal some as well. Leon picked up his fork and knife, ready to dig into his long-awaited hotcakes. He turned his head. Crystal was still staring at him, waiting for him to tell her about Yuri. He cut into the fluffy meal until it was a neat triangle and stuffed it into his mouth. He chewed the morsel and savored the flavor. He looked again at Crystal, still awaiting her answer.

He smiled and swallowed. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Oh!" Crystal gasped. She cut into her hotcake and ate some of it. "Wow. It is very sweet," Crystal said after swallowing her slice. "It does mix well with the syrup. Now, you were going to tell me about Yuri."

"He's my little brother."

"What?" Crystal said, grimacing. "You're a Montgomery?"

"I WAS a Montgomery," Leon said calmly cutting his hotcakes. "The blood of Duel Monster's founder flows through my veins, not Yuri's."

"But he…"

"He is not a legitimate family member," Leon said, his calm voice gone.

Crystal saw his face glowing red and his eyes twinkling with spite. She was paralyzed from the waist down in shock. It looked like Leon would assault her at any moment. Could what Brett said in the restaurant the other day have been true?

Leon ate another slice of his hotcake. "I was still just a toddler, but, I remember when they first brought Yuri into our house. I saw my parents running outside. Then, when they came back in, they were carrying him."

"But you were still a baby boy," said Crystal said, trying to control her emotions. "Maybe you just…"

"No," Leon said, sternly. "I was young, but I wasn't stupid. I never saw my mother pregnant. I heard his cries outside our house that night, Crystal. I heard voices. Someone left him out there. And whoever they were, they were not normal. That eye of his…is not normal." He ate another pancake, furiously. "You wanna know how I know he's not a real Montgomery? He's a slacker that's why. Montgomery's grow to be a great success. He's not. The kid grew up to be a failure. He just slept his days away in that basement wasting my father's money, but they loved him dearly anyway. I worked my ass off to get to where I am, Crystal. But it wasn't good enough for my parents. All they cared about was Yuri. And once I turned eighteen and finished high school, I moved away and cut all ties with them. I even had my name legally changed because I was ashamed of being a Montgomery. I was ashamed of being related to that...THING!"

"But that's…so cruel," said Crystal.

"Maybe, but not as cruel as having him in my life. Every accomplishment I made meant nothing to my parents. Even after everything I did for the company, they still want to make him the heir. Him! The future President and CEO. It should have gone to ME! ME, Jacob Montgomery's ACTUAL flesh and blood! That's why I'm stuck as vice president of the company for the rest of my life. It was always Little Yuri first. I want nothing more to do with him."

"Yet you still work for him at his business."

"I'm only there because no other company in the world has the resources and funding that Phobos Corp has. And do you think was going to settle for working for Elon Musk? Hell no! I needed Phobos Corp's advanced technology to create holograms for Duel Monsters. And developing holographic technology is what I'm good at. The Solid Vision Technology wouldn't be what it is without my genius."

"That was you?"

"Yes. I don't know who left that bastard at my doorstep, but rest assured, I'm going to find out. Know this. Phobos Corp. It won't be Jacob Montgomery's business for long. I'm personally going to see to that. And Crystal. If you ever mention Yuri around me again. I will make you regret it."

His phone rang. "I have to take this call. Excuse me."

He took Crystal's hand and kissed it before getting up to leave. When he was gone, Crystal heaved and tears fell from her eyes.

Yuri - Ruby Dragon Gaming

Late again, Yuri thought. Sergei was going to give it to him now. He took the bus to the shop. He was now five minutes late and getting later by the second. The bus finally made it to the stop, and Yuri dashed for Ruby Dragon as fast as he could. When he stepped through the doors, he screamed.

A blue dragon known as Winged-Dragon Guardian of the Fortress #1 was snarling at him. It roared causing Yuri to run outside, almost smashing through the glass doors.

"STOP!" someone shouted before he could go any farther. Yuri tripped and fell down on the ground scraping his hands on the sidewalk.

Yuri turned and saw Sergei coming out of the shop with some contraption on his wrist.

"Yuri, you're late again!"

"What is that!" Yuri cried out, trying to catch his breath.

"It's the new machine that will revolutionize Dueling forever, Yuri. It's called a Duel Disk. With these babies in your arm, you won't need oversized arenas to see monsters rendered in holographic form. The Phobos Corp's technological division has been working on it for years. Now you can have exciting Duels anywhere you go. Provided you pay the modest fee of twenty gold coins."

"Holy crap, dude!" Yuri yelled. "That Solid Vision Tech is something else. Wow! That was so real."

"Da," said Sergei. "These new devices are going to be used for the upcoming Millennium Tournament."

"So, that's the big tournament everyone's been talking about," said Yuri.

"And I see you've been personally invited," Natalya said coming out of the shop. She had a gold letter in her hand with an extravagant seal on the back.

"I've been invited to attend?" Yuri asked, timidly taking the letter.

"Word has reached the ears of many elite players that you beat the regional champion and one of the Sensational Dragon Sisters," said Sergei. "I think Leon has finally acknowledged you as a decent Duelist."

"He can shove it up his ass," said Yuri tossing the letter in the trash.

"But, Yuri!" said Natalya.

"No one said Leon was going to be there!" Yuri retorted.

"Boy, you've got to let that go," Sergei said fishing out the letter.

"What's going on?" asked Natalya. "Why does, Yuri hate Leon Caldwell so much."

"He wasn't always called Leon Caldwell," Sergei said coldly.

"What do you mean?" Wanda asked.

Sergei let out a scratchy sigh, sliding his large palm down the back of his head. "The boy used to be called Leon Montgomery."

Natalya put her hands over her mouth. "So you mean that…"

"Yeah," Yuri said, sadly. "He's my older brother."

"So what's with the name change?" Natalya asked.

"Complicated family issues," said Sergei. "Let's just say that Leon does not like our Yuri. He despises his very existence so much that he'd move away from his family and legally change his name out of spite as long as the child drew breath."

"That's horrible," said Natalya. "Why would anyone hate their brother that much?"

"As I said," said Sergei. "Complicated family issues."

"Leon came up with this ridiculous notion that I was not legitimate family," Yuri said, balling his fists. "He tried to prove I wasn't part of the Montgomery family numerous times. He stated that they found me dumped in the yard. The other day Brett said he overheard my mother and his mother talking about the same thing."

"Hmph," Natalya pouted. "Obviously Brett would believe Leon. Those two are good friends from what I heard."

"Yuri, please," said Sergei. "Forget those chumps! You have Montgomery blood flowing through your veins. The love you get from everyone makes those losers jealous. That's why they say and do these things."

A biker dodged and weaved around cars in a black Kawasaki Ninja. It was clearly a female, for she wore tight torn jeans and a white tank top under a denim bolero jacket. The biker parked her motorcycle in front of the store and removed her helmet. It was Crystal. She shook her fleece of golden hair and tucked her helmet underneath her arm.

"Hey, Yuri," she said. "I was looking all over for you."

"Well, hello, hello," Natalya said lightly nudging Yuri in the ribs. "What did you come seeking Yuri for, Crystal?"

"I thought he was supposed to have a Duel with the hotshot owner of that new game shop. I thought I'd show up and watch the Duel."

"I was," said Yuri, "but Cornelius came by and said we needed to reschedule our Duel. Apparently, his holographic systems have gone offline."

"Hmm," Sergei said, looking around suspiciously, "Oh gee, I wonder what could have caused that."

"Oh, I see," said Crystal.

"Yuri," said Natalya. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were relieved about the Duel being canceled."

"I am. Seriously, I can't believe you guys put me up to this crap. I don't want to Duel that guy."

"Yuri..." Crystal whispered. "You really need to stop that. Sooner or later, we all have to grow and step outside our comfort zones."

"Not me."

"Whatever you say. Well, anyway, could I borrow you for the afternoon, Yuri?"

"I've got to work, Crystal."

"Yes, this is a bad time," said Sergei. "We're preparing to launch the new Duel Disk system. It's kind of a big deal."

"Oh, I know, Mr. Dargon," Crystal said, bashfully. "But...could you excuse Yuri from work this afternoon anyway?"

Sergei crossed his arms and looked at her sternly. "Oh? Why would I do that?"

"I…I want to have some time with him. Alone, if you don't mind."

Natalya giggled, elbowing Yuri's side. "Alone time with the ladies. Yuri's getting good."

"Natalya, please," said Yuri. "What's wrong, Crystal? You look…distraught."

"It's nothing really," said Crystal. "I just…want to spend time with you."

"Is it okay, Sergei?" Yuri asked.

"Well…" Sergei said, stroking his square chin.

"I'll pay you for the trouble," Crystal said. She reached for one of the saddlebags mounted on her bike to get her purse.

"No, no. It's all right," said Sergei.

"You sure?" Yuri asked.

"Well, just for a few hours anyway. I need you back here for the launch party. Crystal, perhaps you could join us."

"I'd love to."

"Sergei, you sure about this?" Yuri asked. "There's a lot of work to be done."

Sergei smacked Yuri's back playfully. "You're questioning going out on a stroll with her?"

Crystal smiled and did her best to look timid. She flushed blood into her cheeks, making her look rather cute.

"Okay, okay," said Yuri. "Thanks, Sergei."

"Think nothing of it, my friend. I'll see you some other time." He and Natalya went back into the store wishing Yuri luck on his outing.

"Wow, nice bike," Yuri said. "And you look...you look amazing."

Crystal handed him an extra helmet. "Well? You gonna stand there looking at my butt or are we gonna go riding?"

"I wasn't...Damn you!"

Crystal laughed. "Just teasing you. Come on!"

"Well, not for nothing but isn't it usually a guy in a hot bike that picks up the chicks?"

"Not in my book," said Crystal. She nudged the helmet his way.

Yuri put it on and climbed behind her. He gulped as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist. Crystal looked over her shoulder, giggling. "Yuri. You're making me blush."

Yuri laughed. "You are such a damn tease, you know that."

"And you love me for it." She winked and put on her helmet. She checked to make sure the coast was clear and took Yuri on a long ride across all the islands of Aquarius. They went up and down and spiraled around the highways orbiting the central island.

Finally, Crystal decided she wanted to go for a walk and parked her bike in a nearby parking garage in one of the towns on Eden Island. As Yuri climbed off, he saw a black bulky case in the back seat. He noticed it when he climbed on earlier but seeing it now, he couldn't help but wonder what it was.

"What's this?" Yuri asked.

"Check it out," Crystal said opening the case. Inside was a brand new Duel Disk, custom-made with a brilliant reflective white finish, gold trim, and silver flowery filigree engravings.

"Wow!" Yuri exclaimed. "Is that the new Duel Disk!?"

"Hell yeah. Now we don't have to play in oversized arenas all the time to use holograms."

"That's cool but what's going on?" Yuri asked following Crystal into the city. "I thought you were going to hang out with Brett today at the new arena."

Crystal grimaced. She looked away, pretending to giggle. "I told him I wasn't feeling well. He doesn't know I'm here."

"You shouldn't have to lie," said Yuri. "You can just tell him off. It's not like he owns you or anything, right?"

Crystal bit her bottom lip. She then smiled and said: "I feel so much warmer when I'm with you," she said, followed by a shiver that caused her to rub her hands up and down her shoulders. "That Duel arena was so dark and cold. And there are only so many Duel Monsters matches I can take. By the fifteenth game, I was getting bored."

"There's more to life than Dueling," said Yuri. "Screw those losers."

"Yeah, want to head to the beach?" Crystal asked.

"I don't have any swimming trunks."

"I'll buy you some then," said Crystal. "Hey, I couldn't help but notice Sergei carrying a black and gold envelope. Was that your invitation to the Millennium Tournament next summer? "

"Oh geez," said Yuri. "That event."

"You haven't forgotten about the tournament have you?"

"Well with all the excitement going on, can you blame me? Beating the regional champ, your former friend; a tag team champion herself; and having my Black Tyranno in general. I mean, come on. Fancy tournaments wouldn't be on your mind, right?"

Crystal shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "No. I guess not. Come on. We're getting closer. I can hear the waves."

The two friends found a shop to purchase their things for the beach. Crystal bought herself a white bikini and Yuri got black trunks with gold Chinese dragon designs on the right leg. Then she purchased towels and sunscreen, and they made their way to the beach. The sand was blistering hot, but thankfully Yuri's new sandals guarded his feet. Crystal spread out the towels and then stripped out of her cutoff jeans down to her bikini. Yuri gulped focusing on the ocean ahead of him.

Crystal noticed him blushing. "Hee, hee. You like it?" she asked as she tried to free her ankles from the rumpled shorts.

Yuri pretended to look. "Uh...yeah...you look great."

Crystal gave a twirl, then sat down and applied her sunscreen making her body shine. Yuri didn't want to look so he just continued staring out into the ocean watching the people dodge the waves.

He felt something soft on his shoulder. He looked down and saw that Crystal was resting her chin on it.

"You sleepy?" Yuri asked.

"Yeah, I've had these dreams," said Crystal.

"Really, what about?" Yuri asked, eating a pretzel from their bag of snacks.

"Well, I'm all alone in the darkness. There are these shadowy, faceless masses surrounding me; laughing at me; undressing me with their gaze until I stand before them completely naked. I scream at them to stop and leave me alone, but they keep on laughing at me. I shout for help, and none comes for me. The shadows begin to surround me, and I feel their cold touch on my flesh. I thought I was going to get killed by those wretched creatures...then...he shows up."

"Who?" Yuri asked.

"There's this radiant glow surrounding me. I look up, and I see a knight adorned in platinum standing before me."

Yuri's eyes widened and he kept his mouth shut to keep the gasp in his throat from coming out. She sees him, too!

"He waved this massive blade around," Crystal continued, "and then he shouted: 'Foul creatures be gone!' And with one mighty swing of that beautiful blade, he smites the shadows. And then he picks me up and clothes me in his glimmering, white cape. God, I felt so...so warm. I felt safe...and then...I wake up. I... I think the knight was you."

Yuri gave a disapproving laugh. "You believe that this knight is me why?"

"I don't know," Crystal said, not appreciating his doubting tone. "I just feel it. The warmness I felt when he saved me. I felt like I was in a sanctuary of calm and serenity. It's a feeling I have when I'm with you. You had to have been the knight. All these years you and I have been friends. I know you're tired of hearing this, but you're like a brother to me. I care a lot about you, buddy. It's kind of why I broke up there in the restaurant the other day when Brett said those awful things. I hate having to see people disrespect you."

"Don't worry about me," said Yuri, biting into another pretzel.

"Can you promise me something?" Crystal cooed.

"Hmm?" said Yuri

"Promise me that...if I'm ever in a bind. You'll come to my rescue. Just like the knight did."

"What's gotten into you?" Yuri asked.

"Can you just promise me?"

"I can't be." Yuri sighed. "I don't have what it takes to be your prince charming, Cinderella."

"Why not?"

"I could barely help you the last time you needed help. That night Brett got wicked crazy and beat you. In the end, Ren was the one who rescued you. Not me. If there's anyone around here who's to be your knight in platinum armor, it's Ren."

"But, I don't want it to be, Ren," Crystal whined.

"He should be," Yuri sadly continued. "He's older than me; stronger than me. Better looking than me."

"I don't care for those things," said Crystal. "You're my hero."

"I'm no hero," Yuri said looking at the scar on his wrist. The cut he got from Brett the night he fought him...or tried to. "I won one Duel, big deal."

Yuri took out his deck from the pocket of his jeans folded by the towel and stared at the Black Tyranno.

"If he didn't wind up in my deck, I would have lost that night. Even in Duel Monsters, I must rely on someone else to get me out of trouble. I can't seem to do things myself. I was too weak. Someone had to bail me out once again. No. I'm a failure, Crystal. I tried to be your knight in shining armor once. But, I can't…. You're going to have to find someone else to get you out of trouble, honey. I'm...I wasn't meant to succeed."

"That's not true," Crystal said nuzzling Yuri's arm. "You're not a loser. If you were, I'd have nothing to do with you. I don't deal with losers. Save for Brett, but that's complicated. You're something much greater. I feel it in my heart."

"You think so?"

"Would I lie to you? Now, just...just promise me."

"I promise."

Crystal leaned her head forward with a stern look. "Cross your heart?"

"Cross my heart."

She smiled. Her golden hair fluttered in the gentle ocean breeze. "Thanks, bro, you're the best friend a girl could ask for."

They sat under the sun for a while then ran to the water to cool off. Crystal laughed when she went waist-deep into the water. "The water's so much clearer, today," she said with a heavenly smile.

"And colder!" Yuri said, running away from the waves coming to engulf his feet and ankles.

Crystal beckoned him back into the water, doing her best to assure Yuri the water wasn't too bad. He eventually took her word for it and walked toward her. Yuri took a deep breath, then hand-in-hand he walked with Crystal farther and farther into the water until it was up to their waists.

Crystal held onto Yuri as tightly as she could. She saw a huge wave approaching. She smirked mischievously, finding this an opportune time to play a prank on Yuri and get him completely wet. She turned him around so he could not see the wave coming. She pretended to coax him farther, but he dug his feet into the mud, anchoring him down so he could go no further. He looked up and saw the wave. He wanted to run, but it was too late. It crashed into them. Crystal laughed, then screamed as she was engulfed by a wall of water. Yuri felt his feet get ripped from the mud as he fell backward. He flung his arms to push himself back up. He took a deep gulp of air.

"You did that on purpose!" he shouted as he laughed. He saw Crystal laughing as she struggled to pick herself up. A wave struck her hard from behind, smacking her back hard and yanking her bikini bottoms down. "Nice tan!" he shouted, laughing at the exposed upper region of her buttocks.

"Hey!" Crystal cried. She pulled her bikini bottom back up and waded towards Yuri laughing. "You big jerky; you know you like it," she said. She screamed and wrapped her arms around him. "ANOTHER ONE!" she shouted as a huge wave headed right towards them.

From the sand, a jealous girl was watching them. Darla Deets seemed rooted to the spot she was standing in, her face glowing red and her eyes flashing with jealousy and anger. "Oooof!" she went and stormed away from the beach, plotting something nasty. "If that's the way it's going to be! Nobody is getting between me and him! Nobody!"

Another wave rolled towards Yuri and Crystal. They screamed, preparing for impact. The wave hit them with a loud smack, knocking them underwater. They played in the water for an entire hour before going back to the sand to dry themselves. Then they decided to call it a day. They went to the stalls at the boardwalk to clean the sand off their bodies. Yuri didn't know why but he felt the urge to do something raunchy. He went behind Cyrstal and pulled her bikini bottom back so the water could wash her posterior.

"Yuri!" Crystal cried out in surprise and started laughing.

"Sorry, Crystal, but you gotta get this bottom of yours cleaned up," he joked. "Otherwise, I might start calling you Sandy Cheeks. Or Miss Coppertone."

"Boooo!" Crystal said and smacked his hand away. She adjusted her swimsuit and smiled at him. "You've really changed since we last met. I like it!"

Yuri laughed and stepped back to let her finish cleaning the sand off her body. Then he paused as a feeling of guilt washed over him. He looked at his hands. Did I...did I actually do that? What the hell's wrong with me? I never played with Crystal like that! Let alone any girl. Patty's right. I am becoming ballsy.

They left the beach and went to a restaurant at the pier where Crystal invited Yuri to try lobster. They cracked open the shell with ease and ate the meat. Crystal took a big chunk with her forked and dipped it in tartar sauce.

"I was never accustomed to seafood," said Yuri with a mouth full of lobster. "But, it's not that bad."

Crystal gave a soft chuckle, helping herself to another glob of lobster meat. "I'm glad you like it. See, all you have to do is try." She was still clad in her bikini, but she had a white pareo wrapped around her waist. She reached towards her plate, fork in hand, and took out a piece of the juicy lobster meat.

"Oh, before I forget," she said with a mouthful of lobster. "I bought you something."

Crystal dug into her backpack and pulled out a box set of cards, colored black with golden filigree designs.

"Oh, man you didn't," said Yuri. "The Duel Monsters Premium Gold Series?"

"Hell, yeah," said Crystal. "Sadly, I don't think I'll be around for your birthday next month. Brett and I have to engage in a photo shoot to promote a magazine in Santorini." She rolled her eyes. "Anyways, think of this as a very early birthday gift. The gold series has bling as well as power. You know, I was also kinda hoping these would come in handy for the new Duel King."

"You mean me?"

"Well, yeah. I was kinda hoping it would be you. You can imagine my surprise when I learned the new Duel King was some new guy. Some dude with a big lion ring."

"Andre Martin's his name. He can have it. I didn't want it anyway. I already have too much attention drawn to me."

"Yuri. We talked about this before. I really wanted you to be your school's top Duelist."

"Crystal, please. I'd rather not get into this again. I don't need to be a Duel King. I'm already a Montgomery and Black Tyranno's giving me more attention than I care to have at the moment."

"All right. If you say so. Well, this box isn't going to open itself. Come on, let's open them."

Yuri picked up his knife and slit open the plastic over the box. He opened the slot to reveal five mini boxes inside. Inside were black and gold booster packs. "Wow, these look amazing. The whole card shimmers."

"I see someone's day has gotten brighter," Crystal said, setting down her soda.

Yuri opened more and more packs, each one thick with twenty-five golden cards. "Mirror Force, Reasoning, Mystical Space Typhoon; Tri-Horned Dragon! Look at all these!" Yuri said with joy.

"Yeah, I like the packaging too," said Crystal, picking up one of the discarded casings. "In fact, I love it. They look like boxes of chocolate."

"You'd just give me a whole box of Gold Series cards?" Yuri asked.

"Why not?" Crystal said with a shrug. "I got an entire truckload full of these damn things from admirers as a gift for my birthday. The son of EveCorp's CEO gave me these and a diamond ring. He hoped gold cards and a fancy ring would make me marry him. Twit. I figured you could use one or two considering your deck suffers pretty badly."

"That's because I don't play much," said Yuri. "No offense, but I don't like the game as much as I used to. In fact, before my match with Lawson, I was starting to hate it."

"That's gotta change," Crystal said taking another sip of her drink. "I'm going to make you a pro if it kills me. That inscription on your necklace reads Passionate Duelist. I know whoever wrote that is right."

Yuri opened the shield to let the song play. Crystal hummed along to the music rocking her head from side to side.

"I thought I was the one doing the rescuing," Yuri said sarcastically. "As far as I'm concerned you've been the one saving me."

"This doesn't mean much compared to what happened last time."

"Let's not talk about that," Yuri said, opening another pack. He looked through the cards. "That was the worst phone call of my life."

"I'm sorry," Crystal said, setting down her glass.

A man suddenly approached them. He was young; blonde and dressed in azure swimming trunks and a white sleeveless shirt and an aqua-blue Duel Disk was mounted on his right wrist. "Hey you!" he called out. "You Crystal Anderson?"

"Yeah."

"The name's Chris Atoms. You may have heard of me. I'm the surfing champ of Aquarius."

"Not a big surfing fan, bro," Crystal said. "Was there something you wanted?"

Chris flashed her a white grin, standing out against the orangey flesh he had. "I see you've got a Duel Disk. You got some time? Let's have a match."

Now that was something Crystal wanted to hear. She rewarded the surfer with her beautiful smile. "Sure, I was getting a little bored."

"If I had him as company, I would be too," the young man said, commenting rudely about Yuri.

That Crystal did not appreciate. "Now, I'm really gonna kick your ass," Crystal said, rather offended. Her face blushed pink from her anger. If there was one thing she hated more than thunder and lightning, it was someone insulting her best friend. She got up from the table with force, causing all the silverware to jingle.

"Why don't we put ante up some cards just to make this interesting?" said Chris.

"What do you have?" Crystal asked.

"This!" the man said holding up a card. "It's called Victory Dragon. And it's printed in Utimate Rare."

"Ooo, shiny," said Crystal.

"I see it impresses the lady," sneered Chris. "Yeah, this card was given only to finalists from the regional tournament last year. A tournament in which, I ranked second. As for you, Queen of Dragons, why don't you put up that legendary dragon everyone's been talking about?"

"As rare as that tournament prize card is," said Yuri. "I don't think your..."

"I got it, Yuri," Crystal interrupted. "All right you're on."

"Yeah, let's do this!" he said activating his Duel Disk that looked like it was built from water made solid.

Crystal put on her gleaming white Duel Disk, shaped like an angel's wing. It had an aesthetic effect in which holographic white feathers shot out of the deck when Crystal drew her cards.

"Whoa, custom Duel Disks?" said Yuri.

"That's right," Crystal said making hers shimmer. "Aren't they cool?"

Chris grinned, proud to own a Duel Disk himself. "How's about we let you start off first?"

"You're too kind," Crystal said, drawing her card. The white feathers fluttered out of her deck when she drew. "I'll summon Spear Dragon, lay a card face down, and that'll do it for me."

Crystal's dragon was the size of a mini-van with a sixteen-foot wingspan. It was dark blue with a white underbelly, and its head had a long and pointed beak the size of a full-grown man. Its ATK was 1900.

Their Duel was drawing up quite a crowd.

"Not bad," said Chris, drawing his card. "I use the spell card, Polymerization, to fuse Gruesome Goo, Amazon of the Seas, and Sea Kamen into the Man-Eating Black Shark!"

Chris summoned a 30-foot shark with jet-black flesh and eyes like molten gold. Two muscular arms protruded from underneath its flipper.

Man-Eating Black Shark

ATK/2100 DEF/1300

Chris continued: "Next I'll play the spell card, Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two cards." He drew his extra cards. "Ah, cool. I'll activate my field spell card, A Legendary Ocean,"

The ground turned into water. Crystal looked down and saw she was standing over a sunken civilization many miles below her feet.

Her opponent began to explain the card's effect. "This card reduces the level of my water monsters by one. I now summon Giant Red Seasnake!"

A serpent-like creature jumped out of the water; its blood-red scales glimmered in the sun. The sea monster had cerulean stripes and a cerulean beard with matching appendages slithering around the sides of its mouth where gleaming razor-sharp teeth made their home.

Giant Red Seasnake

ATK/1800 DEF/800

Giant Red Seasnake gave a roar as it fell back into the water. The field spell also increased the attack of Chris's water monsters by 200, so now Man-Eating Black Shark's ATK was 2300, and Giant Red Seasnake's ATK was 2000.

He attacked, but Crystal activated her trap card, Negate Attack. The trap card allowed her to, of course, negate his attack, thereby ending his Battle Phase.

"You got lucky, Crystal. Make your move."

"I use the spell card: Trade in; this lets me discard one level eight monster from my hand, so goodbye Van' Dalgyon the Dark Dragon Lord."

She kissed her rare card and gently put it into the Graveyard. Crystal was always rather delicate with her cards. They were a treasure to her. Yuri felt she even treated her dragons as friends. Apologizing to them every time she sent them to the Graveyard.

"Now I will draw two cards!" she announced. "Sweet. I summon Des Volstgalph!"

The dragon flew down from the sky. It spread its wings to slow down and roared as it landed beside its master with a great crash. It was a unique-looking dragon with dark blue flesh shielded by gleaming scarlet armor.

A spiked armored vest seemed to cover its torso. It had crooked wings, feathered just a little at the top. Its ATK was 2200 and could inflict 500 points of extra damage when it attacked a monster.

"Wow, that's an awesome dragon, Crystal!" Yuri shouted over the beast's loud hissing and snarling. The sound effects for the monsters were clearly expertly done.

Crystal thanked Yuri for the compliment and commanded her dragon to attack. The opponent came prepared, though.

As soon as Des Volstgalph soared towards the surfer, a wall of water spouts erupted from the water and stopped her dragon from going any further. They did nothing to stop his only two monsters from being destroyed, but they shielded his Life Points.

Tornado Wall was a card that could negate damage to the user's Life Points, but it could only be activated if the field spell, Umi, was out on the field. However, A Legendary Ocean could still be treated as the Umi card.

Crystal had the most powerful monsters on the field, but it didn't mean anything if she couldn't inflict damage.

The Duel continued in Chris's favor, but soon Crystal turned things around.

The time was right to summon her ace dragon.

"And now," she declared. "I'll banish one light monster and one dark monster from the graveyard to summon...Chaos Emperor Dragon-Envoy of the End!"

Crystal summoned a dragon with glossy turquoise scales adorned in razor-sharp platinum armor. It had a long neck and claws that shined brightly in the warm southern sun. The reflections on its armor were almost blinding.

It was also true what they said about Crystal only using it when she was mad. Even though he had seen it before, Yuri could not get used to seeing the creature in its monstrous form under the command of someone like Crystal. A card like Chaos Emperor Dragon-Envoy of the End was too brutal for her, but if she was angered enough, and she was, her opponent had to contend with it.

It had long fiery orange hair coming out from underneath its helmet. It gave a powerful roar as it opened its wings stretching thirty feet. The attack and defense point display showed the beast's stats.

3000 ATK and 2500 DEF

The surfer began to shiver. The hologram was so realistic, as was the dragon's ferocity. He looked down at the boy and snarled as if it too was mad that the surfer kept insulting Yuri. Crystal stood proudly in front of her ultimate beast. Her beauty matched with the dragon's imposing presence was truly a sight to behold.

Even Yuri began to feel intimidated. No monster in his deck, not even his Black Tyranno could equal the dragon in power and majesty.

Now Crystal activated its effect. She paid 1000 Life Points, and then she, and her opponent discarded all cards from their hands and destroyed all monsters on the field.

300 points of damage were inflicted to the opponent for each card that Crystal sent to the Graveyard. And there were many for a total of 3600 points of damage.

The surfer fell to his knees as Chaos Emperor Dragon fired white-hot flames.

His Life Points went down to zero.

"And that's all folks," Crystal said, brushing her hair over her shoulder. Her dragon roared one last time before it disappeared.

The crowd around them cheered.

"They don't call her Queen of Dragons for nothing," Yuri said, in disbelief.

"Well, a deal's a deal," Chris said standing up. He sighed heavily, handing Crystal his Serpent Night Dragon. "I shouldn't have underestimated you like that."

"Quite all right," Crystal said taking the card. She looked at it and giggled as the holographic foil shimmered in all the colors of the rainbow.

"You're good. I hope we can play more often."

"If you promise to stop acting like a total jerk, and apologize to my friend there. I'll add you as a friend online," Crystal said, looking her opponent in the eyes,

"Promise," the surfer said shaking her hand. "And I'm sorry too, buddy."

Yuri smiled and nodded his head. The loss humbled her opponent and it seemed more like Crystal's kindness had more to do with it than the Chaos Emperor Dragon.

Seto Kaiba - Domino City, Capital of Eredas/Termnnia

Back in his office, Seto Kaiba leaned back in his chair and grinned, satisfied with both the Duel he just witnessed involving Crystal, as well as the other representatives in the Senate allowing the use of technology for the war, which would definitely help in keeping Forrest at bay for a much longer period of time.

"Well, that certainly turned out better than I had anticipated."

"You sure had them by the balls, Seto," said his little brother, Mokuba. "With Eredas's technology now in the war, we'll definitely keep King Forrest at bay until Prince Yuri comes back home."

"Yuri?" Seto said, closing his eyes and snickering. "Sounds like you've gotten accustomed to his new nickname as well, little brother. By the way, have you been able to keep in contact with those Lancers in the Standard Dimension?"

"I have, why?"

"I want them to keep a close eye on that girl Yuri treasures so much."

"Patty?"

"No. The other one. The girl with the dragons."

"Oh, Crystal! Why do you have such an interest in her all of a sudden, Seto? Is it the card she has?"

"Yes. I gave Yuri that Chaos Emperor Dragon card to boost the power of his pathetic deck. Instead, he gives it to her as a token of their bond of friendship. I must say, I'm not so disappointed in that little gesture anymore. Crystal Anderson is a very powerful Duelist. One who knows how to harness the power of her dragons as I do. I've carefully monitored her Duels since she returned to Aquarius and I must say I'm impressed."

He searched for her file on his computer. Once her info came up, Seto leaned back in his chair and smiled. He was astounded that such a Duelist could exist in the Standard Dimension. Deep down, he was disappointed. What a waste of good talent, he thought. She would have become something much greater in Termnnia.

Crystal Anderson Age: 18 Sex: Female Skill Level:

"The Queen of Dragons," he said. "A name well deserved."

"Wow, bro, it's not often someone can impress you."

"She's a valuable asset," said Kaiba. "Whenever she Duels, Yuri's determination to Duel on her level grows. That's something we need, Mokuba. Her dragons and her skill to use them inspire him. That is why I think so highly of her. Hmph. I would admire her more if she would grow a little backbone and leave that imbecile Brett Martinetti. But it appears his weak grip on his uncle's power is what keeps bread on her table and pays the bills. Hmph. What some people won't stoop to for a secure bank account. If Crystal could be just a little braver...a little stronger...she could have been the one I would have liked to take the helm of my legacy. Instead, I have to put my faith in that harlot."

"Seto, don't lose your cool again, come on. Remember what the doctor said."

"I know. I usually don't give a damn about the affairs of the people of the Standard Dimension but Crystal Anderson is something special. Heh, but I shouldn't get too emotionally involved. Not now that things have gotten exciting down there."

"What do you mean?"

"I learned some interesting news from that informant Yugi keeps talking about. Neo Rare Hunters. They've found their way into the Standard Dimension. Yugi was right."

"I always knew he was right," Mokuba said as rage began to build in his chest. "Something tells me those sellouts from the Dragonheart Party know it, too."

"Politicians being corrupt? Mokuba, don't act so surprised. Anyone could smell their treachery from a mile away. Unfortunately, there are not enough good men in this world to do anything about it. Now give this message to the Lancers in the Standard Dimension. No harm is to come to Crystal Anderson. I want her taken care of. Not because I admire her as prodigious talents as a Duelist but because she seems to be the fire that pushes Yuri to get stronger."

"Fire? What do you mean by that Seto."

"As I said before, Crystal is the only one in the Standard Dimension that manages to help Yuri grow. She is the one that coaxed him to fight that pathetic excuse for a regional champion and it is she who inspires him to do better. She and her dragons. The Neo Rare Hunters are no doubt going to go after her and her cards. If she loses her dragons, Yuri loses his inspiration. I cannot allow that to happen."

"Yes, Seto. Don't worry. I'll tell the Lancers to keep a close eye on her."

"Good. Now, if you don't mind, I have to prepare for my Duel."

"Huh? Your Duel?"

Yuri - Unknown Noctix

Not long after Yuri put his head down and fell asleep, he found himself standing in a lifeless, endless city with a lone skyscraper at the center. A voice in his head told him to enter it. Like a moth to a flame, he followed the light coming out of an open door that took him to the lobby of the skyscraper. No one was there, he knew no one was there, which was he didn't even bother calling anyone. What a strange place this was, Yuri thought to himself. Any moment now, he was expecting to run into Yugi or Jaden. Someone. Realizing whoever created this place was no doubt awaiting him on the top of the skyscraper, Yuri went for the elevator, which took him all the way up until he was in a giant room with walls standing over a hundred feet tall made completely of glass, offering a panoramic view of the city outside.

It was dark in there. Save for the moonlight shining through the window, there were no lights in the glass chamber. Clop! Clop! Clop! Someone was coming towards him.

"So there you are," the man said. It was Seto Kaiba. "So you're the high and mighty prince who will one day save us."

"Oh no, not another one of you guys. Wait...I've seen your mural in the cathedral where I last played Yugi. You're...you're Seto Kaiba."

Kaiba nodded his head. "Glad to finally meet you...Prince Yuri."

"Prince. Let me guess, this is the part where you start talking about some fantasy world as being my real home world."

Kaiba chuckled. "Yes, I know. I know how annoying it must be trying to live a normal life while simpletons all around you try to convince you that things are not what they appear to be. Destiny, your future, the past, how it all mingles into one tasteless broth of nonsense that they all try to spoon-feed you until you have no choice but to like it and call it cuisine. I feel for you, Yuri, I really do. You have a good future ahead of you. Good friends, power, money, perhaps a nice girl. I know Crystal Anderson might be a good choice for you."

"How do you know about Crystal?" Yuri asked.

"I know a great deal about her, Yuri. I know everything there is to know about you. Like that Chaos Emperor Dragon card she holds. You know, I'm quite hurt, Yuri. I had to pull a lot of strings to get you that card and you give it to Crystal."

Yuri began to grow cold. Yes, he did find that Chaos Emperor Dragon card on his night table one night on his tenth birthday. Nobody knew where it came from or who put it there. His father suggested a gracious fan of the future CEO of Phobos Corp probably gave it to him. He would have gladly accepted that. But this guy? He seemed much different that Yugi or the others. Yuri was not ashamed to admit that Seto Kaiba frightened him.

"It was you who gave me that card? Sorry, I didn't know."

"Save it. You know, you actually did that card a huge favor by giving it to her. Crystal is a much worthier Duelist to wield that card's power. Not you. You're pathetic."

"Oh, am I?"

"Indeed you are. Running and hiding from tournaments, Yuri? Looking for every excuse to keep away from tough opponents? And if you do encounter one, you run away in surrender. Those are not the qualities of a king."

"Oh, so it's back to this king business again. Well, if I'm such a disgrace, why go through all the trouble of coming to me then?"

"Because you're the one our world needs. A great and awesome power chose you many years ago. I would have done everything in my own power to keep you safe, but unfortunately, the leaders of my world heed the advice of that idiot, Yugi, and his pathetic friends!"

"Hold on?" Yuri said. He was shaking deep inside, Brett's talk of him being found outside his parents' house started dominating his mind and haunting it second by second. "What do you mean to keep me safe? You're saying I don't belong here?"

"No. You don't, Yuri. This is not your home. It was never your home. You will soon turn 18, the year we anticipated you to come home and rule as High King, but unfortunately, our corrupted government set up a bill to keep you trapped here in this standard world until you complete three certain tasks."

"What tasks are those?"

Kaiba held up one finger. "One, you start growing a pair of balls and face your fears and your opponents! Two! You finally use the power at your disposal as the heir to this city and get rid of your rival and his family of criminals. And three, you must enter the world championship tournament known as the Millennium Tournament and beat your brother Leon for the title of Number One Duelist in the World!"

Yuri gulped really hard. Yes, whoever came up with those terms clearly didn't want him to come back to wherever it is Kaiba was talking about. "You're asking the impossible."

"Yes, I know. But unlike Yugi and the others, the gloves come off with me. I know there is a curse that's been placed upon you, Yuri. One that broke your heart and spirit into pieces and filled the void it left behind with fear and doubt. Slowly, each Duel you've participated in inside the Noctix has slowly restored a piece of you. And as we speak, a legendary warrior walks through the endless void of your broken soul going through hell to try and find the light that was taken from you."

"This doesn't make any sense. You're saying, I'm afraid because someone cursed me to be afraid?"

"Yes. Corrupt politicians are not the only ones who don't want you coming home, Yuri. There are other forces at work that don't want you to wear the crown that was meant for you."

"I don't understand. Why didn't Yugi, Jaden, and those other guys just tell me about this already."

Kaiba snickered. "So you finally acknowledge that the person you've been seeing in your dreams Dueling these individuals was you?"

"Yes, I get that. I was just in denial about it being me. I didn't want to believe all this. Now answer me! Why didn't they tell me everything you're telling me now?"

"They didn't want to frighten you," Kaiba said with a mocking tone. "They thought baby talk and diplomacy would be the best way to knock some sense into you. But it's high time for a more aggressive approach."

"Aggressive?"

"Yes. Yugi thinks a few Duels will help you with your fears and doubts. They have but with each passing day, they continue to grow and fester, relinquishing any courage you might have found. It's been an emotional rollercoaster for you, hasn't it? One day, you feel like you can take on the world. And then the next, you find yourself cowering underneath your bedsheets, sucking your thumb. Well, it's because his tactics don't work. And each time your fears take over your soul, it makes the job of that legendary warrior I speak of much more grueling and impossible."

"You're talking about that knight. The one with platinum armor."

A fog appeared behind Kaiba. It showed Yuri an image of the knight he saw in his dreams — the same knight that rescued Crystal from the monsters in hers. He was on the ground, coughing and sobbing as a sandstorm whirled all around him. He was fighting a monster called Desert Twister. In his mouth was an orb of light, which he constantly showed off to the weary knight.

"What is that? Is that...is that my light?"

"Yes. A piece of your heart made strong by the blessings the Goddesses gave you. Your true power will be unlocked when you're made whole again. And this poor knight. He's been suffering for a long time on his quest to make you whole."

"What talk about power!" said Yuri. "What power could I possibly possess?"

"Allow me to explain. You see, Yuri, you were blessed with great power when you were born. And during your baptism as an infant, Priestesses serving each of the Five Mothers of the World came to bestow upon you special gifts. The gifts were blessings from the Goddesses of Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Light, all of them believed that you could be the one to bring light and justice to the world as the High King. Those blessings became the light that would have made you into the hero you were supposed to be. But to keep you from doing anything heroic or becoming High King, the ones who wish to stop you cursed you and took your gifts away, hiding them in the darkest recesses of your soul and putting them under the protection of monsters to make sure they are never found and that you remain a coward forever. That Desert Twister the knight is fighting is one of those monsters. Have you noticed any changes to your character lately, Yuri?"

"I...I have. Sometimes I'm filled with great boosts of courage that make me want to do things I would never consider doing. I accepted a challenge given to me by some really good Duelist with a powerful deck at his game shop after school tomorrow. And Crystal...I...I had the gall to peek into her bikini and joke about her butt."

Seto reared his head back and laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Yuri. "I mean, I know that's probably not special or heroic or anything but I never in a million years would think I would have the guts to pull something like that. I've never made moves on a girl before. Especially one so inappropriate. I better keep that under control lest I become a total creep. So anyway, what happened? If you guys saw me as such a hero, why did you feel the need to send me into what you call 'another world'? This place? And why all the secrecy?"

"I didn't!" said Seto. "I proposed you stay with me in Domino under my protection."

"Protection from who?"

"I won't speak of them here," said Seto. "But let's just say there is a group of assassins out there who not even the Kings of Termnnia want to deal with. Hmph. I'm not afraid of them. But as for the secrecy involving all of this, well, it's not for your sake. But for the sake of your friends."

"My friends?"

Kaiba started to pace back and forth. "Your friends don't know that there are other worlds out there. Neither do the rest of the people of this world. And that's as it should be. This world. We call it the Standard Dimension. It's a plain world. A realm where no magic exists. And the only way these people can go about with their happy little lives is if they do not know about other worlds...ever."

"No magic?"

"Yes, the laws of this dimension prohibit the use of magic. A master sorcerer can conjure monsters and shoot lightning out of his ass in our world. But the moment he steps through the gates into this world, that power is null and void. He becomes...normal. Why else do you think we visit you in your dreams, Yuri? It's the only place our abilities can work. It's the only place where we can see you. It's also why Yugi and his friends sent you here. The ones after you also lose their powers so if they do manage to set foot into this world knowing who you are, they have a small chance they can inflict any harm on you. We have scouts monitoring you each and every day, so you needn't worry about them. And neither will your friends. Our scouts are professionals. You'll never know they're there, Yuri. I promise."

"It doesn't make much sense revealing all this to me," said Yuri.

"Would any of your friends believe you if you told them everything I told you? They don't even believe you now. They all think the dreams you've been having are all caused by stress. If you elaborate any further on what I've told you, huh, they might just send you to the nut house. The people of this world are so convinced that magic and anything supernatural doesn't exist that they'll call you crazy for having witnessed anything spectacular."

"Fair point," said Yuri. He saw the knight continuing to take a beating in the sands. Yuri started to heave as a tear went down his cheek. "He's so...so weak."

"Well, after walking through hell for years, wouldn't you be? His name is Ser Norman the Conqueror. And he's running out of time." With each passing second, his heart and soul succumb to the same fear that consumes yours. He is not going to last long in that hellish Noctix where your lights are being held, Yuri. The lights that will shine you a path to glory! A path where all your enemies will bow before you and think twice before crossing paths with you. That's the future I want for you, Yuri. That's the kind of High King my world needs."

"I don't care about being High King. How do I help him!?"

"You can start by manning up and fighting the curse yourself, Yuri! Your acts of bravery are the curse's bane. If you can stop hiding and running every time a challenge comes your way, you may make the Noctix he's trapped himself in a little easier for him to maneuver. That world he resides in is a representation of your heart and soul, Yuri. If it is filled with fear and doubt and hatred, it will continue to burden him harder and harder. But, if you begin to grow into the warrior you were destined to be, the evil that manifests in that abyss will get weaker. If you want help finding your light, Yuri, you need to start building your own."

"But I can't! Curse or not, I don't know to do certain things. I try but I just can't muster any strength to help anybody. Sure, I inspire my friends with a few Duels but that's all I can do. I don't have the strength or skill or the courage to fight the best players in the world. If one of the requirements to go back to wherever this world you speak of is becoming the Duel Monsters world champion, you're royally fucked! I can't do it. And I can't stand up to Brett. He's so powerful. I tried doing it once and it cost me dearly."

"Pathetic. So you're afraid of just the very thought of facing your fears. Well, then. The time for talk is truly over. I had hoped we could avoid having a Duel with me to get you to see clearly, but it's not just the curse that's keeping you down. It's your own self that's your worst enemy. It's time you faced it!" A Duel Disk appeared over his arm. And the next thing Yuri knew, one magically materialized over his.

"This is what happens if you continue to doubt yourself. We can't help you if you don't take measures to improve your own self, Yuri. We could lift the very curse from you and you'd still be cowering like a little bitch!"

"Oh, a bitch, huh? I'll show you, Kaiba!"

LP 4000

"Let's Duel!" Kaiba shouted. "I'll go first. I set a card face-down and then I summon The King of Dragons in attack mode!"

The monster Kaiba summoned resembled the Lord of Dragons that Crystal used to easily summon her strongest dragons. Except this one, The King of Dragons, he was much more youthful and carried a triple-headed guitar based on a three-headed beast that Kaiba was hell-bent on summoning this turn.

"Now, Yuri, when King of Dragons is summoned to the field, I can discard a spell and add one of the three spells listed on King of Dragons to my hand. But I'll get to that later. I end my turn, Yuri!"

"I draw!" said Yuri. "I'm activating the spell Cost Down which means that..."

"Do you ever shut up?"

"What?"

"I know what Cost Down does. Now you can discard a card from your hand and you can reduce the level of a monster by two."

"Whatever, asshole! Just because you know what my card does, it doesn't mean you're going to stop the pain that's coming your way!"

"Oh, look, I'm shaking in my boots," Kaiba taunted.

"All right, Kaiba, you asked for it. I discard a card with the effect of Cost Down. And now I summon Big-Tusked Mammoth in attack mode!" Yuri furiously slapped his card down on his Duel Disk and then a giant mammoth with purple fur and bronze tusks took form in front of Yuri. "Normally, he's a Level 5 monster, but thanks to cost down, I got to summon him easily. But that's not all I'm going to do, Kaiba. I activate Polymerization and fuse together my two Gilasaurus to form Horned Saurus!"

A jet-black flying dinosaur took form above Yuri. It made a loud shriek and flew around Kaiba to intimidate him before flying back to Yuri's side of the field. Both his Big-Tusked Mammoth and his Horned Saurus had 2000 ATK points

"Watch out, Kaiba! When Horned Saurus is Fusion Summoned this turn, he can attack your Life Points directly! GO!" he commanded his dinosaur. Horned Saurus screeched, spread its massive wings, and struck Kaiba on the chest with the top of its skull, striking him with the force of a battering ram. Kaiba slid backward on the soles of his feet. He lifted his right leg and slammed it on the floor to brake to a stop. His Life Points were cut in half by the attack but all he did was laugh at Yuri, further angering him.

"Oh, so you think that's funny huh! Well, let's see if you'll laugh after my Big-Tusked Mammoth takes out your King of Dragons! ATTACK!"

Big-Tusked Mammoth reared up on its hind legs, trumpeting from its long snout. Then it charged across the glass room toward King of Dragons. Just as it was about to strike, Big-Tusked Mammoth began to shrink and its ATK points were cut in half.

"WHAT?"

"You activated my spell, Yuri! Shrink! This will cut your puny mammoth's ATK in half! Now King of Dragons is the dominant monster in this round. Kaiser Sea Horse, counterattack!"

King of Dragons charged at the pint-sized mammoth and sliced it across the belly, costing Yuri 700 of his Life Points, reducing him to 3300.

"Yuri. Is that really all you've got? I think I've just wasted my time."

"Good. Why don't you end this Duel and leave me the hell alone!"

"Sure, I would but then, she's going to continue to suffer, isn't she?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about Crystal, you idiot! The girl who trusted you! The girl who believed in you! Yet it's because of your wanton cowardice and your weakness that she continues to suffer under the hands of that punk!"

"You don't know what you're saying!"

"Oh, but I do, Yuri. Curse or no curse, you're utterly pathetic! You can't save her! You can't protect her! So you choose to run and hide, sticking your head in the sand while the people who looked up to you suffer at the hands of your enemies!"

"SHUT UP!"

"It must be incredibly disappointing in knowing that not only can your kingdom count on you to defend it, but neither can your friends. Crime is ever-growing in your city, Yuri. Duelists looking to take rare cards and meanwhile feeding their addiction to hurting people are on the hunt for you and your friends. They're going to find them, Yuri! Are you going to continue being the little flower everyone calls you? Or are you finally going to act like a man and become who you were destined to be!?"

"I"m...!" Yuri wanted to shout. "I'm not done with you yet." He looked at his hand. This Mirror Force card will show him I'm not one to be messed with. He's only down to half his Life Points! So if he attacks me, I'll use Mirror Force to destroy every monster he has, and then I'll make a direct attack with Horned Saurus to wipe him out. "Okay, Kaiba. I'll set a card face-down and end my turn."

"Is that all? Yuri. How sad. Draw!" He sneered. "I hope you don't intend on using that face-down card on me, Yuri. First, I'm going to activate the spell, The Melody of Awakening Dragon! With this, I can add two dragons from my deck to my hand. Then, I will use the spell I used when I summoned the King of Dragons! The spell known as Flute of Summoning Dragon. Of course, why play one when I can play two! Now I can call up to four dragons to the field, Yuri! Hahahahahaha! But I only need three!"

King of Dragons began to play the guitar, which let out music as loud as a thousand dragons roaring at once. Thunder and lighting shook the glass room as a fierce wind blew around them. Yuri screamed, falling to his knees as he covered his ears to block out the noise. As the storm raged, Kaiba stood where he was laughing like a man gone mad, his jacket swayed widely in the wind.

"Yuri! Long have I awaited to use this beast against you! Behold a monster so powerful, the Standard Dimension will never see the likes of it ever! A monster without peer! Behold all three of my mighty beasts! THE BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON!"

Yuri felt his heart racing and his overconfidence was doused out in a matter of seconds just hearing the creature's name. His horror increased tenfold when three of the dragons appeared out of the storm.

"If you think your face-down card will save you from their wrath, Yuri, you're an even bigger fool than I thought. Because I will fuse all three of my Blue-Eyes White Dragons together with this card. Ultimate Fusion! With this, I can Fusion Summon a powerful beast from my Extra Deck! A beast so powerful, that no monster can stand against it. And this card will destroy every card you own equal to the number of Blue-Eyes White Dragons I used to fusion my beast with."

Horned Saurus and Yuri's Mirror Force both shattered leaving him with no cards on the field. "Oh no!"

"Have no fear, Yuri! It will all be over soon! The light from my dragon will aid you in conquering the darkness! Now, Blue-Eyes White Dragons! Fuse together!"

Kaiba's three dragons took flight and spun together in incredible synchronization until a three-headed beast of destruction took its place. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! COWER BEFORE THE TRUE FACE OF FEAR, YURI! NEO BLUE-EYES ULTIMATE DRAGON!"

"STOP! STOP! YOU MADE YOUR POINT!" Yuri shouted. "I'LL CHANGE! I'LL CHANGE! I will accept that there is another world out there! I will accept that the people visiting me are real! I will do what I can to ease the burden of that knight! Just stop! JUST STOP!"

"NO!" shouted Kaiba. "This needs to happen, Yuri! Only when my dragon obliterates you, will I know you have the means to become a changed man! Do this not for me! Do this not for Yugi! Do this for her! For Crystal! The girl who risks her life and her dignity to see that you become somebody in this world."

"I PROMISE!"

"Then I bid you adieu, Yuri! If you make no progress in becoming a REAL Duelist and saving Crystal from that bastard, my dragon and I will be back to haunt your dreams over AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN! MAKE NO MISTAKE OF THAT! NEO BLUE-EYES ULTIMATE DRAGON! HYPER NEUTRON BLAST!"

The dragon reared up all three of its heads, charging up its most powerful attack. To Yuri, it felt like an eternity watching them increase the power of their blast. Finally, they fired a torrent of white energy

"NOOOOOOOO!" He was blasted away to nothing. Gone. Completely atomized.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the dark void of the hellish Noctix Bakura created, Ser Norman saw rays of sunlight peering through the dark sky. He saw monsters running out into the open screaming in agony as the sun cooked them alive. Skeleton Warriors turned to dust before his very eyes and fiends tried crawling back into their caves in vain as their flesh was burnt from their bones.

"Great heavens!" Ser Norman said. "What is going on up there? Yuri..."

Back in the tower, when the dust cleared, all that remained of Yuri was a purple gemstone, the token that represented the curse of Bakura the Witch King.

"Eliminate it at once!" Kaiba said walking away. His Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon charged up their Hyper Neutron Blast attack again and destroyed it in seconds.

"AAAARRGH!" Yuri screamed in pain, grasping his chest. He rolled off the bed and hit the ground hard, but the pain he felt in his chest masked every feeling in his body. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. And in the early morning light of dawn, he noticed steam billowing off his body. "That..." he gasped. "That was no dream!"

He waited for his pain to subside. And when it did, he was filled with anger and hatred towards Kaiba. "A little bitch huh?" he said as saliva oozed from the side of his mouth. "Coward, you say? We'll just see about that!"

He went for the phone and dialed Cornelius Landow's number. "It's me!" he said sternly. "There better be no more screwups! You and me! Today! After school! And your shop better be fixed! Because I look forward to kicking your ass in your own game shop!"