In a high school classroom at Domino City High School, four sixteen year olds were watching and playing a game together during a study period at the end of the school day.
"Hey Joey! Earth to Joey! Hey, are you in there? It's your turn," a short boy with red, yellow, and black hair told his friend in regards to a card game they were playing. There were no cards on Joey's side while his friend had a card called Alpha the Magnet Warrior on his side.
"Ummm…," Joey looked over his hand as he thought over his move.
"Oh, isn't he cute when he's thinking?" Another teen teased Joey.
"Hey Tristan, Yugi here's teaching me how to play Duel Monsters," Joey told his friend.
"Drooling monsters?" Tristan asked in confusion.
"Duel Monsters, you nimrod," Joey chided his pal who teased him earlier.
"Sheesh," Tristan huffed.
"These two have been at it for hours. Joey's starting to get the hang of the game, but Yugi's like an expert at the game!" Tea began.
"Okay Yugi. It's time to duel," Joey cried out.
"See, each card has an attack number and a defense number. They also have a level that helps to determine if they can be summoned without Tribute or not. The monster cards battle each other during the battle phase, and the monsters with the higher points win! You must battle in order to reduce the opposing player's Life Points. Spells and Traps can be used to support the monsters in a variety of ways. The first player to eliminate the other player's Life Points wins the duel," Tea explained.
Joey-500 LP
Yugi-2700 LP
"I play the spell card Flame Sword Revival! With it, I can summon my most powerful monsta, Flame Swordsman, from my Extra Deck (1800 Attack)! Now, attack and wipe out his Alpha the Magnet Warrior (Yugi-2300 LP). Pretty good move, huh Yugi?" Joey asked, hoping he impressed his pal.
"Yup! Pretty good move, but not good enough. I now play the spell card Monster Reborn! With it, I can revive a monster from my Graveyard. And I choose Obnoxious Celtic Guardian(1400 Attack)! Next, I'll release my mighty warrior in order to Tribute Summon Dark Magician Girl(2000 Attack)!" Yugi summoned one of his favorite monsters.
"Not bad, Yuge. But I'll still have some Life Points left," Joey pointed out.
"Not after this you won't! Next, I'll play the spell card Magic Formula! With it, I'll increase my Magician's power by 500 points (2000-2500 Attack)! Now, Dark Magician Girl, wipe out Joey's monster! Dark Burning Attack!" Yugi cried out as Joey lose his remaining Life Points.
"What?! Thanks a lot. A card that powerful totally wipes me out," Joey grumbled.
"You stink at this game, Joey," Tristan teased as Joey looked ready to hit him.
Yugi laughs good-naturedly before saying, "You did fine, Joey. I just have better cards. See, my Grandpa owns a game shop and I get all my best cards from him. But really, my Deck is pretty basic compared to some of the pros. My Deck doesn't even have Synchro, Link, or Xyz monsters," Yugi admitted.
"Hold on. Your own game shop? Your Grandpa owns a game shop? What're we waiting for? Let's go!" Joey cheered.
"But guys! Class isn't over for another ten minutes!" Tea reminded.
"You're right, Tea. We can wait a little bit before going," Yugi agreed.
"Okay, maybe I could even get my Grandpa to show us this super rare card he's got," Yugi said.
"Rare card? Could they have found the card that I've been searching for?" A classmate wondered as he looked over at Yugi and the others.
"Grandpa? I'm home," Yugi greeted his grandfather as everyone got inside the card shop.
"And I see you've brought company," Solomon noted happily.
"Gramps, could you show my friends your awesome, super rare card?" Yugi asked.
"Rare card? My special card? Hmmm…," Solomon considered.
"Please! Please!" Yugi begged.
"Pretty please?" Joey asked.
"Hmmm... Hah hah! How could I refuse? You kids are in for a treat. I don't take this card out too often. Ready? Here it is," Solomon said as he got out and showed a card that had 3000 Attack Points without being an Extra Deck monster. "The Blue-Eyes White Dragon, so rare, so powerful, I never let it leave my hands."
"Awesome!" Joey cheered.
Suddenly, Tristan snatches the BEWD out of Solomon's hands. "It doesn't look all that special to me…"
"Ahh! This card is priceless. There are only four of them in all the world," Solomon pleaded as he tried to take the card back.
"Really? That rare?" Tea asked.
"Uh huh! Only one other person has the other three cards," Yugi confirmed.
"Speaking of priceless, I'm ready to trade!" Joey cheered.
"Not for this card," Solomon denied as he finally got the card back.
"Huh? Nah, I didn't mean that card. I meant, show me some other cool cards to get me started," Joey corrected. "Speaking of which…who does own the other three copies of the card anyhow?" Joey asked. "I'd love to meet them one of these days!"
Suddenly, the door opens with the man from earlier standing inside the entrance.
"Hello, can I help you?" Solomon asked.
"Huh?" Tea asked as she looked over to see the man in the entrance.
"If you can't, it certainly wouldn't surprise me," The man snarked.
"Seto Kaiba!" Yugi was shocked.
"Kaiba?!" Joey asked.
"But…what is Kaiba doing here? Doesn't he have a big fancy company to run?" Tristan was confused.
"Simple. Not that it's any of your business, but I came to see the card," Kaiba answered.
Joey, meanwhile, smiles and steps forward. "Hey, are you into Duel Monsters too? This is perfect. Maybe we could all duel together sometime."
Seto finally walks into the shop. "Me? Duel you? I'd have more of a challenge playing solitaire. I don't care for meeting a bunch of clowns like you."
"What?!" Joey yelled.
"Simply put, you mutts are way out of your league. I am the number one ranked duelist in the country, and the favorite to win the Duel Monsters championship. Hah, you wouldn't last two minutes in a duel against me, especially with my Blue-Eyes," Kaiba grinned jerkishly.
Joey clenches his fist. "Ooh, I'm shaking. Maybe you'd like to settle this with fists instead of cards."
"Whoa! Take it easy, Joey," Yugi tried to calm his friend down.
"But Yugi, Kaiba's asking for it," Joey said.
"No! We aren't gonna hit him!" Tea scolded.
"Now does this shop have any worthwhile cards or not?" Kaiba asks as he catches sight of the BEWD, and lurches forward. "Can it be? The Blue-Eyes White Dragon in a dump like this? It is. The card I've been searching for."
"But why? Don't ya already have three copies of da card?" Joey asked.
Solomon, meanwhile, covers the BEWD, "Well, enough window shopping. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Seto growls, lifts his briefcase onto the counter and opens it, showing many cards of various types.
"Huh? Oooh," Solomon looks on in awe.
"Listen to me, old man. Gimme your Blue-Eyes White Dragon card and I'll trade you all of these," Seto made a proposition.
"Whoa!" Everyone was impressed.
"Ahh, nice. But no thanks," Solomon politely declined.
"Huh?!" Everyone was shocked.
"Nngh. Fine. If you won't trade, maybe you'll sell it. Name your price. I can pay anything you ask," Kaiba demanded.
"I'm sure you could. But this card is worth more than you could ever offer. Not because of its power or because it's so rare, but because of what it means to me. This card was given to me by a dear friend and so I treasure this card as I do that friend. So parting with it is completely out of the question," Solomon explained.
"Well…looks like dat jerk won't be getting his way!" Joey said.
"No!" Kaiba yelled.
Yugi then said, "You'd feel the same even if it were a common card, right Grandpa?"
"Exactly. You see, this precious card has bonded with my heart," Solomon agreed.
"Fine! I've heard enough of your nonsense," Kaiba yelled as he closed his briefcase and walked away. "Senile old fool."
"So…now that that's over, any other cards you'd like to see?" Solomon asked as he began.
Meanwhile, inside Kaiba's car…
"Heart of the cards. Ridiculous. Cards are all about power. And one way or another, his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card... will be mine," Kaiba said to himself ominously.
The next day…outside of the KaibaCorp building…
"Gentlemen, there's a little something I'd like you to pick up for me at the Game Shop," Kaiba said.
"Gladly, Master Kaiba," The lackey said to his boss.
Inside of the Game Shop, Solomon is standing in front of the counter.
"Good morning," Solomon greets as he turns around to see two men in black suits. "Hmm?"
The lackey steps forward. "My master, Seto Kaiba, challenges you to a duel. You may come with us now."
"And if I were to decline?" Solomon asked.
The lackey's glasses glint ominously. "I'm afraid I must... insist."
Realizing that he might get physically hurt if he declined, he decided to agree. "Young Kaiba doesn't understand. But I'll teach him a lesson about the heart of the cards."
"Man, I hope he has some cool cards today," Joey said as he and his friends were on their way to Solomon's store.
"Me too!" Yugi agreed.
"Yeah!" Tea said.
When the group managed to get into the store…
"Okay Gramps, I'm back to get more cards. Hey, hey Gramps!" Joey called as the group began to realize that Solomon wasn't here.
"Grandpa, I'm home," Yugi called, hoping his Grandpa was just in the back.
"Maybe he... went out?" Tea suggested.
"Maybe. But why would he leave the door unlocked?" Joey wondered.
Suddenly, a phone rings.
Yugi picks up the phone. "Hello. Game Shop."
"Ahh, Yugi. Perfect."
"Kaiba?!" Yugi yelled in shock.
"That snake from yesterday?!" Joey yelled.
"He must have wanted the Blue Eyes card!" Tea realized.
"Your grandfather's here visiting. But he's not feeling well. Why don't you come by my office and pick him up?" Kaiba said with a smirk on his end.
"Kaiba! What've you done, Kaiba?!" Yugi demanded with worry.
At a KaibaCorp building…
Yugi and his friends run into an elevator. As they waited for the elevator to take them to the floor where Kaiba and Yugi's grandpa were, they had a lot of worried and anxious thoughts, especially Yugi. Eventually, they finally made it to the floor where Kaiba said they were.
"Grandpa! Grandpa. A-are you okay?" Yugi yelled out as he ran out of the elevator, with his grandpa having fallen onto the floor with Kaiba smirking over him.
Solomon is propping himself up on his elbows. "Yugi. I failed. I wanted to teach that boy Kaiba a lesson about the heart of the cards, but I lost." Solomon groaned out.
"Grandpa!" Yugi cried out.
"How's the old man feeling, hmmm?" Kaiba mockingly asked.
"Kaiba, you sleeze. What've you done to him?" Joey demanded.
"We had a duel, that's all. With each of us putting up our most valuable card as the prize. But I guess playing against a champion like myself was just too much stimulation for the old fool," Kaiba explained with a smirk.
"And what? Did you hurt him after you ended up winning?" Tristan demanded.
Téa points at Seto. "Kaiba, you should be ashamed of yourself."
"It was fair. It's not like I cheated or anything," Kaiba said as he holds up the BEWD. "And look at the sweet prize I won." To the shock and horror of everyone else present, Kaiba begins tearing it up.
Yugi cries out, "Grandpa's most treasured card!"
"Ahh, my Blue-Eyes White Dragon. My treasure," Solomon cried out.
"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a rare and powerful card and this one will never be used against me," Kaiba answered.
"Grandpa! Hold on," Yugi reassures as he looks up at Seto. "How could you do such a thing?"
"When you want to do something, you need to be willing to do anything in order to achieve your goals. No questions or exceptions," Kaiba answered.
"Yugi…I want for you to try and Duel Kaiba. Use the Deck I've given you and teach Kaiba…Teach Kaiba respect for the heart of the cards, Yugi," Solomon pleaded.
"But Grandpa, you need help. I've got to get you to a doctor," Yugi protested.
"That sounds like an excuse. Your friends can care for your grandfather while you and I duel... unless you're afraid?" Kaiba mocked.
"Take him Yugi!" Joey yelled.
"Huh?" Yugi turns back to see the others.
"We can take care of your grandpa while you take care of creepy Kaiba. Teach that rich, spoiled brat what a real duel's all about," Joey yelled
"For your grandpa, Yugi," Tristan said.
"I don't know…," Yugi was uncertain.
"Trust me, you're like the best player I've ever seen, and you've got the Millennium Puzzle. You can do this Yugi! I know you can!" Joey reassured.
"We all do," Tea agreed.
Yugi nods, reaching for his deck. "Okay, Grandpa. I'll do it."
"I know you will, my boy," Solomon said with confidence.
Téa whips out a black marker. "Everyone, put your hands together and I'll mark us with a special sign," Tea says as she draws a smiley face on their combined hands.
"What gives, Téa?" Joey asked.
"Simple. It's a symbol of our friendship so when Yugi's dueling, no matter how tough it gets, he'll know that he's not alone, we're all right there with him," Tea explained.
"Alright? Then let's go!" Joey cried out.
Outside of the KaibaCorp building, an ambulance pulls up and Tea, Joey, and Tristan rush Solomon out to it.
"Joey, Tristan, and I will take Yugi's grandpa to the hospital. Why don't you get back in there and cheer Yugi on?" Tea suggested.
"Okay, take good care of him, Téa," Joey agreed as he ran into the building.
Inside of the Duel arena…
"I designed this virtual stadium myself. Impressive, hmmm? I think you'll agree, it adds a bit more life to the game.
"Does that mean the monsters will become real?" Yugi curiously asked.
"Yes. This experimental Dueling system will allow for the game to summon the cards as actual virtual monsters. The next major tournament will even make use of these stations. Oh, and how about we make things even more interesting…by making the duel be broadcast worldwide!" Kaiba suggested. "We each begin with four thousand life points, the first side to hit zero loses. Are you ready to play, runt?" Kaiba asks rudely.
Suddenly, Yugi's Millenium Puzzle glows and, in an instant, Yugi appears to grow a few feet. "Alright, Kaiba! It's time to duel! You may think you have the advantage, but I'll see to it that you learn to respect your cards!"
"What the-?" Kaiba is confused at the change in size and voice of Yugi, but ultimately chooses to ignore it. "Go ahead and use your cheap tricks to psyche me out. They won't save you from my three Blue-Eye's wrath. You go on your side. I'll go to mine," Kaiba said as both Duelists went to their respective sides of the field. "Now…let's Duel! I'll start off by summoning my X-Head Cannon in Attack Mode(1800 Attack)! Also, I'll end my turn by placing a single card facedown. Make you move now, Yugi. Go ahead and see if you can deal with my defenses."
"You'll soon be seeing that you're gonna be eating those words, Kaiba! I draw! And…I summon my Breaker the Magical Warrior in Attack Mode(1600 Attack)!" Yugi played.
"So…you decided to play a weaker card against my superior monster then? Well…looks like you really are pathetic," Kaiba mocked.
"You'll soon regret that, Kaiba. When Breaker is summoned, he gains a Spell Counter and with it 300 extra Attack Points(1900 Attack)!" Yugi played.
"Now that my monster is stronger, Breaker! Attack Kaiba's X-Head Cannon!" Yugi cried out as his warrior began to slice at X-Head Cannon, while Kaiba looked unconcerned.
"I play my facedown card Negate Attack! Now, your attack is negated and the battle phase ends! Better luck next Duel. Oh wait! There won't be a next Duel!" Kaiba mocked with a laugh.
"Good move, Kaiba. But I'm afraid I'll soon find a way to turn things around," Yugi warned.
"Please! Your monster could have given up its Spell counter to get rid of a Spell or Trap card on the field. You could have stopped the Negate Attack. But…that wouldn't have mattered because then his monster would have been weaker!" Kaiba mocked.
"True… But my move isn't over yet! I play a facedown and end my turn. It's your move, Kaiba," Yugi ended his move.
"Very good. Now it's my move again! And watch out because I now summon my Y-Dragon Head to the field (1500 Attack)!" Kaiba summoned. "See, Y-Dragon Head is a Union monster, meaning I can equip him to my X-Head Cannon as an Equip Spell and increase my monster's power by 400 points. So…for those uneducated fools, my monster's power is now 2200 (2200 Attack)! Now, attack and destroy Yugi's Breaker the Magical Warrior (Yugi-3700 LP)! And now…I think I'll end my turn with a facedown. Your move," Kaiba ended his move.
At this point, Joey made it to the arena to watch the Duel.
"Alright! I made it! I can see how our pal is doin'," Joey said as he looked at the current results. "This doesn't look too good so far! Yuge is fighting' from behind!"
"I draw! And…I play my spell card Polymerization! And with it…I can fuse the Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragon in my hand together in order to perform a Fusion Summon! The knight that is a force to be reckoned with in war combines with the dragon of dark fire in order to create an even more powerful force! I Fusion Summon! Come out Gaia the Dragon Champion (2600 Attack)!" Yugi cried out.
"Hmph. Impressive. I didn't think you could Fusion Summon. Perhaps you aren't entirely worthless as an opponent. However, I'll still be the winner in the end," Kaiba said.
"We'll see. I now have my knight attack your X-Head Cannon! Attack with Double Dragon Lance (Kaiba-3600 LP)! And with that…I end my turn. Your move, Kaiba. So far…I must say you've done pretty adequate for the world champion, but it won't be enough to defeat me," Yugi ended his move.
"Adequate? You think I'm just adequate? I'm the best the world has to offer, Yugi! And I'll prove it! So…enjoy your current victory. It will be your last," Kaiba mocked in rage. "I draw! I play the spell Pot of Greed! This allows me to draw two cards! Now…I play the trap card Roll Out! With it, I can revive my Y-Dragon Head and equip it onto my X-Head Cannon once more (1800-2200 Attack)! Now…I summon Z-Metal Tank(1500 Attack)! So, ready to say your goodbyes? I'll remove all three of these cards from play. I Fusion Summon! XYZ Dragon Cannon(2800 Attack)! I've brought out one of my favorite cards, which also happens to be one of my best."
"It won't matter. His monsta is only 200 points higher than Yugi's, so he should be fine!" Joey said.
"You were probably believing I would settle for only a few points of damage, Yugi. Well…you're wrong! Now, I'll get rid of your field by playing the effect of my cannon! I can discard a card to blast a card you control out of the Duel! I discard my Cave Dragon and my Spell Reproduction! Cannon Firestorm!" Yugi's Champion was destroyed by an explosive energy shot and so was his facedown Mirror Force. "Ah, Mirror Force. I see you planned on using it when a stronger monster would have dealt you a bigger blow. Well… I'm adfriad that was for nothing! Now, attack Yugi directly (Yugi-900 LP)! And with that, I end my turn. I'll finish you on my next turn, so make your final move count."
"It won't be my final move, Kaiba. The Duel is just starting! It's my move!" Yugi drew his card. 'I only have one chance to turn this Duel around. Here goes everything!' "I play the spell card Pot of Greed. This will allow me to draw two cards. Then I'll play my Graceful Charity in order to draw three cards and discard two (Beta the Magnet Warrior and Damage Reduction). Next, I play a card facedown(Dark Fishing) and then…I'll play my Emergency Provisions and send my facedown to the graveyard to gain 1000 Life Points (Yugi-1900 LP). And…due to my facedown Dark Fishing, I can draw one card!" Yugi drew Exodia's Left Arm.
"So, you drew yourself another chance at failing to win this Duel. Pathetic," Kaiba smirked.
"I'm not done yet, Kaiba. I play the spell Dark Magic Veil! With it, I can pay 1000 Life Points in order to special summon Dark Magician Girl from my hand (2000 Attack/Yugi-900 LP)! Next, I'll play my facedown Dark Burning Attack! With this spell, I can destroy all face-up monsters you control, Kaiba! Now…attack Kaiba directly! Dark Burning Attack (Kaiba-1600 LP)!" Kaiba didn't flinch in regards to the attack. "What's wrong? Kaiba lost his whole field, and he's still not fazed!" Yugi was shocked. "What's your game, Kaiba? Why aren't you worried?"
"Simply put, I'm not worried because I know how this Duel is gonna end…with my victory and you rolling over like a sick puppy and wailing in agony! Now…end your turn so I can finally win!" Kaiba yelled out.
"I…end my turn. It's your move, Kaiba," Yugi ended his turn sadly.
"Oh, it is! And so is the end of this Duel! I play the spell card Pot of Greed in order to draw two cards! Next, I'll play Ancient Rules! With it, I can now Special Summon a monster that is Level 5 or higher from my hand! So now, join us and help me win this Duel! Come forth! Blue Eyes White Dragon(3000 Attack)!" Kaiba played his ace monster, who roared loudly.
"He got out a Blue Eyes that easily?!" Joey was shocked.
"You see Yugi? This Duel was decided from the moment it began. But…don't think it was luck that brought me this win…I'm just far more skilled than you could ever hope to be! This Duel is over!" Kaiba cried out.
"Grr…No i-it can't be over yet! T-There must be something I can do!" Yugi tried to think of a possible move to make.
"There is no move you can make! Blue Eyes White Dragon, attack Yugi's Dark Magician Girl! White Lightning!" Kaiba cried out.
"Wait!" "I play the effect of Damage Reduction in my graveyard! By banishing this trap from my Graveyard, I can reduce the battle damage to zero!" Yugi played as Dark Magician Girl was destroyed but his Life Points were safe.
"You bought yourselves another turn. That's all you got! I end my turn. Just face it. You are going to lose, regardless of what move you make. But…I suppose I can be merciful. If you want, you can surrender now. If you do, I may spare you the humiliation of having lost to me and my Blue-Eyes," Kaiba suggested.
"He's right…how am I supposed to win when he has one of the strongest monsters in the game on his side? And what do I do with the one card I have left?" Yugi thought as he struggled to gather the courage to continue.
Suddenly, Yugi's puzzle began to glow as his mind left the current battle…
"For someone claiming to have faith, you're giving up too easily, Yugi," A voice said. Belonging to…
"Grandpa!" Yugi cried out.
"Listen, sometimes the cards are like a puzzle. You have to put all the different pieces in their proper place."
"Ah, like the Millennium Puzzle?"
"Exactly. Each piece helps build a greater entity."
"Grandpa!" Yugi cried, wanting to get his help as his grandpa began to fade away…
"Like the pieces of a puzzle, Yugi! Remember…"
Suddenly, Yugi was back at the Duel. "Puzzle? When are the cards like a puzzle? Wait! Grandpa once said… Duel Monsters contains only one unstoppable monster, Exodia. But it can only be summoned by drawing all five special cards. A feat that to this very day, no one has ever accomplished. But…I'll have to find a way to make it, or some other miracle happen. Hopefully, my faith will reward me." "I draw!" Yugi cried out as he drew a card. At this moment, Yugi's puzzle began to glow…and his Deck and graveyard began to glow as well. "What the…?"
"Wha-? What kind of magic trick are you pulling, Yugi?" Kaiba demanded.
"Yugi! Is everything okay?" Joey asked.
"I-I don't…," Yugi was confused. "Is the puzzle helping me reach the Heart of the Cards? Only one way to find out!" I play the spell card Card of Sanctity! With it, we are both allowed to draw until we have six cards in our hands."
"Perfect. You gave me even more ways to stop you on my next turn," Kaiba grinned.
As both of them drew their cards, Yugi noticed that he had a few cards, Exodia's Exodia's Left Leg, and some cards, including the Dark Magician, that were now partly green and had scales. "This could be it! But…who do they work?" Yugi wondered as he suddenly realized he knew the answer.
"I'll use Scale 2 Buster Blader and Scale 8 Kuriboh in order to set the Pendulum Scale! I'll be showing off the Heart of the Cards starting now!" Yugi cried out as he placed the two cards on opposite ends of his field. Both monsters appeared in blue lights between both field ends. "Witness the power of my monster, as he enters the action! Pendulum Summon! Go, Dark Pendulum Magician(2500 Attack/Scale 3/Dark Magician as a Pendulum)! And…I'll play Monster Reborn in order to bring back Dark Magician Pendulum Girl(2000 Attack/Scale 5/Dark Magician Girl but a Pendulum and she gains 500 Attack for every Dark Pendulum Magician or Dark Magician in the graveyard or Extra Deck)!" Yugi said with a serious expression.
"Wait a second. What is a Pendulum Summon? Where did it come from?" Joey wondered.
"I don't care where they came from! All I know is that either way, you are going to lose, Yugi!" Kaiba cried out.
"We'll see! I play my Buster Blader's Pendulum Effect! With it, I can raise the power of my Dark Pendulum Magician by that of another monster on my field until the End Phase. So, Dark Pendulum Magician gains the attack power of Dark Magician Pendulum Girl for the turn! Not only that, but he can attack all monsters you control once each. In exchange, no other monsters can attack. Though, you only have one monster currently. (4500 Attack) Now, Dark Pendulum Magician, Attack with Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi cried out as Dark Pendulum Magician sent out a magic burst towards the first Blue-Eyes (Kaiba-100 LP)! "I'll place one card facedown. And with that, I end my turn. Your move, Kaiba. This Duel will end in my favor now!"
"Really? Not likely, Yugi! I'll be the winner in the end, you'll see! Remember, your monster's attack return to normal. And…I have a full hand to work with!" Kaiba yelled.
"What makes you think you'll win, though?" Yugi asked.
"Simple. I'm just more skilled than you are. It's now my turn. I draw! And now…I play the spell card White Dragon Ritual! With it, I can sacrifice monsters in my hand or on the field in order to perform a Ritual summon! So…I'll sacrifice my Vorse Raider in order to perform a Ritual Summon! Now, rise Paladin of White Dragon(1900 Attack)!" Kaiba summoned.
"It must have a dangerous effect to make up for its lack of power…," Yugi realized.
"Correct you are, Yugi! By sacrificing my Paladin, I can special summon a Blue-Eyes White Dragon in exchange for giving up the ability of that Blue-Eyes attacking for the rest of this turn! Then…I play my Spell card Monster Reborn in order to bring back out my Blue-Eyes White Dragon! I'll wipe you out with my dragon's attack! But first…I activate my spell card Blue-Retrieval! Now, by discarding a card like my Blade Knight, I can look at the top four cards of my deck and if a Blue-Eyes is there…I can summon it! I now look at the top four cards," Kaiba explained as he saw that they were Magical Trick Mirror, Des Feral Imp, Shrink, and Blue-Eyes White. "Perfect! I summon on out my second Blue-Eyes(3000 Attack)! And now…I attack your Dark Pendulum Magician Girl! White Lightning!"
"No! Yugi can't lose now! Not after he's gotten so close!" Joey yelled out. "You can do it, Yugi!"
"Not so fast, Kaiba! I play my facedown Banishing Selecter! With it, I can use the effect of a banished card right now! I play my Damage Banisher and defend my Life Points!" Yugi countered, his monster being destroyed, but his Life Points weren't changed.
"It'll take more than that to stop me, Yugi! I'll have my other Blue-Eyes attack your Dark Pendulum Magician (Yugi-400 LP)! And now…I'll finish you by attacking you directly with my Paladin! Ionic Spear Burst!"
"Grrr…There must be something I can do!" Yugi growled before he suddenly knew what to do. "I play my Kuriboh's effect! Once per turn, any damage I'd take from a direct attack is reduced to zero! Meaning…my Life Points are safe. You used up all your attacks, Kaiba. But…I'm still standing. Are you going to end your move now, Kaiba?"
"Just about. I play the effect of my Paladin. Now…I'll sacrifice him in order to summon out my third and final Blue-Eyes (3000 Attack)! And with that, I end my turn by placing a facedown card on the field. So, what now? You're down to 400 Life Points and I have my three Blue-Eyes out on the field. Next turn, I can attack directly with at least one of them and win the Duel!" Kaiba reminded. "So…go ahead and draw your final pathetic card, Yugi! Your grandfather's cards are as pathetic as you are!"
"My grandpa's cards aren't pathetic, Kaiba…as you're about to see right now! I draw!" Yugi cried out.
"Go ahead and make your move. You have no monsters out, meaning you can't do a thing against me!" Kaiba reminded.
"He's right! I have no other options with which to attack or defend! What do I do?!" Yugi was worried before he came to one final realization. "Wait a minute…Kaiba. I do have monsters to work with. My Pendulum cards didn't go to the card Graveyard. They stayed with me in my Extra Deck!"
"What?! But how?!" Kaiba was outraged.
"They can do that?!" Joey was shocked before smiling. "Way to show 'em, Yuge!"
"And…Pendulum monsters can be summoned from there as well. Now…I resummon out my Dark Pendulum Magician and Dark Magician Pendulum Girl! Following that…I play my Buster Blader's Pendulum effect! My Dark Pendulum Magician gains power equal to my other monster (4500 Attack)! Prepared to lose, Kaiba?" Yugi asked.
"No! And I'm not losing! I play my trap Waboku! With it, I am able to prevent my dragons from being destroyed, and all damage I take is reduced to zero! Your Pendulum Summon wasted our time! I'll win next turn!" Kaiba laughed.
"Then…I'll have to win before then," Yugi said. "I hope this works." "I play the spell card Charm of Lamentation! With it, whenever I fail to destroy one of your monsters, I can draw one card. I'll attack you three times and draw a cad for each attack! Dark Magic Attack!"
"Big deal. Those extra cards won't help one bit. You'll lose as soon as it becomes my next turn. And I mean it this time!" Kaiba cried out.
"I'm afraid, Kaiba, that there won't be a next turn!" Yugi yelled as Kaiba looked confused…until Yugi showed his hand; it contained all five pieces of Exodia in it. "I play the power of the legendary Exodia!" Yugi yelled out.
"W-What?! No! That's not possible! In all the years this game has existed, no one has successfully summoned Exodia before!" Kaiba yelled in horror.
"I'm afraid that this is the first!" Yugi yelled.
"N-No! I can't lose!" Kaiba yelled.
" Now, Exodia, obliterate!" Yugi yelled as Exodia appeared on the field and threw an energy blast that proceeded to destroy all three Blue-Eyes and reduce Kaiba's points to zero.
"How can this be? I had my three Blue Eyes White Dragons and a bunch of other powerful cards. I couldn't have lost!" Kaiba yelled out.
"Kaiba, you don't understand that dueling for power alone won't get you far. I won because I had the Heart of the Cards and the love of my friends on my side. Maybe this duel will open your mind. Mind Crush!" 'Yugi' cried out. In an instant, Kaiba fell to the floor unconscious.
"Way ta go, Yuge! Ya did it!" Joey cheered.
"Thanks, Joey. Your support really did mean a lot," Yugi said, now looking like he did before the Duel.
"So…please tell us where ya learned ta do that, Yuge!" Joey said.
"Uh…I don't know myself…My puzzle just glowed and I was suddenly able to do it!" Yugi said.
"Seriously? That's it? Ya pull a brand new trick for Duelin' and ya can't remember how ya did it?" Joey was in disbelief.
"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry, Joey," Yugi apologized.
"Aw, it's okay. Ya won the Duel and that's what is most important. But…let's not celebrate just yet. We still need ta check in on ya grandpa!" Joey reminded.
"You're right! Hopefully he's doing better. And…maybe Kaiba has learned his lesson," Yugi gave a quick look over to Kaiba before the group left.
Meanwhile, back at Pegasus's castle…
"Whoa! That Yugi kid was strong! He managed to beat down Kaiba off all people!" A young brown haired eight year old kid yelled from in front of a T.V. in her room.
"I know, right? He not only brought out a buncha monsters at once, he managed to bring out Exodia! I thought he was just a myth before now!" A green-haired kid agreed.
"Kaiba still put up a good fight, though. I was pretty sure he'd win for a moment when he had out all three Blue-Eyes!" The first kid cheered.
"Daddy! What do you think of that Duel?" The second kid asked.
"Kaiba lost and some other kid managed to pull an upset? Interesting…perhaps they're worth inviting to Duelist Kingdom after all. Jaden, Jesse?" Pegasus asked his adopted kids, intrigued.
"Yes, daddy? Both kids asked.
"Looks like we'll have a new coming over to our vacation home soon…," Pegasus grinned, thinking up many new plans to prepare for when the tournament will start.
I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter. I plan on making an interesting new story using the base of the original Yugioh anime, but with some new characters from other series that will appear later and with some new cards and Duels. By the way, Pendulum Summoning will work more how it did in Arc-V, though Link Summoning will still be a thing. If anyone wants to suggest characters or Decks to be used, please do so.