A Song from the Divines

by TheSingingSword

[Rewrite] The story of a boy named Yuri, who is taken from all that he knows and loves into a world where he must rule as High King and wield the God Cards to bring peace to the continent of Termnnia. But his task will not be an easy one, for he is surrounded by foes looking to take away his crown by any means necessary. [AU-Fantasy]

51. The Mysterious Phantom Thief

Yuri - St. Augustus Senior High School

October 22 - Year 18 4AOS

---

Even though they had the perpetrators in custody, the RAPTOR security officers believed neither Yuri nor his friends. He tried to explain to them what Zander and Talfen had done, but the two boys could not speak for they were brain dead. To make matters worse, Yuri and Patty both testified that they came out of the Nexus nightclub. For this, the officers believed the youngsters were either drunk or high as most kids were who hung out there. That drove Yuri mad, Patty, as well, but the officers did not listen to her especially - not with her record as a delinquent and her multiple run-ins with the law.

Yuri and Patty both had to give urine tests to prove they were neither drunk or buzzing with drugs. Even though they came clean, the officers came up with more ways to denounce what the kids were telling them. To be called crazy was not going to look good on the tabloids tomorrow. Bad publicity, in general, was not good for the family name, but that was the last thing on his mind. The two Rare Hunters and their master, Marik, knew too much about his dreams. Just like Yami before them, the three of them called him 'Prince' and 'King'.

Yuri did not know what the man named Marik did to them, but whatever spell he had conjured turned them into nothing more than empty shells. Yuri smacked his head a dozen times as he sat on the rooftop of the school with his friends while having lunch.

"Spell," he said, doing his best to bring logic into the situation. "There has to be a reason behind all this."

"That's what they want you to believe," Patty said, mixing her pasta around so it could be doused in the tasty meat sauce. She tapped the heel of her thigh-high boot against the ground. Yuri hated the sound it made, and he placed his hand on her knee to make her stop. Patty sighed and dug her fork into one of the meatballs and stuck it in her mouth. She spoke with her mouth full. "I pissed into two cups just to prove I wasn't wasted. I came clean and they still didn't believe me."

"Well, what are you gonna do?" Carter said, sitting with his back against the chain-link fence as he ate the fried rice his mother made him. "The people of the city want to live quiet lives. After all, only the world's one percent live here. If they get wind of terrorist attacks or, in your case, strange, black-hooded Duelists with voodoo magic, they're going to want to avoid the place. That would ruin both the island's reputation and revenue."

"It makes me so mad," said Tyson. "They care more for the dough than their own people. We got psychos running around out there, and nobody wants to do anything about it."

"It politics," said Natalya, helping herself to a bowl of chicken salad. "They always care for the money first. It's been that way since...I don't know, for hundreds of years. But, maybe it's best to let RAPTOR deal with this issue covertly like they always do. We've already got a bad rep with the Stowaways and the occasional pirate raids. And the Martinetti family's occasional slip-ups. The last thing this city needs is terrorists who play card games."

Patty broke out laughing. "It sounds funny when you put it that way, Nattie."

"Well, they strapped bombs to your wrists," Natalya said with a shrug. She felt her thigh-high socks getting uncomfortably loose on her leg. She set her salad down and pulled them both up.

"You should get that checked at the office," Patty suggested, for she noticed Natalya adjusting her socks all day. "Is it the right size? The quality of these uniforms suck."

"I can agree to that," said Natalya. "But I don't think it's the quality. Uncle Sergei wrote down the wrong size in the form, that's all."

"Not me, babe," Patty said with a light laugh. "I've had to get three different skirts this semester because they always ripped. And my ties always wore down. It got so annoying. That's why I started making a few...additions to my uniform."

"You're not the only one," said Carter. "I had to make a few modifications myself."

"You'd think they could afford us some decent attire," Natalya said before she ate a piece of honey-glazed chicken. "As I was saying, it makes sense those Rare Hunters targeted you and Yuri. You two are Aquarius' main power couple behind Crystal and Brett, but this is Yuri we're talking about. The Prince. Of course, they'd use him as an example. Something tells me these freaks, these Rare Hunters, want to put Yuri's life in jeopardy so they can get a large sum of cash from Jacob's coffers. What else would they need?"

"Well, they started calling him 'King," Patty said. She rested her cheek on Yuri's shoulder. "I don't know what they want, or what they mean by that, but they better leave him alone. I don't want to go through that again. Ever."

Yuri agreed with a sigh, and kissed the top of her head and rubbed her shoulder.

"We're gonna have to," said Tyson. He wiped salt from his chin with his tie. "In the meantime, I suggest we all keep an eye on Yuri."

"I agree," said Carter. "Anyways, how's Nick? I haven't seen him in ages. Is he doing any better?"

"I saw him at the diner last night," said Patty. "I would have waited on him, but it was a full house. It looks like he ran into some money or something. I saw him opening a booster box. A booster box!"

"Those cost a lot more than Consuela makes in a day," said Yuri. "I wonder how he got that. Did you at least talk to him?"

"I tried," said Patty. "But as I said, it was a full house. And the girls and I were having trouble with that group of bozos from Eden Island."

"Now what happened?" Carter asked.

"Lots of butts were slapped," Patty answered with a stern look creasing her face. "Let's just leave it at that. Luckily, Sergei banned them from the shop for life. But once the situation died down, Nick picked up his cards and left. I didn't get to talk with him, but if he's opening cards and buying food from the diner, then it looks like he's doing alright. What about you, Yuri? You haven't tried to keep in contact with him?"

"He won't answer the phone," Yuri replied, putting his trash into the brown bag where he carried his lunch. "I spoke to Consuelo, and she says they had some trouble. She wouldn't tell me what though, but it must have been really bad to make her cry randomly the way she did."

"Now I'm getting worried," said Natalya. A surprise breeze from the ocean caused her hair to wave over her face. She cursed and brushed it off. "Something's going on with Nick and his family."

"Maybe we shouldn't but in," Carter suggested, trying to finish his yogurt before the bell rang. "I mean, he doesn't want to speak to us and he worked double hard to transfer to different classes than us so he won't sit alongside us anymore."

"Don't remind me," said Patty. "What a jerk. I thought we were friends. We're supposed to trust one another. Why doesn't he trust us anymore?"

Well..." Tyson said with a roll of his eyes. Patty sighed, bracing herself for Tyson's list of reasons. "You were his crush and now you're dating his best friend. Said best friend blew him off during a tag team match last month, and he lost a Duel in front of his idol - who, may I also add, was a best friend to his best friend for many, many years. And said best friend kept her a secret from him."

He looked at Yuri, who was looking sadly at the ground. Tyson was glad he was getting through to Yuri's behavior and continued: "Nick's a guy with a lot of pride. All that stuff can do a number on it. Let's face it, you guys, you haven't been the best of friends towards him. Especially not after everything he did for you. Yuri, you'd be dead if it wasn't for him. And Patty...well...hmm, I dunno. What about the laughs he gave you? I mean, sure, he reeks, is arrogant, and is a bit obnoxious, but he would never allow you to walk around without a smile on your face. And no matter how bad your dad beat you, he always found a way to humor you the whole day."

"I suppose so," Patty said, wrapping up her trash. "Maybe we should go talk to him. It's been a while, that alone tells us how bad we are to him. Let's go talk to him after school and invite him to lunch or something. Maybe then we'll learn what's eating him."

The bell rang, signaling that lunch was over. The school day had ended, but unfortunately for the group, there was no sign of Nick anywhere. Natalya suggested going to the Dueling Grounds. She had a hunch that Nick would be there. They all agreed to look for him there since they planned to go anyway to test the new cards they got from the new Invasion of Chaos set that had released.

Once there, Tyson and Carter hurried to the counter to sign their group up for one of the arenas, leaving Yuri to pay for the two hours they were going to be playing. They had to share it with another group, but they didn't mind. There was food, an arcade, bowling, and billiards, and dozens of large screens broadcasting the games taking place throughout the Dueling Grounds to watch and keep them busy as they waited their turn. They were given an arena on the second floor of the grounds. It was buzzing with activity, players were sitting on most of the stands of the arena trading cards or doing homework as they waited for their turn to play with the holograms. They weren't Duel Disks and it was a little pricey to play, but for the students of St. Augustus Senior High School, it was worth it.

To the surprise of Yuri and the others, they saw Nick heading for one of the platforms in the arena. The blue one. On the other side taking his position in the red one was a boy from the elementary school who left during lunchtime with his friends to sneak into the arena and play. According to the replay on the screen behind him, he had just beaten an opponent in no time at all with his deck of beasts.

Yuri and his friends hurried to some seats nearby so they could sit down and watch the game. Nick saw them, but he paid no attention to them. He acted like he didn't care that they came in. Yuri had the urge to talk to him, but something told him to just give Nick his space. It looked like he wanted to be alone and away from Yuri, Patty, and the others. It wasn't like him to ignore his friends, and that left Yuri feeling a sense of guilt for treating him the way he did when they had their tag team match not too long ago.

The Life Point counters displayed 2000 LP above the players. The holograms whirred and started to glow, ready to render the monsters the two players were going to call upon.

"I heard all about you," the boy laughed. "They say you're an embarrassment to Yuri. You played so badly that Yuri let you go during a tag team match and defeated his two opponents alone."

"Not to mention he was stupid enough to take on Brett Martinetti," laughed another boy sitting behind Nick's opponent. In a cruel twist of fate, the boy was his little brother, Sam. He bit into his hot dog savagely, leaving behind huge globs of mustard all over his chin and the sides of his mouth. His friends laughed at him even more. Sam suddenly saw Patty and winked at her. Patty cringed when she saw him. She pulled the skirt of her uniform down as far as she could and looked the other direction, then called on Natalya to sit beside her to avoid being seen.

The boy, whose name was Mickey, started the match first. "How do ya like this!" he shouted. "I summon Stone Dragon in attack position!" He conjured his monster and the machines around the arena hummed and flickered as they brought the monster to life. It stood tall over the arena, hissing, and making growls that sounded like rocks grinding against one another. Stone Dragon had a serpentine body with flesh as hard as the earth's crust. The holographic stats displayed on the right side of the monsters, showing Nick and all of the spectators that his attack points stood strong at 2000 ATK.

"Well, he's screwed," Patty said, rearing her head up in boredom. "Someone wake me when it's over."

"I thought we wanted to help him out," Yuri said in distress, for she said it loud enough for Nick to hear. "Come on, where's your support."

"I want to help him out," Patty groaned. "But everyone knows that as soon as a monster with two-thousand or more points gets summoned, Nick can't do squat. As far as I'm concerned, he's going to go defensive like he always does."

Nick drew. "I place a card face down and activate the Spell Card, Graceful Charity. This lets me draw three cards and then forces me to discard two. Now I summon Freed the Brave Wanderer in attack mode!"

Nick summoned the warrior to the field. He wore brilliant bluish-white armor decorated in gold ornamentation and a cape of gold silk fastened around his gorget. His long, blonde hair waved in the wind. The stats window displayed 1700 ATK points and 1200 DEF points.

"Not bad," said Tyson. "I wonder if he'll perform a combo to make him stronger."

Patty scoffed. "This is Nick we're talking about. He doesn't believe in spells or traps."

Nick held out his hand. "Now, I activate my monster's effect. I banish my two LIGHT monsters, Dark Witch and Gyakuteno Megami from the Graveyard. Doing so allows my Freed the Brave Wanderer to destroy a monster with a higher attack than his."

Freed raised his magic sword in the air. Magical glyphs formed around the blade causing it to grow twenty feet long. He swung the sword, sending out a beam of energy shaped like a sharp, curved blade that sliced through the dragon, cutting it in half as though his rocky flesh was wet paper. Patty suddenly found it best to keep her mouth shut. Nick? Using monster effects? And most important of all, not caring for attack points? This she had to see.

"You think that scares me?" shouted Mickey. "Just wait. You won't be doing that again. I promise you. See how ya like this. I summon Flame Champion!" The boy smashed his card on the drive recognizer and summoned a beautiful female knight with a flaming shield and an attack of 1900; more than enough to beat Nick's wanderer. He attacked! Flame Champion held up her flaming shield and charged with all her might towards Freed, ready to smash his skull with her shield.

"I activate my trap!" Nick countered. "Reinforcements, which will increase Freed's attack by five-hundred points."

Mickey gasped, feeling upset that he had been outsmarted. He could only watch as Freed held up his sword and jumped to the right, dodging Flame Champion's attack. His attack increased to 2200. He sliced her across the back. Flame Champion screamed and shattered into pieces. Mickey stood dumbfounded at the loss of the round. He ended his turn.

"Did what I saw happen...happen?" Patty stuttered. "Are you guys sure that guy in the arena is Nick?"

Natalya whistled. "Those new cards he got are doing wonders for his deck. I think you underestimated him, Pats."

Nick - 2000 LP

Mickey - 1700 LP

"Draw!" said Nick. "I place another card face-down and end my turn.

"My turn!" said Mickey. "Draw! I summon Garvas in attack mode!" He summoned a human that had lion-like features from coarse fur to a tufted tail and a mane of red hair. Black feathered wings protruded from his back. The attack of the monster was 2000. He was about to increase Garvas' attack by 700 with a Malevolent Nuzzler card, but Nick activated the Trap Card, Magic Jammer. At the price of a card in his hand, Nick could cancel out the effect and destroy it. He may have lost the power up, but Mickey kept a mischievous grin, giving his already unpleasant face an ugly look. He would still win the round with Garvas' base attack.

Feeling confident that Nick had nothing to counter him, Mickey attacked. Garvas took flight, soaring higher and higher until he could touch the ceiling. He flew down feet first. He held out his leg and stomped Freed into the ground with a powerful kick. There was a loud explosion that shook the arena. The spectators screamed in fright, while others cheered, enjoying the violence taking place in the arena. They were both tied at 1700 Life Points.

"Beat that if you can!" shouted Mickey. "Your Freed put up a good fight, but I'm sure he's all that's left. Your brother told me everything. You're a loser."

"You're an idiot if you think he's all I got left," said Nick. "I draw. I play the Spell Card, Monster Reborn to bring back..."

Mickey laughed, not letting Nick finish. "Sure, summon Freed back. He's still weak against my Garvas!"

"Who said I was summoning Freed?" sneered Nick. "I bring back the monster I discarded to use my Magic Jammer. I summon Tenmataitei!"

The field in front of Nick exploded with a vortex of glittery lights. From the center of the vortex emerged a knight protected in armor of brilliant white and decorated with gold trim and ornamentation. Behind him flapped a cape of royal red also trimmed in gold. He rode on top a white, winged stallion with streaks of black on the neck and face. The winged stallion was armored in protective plating that matched that of his rider. The wings were of pure white feathers with a touch of gold on the tips.

Tenmataitei

ATK/2400 DEF/1000

"Nick..." Patty whispered. The crowd gasped and snapped pictures of the knight atop the winged steed. There were even a few classmates who started cheering for him.

"Look at that," said Carter. "Nick really powered up his deck with all the best cards from the new sets."

"But where did he get the money for it?" said Tyson. "I mean the cost of just one of things is more than I make in a week's allowance. Nick comes from Los Angeles Rojas, there's no way he can afford all of that."

Just when they thought Nick couldn't surprise them any further, he summoned another powerful monster, for Tenmataitei was a Special Summon. He conjured Freed the Matchless General, a much older and wiser version of his Freed the Brave Wanderer.

Freed the Matchless General

ATK/2300 DEF/1700

And then, Nick played a spell called The Shallow Grave, allowing them to summon monsters to their side of the field in a face-down defense position. Feeling frightened and intimidated by Nick's two warriors, Mickey did not think to bring back his Stone Dragon who had a defense of 2300. Instead, he brought back his Flame Champion, which Nick was counting on. He equipped Tenmataitei with Big Bang Shot, giving the warrior a 400-point boost and the ability to inflict damage even if the monster was in defense mode. Tenmataitei kicked his steed into a sprint. It galloped through the air and stopped at a good distance in front of the face-down Flame Champion.

He raised his sword and stuck it into the glowing rectangle on the ground that displayed where the face-down monster was. An ear-piercing scream came from it. Flame Champion rose up and shattered. The attack dealt 1500 points of damage to Mickey's Life Points reducing him down to a mere 200 Life Points, which was enough for Nick to finish the job with Freed who dealt another 300 damage with his battle against Garvas.

Mickey wailed in defeat and put his head down in his arms, feeling foolish for both losing and underestimating Nick. Sam was also very quiet, finding it hard to fathom what in the world just happened. Yes, a Duel was won, but it was who won that left him confused. Nick never wins.

The platform lowered and brought Nick back to the ground where he picked up his deck, stuffing it into the pocket of his school trousers before he attempted to head home.

"Nick!" Yuri called. "Nick, wait up!"

Nick came to a stern halt and turned. "What the hell do you want?" he asked.

Yuri stopped dead in his tracks. "Huh?" said Yuri. Nick never talked to him that way before.

Patty stepped in shortly after. "Hey, what's with the attitude? We just wanted to congratulate you, that was all."

"Yeah, Nick," said Tyson. "Those were some sweet moves. Where did you..."

Nick narrowed his eyes and told him to shut up. "Forget you, guys. You weren't around when I had nothing. Now that I've developed my skills and have made a little something of myself, you want to be my friend? You're all hypocrites."

"Hold on a sec..." Tyson began.

"Save it!" said Nick. "You guys treated me like crap ever since I first I bought my first pack. All you did was laugh at me and dump on my dreams. Yeah, I earned a little money. I bought myself cards and made a kick-ass deck, and I did it without your help, Yuri. You never even so much as gave me a Gokibore, but you scour the globe looking for the rarest and most powerful cards for Patty. I probably mean very little to you don't I?"

"That's not true," said Yuri. "I..."

"My ass it's not true. If you really were my friend, why didn't you tell me your best friend was Crystal Anderson? Why did you hide her from me? What? Am I not good enough to know her?"

"No, Nick," stuttered Yuri. "Wait a second. You've got it all wrong."

"The only thing I got wrong was becoming your friend. Friends don't hide things from each other. Friends don't lie. Friends don't ridicule each other and that's all you did. Well, I don't need you anymore. I can go to the big leagues myself. Humph!" He turned and walked away, leaving his friends behind him standing both dumbfounded and heartbroken.

---

Mai - Castle Muto, The Stormcoasts

---

Serenity tapped her ring finger against her tablet while watching Mai just float in the water of the rocky pool built onto the cliffs of Yugi's castle. Serenity gave a time 'ahem' in hopes of getting Mai's attention but she had no such luck. Mai was focused on the sounds around her. The waves crashing against the shore below, the gentle waterfalls that poured into the pool, and the birds singing in the tropical gardens made her lost in a world of her own sang-froid. The rosy light of dawn seemed to lock the gates behind her. Now there was definitely not getting to her, so Serenity leaned back in her chair and took a long gulp of orange juice.

"How's our boy doing?" Mai asked, her eyes still closed. Her golden hair flowing around her head in the water like a halo.

Serenity looked at the finances on her tablet. Then she looked down at Mai, wondering if she'd still be here in the real world to even listen to her response. "So far all Yuri has spent were a few hundred of those...dool-ers?"

Mai laughed. "Dollars, hun."

"Right. Dollars," said Serenity. "All he bought were a few booster boxes and some new clothes."

Mai paused for a second. "Hmm. Interesting. I figured one of those rich boys would be buying expensive cars; purchasing golden Duel Disks; buying nice suits; lavish homes; and showing them off on the internet. You mean to tell me we gave Yuri more than ten million in funds and all he bought were some cheap clothes and some cards? I love this guy."

"He's no snob," said Serenity. "Looks like the Montgomerys raised him very well."

"Yeah, but, we didn't leave him with the Montgomerys, did we? Last I checked, we left him in an orphanage."

"A really stupid move," grumbled Serenity. "I don't know who or what got Yuri out of that horrible place, but I commend them for it."

Mai opened her eyes and looked at Serenity. "You don't think the Montgomerys adopted our little prince from the bottom of their hearts, do you?"

Serenity shook her head. "Not at the least bit," she answered, drinking more juice. "Someone we know is behind this. I just feel it in my gut."

They heard a commotion coming from the down the path leading to the pools. Mai bolted upright when she recognized the agitated voice of Téa.

"I told you already, you can't come in here! It's bad enough you just barge into our castle like this, but to just waltz around as you please is uncalled for! Hey! I'm talking to you."

Serenity turned off her tablet and slipped it back into her leather knapsack. Mai got out of the pool in time to see her unwelcome guests arrive. Unsurprising to her, they were wearing the black dragon with the flaming heart. Messengers of House Dragonheart. There were three of them. One was a soldier in chainmail and iron plating with a crimson red surcoat. The second, a little boy, only nine years of age. He bore a Duel Disk on his wrist. The man in the center of the group smiled, admiring the sight of Mai in her swimsuit.

"Can I help you?" Mai asked sternly. Serenity came from behind and wrapped a towel around her. "Thank you, honey," Mai thanked her.

"Are you in charge here?" the man in the center asked very pompously, sticking his nose up in the air and forming his chapped lips into a gut-wrenching smug that burned Mai's inside as though someone put a torch into her gut. Whatever it was this man was after, she felt he was going to get it, and she was not going to like it.

"I am," she answered. "Yugi left me in charge of the castle. What in Horakhty's name do you want?"

The man's smile widened. He seemed to twist his chest to the right so the rubies on his Dragonheart sigil could burn in the dawn's light. He took a few steps forward. "Tell me where is Yugi? He has been summoned to attend a session of Congress in Rasaay post-haste. We're here to collect him. It is of the utmost importance."

"Well, he's not here!" Téa yelled. "He's gathering the princes for Yuri's alliance."

"That is another reason as to why I am here, My Princess. There has been an unfortunate turn of events that will affect Yuri's claim to the throne."

Mai gave a quick shake of her head, eyes blinking rapidly. "Excuse me?" she said.

"Yes," the messenger replied. "Emboldorian Rangers guarding the Gates were attacked by forces belonging to a young boy named Prince Hector. He is the last male heir of House Delgado; and Yuri's cousin. It seems the boy has reason to believe that he is the new heir to the Diamond Throne. There is a woman traveling beside him. She dressed in all black and wearing a golden necklace that allows her to see all that will be. She has claimed that the boy will soon be bequiffed with monsters said to rival the God Cards."

"That's impossible!" cried Serenity. "Nothing is more powerful than the God Cards."

The man chuckled as he looked at her. "Such a beautiful, but naive little thing," he said. "My dear girl, there is much about our world that you cannot fully understand."

"That's putting it mildly," laughed the soldier, acting as an escort for the messenger. "What can she hope to understand? She's a Wheeler." His two companions laughed at his joke.

Serenity wanted to speak but she was so full of anger that she couldn't find the words to say anything.

The messenger stopped laughing. "So you see, my dear, Hector and his forces have been...destroying Gates they have conquered. We are afraid that until further notice, there will be no more Gate travel and Master Yugi's alliance must be called off. He is to stop his meetings with the princes at once. Do you know where he is?"

"We don't," said Téa.

"A response that does not surprise me. Listen to me clearly, girl. Rare Hunters have been spotted entering the Gates by the Emboldorian Rangers. However, they cannot pursue them because once they vanish, the rebel forces under the command of Prince Hector arrives to wipe them out and destroy the Gates. He has rallied support from many Houses over the past few weeks and has built an army large enough to overcome the might of the rangers. The Senate has come to the conclusion that the Emboldorian Rangers are of no use in the protection of the portals. Therefore, they have decided that the esteemed forces of House Dragonheart and its allies will be safeguarding the gates until further notice."

"What!?" Téa shouted. "That...that can't be!"

"Oh, but it is, My Lady. Prince Hector will be no match for the forces of the King of Dragonrock. That being said, until we are sure of the dear Prince's protection, there will be no alliance."

"You bastards!" shouted a girl named Phoenix, whom they hired to keep watch over the castle. She was running down the steps in a white nightgown. She shivered, for her exposed skin was being bombarded by the sea air, but her anger and frustration kept her warm like a blazing fire "I know what you're trying to do here! You're trying to keep the Senate in your palms by doing this?"

The messenger rolled his eyes and scoffed at her testimony. "A bold accusation, my lovely little flower, but where is the proof?"

"I don't need proof!" Serenity shouted, stomping her foot on the ground. "It's right before me. Yugi is looking for the sons of great kings to join the alliance. He does not look for lesser lords. Kings! All of whom show great support for him and for Yuri. The princes he seeks are the sons of the most powerful men in Termnnia. And with every ounce of support he gets, it means House Dragonheart loses its grip on the Senate! Antilles knows that for every new ally Master Yu-Gi-Oh gains, it's one thumbs-up closer to bringing Yuri home and putting him on the Diamond Throne. We all know Antilles does not want to see anyone but a Dragonheart on the throne."

"I agree," said Téa. "You aren't keeping the Gates closed to keep Yuri safe. You're keeping them closed to keep him from coming back, while Antilles searches for another from his bloodline to become High King!"

"Ha!" laughed the messenger. "So much unfair speculation here. But it matters not what poisonous honey oozes from your beautiful lips, ladies. High Chancellor Pegasus has given Antilles the order already. The Gates are going to be closed and guarded until this situation with Hector is resolved."

"What about King Forrest?" Serenity demanded, balling up her fists. "He's doing far more damage up north. His culture destroys ours. His people kill our people. However, the Senate does nothing against him. It seems to me that for you and the rest of those with their lips planted on House Dragonheart's ass, Prince Yuri is the enemy."

"She's right," Mai said calmly. "You guys treat Yuri like he's Termnnia's greatest threat, and hide it with false claims of looking out for his well-being. Your policies have never been for the best interests of Yuri or for Termnnia. It was for the benefit of House Dragonheart and yourselves."

"Nevertheless," said the messenger. "The Senate has ordered the gates closed and Master Yu-Gi-Oh must be found so that this alliance can be stopped. Now, where is he? I much desire to speak with him."

"He's not here," said Serenity. "Like you said, he's out looking for the Princes."

"And he must stop at once, or he will be charged with treason for going against the will of the High Chancellor, who is the de facto ruler of the continent until a High King is named. Those are Pegasus' words, my dear ladies."

"We know!" snapped Téa.

"Then act like it," sneered the messenger. "I'll ask again. Where is Master Yu-Gi-Oh?"

"We don't know," said Serenity. "He left us while in Rasaay and went to find allies. He did not want us to participate."

"Lies," said the soldier. "If there's anyone in Termnnia who knows the whereabouts of that boy, it's this lot."

"Oh, indeed," the messenger agreed. "Very well. If you do not wish to tell me where Master Yu-Gi-Oh's current location is, then I will have to place you all under arrest for treason to the Diamond Throne and endangering the life of Prince Yuri. King Antilles has ordered me to round you up if you become resistant."

"You can't do this!" shouted Serenity.

"And you won't!" Téa yelled. "Antilles can't tell us what to do!"

"That's where you're wrong, young lady. Regardless of what you and your companions did at the Battle of Rasaay and the Seige of Karad-Antha, you are still lowly serfs serving under kings. And Antilles Dragonheart is a king. You will do as we say. It's law. Even Yugi's accomplishment and admiration cannot defend you from the law. Now tell us where he is and cease all your activities involving the prince. He is under the care of House Dragonheart now."

"Never!" declared loudly Téa.

"You have no choice in the matter," the messenger said, trying to hold back his laughter. "But we will use force if you do not comply. Do not test me, kids. We have a hundred men outside the gates at the ready to storm the castle on my command. Unless you want to leave this castle in pieces or in one piece, I suggest you keep on moving."

"I challenge you to a Duel!" Téa shouted.

"This is not a matter of Duel Monsters," said the messenger.

"No? Then why do you bring a Duelist with you?" Téa brushed some hair off her face. "You speak about laws, so I think you should know all about this once. Since I am a Termnnian royal, I can play using the oath of the Dueling Pact. If I win, you leave us alone. If I lose, then you take us all, no questions asked."

"Téa, you serious?" Mai said, flabbergasted by the challenge.

Téa barred her pearly teeth. She growled like an angry dog and a tinge of peach flushed over her cheekbones. "What choice do we have? I'm not going to let Antilles push us around! I won't allow it! If you want to close the Gates, fine! Yuri's supporters are strong. We will overcome your blockade. But to arrest us for speaking the truth? You cross the line."

"Very well," said the messenger, stepping back and allowing his Duelist to take the lead.

The boy approached cackling. All throughout their squabble, he yawned and was bored with talk of laws and policies. But now that Duel Monsters was on the table, he had grown excited. In fact, his head was already bloated with fantasies of how rich and famous he would be defeating Princess Téa of House Gardner. He activated his Duel Disk shaped like a shield emblazoned with the dragon of the House whom he served. "I am Andrez," said the boy.

"I don't care!" Téa yelled. She transformed her egg-shaped diamond ring into a Duel Disk made entirely of diamond with a marble white surface and a glowing crystal shining above it.

"DUEL!" they both shouted.

The boy started dull by placing a card face-down and summoning a monster in defense mode.

Téa played a ritual spell called Advanced Ritual Art. She sent Normal monsters from her deck to the Graveyard equal to the level of the ritual monster she chose to play. "Herald of Ultimateness!" she cried, placing the card on the Duel Disk and summoning the autonomous fairy creature with colorful wings and multi-colored lights shining out of its body.

The boy activated a card that would have negated the Herald's summoning, but unfortunately for him, Herald of Ultimateness allowed Téa to discard a Fairy-Type monster to negate the card's activation and destroyed it. She left the monster in the defense mode and ended her turn. She dominated most of the Duel with the Herald for the first few turns. But unfortunately for her, Andrez was a little smarter than she thought. He activated a Field Spell known as Dragonic Diagram and summoned his favorite monster.

The messenger clapped his hands when the beautiful monster appeared on the field and slew the Herald of Ultimateness after his power was boosted by a Spell Card that Andrez used. People had to play defensively for a while, watching helplessly as her fairies were slaughtered by the divine-looking beast. Having been reduced to the last few thousand Life Points, she placed her fingers on her deck, praying that the Goddess of Victory gave her the strength to overcome this beast. She drew.

"I play Card of Sanctity, allowing us to draw until we have six cards. Then, I place Guiding Ariadne in the Pendulum Zone! And place two cards face down!"

Andrez laughed. "Your little fairy is in the Pendulum Zone, meaning it's treated as a Spell. You're wide open for an attack. But don't think your face-down cards will defend you from me or the might of House Dragonheart. I can banish a Spell or Trap Card from my Graveyard and destroy one of yours!"

"No you won't!" Téa yelled. "From my hand, I use the power of my Herald of Orange Light!" From behind Téa, an orange crystal rose out of the ground and hovered over her. The crystal was then encased by magnetic white armor with red-orange trim and from the armor grew orange wings. "I can discard this card from my hand when your monsters' effects activate. I can negate the effect and destroy the monster. Herald of Orange Light, rid the field of Master Peace, the True Dracoslayer King!"

An orange beam shot out of the crystal and struck Master Peace in the chest. The True Dracoslayer King grunted from the impact and the fiery pain. The beam pierced through his brilliant white armor and out the back. He exploded, shrouding Andrez's side of the field in a cloud of black smoke.

Téa smiled and flung her hair over her shoulder. "I use the effect of my fairy, EVA. When it's sent to the Graveyard from my hand, I can banish a LIGHT monster and add a level two or lower LIGHT Fairy from my deck to my hand. That ends my turn."

Andrez drew his next card. "I activate my Dragonic Diagram!" he shouted. "I discard a spell and add a card from my deck. I then play the spell known as Disciples of the True Dracophoenix which allows me to..."

"I don't think so!" Téa countered. "From my hand, I activate the effect of my Herald of Green Light! I send this and one Fairy monster from my hand to negate the effect and destroy it."

"You're starting to annoy me!" Andrez yelled, stomping his foot on the ground.

Mai burst out laughing. "Well, no need to get your jimmies in a tissy, kiddo. Téa's about to finish you off for good. Téa, show 'em what I mean, hon."

Téa nodded and gave a thumbs up. "When I negate one of your effects, I can Special Summon Sacred Arch-Airknight Parsath from my Graveyard, at the cost of banishing two of Fairy monsters."

A divine circle illuminated in the clouds above Téa. A beam of light shone down on her, glittering like a thousand stars. A choir of a thousand angels sang a song of peace, announcing the coming of one of the greatest warriors from the realm of light.

"Now it's my turn," Téa said confidently as one of the strongest monsters in her deck graced the field with its angelic presence. With each flap of its wings, a rain of glittering lights sprinkled down on the fields. Serenity clasped her hands together and beamed at Téa's monster. She didn't know that Téa had something so powerful and so beautiful in her deck.

Téa activated Pot of Desires, which banished ten cards from the top of her deck face-down as the price to pay for drawing three cards. She then used a Spell called The Sanctum of Parsath, and when she did, Sacred Arch-Airknight Parsath's light shined as bright as the sun. It increased Parsath's ATK by 300 points, raising it to 3100. She attacked Andrez directly. Sacred Arch-Airknight Parsath raised his heavenly sword until it started glowing bright blue. He slashed it across the air, sending a wave of light towards Andre. He babbled, holding up his arms, bracing for impact. The light struck him hard and sent him flying back a dozen feet. He skidded to a stop and his Life Points dropped to 0.

"Yes!" Serenity cried. "She won! She won!"

Mai wrinkled her nose and slapped Téa playfully on the derriere. "Nice job, hon. Never doubted you for a second." She looked at the messenger and the rest of the Dragonheart soldiers. "As for you morons. Get out of Yugi's castle!"

"This cannot be!" cried the messenger. He grabbed Andrez by the scruff of his neck. "You have failed me for the first and last time, boy! Away with you!"

As Andrez dashed out of the gardens, a squad of Dragonheart soldiers marched up the steps, weapons brandished and shields raised in case Mai and the others were going to be resistant.

"What is this?" Serenity cried out. "Téa won the Duel. We had an agreement under the Dueling Pact!"

The messenger sniggered. He twirled some hair on his mustache. "The Church of Yeyu is going to pay well for you, mage. I'd wager fifty-thousand gold crowns once they slap their anti-magic cuffs on you and disable your magical abilities. King Forrest is paying a rather high price for beautiful girls to serve in his castle. Do us all a favor and surrender. We do not wish to harm you and ruin the value."

"You're selling mages to the Church!?" Serenity cried out in shock. "How could you? That's so cruel! Do you know what the Inquisition does to mages?"

"It's not my problem," said the messenger. "All I care about is the gold I get for ridding our homeland of those magic-wielding vermin. Your kind is nothing but trouble."

Phoenix hunched her shoulders and balled her fists. They were engulfed in bright orange flames with a blue core. Her hair started glowing as well and resembled a forest fire glowing behind her.

"You've pissed her off," said Téa. "If you know what's good for you, you'll honor your oath to the Dueling Pact. I don't think even Antilles wants to be troubled with the fact that his subordinates are not following the law."

"What Dueling Pact?" sneered the messenger. "There was no Dueling Pact. Now, for the last time, surrender yourselves or there will be violence. It doesn't matter. Whether you lot rot in jail or have your heads mounted to pikes, Master Yu-Gi-Oh will return and cease all his activities across the continent."

But before his soldiers could take another step, a loud screech came from the sky above. The soldiers panicked and backed away when they saw the flying creature soaring towards them like a flaming comet. It was a beautiful firebird known as Mavelus. The feathers on its body were a rich shade of vermillion. The feathers on the wings and tail were a brilliant gold that flashed in the sun. The feathers making the crest on its head resembled flames. Its beak and legs were colored royal purple, and its eyes a brilliant green.

Mavelus released a jet of flames from its mouth and created a wall of fire that separated the Dragonheart soldiers from Mai and her friends. Téa and Mai stepped back, for the heat was blistering.

One foolish soldier dared cross over the flames; his armor shielding him from them. He lowered his lance and yelled, aiming to pierce her through the gut.

But Phoenix was too quick for him. She elegantly twirled out of the way as though she was doing ballet. Her flaming hair whipped behind her. The air around her rippled in the heat. She opened one of her palms and charged a fireball. She spun and launched it at the foolish soldier. He was engulfed in a fire hotter than a dragon's flaming breath. His troubles, if he had any, were over in two seconds flat. His armor, cape, chainmail, hauberk, spear, everything was gone. He was reduced to a pile of ash on the ground.

"GET THEM!" the messenger shouted. "KILL THEM IN THE NAME OF YOUR KING!"

The soldiers charged past the flames. Some made it, others began to flail their arms in the air and danced around as the phoenix fire wrapped itself around them. They screeched and jumped off the cliffs into the sea.

"Holy crap!" said Mai.

"I told you she would come in handy!" said Téa.

Phoenix was about to be outnumbered and Mai, Téa, and Serenity were being surrounded by a clever pincer formation. Mavelus returned and ignited the men surrounding Mai and the others. The three women jumped out of the ring of fire, landing safely on the ground. The morning air was perfumed with the scent of burning metal and charred flesh. Ashes from the fallen foes fell around them like a rain of gray snow. The messenger waved his arm, signaling for more reinforcements to come take them down. He really did have a hundred men ready for an attack.

But Phoenix was too powerful for them. Finally, the soldiers knew that they were out of their league. They dropped their weapons and shields and held up their hands shouting: "Parley! Parley!"

Phoenix relinquished her flames.

"Where did you get that?" Serenity asked. She tickled Mavelus under the chin. "It's beautiful."

"Master Yugi gave him to me as a companion for my quest."

"Must have cost him a fortune," said Mai. "Firebirds like this are hard to find."

"I can personally vouch for that," Téa said, dusting the dirt off her gown. "Half of the payment for that bird came from my personal coffers."

Mai helped Serenity up and dusted ash off her clothes and hair. She looked at Phoenix nodding at her both with approval. "You were amazing! Very impressive. I can see why Yugi choose you to guard the castle in his stead." She then looked at the messenger. "You! Leave now! Or I'll have Phoenix send you back to Antilles in ashes. Do I make myself clear?"

The messenger did not want to cause any more trouble. His pride in himself and in the House whom he served caused more than thirty of his men to be killed. "Yes," he stammered. "Yes, My Lady."

"Now get out," said Serenity. "Antilles will not get away with this!"

Without another word, the messenger and the rest of his men rushed out of the castle grounds and toward the hills back to Dragonrock. Joey walked out towards the balcony railing and yawned. He rubbed his eye. "What's all the ruckus?" he asked. He sniffed the air. "Is something burning?"

Mai laughed. "Joey. Well good morning, sleepyhead. How's about you make us some coffee? Oh, and have Duke prepare some of those mint pancakes for breakfast."

Serenity's eyes widened when she felt her tablet vibrate and make a sweet jingling noise. The app was giving her an update on Yuri's finances. She opened the app and looked around to see what he could have purchased. "Whoa!" she said. "Yuri got a new car!"

---

Yuri - St. Augustus Senior High School

---

Yuri felt so awkward trying to keep up with Patty as she danced to the catchy beat of the classic 90's tracks that were blasting on the speakers in the gymnasium. Yuri looked at the some of the teachers who were forming a circle next to the basketball court and pulled off nostalgic moves much to the joy of some of the students.

"You're a little slow," Patty said, doing a spin. The dress she wore caught some attention. It was all black and ruffled and exposed a lot of décolletages. Two black roses were tucked into her hair and she wore arm-length gloves with filigree embroidery.

"Do you always dress like it's Halloween, Patty?" a girl asked.

"Damn right I do," Patty said, giving a shake of her hips before flipping her the bird to send her off.

The girl scoffed and rolled her eyes. Her dance partner held onto her to keep her from attacking Patty. "Yuri, I expected a lot more from you," the girl said before walking off to dance elsewhere. "Do yourself a favor and find someone better, will you?"

Yuri shrugged and watched as she walked off. "So..." he said, feeling a tad uncomfortable, with both the dance and Patty's choice of attire. "Any word from Nick?"

"Not a word," Patty said with another graceful turn. "Let him be, Yuri. He needs to cool off from that loss."

"He should but he's missed school for the past couple of days."

"So let him have his temper tantrum," said Patty. "If you ask me, he shouldn't have been showing off the way he did. Challenging Brett Martinetti to a Duel was just the dumbest thing I've ever seen him do. But to do so in front of Crystal Anderson was just cringe-worthy. I doubt he'll ever show himself again after what happened."

"We should do our best to support him," said Yuri. "The guy has talked about going suicidal sometimes. Not to mention I was really rough with him on Monday when he lost his place in our tag match. Speaking of Crystal, don't you think it was time we headed off?"

"Well..." Patty thought. "One more song, how about that?"

So they danced to their last song. By nine o'clock, Yuri walked Patty to the parking lot towards his new exotic sports car. When she saw it, she clasped her hands together and went around it in circles examining the vehicle and trying to catch her reflection on the glossy black surface. She started jumping for joy. "Oh, my God! It's gorgeous!" she cried. "When did you get it?"

"This morning before school," Yuri answered. He took a Concept Key out of his pocket and turned on the car's engines with a touch of the screen. The engine purred loudly causing Patty to jump up and squeal.

"What are we waiting for?" she cried out in delight. "Let's go!"

Yuri texted Crystal, telling her that he was on the way. She responded quickly with a happy face emoji. Yuri drove to the pier by Montgomery Towers where yachts of all shapes and sizes were docked together and turned into nightclubs. Colorful lights flashed in the night. Lasers crisscrossed in the darkness and loud music pulsed through the bodies of the youngsters coming to support the mayoral campaign for Alan. Once Yuri got to the parking lot, he spotted Crystal waiting for him dressed in a white clubbing dress. Her hair was twisted into a bun and swirled bangs danged on both sides of her face. His car's LED headlights caused all her jewelry to twinkle.

Yuri parked, then he and Patty got out of the car. Crystal ran towards them at once. She got to Patty first and hugged her. "It's so good to see you," she said. She examined Patty's gothic gown and did her best to keep her smile. "Wow. You look...great. And, Yuri, you look quite dapper. Nice set of wheels by the way. When did you get it?"

"This morning," Yuri said, slamming his door shut. "Is this going to be a quick meeting, Crystal? You know I don't like to linger in places like this."

"Oh, don't be such a wuss," Patty said, looking at Yuri. "Have some fun for once."

"And by fun, you mean behaving like you do late at night?" Yuri said rather sternly.

"Have a little adventure, Yuri," Crystal said, circling the car. "Besides, this is a matter of great importance. Alan is in his yacht right now. He's waiting for you. Have you two lovebirds had any dinner tonight?"

Patty shrugged in response. "Yuri bought me a bag of fries on the way, but I could still eat."

Crystal led them to a Golden Palmer Johnson superyacht. Two men stood outside the entrance armed with compact rifles. They noticed Crystal coming and let them through. Once inside Yuri shook hands with a large number of guests, took selfies with people who didn't know, and showed off his Black Tyranno more than a dozen times. Surprisingly, unlike the other yachts in the docks playing loud techno and hip-hop, Alan's yacht was calm and played soothing instrumental jazz music, although the other songs blasting in the night could still be heard thumping through the walls.

"Yuri," Alan said walking down the stairs, holding a glass of champagne. "Ah, and you've brought a guest I see." He examined Patty on the way down. She really stood out, standing there in her black gown, but he admired her face and the skin that the gown exposed. "You're a lovely young thing," he said, taking her hand. He kissed it. "And your name is?"

"Pamela McKnight. But my friends call me Patty."

Alan raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Patty? Lovely name. Come, follow me upstairs. We'll have dinner ready for you."

They followed him to a dining room that offered panoramic views of the central island and the other yachts down below. They sat together around a table with a white cloth and a candle lit in the center. Alan had waiters come in immediately with menus. Patty undid her napkin and placed it on her lap.

"You surprise me, Patty," Alan said, doing the same. "I did not think a girl like you was so sophisticated."

"Only when she wants to be," said Crystal. "Behind that lady-like etiquette is a real party animal."

Alan and Patty laughed. Yuri could only chuckle. Not that he would know what Patty's nightlife was like. She blocked him from seeing her profile online.

"Well, we'll see more of that tonight, won't we, Yuri?" Alan said, slapping Yuri's shoulder.

"I guess," Yuri responded, massaging the spot where he was struck.

"Are you ready to order?" the waiter asked.

"Ladies first," said Alan, opening his menu. "Patty. See anything you like?"

Patty took a moment to look up and down the menu. She wrinkled her nose. "I'll take the maple-basted chicken with the brown rice and cranberries."

"Anything to drink?" The waiter asked.

"I'll have an apple martini, please."

"Okay. And you, Miss Anderson?"

"I'll have a bone-in ribeye and a glass of champagne."

"Okay. Gentlemen?"

"Yuri, why don't you go ahead?" said Alan.

"Okay. I'll have what Patty's having, but make my drink a lime soda."

"Oh, come on, Yuri," said Alan. "At least have a scotch for dinner."

Yuri looked at him with a concerned look. This was exactly what he had feared. He never did like the taste of alcoholic drinks, and, least of all, he hated being pressured into drinking them. "I'm seventeen," he replied. "And I'm driving."

"Very well," Alan said. "I was certain there was no legal strict drinking age here if we're drinking in private. Come on. Just one."

Yuri tapped the table with his finger. "And a scotch," he said.

"Say it like in the movies!" said Patty. "Come on, Yuri."

"Oh man," he groaned. "A scotch on the rocks."

Everyone laughed and clapped. "Hey, that's good!" Alan said chuckling. "Very good."

Until their food arrived, they had merry conversations about past victories and new cards that were rumored to be coming out by November. Once their dinner was served, Alan moved on to why he brought Yuri here to this party tonight.

"You want me to speak up against the stowaways?" Yuri asked. "Why would I do that? Is this some ruse to get me to promote your campaign for mayor and get more votes for you?"

"Of course," said Alan. "Look, I hope you don't think ill of me for doing this."

"How can anyone not?" Crystal snapped. "You're threatening to throw people off the island."

"People who shouldn't even be here," said Patty. Alan raised his glass towards her and nodded. "I've seen first hand what these guys can do, Crystal. My dad is a commander for RAPTOR. These guys smuggle nasty things in their side of town and distribute them all around with their gangs who run about mugging the REAL citizens of this city. Not to mention they tarnish our image. A long time ago, I used to be able to walk through Madison Park at night. It was beautiful. Now, you see bums passed out on the sidewalks and benches. Piles of crap in the gardens and floating around the ponds. Trash on the streets. Our last mayor did nothing because he claims that these people need help. When he said need help I didn't think he meant using our parks and city as their own personal bathroom and trash can."

"Exactly," said Alan.

Crystal shook her head. "I understand there's a bit of gang epidemic going on and they're not exactly the cleanest of people, but maybe we can help them."

Alan set his drink down. "When the Romans opened the gates, they let the greatest empire in all the known world collapse. The 'Eternal City' just crumbled in a matter of moments. Why? Because foreigners ransacked the city."

Crystal took one last sip of her champagne and set it down. "Yes, Alan, but the Romans didn't open the gates to the barbarian horde. King Alaric's men did that themselves when they were let into the city in the guise of slaves. And honestly, Rome was in a bad state before the Visigothic invasion even began."

"You get my point," Alan scoffed as he rolled his eyes upward. "It doesn't matter who's opening the gates, we're letting in a group of people who have no respect for our culture or our way of life. Despite all the programs the council has provided for the youths, they don't take advantage of them. I see a lot of stowaway kids leaving school and going to the malls to cause mischief or join gangs. They don't want to learn. They don't want to adapt. They say they're here to start a better life but instead, they choose to live the way they lived in the countries they came from."

Crystal gave a wave of her hand. "Well, unlike the Romans, we are flourishing. They weren't. We're not about to let a few stowaways change that."

Alan signaled the waiter for another drink. "Crystal, that's the thing. A lot of great nations and empires flourished. But a single grain of rice can tip the scales and send things plummeting the wrong way. All it takes is one bad idea to bring ruin to a great nation."

Crystal nodded. "Regardless, Nobody gives them a chance to do anything!"

"Bullshit," said Yuri. "As Alan said, my dad and the city council have provided job fairs, educational benefits, blah, blah, blah. He has literally given each and every one of them an opportunity for citizenship if they can earn it. That's something far more gracious than any other government in the world can offer. Most will simply kick you out, like our neighbor to the west of the ocean. There is a handful who have taken advantage of this and have provided great things for Aquarius. However, a majority of them have chosen to live a life of mediocrity. They form gangs who have caused trouble lately. Patty's right. It's almost unsafe to walk the streets at night in some areas. Areas were little kids were allowed to play and walk without a reason to worry."

"And were you any different, Yuri?" Crystal said sternly. "Mr. Bigshot with his gang of rich boys running around Los Angeles Rojas racketeering the life and soul out of the poor people."

"Yuri is a changed man, Crystal." Alan placed his hand on Yuri's shoulder. "While his actions as a kid were a little...cruel. I cannot blame him for taking that path. Especially not after what happened to him when those savages kidnapped him."

Yuri's face dropped. He put his fork and knife down and stared out the window. Crystal looked at Alan with a confused glare, wondering why he would choose to bring up such a horrible memory at a time like this.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Patty asked, throwing her handkerchief over her plate.

Yuri shook his head. "No."

"Can I speak to you in private, Yuri?" Alan said, getting up from his chair.

"No, I'm coming, too!" Crystal demanded.

Alan held his hand up to stop her. "That won't be necessary. This is guy talk."

"No, I don't think so!" Crystal shouted.

"Crystal!" Yuri cried out. "It's okay. If he wants to talk. We'll talk. I need some air."

Crystal grimaced at the sudden rise in Yuri's voice. He never yelled at her before. She swallowed nervously and set her handkerchief on her plate of untouched food before she walked to Yuri. "Whatever he tells you," she whispered in his ear "Don't use your experience to give him any political gain."

"What?" said Yuri.

"He wants to use your kidnapping as a tool to get him more votes. You're going to have a Duel in a few moments. Just play, win, and keep your mouth shut when he asks for a speech. Got it?" She kissed his cheek to hopefully seal the deal and walk away. She turned to look at Patty. "Coming, Patty?" she asked.

"Yeah, I need to hit the ladies' and freshen up," she responded looking at her purse. "When's this Duel I keep hearing about going to happen?"

"Right after we have our talk," Alan said, putting an arm over Yuri's shoulder. "You ladies have some fun. There's no lack of entertainment tonight. There are parties in every boat and an exhibition of new weapons for RAPTOR in the hangar over there. I think there are some Duels going on in the bay over there if you're interested. Enjoy yourselves. Don't party too hard out there." He laughed and led Yuri outside.

---

Brett

---

"You sure Yuri is going to use that Black Tyranno tonight?" asked Mr. Crenshaw, an advisor to Alan's campaign. They had dinner in a restaurant that specialized in Cajun food called The Red Barge. They sat in a private lounge on a balcony overlooking the party down below.

"Am I sure? He's gonna have to," Brett laughed, drowning his cajun fries in ketchup. "His opponent is good. One of the best. A rising star in the States. The way this guy plays, Yuri's going to have no choice but to play his beast and summon that monster. But even then, he's gonna have a hard time. My money's on his opponent."

"I thought we wanted Yuri to win."

"Yuri's purpose is to just Duel. Winning or losing doesn't matter. Alan promised his voters and potentials the Black Tyranno, so he's going to give them the Black Tyranno."

"What's the point? He's just a trading card. Why do you think potential voters are going to be drawn into the booths and vote for Alan because they see him playing a trading card in a Duel?"

"You're new to Aquarius, aren't you?" Brett laughed, picking up a grilled cheese finger sandwich. He bit into it and spoke as he chewed. "The people here live and breathe Duel Monsters. It's our cash cow. It's our love, our passion. All it takes is one little Duel for the people of this island to love you or hate you. Now, Yuri.."

He stopped to swallow his food, then he took a long gulp of beer.

"Yuri may be the son and heir to Aquarius and to the company his father runs, but he was a nobody. He didn't want to be seen. Want to have friends. I thought he finally manned up after he fought in underground cage matches for a few years, but his last fight broke his arm. He never showed his face again. Throughout his years in high school, nobody even knew he existed. Hell, his sister, Kathy, had more followers on social media. Two million to his lousy one hundred and fifty. Now, after he got that rare and powerful Black Tyranno, everyone loves him. He beat my protege, Randall Lawson. Then he went on to beat one of the Sensational Dragon Sisters. The kid's got potential in him and the crowd wants to see it blossom. Not to mention see more of that Black Tyranno. He Dueled a few days ago against some hotshot from Florida. When Black Tyranno showed up, the topic trending was the monster. Girls take selfies with the beast behind them. People photograph it like crazy for their blog and video channels. That card isn't just a rare card, it's one-of-a-kind."

"If you say so." Mr. Crenshaw sucked the meat out of another crawdad. "And we have your word that he'll testify against those leeches living on Mobius Island?"

"I'm more than sure he will, Mr. Crenshaw. I hate the guy, but it wasn't right what they did to him when he was a kid. You know, Yuri wasn't always that good-hearted angel we see today."

"He wasn't?"

"Nope." Brett ate another sandwich. "Like I told you, during his freshman year, Yuri was spotted very often at clubs in the harbors of Nefeli Island. And these were nasty places. Drugs, sex, cage matches. The last place you'd expect to find the Prince of Aquarius. However, he was messed up even way before that. After his incident with those kidnappers, Yuri developed a mean streak. Like he wanted no one to fuck with him anymore. He got together the kids of the neighborhood, hired some muscle, and formed a gang. They always marched to Los Angeles Rojas to extort the trash living there. Yuri made their lives hell from when he was thirteen till sixteen when he was eventually caught by police after one of his goons, a friend of his named Tyson, beat this man so bad he cracked his skull, broke his jaw, and caused severe brain damage. The Montgomerys were heartbroken, man. It was the worst thing that could ever befall such a noble family like them. Nevertheless, Yuri is the only one with the means to take over the business. His brother, Buzz, is playing in elite soccer clubs, and his sister, Kathy, is flying high in the Aquarius Air Force. And little Andrew is far too young to do anything right now. Yuri is Jacob's only means to have a successful lineage in Phobos Corp. I guess learning that he has a big responsibility in the future set him straight. He was also supposed to marry Crystal in some arrangement."

"I heard he and Miss Anderson were very close."

"They still are. Those two have been friends since kindergarten. However, that marriage has been scrapped for reasons I can't explain. Perhaps Yuri ruined his image when he started fighting in underground fight clubs. Crystal was always a rather delicate girl."

"Or perhaps you had something to do with the scrubbing of their marriage?" Mr. Crenshaw asked with a smile. "I do see you and her together quite often."

Brett smiled back. "I'm a better man than Yuri. I know how to take advantage of my fame and my wealth. Yuri doesn't. He acts like he doesn't belong to the richest family in the world. He insists on living like a hermit when he has the resources to live like a king. That's why Crystal is with me now and not him. Anyways, even though he's been reevaluated, he still harbors hate for the stowaways."

"You believe so?" Mr. Crenshaw asked. "You really believe that-"

He was interrupted when Brett's beautiful ebony-haired secretary arrived with a phone in hand. "Mr. Martinetti," she said, tapping his shoulder.

"I was talking!" Mr. Crenshaw snapped at the woman.

She turned and glared at him from behind her black-rimmed glasses. "Can you stop?" she asked defiantly. Mr. Crenshaw smiled, admiring her crisp white blouse and tight black skirt. The secretary rolled her eyes. "Mr. Martinetti this is an important phone call. They're looking for you."

"Uh uh," Brett said, finishing his finger sandwich. "Brett Martinetti is not available on that number. He's never available on that number. Never, ever, ever, ever. I told you never to accept calls on that number. I told you that a dozen times you dumb broad." He swiped the phone from her hand and shooed her away. "Get out of my sight." He ordered her. She scoffed and walked away.

"Why do we even have her?" Mr. Crenshaw asked as she walked away. "She's so worthless."

Brett grinned, admiring the secretary's legs and rump as she stormed out of the lounge. "She serves no purpose. But she offers a nice view."

The secretary flipped him her middle finger and was gone from sight. Brett tapped the phone on his neck and sighed before he answered. "Hello?" he said monotonously. When he heard the voice on the other end, he bolted upright. "Hey, you. Where you at? The party's getting good." He paused to let his caller speak. "Uh-uh." He took a gulp of beer. "Yeah. I just spoke to her. He had dinner with Alan a few moments ago. They're about to head outside and mingle. You are just in time. Uh-uh. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right, see you then, buddy. Thanks a million for coming down here. Yeah. Of course, no problem. Hell yeah, you're gonna get paid. I didn't expect a man with skills as sharp as yours to do this for free."

He stood up and stretched. "Well. He's here."

---

Yuri

---

Yuri, Alan, Crystal, and Patty stood in front of the fountain at the front of the Montgomery Towers and waited for the opponent to arrive. They did not have to wait too long for him to arrive, for a throng of people crowded the sidewalks along the driveway once they spotted a rather odd-looking vehicle zoom towards the towers. A Lamborghini Egoista. It looked like a prop from a science-fiction movie. Cameras flashed as they followed the car's every movement. It came to a stop in front of Yuri and his friends. The canopy door opened revealing that the car was a single-seater, however, there were two passengers inside. The driver of the car was a gorgeous caramel-skinned beauty with long, curly raven-black hair. She sported an ebony cocktail dress with a plunging neckline to show off the bulge of her baby-oiled breasts.

Sitting on her lap was a boy who was no more than thirteen. He was dressed sharply in a suit that probably cost more than Yuri's education. He had long, wavy hair, a pointed nose, and skin that smelled of cocoa butter. A golden Rolex shined on his left wrist, while the right was burdened to carry his custom Duel Disk of gold, platinum, and silver with diamonds inlaid into it.

It then dawned on Yuri that this boy was his opponent for tonight. Behind a velvet rope, a mob of girls pushed and shoved, holding out phones, notepads, and pieces of paper with hopes of getting the boy's autograph. He took out his gold iPhone and held it high to take a photo of himself and his adoring fans. Miguel Colonel del Toro. But, his friends call him Miguelito for short. Yuri could see that the boy's only achievement in life was winning the lottery with life. His father is Don Diego del Toro. A billionaire who owns his own network. No doubt in Yuri's mind that daddy gave his little boy everything he wanted. He saw him sing at a few concerts on TV before. His voice was not that great but it was clearly obvious that Don Diego shoved a stack or two at the way of the producers to green light his career. Not long after buying his own villa on Nefeli Island, he developed a love for Duel Monsters.

Again, thanks to daddy, Miguelito was able to acquire rare and powerful cards to make him a rising star back in the States. He was hailed as a prodigy, defeating an undefeated champion back in his home state of Texas to earn himself the title.

"Hey, little buddy!" Alan said, walking towards the boy, slapping him a high-five. "Glad you could make it. Nice set of wheels by the way."

"Thanks," Miguelito said, letting go of his hand. "It's called an Egoista. It's the only one of its kind in the world. Lamborghini gifted it to themselves as a fiftieth-anniversary present. I had to make them an offer they couldn't refuse in order to cruise around in it tonight."

"Who is she?" Yuri asked. "Your date?"

Miguelito laughed in response. "Naw, man. I wish. Unfortunately, I still gotta wait five more years until I can date a woman like her. Until then, she's my driver and secretary." He winked. "She's also a masseuse." He purred and lowered his sunglasses, looking back at the woman. "You go ahead and park it, dollface. I'll meet you shortly."

The woman blew him a kiss, closed the canopy, and drove off into the night. Miguelito removed his sunglasses and clicked flirtatiously at Patty and Crystal. "Well, well, well. The beauty just never ends around here. Here stands before me a dashing, beautiful angel in white. And here, a sultry succubus in black. I know who you are Miss Queen of Dragons. I'm a big fan. But you, the girl with the pink streaks. I've seen you somewhere before, but I just can't put my finger on it. What's your name, doll?"

Patty giggled and rolled her eyes. "Patty," she answered.

"Oh yeah!" Miguelito said, snapping his fingers. "You're the girl with the Fiends, right?"

"Guilty as charged," Patty replied, allowing him to take her hand and kiss it.

"Yeah, I saw you take on that cabron, Randall Lawson. I hate that jerk, man. He talks a big game, but he never delivers. You sure showed him."

Patty laughed. "You saw that?"

"That's my fault," said Crystal, raising her hand bashfully. "Remember? I was in the stadium during your Duel. The way you used your Fiends and kept your cool against Randall's arrogance was just awe-inspiring. I had to take my phone out and show everyone that Yuri isn't the only rising star in Aquarius."

"Damn right!" said Miguelito, pumping his fist. "You were so awesome with your Fiends, Patty. I mean the way you summoned them. The way they obeyed you and loved you. Dios Mio! It was like they were alive or something, yo! And your Dark Ruler Ha Des was so beast! I don't know how you got it. He's so hard to find. Oh! Oh! That black dragon of yours! Diabolos, King of the Abyss. What the hell is up with that card? Is he up for trades? I can give you anything you want. Or pay whatever you want."

Patty burst out laughing. "Sorry, baby, I'm sure you can. But Diabolos isn't for sale. He's a one-of-a-kind card."

"Where did you get it?" Crystal asked. "I know a thing or two about dragons, and that card doesn't exist in the card database. I've looked."

Patty sighed and looked at her. "According to my friend, Yuri, he doesn't know. I got a lot of cards from him that day because it was my eighteenth birthday. Dark Ruler Ha Des was one of them. However, he claimed that he doesn't have a clue how Diabolos got in there." She shrugged. "Just like his Black Tyranno, Diabolos came out of nowhere. I guess our city is famous for cards that come out of thin air."

Miguelito turned to look at Yuri. "Ah, so you're Yuri Montgomery. The Prince of Aquarius. I never thought you'd ever see the light of day, amigo. Where've you been all these years?"

"Dreaming," Yuri replied.

Miguelito let out a friendly laugh. "Well, you gotta leave that behind, Yuri. You're a rising star around here. I know a champ when I see one."

"You really think so?" Yuri asked, shocked that this arrogant boy was kind enough to give him a compliment.

"Of course, I do. Yuri, you and me, we're a rare breed of Duelist. You came out of the ashes like a phoenix and showed the world what you're made of when your Black Tyranno came to the scene. Speaking of which, I hope he's ready to face me. It's time to Duel!"

Crystal handed Yuri a spare Duel Disk. He followed Miguelito to a grotto in the tropical gardens at the back of the towers where guests swam about in caves and rocky tunnels. Yuri and Miguelito took their positions at the opposite sides of a river where party-goers lounged around. They swam back to give room for the holograms that were about to emerge and do battle.

"Duel!" They both shouted.

LP 2000

I'll go first," said Miguelito. "I summon Ancient Sorcerer in attack mode!"

ATK/1000 DEF/1300

"Okay," said Yuri. "My turn. Draw! I summon Trakadon in attack mode!" He placed the card on the Duel Disk. The machine whirred and projected a vicious raptor with brilliant blue scales and green stripes. It hovered over the water.

ATK/1300 DEF/800

The swimmers cheered, knowing full well that a battle was about to take place. Girls clung to their lover's arms in anxiety. Others held up their drinks and fists and chanted: "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Time to give them what they want," said Yuri. "Trakadon, attack his Ancient Sorcerer!"

Trakadon lowered its head. The green stripes on its body started glowing, as did his brilliant neon lime eyes. A magical whirr hummed inside the dinosaur's body. Three rows of Green/blue glyphs aligned from largest to smallest formed in front of its face and spun slowly. Trakadon opened its mouth and fired a brilliant blue laser with a green core. The laser shot through Ancient Sorcerer's chest. He coughed and grunted in defeat before he shattered to pieces and exploded, blasting Miguelito with 300 points of damage.

The swimmers cheered. A crowd rushed toward the balcony to watch the Duel. Alan, meanwhile, waved for the camera crews to get into good positions to film the game promoting his campaign.

Miguelito laughed, drawing his next card. "I knew you couldn't resist attacking my weak monster, Yuri. I thought you'd be better than that."

"You mean you set me up?"

"Damn right I did, Yuri. Now you're going to pay. I summon The Bewitching Phantom Thief in attack mode!"

He placed the card on the Duel Disk and conjured a tall shadowy gentleman, wrapped in a black cloak. His black top hat concealed all but a sinister smile.

ATK/700 DEF/700

Patty scratched her head. "Uh. He's kidding, right? The Bewitching Phantom Thief. He's one of the weakest, most worthless cards in the game."

Brett laughed, waking up from behind the two girls and squeezing their buttocks. They both squealed and backed away from him. If it weren't for the two security guards on either side of him, and the fact that he was the nephew of the city's most dangerous man, Patty would have punched him into oblivion. Instead, she backed away and kept her cool.

"You have a lot to learn about Yuri's opponent, Pats," he said, taking their spot on the railing overlooking the grotto. He leaned forward. "Miguelito is top dog back in The States. He's secured himself a spot in the Duel Monsters Championship next year. If there's one thing you should never do, and that's underestimating him."

Down below, Miguelito chuckled at Yuri's confused look. "I know what you're thinking, Yuri. Why would he summon a monster weaker than mine? Sure, my gentleman doesn't look like much now, but, when I combined this Spell Card with him, he'll be a force to be reckoned with."

"A combo attack!" Yuri gasped.

"That's right. Negative Energy Generator will multiply the attack points of my thief by three!"

ATK/2100

The crowd cheered and clapped and whistled at the impressive combo. Miguelito ordered his Phantom Thief to attack. The Phantom took out his cane, jumped back until he was many feet in the air, and pointed his cane at Trakadon. The cane conjured a dark ball of shadow energy and launched it at Trakadon. The ball hit the dinosaur with a loud smack. Trakadon spun faster and faster and faster until it dematerialized. Yuri's Life Points plummeted.

"Not so weak now, is he, Yuri?" Miguelito boasted.

Brett laughed and clapped his hands. He turned to see the shocked expressions on both girl's faces. "See? What did I tell you? Never underestimate your opponent."

Crystal gulped. "My God. He knows every aspect of the game. I didn't…"

"Of course, you didn't, you simpleton," sneered Brett. "See the devastating power of his combo attack?"

"Come on, Yuri!" cheered Patty.

Yuri drew. "I summon Sword Arm of Dragon in defense mode," Yuri said sadly, tossing away one of his best monsters. Unfortunately, he had nothing in his hand that could help him against that monster.

"Attack!" Miguelito shouted.

Again, The Bewitching Phantom Thief rose into the air and conjured the ball of energy, firing it at Sword Arm of Dragon. The dinosaur spun faster and faster and faster until he vanished.

Yuri went defensive again and again and again until the crowd started booing him and crying out of the Black Tyranno.

"Do you expect to go defensive until you're all out of cards!?" shouted Miguelito. "They told me you were growing to be one of the best. But it seems to me you were fighting weak opponents. You disappoint me, Yuri!"

The crowd chanted and clapped.

Yuri drew. "It's not Black Tyranno, but he'll do. I set a card face-down and summon Black Dragon Jungle King!"

He summoned his great black beast. It towered over the palm trees. The tail swung over the swimmers. The illusion was so realistic, that many of them ducked or dove underwater to avoid being struck.

ATK/2100 DEF/1800

"Now, I'll boost his power with Invigoration, which will increase his attack by three hundred, making him more than powerful enough to take down your Phantom Thief!"

ATK/2400

Black Dragon Jungle King took a deep breath, his chest bloating to a large size and his cheeks puffed. He released a jet of purple flames at the monster that kept his master down most of the Duel. The Bewitching Phantom Thief yelled in terrible agony. Purple flames enveloped him and licked the air. He shattered.

Crystal clapped. "Nice! Yuri's almost there! Come on, baby. Come on."

Miguelito drew. "Nice try, Yuri, but not good enough. I summon Cyber-Tech Alligator, with a devastating attack power of twenty-five hundred!"

The cyborg reptilian creature brandished its sharp claws and slashed Black Dragon Jungle King across the chest. It roared and exploded. The blast struck Yuri with 100 points of damage.

"But don't think I'm done, yet," Miguelito sniggered. "I play the Ritual Spell, War-Lion Ritual. Now I sacrifice these two monsters in my hand to Ritual Summon the mighty Super-War Lion!"

The mighty beast appeared after a dazzling display of flames and an ancient chant that came from nowhere, conjuring the monster to do battle. Super War-Lion had tough brown skin with patches of dark brown fur and a long red mane. He slashed his claws on the concrete to sharpen them, then brandished his awesome weapons at Yuri. The sharpened claws glistened.

Miguelito cackled. "And next, I'll lay this card face-down. Make your move."

"This is it," Patty whispered. "If Yuri doesn't summon his Black Tyranno, he's sunk."

Yuri placed his fingers on the deck. He doubted he could draw the monster. His deck was still full and the odds of drawing it were too low.

Are you going to give up already?

"What?" Yuri whispered.

Come on, Yuri. Where's your faith. You're a lot better than that.

"It can't be! That...that voice? Yugi?"

Time seemed to stand still. The world around him grew cold and dark. The swimmers were gone. The buildings were gone. All that remained of the real world was the Black Tyranno who seemed to snort agitatedly. He sniffed the air and shook his head.

"Where are we?" Yuri cried, looking all around him. "How did you get here?"

"He's here because he believes in you," Yugi said, coming out of the darkness.

Yuri scoffed at the sight of him. "You? You're so...tiny."

Yugi sighed, slapping his forehead. "Come on! I have to get that from my friends. Now I have to get that from you?"

Yuri shook his head. "I meant no offense. It's just that...you were bigger last time I saw you. And your voice was so...powerful. What happened? Do your balls just drop within the next five seconds and then shrink? What's going on here?"

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that," Yugi said, walking by Yuri.

"Who are you?" Yuri asked. "What's happening? Where did you take me?"

"To a place where I can talk to you and hopefully clear some things up," Yugi responded, looking at Yuri's Black Tyranno. The dinosaur snapped his jaws and gave a powerful nod of his head. Yugi nodded back. "You know, you two belong together."

"Was it you who gave him to me?"

Yugi turned to look at Yuri. "No. He came to you. My friends only aided him on his journey to you."

"I'm sure they did," Yuri scoffed.

Yugi shook his head. His jagged bangs bounced with each movement. "You don't believe any of this, do you?"

"This isn't real. You're not real. It was probably that scotch Alan gave me earlier. I'm just nervous about the Duel and a little drunk. In a few moments, you're going away. And I'm never going to see you again."

Yugi seemed a little disappointed by that. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Yuri. I know it must be strange talking to someone like me. If I lived most of my life in this boring world, I would denounce anything fantastic myself. There is something special about you, Yuri. Something that you can't comprehend. My goal right now is to help you. And help you, I will. You don't belong here. This was never your home."

"Get out!" said Yuri. "Get out of my head and leave me the fuck alone, Yugi!"

"This isn't going to be the last time you see me, Yuri. I fear you're going to be seeing us far more often than you'd like. The new summer approaches. Your eighteenth year approaches. When these points in time come upon you, your time in this world is over."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"No. We're going to bring you home. And we'll keep seeing you until you understand that your destiny has no place in this world. It's far too great for it."

"I said, leave me alone!"

"Very well, Yuri. I won't argue with you. But do you mind if I give you a few words of advice before I depart?"

"Make it quick."

"The Black Tyranno was looking for you, Yuri. You two have a bond. Believe in him, and he'll show up when you need him. Such is the power of the Heart of the Cards."

"The Heart of the Cards?" Yuri repeated.

But Yugi was gone. Suddenly, he found himself back at the grotto. He heard the voices of the swimmers and onlookers shouting for Yuri to hurry up with his draw. He placed his fingers back on the top of his deck.

Yuri swiped the card from the top of the deck. He placed it down on the Duel Disk and summoned the guest of honor. Black Tyranno. It took a moment for the monster to finally be rendered in holographic form. When it did, Black Tyranno greeted the night with a loud and proud roar. Everyone cheered and held up their arms, thrilled to finally be seeing the ace monster in Yuri's deck. His armored flesh glistened in the light of the torches, lamps, and paper lanterns hanging over the grotto. He swiped his tail from left to right, his body quaking with the lust to do battle. He was pure nature. Pure evolution. Pure beast, living on instinct. He was both beautiful and frightening to behold.

Brett's arrogant smiled faded. As soon as that beast came onto the field, all the trash talk and boasting about Miguelito felt like they were shoved back down to his throat. He was embarrassed, furious, and most of all, frightened. Yuri boosted his dinosaur's power with the spell, Raise Body Heat, which increased the ATK and DEF of Dinosaur-Type monsters by 300 points (ATK 2900). Brett watched in horror and awe as Black Tyranno stormed toward Cyber-Tech Alligator.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Miguelito. "You've activated my Trap Card, Shadow Spell! This will force paralyze your Black Tyranno and reduce his attack points by seven hundred!"

Dark, shadow chains slithered out of bushes, the water, the tops of trees, out of the caves. Everywhere. They wrapped themselves around Black Tyranno, preventing him from moving. He snarled and grunted, writhing in his bindings hoping to get free. Their fell magic began to work its foul deed, draining his ATK down to 2200. Now he was weaker than Cyber-Tech Alligator.

The guests stood up. Some placed their hands on their heads. "Cyber-Tech Alligator! Counter-Attack!" Miguelito commanded his monster.

The crowd yelled and screamed. Patty covered her mouth with her hands and Crystal shielded her eyes from the view, by burying her face in Patty's shoulder. Brett stood up straight, a cocky grin reforming on his lips.

"I activate my counter trap!" shouted Yuri. "Seven Tools of the Bandit!"

Patty and Crystal screamed and jumped up and down. Yuri's Trap Card may have cost him 1000 of his Life Points, but it freed Black Tyranno from the Shadow Spell. The chains rusted and turned to dust. Black Tyranno was freed just seconds before Cyber-Tech Alligator's claws could slice him in half. Black Tyranno quickly dodged the attack and spun, swatting Cyber-Tech Alligator with his tail. Cyber-Tech Alligator screeched and smacked hard on the ground. He rolled to a stop by a palm tree.

The crowd jumped again and started celebrating and hollering. Some danced around and bumped chests with one another. And just as quickly as it came, Brett's grin vanished.

He babbled, watching as Black Tyranno smashed Cyber-Tech Alligator to the ground with his foot. Then he lowered his head and used his diamond-hard teeth to rip through the tough metal of his foe's chest. Then, he proceeded to rip out his heart, which doubled as a processing core.

Brett looked at Miguelito, hoping he had something that could fight back against with another card. But the boy did nothing. He looked to the ground sadly. Even he knew it was over.

Miguelito drew. His face creased with disappointment at the card he drew. He looked at the few cards in his hand. Nothing. If he switched Super War-Lion to defense mode, it would not save him. If he kept it in attack mode, he would lose Life Points.

"You win, Yuri," Miguelito said, placing his hand over his deck. "There's nothing more I can do. You sure do know how to get yourself out of tight situations. You're really good."

Yuri smiled. "You're not so bad yourself, Miguelito."

They deactivated their Duel Disks. The holograms disappeared. Miguelito clapped his hands and then raised his arms. "Come on everybody! Let's make some noise for Yuri!"

Yuri's ears almost popped from the loud cheers that were let out just for him. Even as the sole heir of Phobos Corp, never in his life did he expect to gain such admiration. He had been alone and angry throughout most of his life.

But now, people knew who he was. People admired him. Cheered for him. Believed in him.

Suddenly, Patty game running down the cove straight toward him. She pounced on him and buried her mouth into his. The sight of this caused more cheers to light up the night.

Alan came by moments later with a giant check of $500,000. Patty clapped as she jumped up and down at the sight of Yuri holding the check. Miguelito, despite being the loser of the contest, still walked to Yuri and gave him a congratulatory fist bump.

Crystal wanted to go down and join him, but she stopped when she felt Brett's vice-like grip seize her arm.

"Don't even think about it, babe. We're going home."

Crystal saw that horrible look in his eyes. She knew she was in for a rough night. Not wanting to anger him further, she said nothing and surrendered to his will. He yanked her out of the grotto and back to his car.

Meanwhile, back down in the grotto, Alan raised the microphone to his mouth. A spotlight from the fifth floor of the Montgomery Towers shined down on him, Yuri, and Patty.

"A big congratulations to our main man, Yuri Montgomery. How do you feel, Yuri?"

"Well, uh, I feel pretty good right now. In fact, I think Miguelito and I are both winners here. He put up a good fight."

"Spoken like a true winner! And, uh, is this pretty young lady our future Queen of Aquarius?" Alan asked while looking at Patty.

"Well, I can get used to her company," Yuri said, smiling at Patty. They kissed.

"Once again, congratulations to you, Yuri. Now, I believe you have a few words to say about one of my policies about the stowaway problem in the city, correct?"

Yuri gulped. This was the moment he had been dreading the whole night. This was his chance to finally get rid of the stowaways forever. Finally, they would pay for what they did to him all those years ago. But he remembered Nick and Consuelo. What would happen to them if he were to speak ill against them and their people? If Alan were to win this mayoral campaign and succeed with getting rid of them, he would never see them again. What kind of person would he be if he kicked out the very person who saved his life all those years ago? For all the gang activity going on and the nastiness of some, many in Los Angeles Rojas were working together to make their community a bright one.

Crystal was right. All they needed was a chance. And so, Yuri spoke but it was not to speak ill of the stowaways. He urged everyone to understand that Aquarius could be a place for everyone if they all worked together. The stowaways needed jobs, food, and education for their children so as not to let them fall to gang violence. He told them of his story when the gang of stowaways kidnapped him and abused him as they held him for ransom but then went on to say how Nick, a stowaway himself, saved his life and became his best friend.

Moved by his speech when it ended, everyone clapped and cheered. Alan leaned toward Yuri's ear. "You sure about this, Yuri? A few hours ago you were ready to give these people the boot."

"Aquarius can be a city for all," said Yuri. "Crystal said so herself. We need to give them a chance. Look at the way they live, Alan. They're in shacks overshadowed by our ivory towers. They starve as they watch us eat. Wouldn't that make you angry?"

"I suppose you're right, kiddo. You know something, you're right. All men are created equal. And they should be treated equally. So I will do everything in my power to make sure the stowaways get the proper treatment they deserve."

"That could also mean more votes for you," said Yuri. "When they're finally accepted as citizens of the city, that is."

Alan laughed and slapped Yuri's back. "You're absolutely right. I think I should hire you as my campaign manager."

Yuri chuckled. "No thanks. I'm not one for politics. Duel Monsters is my life now."

---

Evelyn - Kings Rock, Elleria

---

"Your tea and cakes, My Lady," Josephine said, setting down Evelyn's snack on a round table beside Evelyn's bath.

"Thank you, Josephine," Evelyn said, reaching for one of the tiny cubed vanilla cakes covered in pink frosting and decorated with sparkling sugar flowers; all of them laying neatly on a silver platter. She made no eye contact with Josephine, leaving the lady-in-waiting to feel that her gratitude was not from the heart.

Josephine looked at the princess. She had her earbuds on, connected to her cell phone, that strange device Alexis gave her. Josephine shook her head as she poured Evelyn her tea. Being a traditionalist, she was not very fond of Eredian technology slipping into the borders of her kingdom.

But to be in the hands of her princess was just such a damning prospect. She wanted nothing more than to rip the earbuds from Evelyn's ears, pick up the phone, and throw them into the sea (Unknown to her, the phone was waterproof). She opened the lid to the glass sugar cube container. "Two lumps, Princess? Or just one?"

Evelyn slowly put the cake in her mouth and chewed. Her rose-red lips curved into a smile, and she moaned, satisfied with the taste. "Two, please," Evelyn replied, shaking her shoulders to the beat of the music playing on her phone.

In one hand, she held onto a new device, which was sent to her by Zane Truesdale, the Steward of Domino City. It was a large tablet where she could Duel her companions online. She was having a Duel as she lay in the tub.

"This is so cool," Evelyn said, biting into another cake. Josephine frowned. Cool? What kind of language was that for a princess? Just as she feared, Evelyn was learning the lingo of the Southern kids. Evelyn laughed. "All right, Cyber Paladin-eighty-seven-two-zero. Let's see what you got."

The Duel commenced. CyberPaldadin8720 let Evelyn start first.

"All right, then," said Evelyn.

She tapped on the image of the deck on her screen. A card automatically swiped off of it and flew to her starting hand.

"I summon Buster Whelp of the Destruction Swordsman. Set two cards face-down, and that will do it for me." She waited for her opponent to make his move. He summoned a Lonefire Blossom and activated its effect, to which Evelyn activated her trap card, Prologue of the Destruction Swordsman. And just like that, her two best and favorite monsters were on the field. "Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman, and Buster Dragon! Suck on that, you scrub!"

"Is there a way to turn that noise down?" Josephine vituperated at the loudness of the music coming from the earbuds. "I'm surprised you can hear me from with tomfoolery blasting in your ears."

"I'm used to it," Evelyn said. "Don't be mad, will you, Josephine? It's been a long day, and I want to enjoy my bath."

"I know you're upset with the disappearance of your brother, Princess; but must you use this...this...wretched device from the south?"

Evelyn slowly rolled her head to the right to look at Josephine with disapproval. "It was a birthday gift from Alexis. She's my best friend. I can't just deny her gift. Besides, Mother and Father have not made a fuss about it. Even the Ebony Guards have asked me to have a go with my phone. You're the only one who disapproves of it."

Josephine grunted at her words and slammed both her knuckles on her thick hips. "You...you...you...disobedient creature! I knew I should have pressured your father against letting you go South to Domino with Alexis last summer. Their technology has poisoned your mind! No doubt you and her entered those loud dens of depravity that let out the same noise as your phone."

Evelyn laughed, the water splashed all around her. "They're called bars, Josephine. And yes, Alexis and I visited many during my holiday last summer. They're a lot of fun. You should go to one; I'm sure you'll enjoy it." She laughed. "What a sight that would be. To see you as a party animal."

Josephine was less than amused.

"I?" Josephine remarked, shocked and insulted. "Inconceivable! I would never. No doubt in my mind that Dancer came with you!"

"He did," Evelyn replied in an uncaring tone whilst eating another cake.

"What did he do to you? I want the truth!"

"Nothing!" Evelyn replied sharply, knowing full well where Josephine was getting at. "Nothing took place during my holiday, I promise you."

"I find that hard to believe. Goddesses forgive me, but I took a look at that contraption and saw a gallery of portraits that worried me."

Evelyn's jaw fell wide open. "You went through my stuff?"

"I did, and I saw many disturbing portraits in there."

"They're called photographs," said Evelyn. "It's how the Eredians make art. It captures moments faster than any painter and-"

"I do not care! I saw the way you dressed in those...those..."

"Photographs," Evelyn corrected her again.

"Yes, those! I took a look at them on that device of yours, and I felt disgusted by your behavior. I saw your attire. You didn't look like a princess. You looked like a common whore! I saw you surrounded by miscreants at those places," She said the word so poisonously as if she were muttering an unspeakable curse. "Those fools with only one thing on their minds. Dancer was one of them. You know what beasts like him want with a girl like you!"

"Nothing happened!" Evelyn started to shout.

"I do not believe you! Not now, especially with the way I saw the two of you kissing in the gardens. He deflowered you didn't he?"

"You go too far!" Evelyn shouted.

"Didn't he!" Josephine retorted just as loudly.

Evelyn's cheeks blushed into an angry pink. She narrowed her eyes and, tossed her tablet at her feet. She crossed her arms over her chest, pouting. Josephine felt pity for scorning her, but there was no way she could describe the sleepless nights and constant stomachaches she got from the worry during Evelyn's summer trip to the south.

More than anything, she wanted proof of sinful activities and depravity to show the king, and perhaps keep her from ever returning to the towering skyscrapers of Eredas again. Maybe even tossing Dancer in the dungeons and barring Alexis from ever coming to Elleria again. She felt so inclined to find proof, that she would even go against her traditions, and perhaps ruin her bond with Evelyn, by taking a peek into her phone.

It took her the entire night, but she eventually learned how to use all the applications and settings of the device while Evelyn was asleep.

What Josephine saw broke her heart. She saw a lot of drinking and provocative dancing in the gallery. She was posing with boys with strange haircuts and ear piercings, which was a horrid shock considering only women wore earrings here in Elleria.

She looked at the hundreds of photographs Evelyn took, but there was no evidence of any provocative affair with the boys she befriended in the city. However, that didn't help ease her mind, it made it worse. Josephine now felt so bold as to even look at the accounts of all the boys Evelyn befriended on the App called Duelist Network.

Like a treasure hunter seeking lost gold, Josephine looked and looked to see where they were when Evelyn and Alexis took those photos. And when she saw they had accommodations in the same hotel with Evelyn, more questions came. She felt more determined to know what happened that night.

Was Evelyn deflowered on her trip to Domino? What did she do? What did they make her do?

Those questions engulfed her brain like a mad wildfire. It made her sick with worry, and the worry eventually made her find the courage-or foolishness- to confront Evelyn about what she saw, which was a risk to her own life. Going through the princess's private affairs was a crime, but one she would risk keeping Evelyn pure.

"Evelyn," she said calmly. She placed both hands on Evelyn's face and lifted it up so she could look her in the eyes. "I am only trying to protect you."

She gently rubbed Evelyn's cheek.

"I have taken care of you since you were a small child. You mean a great deal to me. It's not that I don't want you to enjoy the fruits of life. I just want what's best for you. Your father, your mother, and I won't be around forever, you know. I just want to make sure you're taken care of. Please, marry Prince Daveed. Mixing with characters like Dancer and Alexis will only lead to great heartache and despair. And bastards, which can soil your bloodline. I do not want that for you. Look what it's done to us. You started befriending more and more of those Southern youths, and you began to lose your bond with me."

Evelyn looked out the window, gazing at the three moons hovering over the Emerald Mountains.

"You no longer speak to me like we used to," Josephine continued. "You toss me aside in favor of being with your new friends. Now you go to that school come summer. What will happen to us? What will happen to our friendship?"

"You worry too much," Evelyn said, turning her head to release her face form Josephine's hands. "You worry far too much. You're a second mother to me Josephine; no one will ever take your place. But, Tellara's grace, I'm grown up! I've got my own life now. I appreciate all we've done when I was younger, Josephine, but those days are over."

Josephine's calmness was put out like a candle in the wind.

"So because you've matured you feel the need to delve into a life of disobedience and debauchery! Oh, Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you! Child, give me that device at once. Stop mingling with Princess Alexis and toss Dancer out of your life. This is not what I want for you."

Evelyn was getting upset. "Josephine, my private affairs are none of your business! What I did on my trip is none of your concern. I would appreciate it if you stopped bothering me with this nonsense. You may be a dear friend of mine, but remember that you're my lady-in-waiting. That's where it ends. That's where it stays. And if I ever learn you went through my things again, I'll order the Ebony Guard to toss you in the dungeons!"

Tears of hurt filled Josephine's eyes. "If you were my daughter, I would poison your tea!"

"Josephine, if I was your daughter, I'd drink it," Evelyn replied.

"Well, I never!" Josephine said, almost in shock. She turned and marched out the door. "Ana forbid you should have daughters! For I will not deal with them, you drunken, licentious, lying, little ingrate!" she cursed at Evelyn before slamming it shut. "Don't you ever ask anything of me again!" she roared, as her words turned into a sorrowful sob.

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "There will be light in the Shadow Realm before I ever ask anything of you," Evelyn said, defiantly shaking her head left to right, and moving her shoulders in an uncaring dance. She went to the menu and searched for another opponent to play against. Before she could accept a match, the door creaked open.

"ETHAN!" she shouted.

"Princess," Ethan said, strolling into the bathing chamber. He seemed properly dressed in fine velvet of light blue with gold threading. The Silver lion of his House was sewn onto his shirt with round emeralds and rubies. He leaned against a nearby column of brick and crossed his arms.

Evelyn put her tablet on the windowsill and dunked herself in the bubbles of her bath. "I did not give you permission to enter, Ethan. Get out right now!"

"How are you tonight?" he asked, uncaring of her anger and embarrassment.

"Get out!" she shouted. "Can't you see that I'm not dressed? Go away!"

Ethan shrugged. "Why would that matter? Remember when we were kids? Josephine took you, me, Dancer, Talion, Ezra, and Kevin to the Darius Falls to swim. We stripped down to nothing and played without a care."

"Things are different now!" shouted Evelyn. "I'm grown up! I don't...I don't look like I did when we were kids."

Ethan chuckled. "You look so adorable when your cheeks flush pink."

Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "I said get out! Guard! Guard!"

Ethan closed his eyes and shook his head. "You'd have one of your best friends tossed away in the dungeon?"

"I would!" said Evelyn. "And if you're not out of here by the time the Ebony Guard gets here, you won't even be an acquaintance to me. Now leave! Oh, Tellara almighty, what do you want?"

"Well, I thought that maybe...if you weren't doing anything tomorrow night, we could-"

"You are out of your mind!" Evelyn said, holding up her hand to stop him from saying another word. "Guard! Guard! Oh, where in Zorc's name are they? Guard! Damn you, you bastards!"

Ethan tsked. "That's no language for a princess. Must I wash your mouth off with soap?"

Evelyn did not appreciate his presence any longer. She balled her fists and shouted. "GET OUT!"

There was a powerful knock on the door. "Princess! Princess!" It was Ser Kevin. "Princess, what's going on in there?"

Ethan got off the column and frantically looked for a way out. He looked at Evelyn, his lips trembling in worry.

She felt pity for him. "Nothing, Ser Kevin. I was just playing an exciting Duel on my tablet and got too excited. I'm not dressed, Ser Kevin, please do not enter."

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, My Lady. Josephine will be up shortly with your clothes, and then it's off to bed."

"Understood, Ser Kevin, thank you." She looked at Ethan and narrowed her eyes. "If you are not out of here by the time they leave, I will call them back, and this time, I will not protect you. Now get out!"

Ethan gritted his teeth. "I love you, you know. If things don't work out with the arrangements with Yuri I could-"

"Get. Out." Evelyn said through her teeth. "Now!"

Not wanting to argue with her, Ethan bowed and left the bathing chamber. Evelyn saw the moonlight illuminating the tears flowing down his cheeks. Evelyn slammed her head against the edge of the tub. "Everyone has gone completely insane!" she breathed. "Well, at least that's over."

Something tapped against the window beside her bed. "What now?" she grumbled.

Again, something tapped against the window. Something very shiny. Evelyn investigated the objects, and realized they were diamonds! More and more flew from the grounds below until a ring followed. There was a note wrapped around it. Evelyn smiled and opened the window. She picked up the ring with a base of gold and a crystal crafted into a flower glowing bright blue and pink. She unwrapped the tiny note.

Down Here!

Evelyn leaned out the window. She looked over the walls and down into the dark gardens with patches of silver light from the moons. She heard a harp coming from the rose bushes below.

"Evelyn!" said a familiar voice. "Down here, my love!"

"Dancer!" Evelyn called out. "Dancer, where are you?"

"Can't see me? Well, let me risk a little more light, as the Grey Wizard once said."

Dancer turned on a jeweled lantern which revealed him for Evelyn to see. He was dressed in an extravagant bard's outfit colored black with gold threading, and a belt of gold with gemstones over his shoulder and hips.

"Dancer!" Evelyn cried out waving. "Oh, darling, what are you doing down there? Come in, come in."

"I can't," he replied, picking up his harp. "I fear with your brother fighting the good fight, Ethan has been named your official watcher and protector by your mother, and the Lady Josephine. ("But of course they did," Evelyn grumbled with a roll of her eyes) Let's just say he set some rules about me coming in to see you in the night."

"Damn him," Evelyn said, resting her arms against the windowsill. "I care for him a lot, but sometimes, he just flat out annoys me."

"Ethan is still young," Dancer replied. "He'll grow into a proper knight one day, you'll see."

"Not as proper as you, my love," Evelyn swooned. "You're in luck, for I am naked." She leaned further out the window until her breasts came into view. She bit her lip and rubbed her hands up and down her damp mounds to tantalize him, hoping he would brave Ethan's orders and come up. They still had unfinished business to take care of.

Dancer laughed loudly, a little too loudly. "Naked or clothed, it matters not to me. Just seeing you and looking into your eyes makes me the luckiest man in the world."

Evelyn rolled her eyes and shook her head as she slowly krept back in and rested her arms on the windowsill. That was pathetic, she thought as she rested her chin on her arms. "Nice try. But I admit, you have a way with words, Ser Dancer."

"That is why I am a bard, Evelyn. Now, I have a song to play for you as you sleep. Would like to hear it?"

Evelyn clapped. "Play for me, Ser Dancer, play for me."

"Very well," he said. "This one is one of my own compositions."

He started strumming the harp. "To Evelyn Alteria. My ebony beauty."

There she is, my dream!

There she is so high above!

All the things I've dreamt about I see in her!

There she is, my dream!

There she is so high above!

Like a cunning spell, her wondrous eyes have taken me!

All the treasures in the whole world,

All the jewels in hand!

They pale against her wondrous smile,

And her spirit like the sun!

There she is, my dream!

There she is so high above!

All the things I've dreamt about, I see in her!

There she is, my dream!

There she is so high above!

Like a dragon's flame her love has consumed me!

All the treasures in the whole world

Every, rarest card!

All of them trinkets compared to her eyes,

Shining brightly like the void!

There she is, my dream!

There she is so high above!

Everything I've dreamt about, I see in her!

There she is, my dream!

There she is so high above!

Like the elven-rivers her voice, it rings!

All the treasures in the whole world,

All the golden blades!

Worthless against to her radiant spirit,

And her smile bright and warm!

There she is, my dream!

There she is so high above!

Everything I've dreamt about, I see in her!

There she is, my dream!

There she is so high above!

Like the mighty Norman, she has conquered me!

There she is, my dream!

There she is so high above!

Everything I've dreamt about, I see in her!

There she is, my dream!

There she is so high above!

My dream! My dream!

My O' so lovely dream.

"Intruder!" shouted a guard, standing on one of the ramparts. "Intruder in the gardens!"

"Uh oh!" Dancer said when he heard the clinking and clanking of the Ebony Guards armor approaching his position. "I gotta go!" he said, picking up his things. "Sweet dreams, Evelyn!"

"Dancer, wait!" Evelyn called. She reached for her table and picked up her black garter. "A token for your song," she said and tossed it at him. Dancer caught it. He brought it to his lips and kissed it. The knights were getting closer. Dancer bowed quickly and dashed into the bushes and out of sight as the black knights neared his spot with their halberds in hand.

"Intruder!" one of them shouted. "In the gardens!"

"Check the hedge maze!"

"This way!"

Evelyn searched and searched, but Dancer was nowhere to be seen. Josephine knocked on the door. "Okay, you. It's bedtime. I expect that thing off, or I will confiscate it from you."

"Just a minute," Evelyn called. She sighed. "Sorry Prince Yuri, but I've already found my knight in shining armor."

She sighed dreamily, but he dillydally would be brought to a halt.

She saw a rider, his horse galloping quickly down the alleyways towards her castle. She gasped when the moonlight revealed a flag displaying the crowned Grizzly Bear of House Ungard roaring on a field of royal red. He was a messenger by the look of his studded leather armor. He bore a message from the Fat King, and deep down, Evelyn knew he would not be blessing them with good news.