Author's Note: Hello everyone! How are you? xDD I'm back with another chapter. Hope it goes well! ^^ Thanks for reading!

In this chapter, Yugi duels his first Rare Hunter of the tournament. It was the one whom one of the gang ran into the other night. How will it go? Will some complications occur? You'll have to find out by reading. Enjoy! ^^'

In this chapter, Yugi and Yami duel their first opponent of the tournament, but this guy holds a secret, and he attacked a friend not long ago. Want to know who it is? You'll have to read to find out.

Disclaimer!: Fanfiction, and I do NOT get any money out of it either. Thanks. ^^

Battle City-New Evil Emerges, Old Friends Reunite Chapter 20

My side decided to cramp up painfully while Yugi and I were running to Joey. And it was the same side that was stitched. This sucked.

As we neared the blonde, who still hadn't noticed us by the way, it was getting harder for me to run. The cramp was tightening my muscles together and causing me to cringe my side just so I could keep running. Especially when I'm running, and I'm wounded, muscles love to tighten and pull. Sigh...pulled muscles are the worst! Especially when I work them too hard.

At one point, I almost tripped—but I caught myself in time.

For some odd reason, I suddenly remembered just who had helped me with the wound the night I received it. It was all bloody and torn. I was holding a wet cloth to it to try and wipe away the blood. Then someone had helped me stitch it together...

"Hey, Joey!" greeted Joey, relieved to have found him. His voice brought me out of my daze. It also left me somewhat confused. The blonde, at the sound of his name, turned around to meet our gaze, just as Yugi stopped right next to him.

His face was tense and searching. With a hint of anger flaring in his honey coloured eyes.

Oh no...what's going on?

In the midst of trying to read his face, and thinking absentmindedly about that night, I forgot to stop running. The three of us only had a split second to acknowledge what might be happening—or was going to happen—before it did.

I ran into Joey head on, sending the both of us flying to the ground.

"Ah! Sarah, Joey! Are you two all right?" asked a very worried Yugi who was quickly by our side.

I groaned in frustration into the warm body my face was currently stuffed into. Man...do I need to pay attention...

There was some shifting beneath me as I tried my hardest to get up with my side still wearing me down. Strong hands pulled me up right and brought the person who they belonged to up with me. Feeling my head to wonder why I hadn't stopped in time, I looked up into slightly amused dark honey eyes. I blinked momentarily disoriented and felt a familiar pain shoot up my side almost instantly.

"Oh...jeez...sorry about that Joey. I should've been more careful."

"At least we're okay," said Joey reassuringly, ruffling my hair to check for any bumps or something. I seriously thought he was doing it caringly. "I think we're fine, Yugi. Just a minor crash."

Yugi sighed in relief. "That's good. For a second there, I thought Sarah sandwiched you."

"The Guardian does look a bit stronger than we think, doesn't she?"

I pouted, despite the current circumstances, and crossed my arms defiantly over my chest, almost glaring at the smirking blonde. He looked different just then. Almost back to his old self—compared to that serious face he was wearing not two seconds ago.

"Now you're going to make fun of me being Guardian and my height?"

"Hey, the height thing was only that one time in Kaiba's virtual game. I haven't said anything about it since."

I sighed, thinking that he was right. "Okay..." I said a little uncertainly. "Hey, where were you? We've been turning this city over trying to find your ass."

He playfully glared at me. "I'm sorry, but I was thrown onto it by a certain someone. Maybe that's why you couldn't find it."

I matched his glare.

Yugi decided to break the feud before it began, though he knew it was all fun. "We're serious, Joey. We were worried. You agreed too that we would meet at the centre plaza, but you weren't there. Is everything all right?"

Joey's bright face instantly darkened. The small spark of anger returned to his eyes. "No," he said. "It's not. I couldn't meet up with you guys because I was trying to think of a strategy."

Yugi blinked. "A strategy for what?" he asked.

Joey's hands clenched determinedly by his side. Instantly, concern ran through my veins. "A strategy to beat that Rare Hunter and win back my Red-Eyes Black Dragon. I can't let him keep it. I need to win it back."

At the mere mention of those Rare Hunters, my anger sparked too. It was all because of the times we ran into them—or more appropriate, they were looking for us. That time when Keith was being 'controlled', the night those two mysterious figures appeared, and recently when Joey was attacked by them before he could get to the hospital. I couldn't believe how cowardice they are. Using the shadows as a disguise and attack whenever they saw a prey. Those kind of people disgust me.

How they first of all wanted to find us in the first place was completely unknown. We never even knew they existed until Keith tried stealing the Millennium Puzzle. When he tried—and failed—we couldn't help but wonder what it was all about.

Who knew a whole new evil would threaten us.

Joey's words of seeking mild revenge and for winning back his card momentarily shocked me. I think it was because of how he looked when Tristan and I found him. He was hurt, physically and mentally, just from one loss from these guys. "Are you really looking for him?" I asked. His idea of going after them was unsettling. What if he was hurt even more? "They're ruthless Joey. Please, don't get into trouble."

Joey was touched by my words, but he was set on his decision. "I have to, Sarah," he said. "If I let them go ahead without fighting back, I'm not doing what's right. I can't let them force me to give up my rare card. I need to win it back. You have to understand..."

I rubbed my side in hopes of soothing the tensed muscles, feeling everything inside slowly begin to relax. "If it's what you think is right, then I can't really stop you," I said, remembering how hard headed and determined Joey can be. He wouldn't let anything stop him. "Go for it. Show that cloaked bum what you're really made of."

Joey nodded, glad I was on board.

Yugi nodded. "Just be careful," he said. "Rare Hunters are definitely going to be around in this tournament, searching for rare cards. Be on your guard for anymore. And if you see them, call us."

"You two really aren't kidding about what you said back at the hospital," acknowledged Joey. "You're very serious."

"It's important." I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of a robe or smirk anywhere. "Now, aren't you going to go look for that Hunter who took your Red-Eyes?"

Joey was back to his searching and tense gaze. "Right. He's gotta be here somewhere. And when I find him...he'd better be ready..."

I just hope you'll be fine...I wanted to say, but he knew my best wishes were with him. "So, does that mean the unlucky Rare Hunter who's going to be challenged by Joey will be his first duel of the tournament?" I asked Yugi curiously, watching the blonde make his way through the crowd again, leaving us to our thoughts.

The other nodded thoughtfully. "I guess so," he said. "I just hope he'll be okay. These Rare Hunters seem like they'd do anything to get what they want. And what of people who get in their way? If Joey disrupts whatever plan they have by his untimely challenge..."

Neither of us wanted to think about what could happen. It was quite scary to think about. "He'll be fine," I said encouragingly. "We can...watch him duel first before going into our own, if you want."

Yugi was just about to answer my question when my sudden yell in shock pierced through the air. About half the duelists, including Yugi, blinked at me as I turned around to see who attacked me.

"Eric Hall! You bastard! Is that any way to say hi to someone? Start poking them in the sides?"

The orange spiky haired teen merely smirked teasingly. "You're cute when you're mad," he said.

My face burned either from surprise, anger, or embarrassment.

Yugi turned around to see the new attender of the group, who had suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and decided to poke my sides in order to get attention. "Eric, what are you doing scaring people?" he asked through slightly narrowed eyes. For a moment there, I thought Yugi switched places with Yami. He looked so much like him just then.

The casually dressed teenager merely smirked again. "Well, if she was facing me, there wouldn't have been a problem. Now would there?" he replied smartly.

I ignored his remark.

"What do you want?" I asked straightforwardly, wanting this guy out of my sight before he does anything like he did back at Duelist Kingdom. And plus, he made my side start aching again. You can might as well call me grumpy in a matter of minutes, all because my side wasn't hurting and when this guys showed up it did start hurting. I wonder if he would have poked me if I told him what had happened... Haha. Yeah right. I'm not telling him. What am I thinking?

With his hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets, Eric said as if he were on business, "I'm just here to let you know that I'm not going to duel you so early into the tournament like I did back at Duelist Kingdom," he said. "You left me with one Star Chip to help me get to the finals!"

"I still think it was one Star Chip too many," I seethed, forgetting about my side for a moment, though my hand was still on it trying to untie the muscles. Now, it just looked like I had my hands on my hips in exasperation.

Eric matched my glare for my comment. "I'm not going to make that mistake again," he said determinedly. "And mostly because, this time, we start out with one locator card. If I duel you first and lose—if—then I'm out of the tournament. I'm going to plan ahead now and make sure there is no room for any mistakes."

"Good luck with that," I told him flatly. Yeah...I was getting the same uneasy vibe I always get whenever I'm around a glaring Yugi and a glaring Kaiba. With their silent challenges simply through their glares, it's like they'd start World War III or something. It's almost crazy. And then with me and Eric...it's like we're waiting for someone to start the first move, that way the other can have a chance to pull the first to move down.

It is almost crazy.

Eric shook his head, the smirk still on his face. "I don't need luck. It has nothing to do with it."

I shrugged. "There's a whole tournament to go through," I said. Oh great...a whole tournament with Eric? This is not good... "You never know."

Eric looked at me, but his expression was softer. "Maybe," he said. Then something flashed, quickly through his deep red-brown eyes. "Well, I have to go put my plan into action. Are we clear here? 'Cause I gotta go."

I looked at him closely. He didn't seem all too different; he was still his cocky self, thinking that he can do anything. All of a sudden...he just see,ed a little bit different to me. More...careful. Maybe it was Yugi standing right next to me that was affecting my way of thinking...

With a sigh, I nodded uneasily. Whatever the reason for his difference was, he's much better now than the Eric I met back at Duelist Kingdom.

"Alright," I said. "We're clear here. I guess this isn't good-bye then. Not forever anyway."

Eric smirked, but at a different angle, it looked like a smile. "You almost sound hopeful," he said.

It was my turn to smirk. "Don't get the wrong idea," I said. "I still despise you with all my being. Well...maybe not that much." Because that sort of loathing is meant for one person and that one person alone...Bakura...

He smiled, which looked like I made his day or something. "Cool," he said, beginning to retreat backwards and into the direction he came from. "So, uh, we'll see each other?"

I shrugged. If he wasn't going to duel me now, then it might be later. Oh well...at least I won't have to worry about him popping up so early in the tournament. Though he already nearly gave me a heart attack from poking me senseless... "Looks like it."

With another smirk and a small wave, Eric turned away, walking quietly down the street. He looked oddly calm. Maybe he felt different too.

When he finally disappeared among the crowd of duelists, Yugi let down his guard, and I could distinctly hear him sigh in relief. There was that friend protectiveness thing again...should I get used to it?

"He seemed different," commented Yugi.

"Really? I thought it was just me." I blinked.

The other shook his head. "No...he definitely did seem different. More...mature?"

I blinked curiously at him, though inside I was trying so hard to control my laughter. "Sure...Eric? Mature? I don't know..."

"Let's just say he's somewhat better now than he was before," he suggested, but his eyes hardened immediately. "But that doesn't mean you put your guard down around him, understand, Sarah?"

I hung my head, like I was ashamed of something I was being scolded at from doing. "Yes, sir," I murmured.

"Good. Now, is that side of yours still giving you trouble?"

I blinked and looked down to my hand, which was back to massaging the tension out of my stressed muscles. "Huh... A little bit," I said with a mild sweatdrop. "But it'll be okay. Running with a wound takes skill and, unfortunately, I still need practice."

Yugi smiled kindheartedly. "The Pharaoh was the one to stitch it up for you, right?" he asked.

The question sounded innocent. Coming from Yugi, of course it would be. But for some odd reason—I have no idea why—I blushed as he asked me. Was it out of embarrassment from getting help from the Pharaoh? Distinctly, I remembered his skilled hands of some sort of medical practice thread the needle and string through the torn skin...expertly weaving the whole wound into a straight line which I found the next morning...

"Um...Earth to Sarah? Are you there?"

I blinked curiously at the hand that was waving in front of my face. Yugi looked worried, but me knowing my thoughts, I blushed from sheer embarrassment.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm here," I replied, still blushing. Jeez...what the heck was I thinking? I don't even remember anymore. It's so confusing...

Yugi noticed my flushed expression and became even more worried. "Are you coming down with a fever?" he asked. "Maybe you should sit down..."

I quickly forced away the blush but my face still felt oddly warm. "No, no! There's no fever! I, uh...it just got really hot all of a sudden. I'm fine, really."

The other was unsure. He was about to say something else when Joey's voice soddenly burst through the air, startling nearby duelists and breaking the bit of uneasiness between Yugi and me. We turned around to see what had happened.

"You! Put your Duel Disk on and get ready to duel! I want a rematch for my Red-Eyes!"

Yugi and I exchanged quick glances before following after Joey's voice, weaving through duelists until we can see what was happening. Joey had found the Rare Hunter he was looking for.

That blonde had better be careful... Who knows what else these Rare Hunters are capable of?

I don't even think Joey should get mixed up with these guys in the first place. They just wanted his Red-Eyes so they dueled him and won it. It was just a chance that he got caught up in it. Yugi and I know from the night I was walking home with Yami that the Rare Hunters were actually targeting us. Our friends shouldn't have to suffer.

"I have already defeated you," said the man Joey was challenging. He was seated at one of the coffee shop tables with a laptop opened in front of him. He leaned back into his seat with an amused smirk on his face, sickly entertained by the blonde's hasty orders and need of a rematch. His short grey hair matched his evil eyes; both dull and expressionless, except for that smirk. So this was the Rare Hunter who dueled Joey... I got the same sense of darkness from him that I received from those other three Hunters we met.

He was also wearing a robe. A deep purple, almost black, robe.

The same kind we've been seeing almost everywhere.

My guards just shot up a hundred times. The cramp in my side disappeared and was forgotten. You can say that from this point on, I was a little more serious than normal. The kind of serious I always am when I'm in a battle of some sort.

All because of these Rare Hunter tampering with the tournament—and with our lives.

Clenching my fists silently by my side, I watched the scene unfold, ready to pounce if I had to when this Rare Hunter decided to play even more dirtier. If he did, and Joey got hurt, he'll be freaking sorry.

I couldn't intervene. Not matter how much I might want to get answers from the Hunter. This was Joey's fight.

Joey didn't look like he was going to give up. He was really determined to win back his Red-Eyes. "Now, we're going to duel again! And this time, I'm going to defeat you! So, stand up and let's fight!"

The Rare Hunter rose from his seat, closing his laptop shut in the process. I got the feeling he kept all his progress in there; all the information about who has what rare card. His eyes were as cold as his sneer as he stared Joey down. "I have no reason to duel you again," he said. His voice was tight, like he waited for the last minute to take a breath. "I already acquired your rarest card, so I don't have to duel you a second time."

Suddenly, his greedy little eyes shifted over to Yugi and me. They seemed even more amused now, as if we had something worth his attention and it would be easy to attain whatever it is. We stood our ground, not letting him get to us.

"But...I can duel Yugi," he says. So he knows who we are... That laptop has helped him tonnes. "The King of Games for his Dark Magician. Or, Sarah, who's Sword of Deception will make a fine addition to my Master's collection."

Again with the Master? We've been hearing that nonsense endlessly! Who is this guy? Who in the world could be behind the Rare Hunter group and be willing to do anything to get to the Pharaoh?

Boldly, Joey steps between us and the Rare Hunter. A vein pounded on the side of his head, and with his teeth bared, and fists clenched, he said to the Rare Hunter, "Hey, this fight is between you and me! Leave my friends out of this!"

The Rare Hunter merely brushed him off, gazing predatoriously at us. He wasn't serious, was he? Did he really want to duel us?

Of course, he wants the rare cards. I thought lamely, sensing the tension around us mix uncomfortably with the dark aura this man held. But, is that really what he wants? Does his 'Master' and fellow Hunters all really want rare cards? For what particular reason?

Suddenly...something decided to nag at my brain. It was an annoying little tug that was reminding me of something...but, I'm not sure what. It felt urgent, and because I was distracted by the Rare Hunter, I only knew it was there and had no time to think on what it could be.

Yugi and I stood our ground, not letting this Rare Hunter get to us.

"You've already lost the fight," he says to Joey, slightly annoyed by his competence. "Now, it's time for me to set a new target. Yugi Muto! I challenge you to a duel!"

Yugi his gaze from the smirking Hunter to an angry Joey, pondering on how to take this dilemma. "No, you're not," seethed Joey, angered and annoyed himself by being ignored from the person he was challenging. "I told you, you're dueling me. And whether you like it or not, I'm going to win back my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Before the Rare Hunter could push Joey off again, Yugi spoke. "Fine," he said, surprising Joey and me. "I accept your challenge."

With his determination lingering in the air, and in his eyes, he took a quick moment to change places with Yami. In a flash of golden light, now standing before us, was the Pharaoh glaring determinedly at the Rare Hunter, the normal amethyst eyes we were just looking into were now exotic crimson ones.

The Rare Hunter smirked, I was stunned, and Joey nearly freaked.

"No! Yugi, don't do this," said Joey, conviction still reigning in his voice. "I don't want you risking your Dark Magician for my rematch. Forget it. I can take care of this creep. I'll never forgive myself if he got his hands on your favourite card."

Yami looked to his friend. "Listen, Joey, he challenged me," he said. "I can't back down from it. I promise, I'll beat this Rare Hunter and get back your Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

Joey looked unsure, but he knew arguing would be useless. With a nod, he said, "Alright, Yugi. But..."

Before he could try convincing his friend out of this anymore, no matter what he might think of, I said, "Joey, let Yugi duel. It's part of his Destiny. And besides, this Rare Hunter isn't willing to duel you anymore. How else will you get your Red-Eyes back?"

Joey considered this only for a moment and knew we were right. His pal was already giving the Rare Hunter a death glare, menacing enough to send a troop of enemy soldiers running. Arguing would be very useless, especially when Yugi was fighting for a friend.

He managed an encouraging smile and nodded. "Right," he said. "Go get him, Yugi. Oh, but before you go, there's something I need to tell you—,"

The Rare Hunter threw his robe aside, preparing himself for the duel. With the robe now off, we noticed the Duel Disk attached to his arm, with a deck already slipped into the dueling deck recognizer. "If you think you can reveal my strategy freely to your friend, you're truly mistaken," he said, directing a daring look to the blonde, who had been interrupted. "Don't reveal the strategy I used to defeat you, or I will rip your Red-Eyes apart!"

Joey's mouth instantly closed. He gritted his teeth from spitting his frustration at being unable to help his friend. The threat was real.

"Don't worry, Joey," reassured Yami. "I'll defeat him and win back your Red-Eyes." His gaze now directed to the Rare Hunter, he said through a glare, "You'll be my first Battle City opponent. When I defeat you, you have to promise to give back Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

The Rare Hunter sneered. "If you beat me. I have a knack for never going easy on anyone."

Both duelists activated their Duel Disks. Yugi first slipped his deck into the recognizer before pressing a button. Two holographic projectors flew off the base and landed onto the pavement a couple of metres away from Yugi on either side. The two triangular shapes to display his cards fell into place, and the whole device lit up spectacularly, signalling it ready to be in use.

I marvelled at the sight; the Pharaoh going up against another opponent. It was always amazing to see him duel, though I would never admit it to anyone. He always knew what he was doing and his strategies were intense. Especially when the odds are against him and from out of nowhere he reveals the winning move.

Right now, as he stood straight, setting his eyes determinedly on the Rare Hunter, it was hypnotizing. He was so convicted, everyone thought twice about challenging him.

But some people...underestimate his power. Like the Rare Hunter he's going to duel.

As soon as the Rare Hunter's holographic projectors were also in place and his Duel Disk lit up, the smirk implanted on his face was plastered. He wouldn't take it off. He's too cocky for his own good. Nearby duelists gathered around in excitement to see the King of Games in his first duel of the tournament.

"Let's duel!" said Yami, and the life points were set.

This is it. I thought. When Yami defeats this guy, Joey will get his Red-Eyes Black Dragon back, and hopefully, the Rare Hunter will stick around to answer some questions I'll finally be able to shake out of him.

The two drew their cards, and the duel began.

Joey and I watched.

LP: Mystery Duelist: 4000/Yugi: 4000

Hmm...Kaiba's added more life points in his tournament. This should make the duels longer and more intense than how they usually are with just 2000 life points.

"I'll start things off," said Yami, as he drew his first card from his deck. With the Duel Disk on his arm, Yami looked...professional. "I place two cards face down and summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!"

A monster we've never seen before materialized onto the field in a shower of white sparkles. It was a cute little monster made up of green magnets, whose attack power was 1700. It was a good play for the first move.

"What do you think of my newest monster?" taunted the Pharaoh, his determined gaze never faltering.

"I think it's well played," said the Rare Hunter, but we could tell from his controlled voice that is was sarcasm. He drew his card for his turn and said, "I play Graceful Charity, which allows me to draw three cards as long as I discard two." He did the play as instructed on the card, and his smirk became even nastier.

I squinted my eyes in his direction, trying to read anything noticeable on his face. Other than the dark aura around him I sensed whenever I was around a Rare Hunter, I could only find one thing. He looked impressed by the cards in his hands, like he drew something he wanted...

"I activate my trap card!" said Yami, nearly startling me from my concentration. The card Yami placed face down stood upright now, showing the illustration and its effects. "Light of Intervention! It requires all monster cards to be played face up! Now you can't hide them."

The Rare Hunter merely smirked, not fazed by his move. "It doesn't matter to me," he said. "Whatever you play can not help you. I summon Stone Statue of the Aztecs in defence mode, and that concludes my turn."

Damn...the Rare Hunter's defence monster has 2000 defence points. Yugi's and Yami's new monster won't stand a chance!

Yami didn't look so worried. As he drew his card, he put his plan into use. "As stated in the rules for the Battle City Tournament, I can sacrifice a weaker monster to bring up a stronger one. In this case, I shall sacrifice Beta in order to summon Berfomet! Its special ability also brings forward Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts!"

As the little magnet warrior dispersed in a shower of sparks, two beast-type monsters emerged in its place. Berfomet with 1400 attack points and Gazelle with 1500 attack points. Both looked incredibly strong.

"Now, I activate my other face down card," said Yami, pressing the lighted button beside one of the magic cards he set on his Duel Disk. The second face down card he played now flipped over, revealing a killer strategy. "Polymerization! Which I'll use to fuse Berfomet and Gazelle together to form Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast! A monster with 2100 attack points! It's more than enough to defeat your Stone statue on my next turn."

I clapped. "Way to go, Yugi!" I cheered, smiling widely. Then I blinked, just realizing what he did. "Hey, wait! Why won't he attack on this turn?"

Joey's tense face from watching the duel turned to me. "It says in the rule book that when you fuse two monsters together you have to wait one turn before attacking," he said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I blinked harshly at him. "Really? Ah~ I need to pay more close attention!"

The blonde merely set his gaze back towards the duel. "I thought you already read everything."

"I did. I must have either missed that chapter or...I zoned out."

"That's not like you."

I shrugged. "I...had a lot on my mind," I said. Then I shook my head. "It's crazy, really. I was thinking about the tournament."

Joey placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, giving me an encouraging smile. "Your story was really far fetched," he said, making me tense up instantly. Did they not believe I was telling the truth? But I relaxed when Joey's smile never faltered. Seeing it made me comfortable. For some odd reason...it made me feel as comfortable as how I would feel...with my brother. "I couldn't believe you could be 5,000 years old! But when you talked about everything, it all made sense. What I mean to say is that you should have a reason to think a lot about this tournament. It seems really important to you. To the both of you."

I smiled, feeling somewhat relieved me missing a rule in the rulebook wasn't such a big deal. I'm pretty sure I only missed that one. "Those are some wise words," I teased, watching him glare at me from my remark. "But they were good. Thanks. That means a lot to me."

His glare disappeared as he playfully ruffled my hair—something I remember my parents doing so many times before. "No worries," he said. "We're right by you, like you are always there for us."

He missed the thoughtful gaze I now casted upon the duel field, watching the Pharaoh duel the Rare Hunter. His words left me hollow, like there's a whole different meaning to them. Something...I couldn't exactly place and figure out...

What a battle between the mind and heart. I mused aggravatingly. My mind has questions about the current circumstances while my heart has questions about what I feel...

My thoughts were shoved roughly aside by Yami's voice telling the Hunter his turn was over. "I place one card face down onto the field before ending my turn," he said. "Let's see if you can think of something. You can't defend throughout the whole duel."

The Rare Hunter merely smirked mysteriously. His dark essence grew when he drew his next card. "I have a strategy you can't possibly imagine!" he said. "You won't even be given the chance to attack me once I put it into use.

"This turn, I'll play another Graceful Charity." What the heck? I wondered, watching him draw three cards and then discard two. His smirk never left his face. It was beginning to annoy me. Why would he keep playing Graceful Charity? How many of those cards does he have in his deck? They're cards to help the owner draw more, to give them a chance to draw something they need.

Could this Rare Hunter be waiting for something?

After finishing his move, the Rare Hunter played another monster in defence mode. "I summon Eargon the Moving Fortress. With its defence power of 2200, it can defend me from your creature's attack. Strike me if you dare!"

"You can defend all you want," said Yami as he drew his next card. "but you can't win unless you attack." He looked over his cards, then to the two block and stone monsters the Rare Hunter has on his side of the field. His narrow crimson eyes were focused, yet questioning. We were both wondering the same thing.

Was this guy only defending until he gets the card he needs? What's he waiting for?

Beside me, Joey clenched his fists in frustration. "Yugi, stop the duel!" he said to his friend, who looked up from his hand of cards. "I won't let you risk your Dark Magician for me! This is crazy! He's crazy! His deck has—,"

"Silence!" The Rare Hunter's voice cut through Joey's, leaving him wordless. "If you say any more of my strategy your Red-Eyed Black Dragon will be history!"

"He's right, Joey," said Yami. "You can't tell me his strategy. That's not how the game is supposed to be played."

"What's the point of playing with these Rare Hunters anyway?" asked Joey, scoffing.

"A True Duelist never cares about who he's playing with," said Yami. "I'll defeat him—for you. But I need your support."

Joey still seemed frustrated. He didn't want Yugi to risk something special to him just for Joey's sake. It made him feel...guilty.

"Joey, remember when Weevil threw my Exodia cards into the ocean, and you dove in right after them? You protected my cards then. Now I'll protect yours."

Suddenly...something just clicked. I have no idea if it was the sudden difference in tension levels or the fact that my mind was jumbled up with all those questions I wanted answered. Either way, I realized something.

I glanced up to Yami.

He glanced right back.

"I can't believe it..." I breathed from shock—and it wasn't the good shock.

"Sarah, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked the ancient Pharaoh.

I gave him a slow nod. "I think I am," I replied.

Joey blinked, momentarily confused on how fast everything just changed. One moment, Yugi was telling him something friends would do for each other, and then the next, he's sharing a silent secret with me. "Mind filling me in here?" he asked with another blink.

"It all makes sense," I said disbelievingly. "The Graceful Charitys, the defence position monsters..."

Yami nodded. "He was waiting for the card he wanted."

"Cards."

The Rare Hunter grew impatient with the delay in his hunt. "What are you two talking about?" he asked angrily. "I thought I told Wheeler not to reveal my strategy!"

"Oh, but he never revealed your strategy," I said, directing a conquering smirk in his direction. "Yugi just figured it out on his own."

Joey hung his head. "...I feel left out..."

The determined smirk on Yami's face said it all. He really did figure something out. "Just by his cowardice moves, I've figured out the Rare Hunter's strategy.

"He's playing an Exodia deck."

The Rare Hunter was stunned. His normally evil eyes were filled with such surprise, we could have done a happy dance. "What?" he asked disbelievingly. "But...but how? How could you have figured out my strategy?"

"It's simple really," I said. "You kept drawing cards and defending. That's normally what anyone would do until they draw something they wanted."

Joey whooped, releasing the tension from his eyes that was making him look different than his usual self. While he was looking for the Rare Hunter and challenging him, he had been all serious. It was reassuring to have the old Joey back. The encouraging and caring one.

"Now that he knows without me telling him, Yugi's got nothing to worry about!" said Joey with a smirk. "Knock this Rare Hunter down, Yugi!"

Yami gave Joey a determined nod—but the sudden cackling chilled everyone, making us stop in our tracks.

"So you've figured out my strategy," shrugged the Rare Hunter. He chuckled evilly again. "It doesn't matter. I will still defeat you! No one can beat the unstoppable Exodia!"

Yami smirked.

"I'll be the first."

Author's Note: Ah~ Another chapter done. ^^ I hope it was okay. Thanks for reading everyone! Reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks so much! ^^

Wow...that was some ending. *smirks* Yami Yugi~ Is freaking awesome... O_O You can tell who my favourite is. *anime falls* ^^' But, don't get me wrong, I love all the other characters too. ^^'