It had been a mostly normal day in Duel Academy. No shenanigans from the students, no dark forces trying to destroy or take over the world, not even any hijinks pertaining Duel Spirits or Jaden.

It was precisely because of it that the letter that arrived to me during breakfast hit that much harder.

It was all so sudden... one second, I was sitting with Jaden, Bastion, Syrus and Anna talking about Crowler's classes, making a joke here or there at his expense.

The next, Seras had walked up to me with a worryingly solemn look on her face, before handing me a sealed paper envelope.

I only barely managed to catch myself when I saw Null's stamp sealing the thing, though thankfully my twitch went unnoticed by the still-talking group.

Me crunching up the letter when I read the contents did not.

Before anyone could question me about it, though, I gave them a mostly-confident smile, said some excuses over having to deal with some last-minute chores, and walked out of the cafeteria with just enough hurry that it wouldn't look suspicious.

After a stop at the Slifer Red storage shed to pick up some things 'd need for this and stuffing them inside a big sack, me and Seras made our way to one of the higher cliffs of the island, it being just enough out-of-the-way for the needs. We didn't even run to get there, just... walked. The silence was almost crushing, leaving my thoughts about what had happened and what I was about to do much clearer in my mind.

Even when we finally reached the cliff, it took Seras nudging me slightly to break me out of my turmoil and realize that it was finally time.

So, without further preamble, I placed the sack on the floor, and carefully removed the first item I'd need: an old, worn, but still intact Battle City-era Duel Disk.

I planted the Disk firmly on the ground, bladed tip first, and gave it a once-over to guarantee it would stay firm. Once that was checked, I then began pulling the rest of the contents out of the bag, before carefully arranging them in front of the Disk. Truthfully, they weren't anything special... just a collection of old tabletop games the Slifers had lying around.

A shogi board, a boxed set of mahjong tiles, some other assorted games, even a dusty D&D rulebook.

After I was finished setting everything down, I took a step back and allowed Seras to stride forward. In her hands was something far more ornate than anything I had offered: a long golden staff, at the top of which rested a carefully sculpted ankh, and which she firmly planted right next to the Duel Disk, before returning to my side.

For a moment, we just stood there in silence, watching the tiny makeshift memorial. Even when the sound of crunching grass reached us, we didn't turn back.

Even as an impossibly-large red figure passed by us, and slowly placed a bottle of liquor that he was gripping with his oversized rock-like fist down onto the grassy floor.

Or when a young man with a billowing white coat and an adult man with long silver hair went next, placing down onto the pile a card of a fearsome white dragon, and a small ushabti, respectively.

And even as an umistakably young Egyptian man, flanked by a small, sad-looking shiba inu, strode up with barely a sound, and calmly, gently, took off the pyramid pendant he had been wearing, and wrapped it around the staff Seras had put down.

And so, after a long, almost painful moment of silence, we all strode away from the small memorial... though I could not stop myself from looking behind me one last time, tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Thank you... For everything."

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In memory of Kazuki Takahashi

October 4th, 1961 - June, 2022

Forever more, the true and uncontested King Of Games

May his work and deeds remain in memory