"Wait, so you're coming over today, too?" Akia questioned her blond friend.
"What did I tell ya? I'm going to be at your place every day until I finish training with grandpa," Jounouchi answered her. "By the way, what about your boyfriend?"
"What boyfriend?" the red-eyed girl innocently asked.
"Bakura! He's not coming over today too?" The teen specified.
"Why do you care?" Akia grumbled impatiently.
"Sheesh, no need to snap at me like that!" Jounouchi reacted.
Akia was really not in the mood to deal with Jounouchi's teasing. The truth was that Akia had asked him if he was free to come over, but he was avoiding her all day. He declined her offer saying that he was busy. He was not flat out ignoring her, but he wasn't keeping eye contact. Usually, he'd approach her at any chance he got, but, that day, he didn't talk to her, unless she initiated the talk herself. His responses were also very brief. And now, on her way home, Jounouchi was asking her about her 'boyfriend'. What was wrong with Ryou, she wondered? Did she do something wrong that offended him?
Somehow, Honda and Anzu also decided to go over to her and Yugi's house that evening. They said they wanted to cheer Jounouchi on with his training.
"Grandpa! We're home!" Yugi called out.
"Welcome back! I see you've brought your friends over. What about your boyfriend, Akia?" Sugoroku greeted them all.
"He's not my boyfriend!" She snapped back.
"Whatever you say," he chimed, not really believing her.
"Oh, by the way guys," Yugi addressed his friends, "did you hear about the Duel Monsters tournament? They're going to be airing the final round today."
"Oh man! That's going to be epic. Let's hurry up before it starts," Jounouchi ushered everyone.
"Man... I should've entered that tournament. If it wasn't because of all the schoolwork lately..." Akia whined.
"Schoolwork wouldn't stop you from doing whatever you want..." Yugi retorted.
"That's what you think..." His sister replied.
"But I thought that when it comes to tournaments and competitions, the school is pretty lenient and the teachers help you catch up after," Anzu informed her.
"What?! How come I didn't know that?" Akia yelled out, frustrated about not being informed about this.
"You don't exactly pay attention to anything that has to do with school..." Honda commented.
"Well, then... Next Duel Monsters tournament, I'll definitely join!" The red-eyed girl decided.
"Hey guys, I think it's starting!" Yugi brought everyone's attention back to the TV.
On the television screen, that was on since they came in, the duel between the two finalists of the tournament. The announcer introduced them as Insector Haga, and Dinosaur Ryuuzaki.
"They're the finalists? They look so scrawny..." Akia mocked them.
"You know better than to judge by appearance..." Yugi reprimanded his sister.
"Still... There's a limit," she defended her view.
As the duel unfolded, it seemed like Ryuuzaki had the upper hand.
"They have so many rare cards... Grandpa, do you have any new packs?" Akia asked her grandfather.
"As a matter of fact, I do. But I'll only give you one pack, it's rather expensive..." Sugoroku answered and left to go get the pack. At the same time, Haga managed to turn the duel in his advantage.
"Looks like this duel's outcome is decided," Akia concluded.
"And I thought Dinosaur Ryuuzaki had it in the bag!" Jounouchi exclaimed.
"Well, now it looks like Haga will win next turn," Yugi added and, just as he predicted, Insector Haga ended the duel by winning the following turn.
"I heard that Pegasus J. Crawford himself will be giving the trophy to the winner," Yugi informed his friends.
"Pegasus?" Honda inquired.
"Isn't he the creator of Duel Monsters?" Akia asked for confirmation.
"That's right! I think that's him," Yugi pointed at the screen where the announcer introduced Pegasus J. Crawford, creator of Duel Monsters, and president of Industrial Illusions.
A man with long silver hair made his entrance with the trophy in hand. He gave it to Insector Haga, and invited him to a certain event that was going to be held by his company soon.
"An event? Could it be a tournament? I want to apply!" Akia exclaimed.
"I think you actually need an invitation for this," Yugi interjected.
Sugoroku then made his entrance with a package and the card pack for Akia in hand.
"Thanks for the cards, grandpa!" Akia expressed her gratitude as she snatched the card pack, immediately opening it.
Jounouchi went to sit next to her and check the new cards she got. Everyone else's attention was on the package that Sugoroku brought along.
"What's this package, grandpa?" Yugi asked.
"I don't really know," his grandfather admitted, "but apparently it was sent to you, Yugi, from Industrial Illusions."
"Industrial Illusions?" Yugi repeated, curious as to why he'd receive a package from the gaming company.
At the mention of Industrial Illusions, Akia perked her head up, giving her full attention to the package.
"Could it be an invitation to the tournament?" She inquired.
"I don't know... Let's open it and see," Yugi replied.
When he opened it, everyone looked at the content with a puzzled expression.
"A glove...?" Honda questioned.
"And two stars..." Jounouchi noted.
"There's a video tape, too." Yugi observed.
"Maybe the video tape contains some kind of explanation to all this," Anzu suggested.
"Let's try playing it," Akia added.
Yugi took the video tape and inserted it in the VHS player. On the television screen, Pegasus' face appears.
"Hello. Nice to meet you, Yugi boy," Pegasus chimed.
"He's...!" Jounouchi exclaimed.
"Pegasus J. Crawford!" Akia declared excitedly.
"He's the creator of Duel Monsters!" Sugoroku added.
"This is a video letter for my dearest Yugi boy," the man in the TV continued.
Yugi gasped in surprise.
"I am aware that you defeated Kaiba boy," Pegasus stated.
"Well you've become quite the celebrity, Yugi," Akia teased her brother.
"So I would like to test your playing strength. But there is a time limit in this duel. The life points will total 2000 points. After 15 minutes, the one with the most remaining life points wins. Sounds good?" The creator of Duel Monsters said nonchalantly.
"Wait what?" Akia questioned, confused at what the man had just said.
"Does he want Yugi to duel against a video tape?!" Jounouchi exclaimed once more.
"That's not possible!" Honda retorted.
Pegasus chuckled, and revealed the eye that was covered with his hair.
"That's the eye of Anubis!" Akia noticed and immediately took out her Millennium Scale, that she had kept in the bag next to her.
The Eye started shining and, soon, everyone but Yugi and Akia stopped moving, as if time itself had stopped. Pegasus looked confused for a bit. He noticed the Millennium Item, the Millennium Scale to be exact, that Akia was holding. It was the reason why she wasn't affected by his Millennium Eye. He recognized it, since Shadi, the one who gave him his Eye, was carrying it at the time. Was that girl so important that Shadi would give her that item, he pondered? He wondered if he should invite her to the tournament as well, but opted against it. If she was worth his time, she'd find a way into the tournament by herself.
Yugi and Akia looked around them, feeling extremely confused at how everyone just froze.
"Jounouchi! Honda!" Akia called out to her friends.
"Grandpa! Anzu!" Yugi followed suit.
Pegasus chuckled,"well, well. You were unaffected by my Eye, girl. Other than you, no one else can get in the way, now. Shall we begin, Yugi boy?"
"Is this a Dark Game?" Yugi asked.
"Tch... It's the first time I'm actually fully conscious during one of those games," Akia noted.
She had heard of how her brother got into some of these. She was even there when he initiated one with Ushio-senpai, but she fainted before she could see much.
Yugi's Millennium Puzzle started shining.
Akia had a feeling that the spirit inside the puzzle was about to come out. She felt her brother's aura becoming stronger and darker. He also looked older, and less innocent.
"A Dark Game? In that case, I'll be your opponent," the other Yugi declared confidently.
"The Duel starts now!" Pegasus announced.
The counter started counting down the 15 minutes of the duel. Pegasus laid a facedown card in the trap/spell cards section, and ended his turn.
"Your turn, Yugi," the instigator informed his opponent.
Yugi drew his card.
"Alright, I use this card," the boy said, card in hand.
"The Devil Dragon Card, am I right?" Pegasus said confidently.
"How did he...?!" Akia expressed her disbelief.
The twins were surprised, almost horrified, at how Pegasus was able to know which card Yugi was about to play.
"I already knew that you would play this card. That's why... I activate my trap card, Dragon-type Sealing Jar. Your dragon will be sealed in this jar, now," Pegasus lightly joked with a sinister smile.
Strong light came out of the TV and Yugi's dragon was sealed.
"How..." Akia wondered in awe.
The duel kept going, and Pegasus predicted every single card and strategy that Yugi was about to play.
"You are probably very shocked right now, Yugi boy. This is reality: you cannot defeat me. And if you lose, you will have no choice but to participate in my tournament," the man pointed out.
"What?" Yugi questioned.
"It is meant to determine who is the real King of Duelists in the game of Duel Monsters," Pegasus explained.
"King of Duelists?" Yugi inquired further.
"That's right! The winner will receive the title of "King", along with a cash prize and great fortune!" The Duel Monsters' creator excitedly affirmed.
"Such an event doesn't interest me. What if I decline?" The Puzzle's Spirit suggested.
"Well it interests me..." Akia mumbled.
"No, no! You don't have the privilege to decline. The very fact that you cannot defeat me ensures the fact that you shall not escape me. As for you, girl, if you are able to find a way to participate in the event without an invitation, then you are welcome to do so," Pegasus expanded further upon his conditions.
"Dammit... I'll have to actually do an effort to participate," the red-eyed girl pondered.
"I haven't lost yet," Yugi declared.
"Okay, then let us continue the game," Pegasus replied plainly.
Yugi thought to himself that there had to be a reason why Pegasus knew what cards he was holding. Maybe he was controlling Yugi with magic somehow. It could be some kind of hypnosis. An idea then came to Yugi that could thwart Pegasus' strange magic.
"Now, Yugi boy, it's your turn!" The man invited him to keep going.
"I'm pretty sure it's that eye of his that makes him able to read Yugi's mind. It's like Shadi's millennium key where he was able to enter my mind. I wonder if Yugi figured it out... Or at least, figured out a way to keep Pegasus from seeing what's in his mind," Akia thought to herself as she continued observing the situation.
Yugi drew a card from his deck, without looking at it, and placed it on the field.
"It's no use, if you're going to use your Undead Zombie," Pegasus mocked him.
"I knew it. Your "magic" has come to an end, Pegasus. You might know what cards I have in my hand, but you have no idea what the cards I draw from my Deck are," Yugi confidently stated.
"What...?!" Pegasus exclaimed.
Akia smiled at the small victory.
"My card is Black Magician!" The boy called out his trusted monster.
Pegasus frowned slightly, and feigned an overly dramatic disappointed face, while adopting a sarcastic tone, "no! It's not a Zombie-type!"
Yugi succeeded in attacking Pegasus, dropping his Life Points to 1200.
"Well, I congratulate you! Because you discovered the secret to my power, you pass this test! But you underestimate the extent of that power!" The man said condescendingly.
"What?" Yugi asked.
The duel went on, and Pegasus was able to take control of the Black Magician, destroying Yugi's monster, and dropping his Life Points to 400.
Yugi started thinking that maybe Pegasus was really able to read his mind.
"Now once I end my turn, it'll be time up! Nice fight, Yugi boy!" Pegasus said while clapping.
"The game's not over yet! My last card is the Fiend-type, Demon's Summon (2500/1200)!" Yugi quickly said as he summoned another monster.
Just when Yugi's monster started his attack, the time reached its limit and all monsters disappeared from the field.
"So close..." Akia whispered.
"Game Over. Just like the girl said, so close! I would've lost if you just had one more second. Yugi boy, you hold far greater skill than I originally anticipated. I have a strong feeling we will be fighting again soon in Duelist Kingdom," Pegasus declared.
"What if I don't want to?" Yugi asked defiantly.
"You are unable to escape me," Pegasus chuckled and revealed his millennium eye, taking Akia and Yugi by surprise.
Akia, in an act of defence, brought her Millennium Scale in front of her.
"My power is the Shadow Power of the Millennium Eye," Pegasus revealed.
"Millennium Eye?" The other Yugi repeated, surprised to witness the power of another Millennium Item.
"I knew it... This was all a millennium item's doing!" Akia yelled out.
"I'll see you again in Duelist Kingdom, if you want back your most valuable treasure," Pegasus ominously stated.
A beam of light shot from Pegasus' eye and targeted Yugi and Akia's grandfather. Right after, they both saw Sugoroku trapped in the TV.
"What is that?! Grandpa!" Akia screamed in panic.
"Yugi... Akia..." Their grandfather called out to them.
Yugi went back to his usual self, and grabbed the TV screen, trying to reach his grandfather.
"Grandpa!" Yugi yelled at the TV, where the twins' grandfather's soul was taken.
The room went back to normal, as time began flowing normally again. However, Sugoroku was the only that wasn't back to normal. He collapsed, as Yugi and Akia were shouting his name at the television.