Episode 3: Clash From The Strongest Monster!
Yugi was walking to school on a lovely spring morning. He was really excited about today because he had promised to show his friends something really special. A card game that was becoming increasingly popular with the youths. His grandfather had shown it to him and now it was his turn to pass on the knowledge to his friends. He reached the school about half an hour before classes started. He told his friends to come here early so he had time to show them. He went to his locker and changed his shoes real quick then hurried to his first period where the others were waiting for him. At least Anzu, Jounouchi and Miho were. There were a few other students as well, probably finishing up homework at the last minute or getting started on the lesson. He entered the classroom and greeted everyone. "Good morning guys."
"Morning Yugi." Jounouchi responded as the three of them looked to see Yugi enter the class. Yugi hurried over to the group and looked around.
"Where's Cosmo-chan?" he asked.
"I saw her come in this morning, but haven't seen her since." Anzu answered.
For a moment, Yugi seemed disappointed. He wanted to show all of his friends this game so that way they could all play together. And he had a feeling Cosmo would have really loved to play. He was sure that everyone else would as well, especially Jounouchi. Luckily, his sadness was swept away when he heard someone come into the room. He turned around and had a smile on his face when he saw Cosmo walk in. "Good morning everyone." Cosmo greeted cheerfully as she waved at the group.
"Cosmo-chan!" Yugi greeted. "I'm glad you came here."
"You told me to meet you here so of course I came. So, what is it you wanted to show us?" Cosmo asked.
Yugi nodded as he placed his backpack on an empty desk and opened it. He took out a large sheet of paper and placed it on his desk. The paper was a grid with a map designed on it. There was an area with a lake, cemetery, a volcano, grassland, deserts, mountains, any landscape that could be recognizable. Everyone was a bit confused, wondering what this grid was for. They speculated it had to have been a game since this was Yugi they were talking about. They began to wonder what kind of game could possibly need this kind of field to play on as Yugi got the rest of the pieces out of his backpack. And by pieces, it was actually cards.
"What are those, Yugi?" Cosmo asked as she saw the deck of cards Yugi pulled out.
"It's what I wanted to show you guys!" He smiled as he took a few cards from the top and gave a few to Jounouchi and kept some for himself. He then spread out the rest of the papers onto the next desk for the rest of them to see. "Look!" Yugi cheerfully held up one of the cards he held which showed an image of a sorcerer with a magic circle in the background. There were some wordings, on the top as well as on the image below giving a brief description of the card. There were some numbers in the bottom right corner and some stars in the upper right corner.
"I still don't see what this is." Cosmo said, still kind of baffled.
"Are these some types of new cards?" Anzu asked.
"They're called Duel Monsters." Yugi answered.
"Duel Monsters?" Jounouchi repeated.
"Yeah. My Grandpa showed the game to me. Apparently it's really popular in America but has started to be imported to Japan." Yugi explained.
"Wow! How pretty!" Miho gasped as she looked at the cards Yugi scattered across the desk. Everyone was able to see them and saw how each illustration painted a different picture, how each card had different numbers and stars and how no two cards had the same description.
"There are over hundreds of different types between attributes, elemental and even combos." Yugi added.
"That many?" Anzu seemed amazed and in disbelief. Still, it was pretty interesting.
"So, what'cha going to do with these?" Jounouchi asked as he looked at the cards that Yugi gave to him.
Yugi used his finger to point to the ceiling as he began to explain the purpose of the cards and the real game. "It's a card battle game," He began. He then held up a card with the image of a skeleton with green clothing on it. It had two stars and two numbers were present. A three hundred near the corner and a two hundred in the far end of the card. "Look, written on the cards there are defense points and attack points and some other things." He then got everyone to turn their attention towards the grid that Yugi panned out on the desk. "And you start fighting with cards you enter into the game according to this field."
"That's kinda interesting." Anzu commented.
"Really?" Jounouchi sighed as he stretched his arms out and placed them behind his head. "Well, I'm not into mindless games like these, so…"
"I dunno, it does sound kind of interesting." Cosmo admitted.
"And some of the monsters look pretty." Miho commented. "It was like each monster was drawn by a different hand."
"Besides, I thought this would be a good game for you Jounouchi. After all, you do like to fight." Anzu pointed out.
"Well, it's not just about who has the strongest monsters. You also have to use different types of cards like trap and spell cards to enhance your monsters or weaken your opponent. It's really how you use the cards together rather than just throwing them on the board." Yugi pointed out.
"Exactly, just another mindless game." Jounouchi repeated. "I'm not really into those, too much thinking for me."
"If you're not into mindless games, how would you do in a brain game?" Honda laughed as he walked up to the group wearing a white sash over his uniform with some writing on it.
Jounouchi got out of his seat and stared down at Honda, getting a bit annoyed. "Honda...What do you mean by that?"
Honda kept his cool as he kept antagonizing Jounouchi with a sly smile. He turned his head to the side and answered. "You heard what I said."
"Why you…" Jounouchi sneered as he balled his hands into fist, ready to fight. Yugi had to admit, he was not entirely sure at times if Jounouchi and Honda were really friends. Jounouchi said that they have known each other since middle school but they seem to get into more fights than just hang out like friends were supposed to do. Anzu once told Yugi that those two had a rough guy relationship, a certain relationship revolved around trying to prove which one of them was tougher. They mainly do it for show, and she said that it was something not to worry about. Speaking of which, Anzu was able to disrupt the feud before it was about to start as she pointed to the sash Honda had.
"More importantly, what's that about?"
"Oh, this?" Honda lifted the sash for everyone to see. Written on it was 'Strong Beautification Week.' He looked back at the table that Yugi had placed the cards and the game on. "These cards are getting popular now. They may still be new in Japan, but they are spawning many fans and followers. Speaking of which, if you have a collection you should take care of it...because there's some who are going around trying to steal some of the rarer ones."
"No way, these cards?" Anzu questioned as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I didn't think anyone would go so far as to rob people of this game. And it's only just cards, they don't seem to cost that much at all." Cosmo stated. "That seems a bit extreme to me."
"Some cards are pretty common and easy to find. But there are the rarer ones that have high attack points. Those are the monster cards that they tend to go for." Yugi explained to Cosmo "There's even people that have gone to America just to buy a single card… even grandpa has such an impressive collection." Yugi smiled as he raised his first finger to signal the number one.
"Not out loud!" Honda warned as he got up into Yugi's face getting serious. Yugi was taken aback by his sudden outburst but he went on. "People are starting to protect their stuff. Therefore I must make sure that no stealing happens in this school." He declared, which just gave Yugi a bit of a sweatdrop on his forehead as he thought how serious Honda seemed to be taking this situation.
"Hey, that's no concern of the cleaner's." Jounouchi mocked as he still had his hands behind his head with a sly smile on his face this time.
Honda looked back at the blond and put on his smile as he snickered. "Say what you will, but my job isn't just about cleaning." Honda then stood straight up as his composure became even more stern, if that were possible. "First of all, we have to throw away garbage. We make sure that our community is clean, purified! But that's not all, there is more to my mission. I don't just clean the world, but the hearts of the people who make this world as dirty as it is!" He raised his fist into the air as he spoke with true passion. If there was another thing Yugi learned about Honda through Jounouchi, is that you should never mock his job as a beautification member. He takes it so seriously, people think he is too extreme. With a final bow to his classmates, he went on. "My authority is no less at home then here - and that's not all. Also, I always do my own homework - never copied. I've stood up to fights…" As Honda went on, Yugi began to pick up the Duel Monsters game and placed it back in his backpack with the grid and the cards. Class was about to begin as the teacher went up to the front desk and readied his papers. Yugi took his seat as he watched Cosmo hurry out of the classroom to her own room and saw his other friends find their seats. Expect for Honda who was still rambling on and on about being a beautification member and what good qualities he had. He probably didn't even notice the teacher was just standing there watching him as well as many of the other students. "That's the way…"
"HEY! Do you mind?" The teacher questioned Honda, gaining the brunet's attention. He looked at the teacher and Yugi could tell that he realized class had started. He rubbed the back of his head, said no to the teacher and took his seat quietly and seemed a bit embarrassed, Yugi could not blame him. Still, at least he got to show his friends Duel Monsters, and it seemed they were interested in playing it. He would have to ask them if they would all like to play together sometime. He would have to be sure to teach them and help them build their own decks. But he can worry about that later, for now he was in school and had to focus on his studies. The teacher, being able to have full control of his class, looked at everyone with a kind smile as he made an announcement. "Well, today I'm going to introduce our newest exchange student."
Many of the students awed at this news. The new school year had only started a few months ago, and they were already getting a new student? Yugi found it a bit exciting though, a new student meant the possibility of a new friend. And with his luck of making new friends these past few weeks, he had a strong feeling he and this new exchange student would get along well. "Wow. Who could it be?" Yugi wondered out loud as he eyed the entrance to the classroom where the new guy was probably waiting. "I really hope they like games. It would be nice to have someone interested in them like me." Perhaps if they could be friends, the two of them could play games with one another.
"Come in, please." The teacher instructed. The doors slid open to reveal the new student, wearing the same school uniform for the boys. In his left hand, he carried a silver briefcase. He had brown hair with blue eyes as a casual smile spread on his face. "This is Kaiba Seto-kun." The Teacher introduced.
"That Kaiba?" Miho gasped as she stared at Anzu, who was in the front.
"The one from the top-class Kaiba Corporation?" Anzu questioned.
"That's right. Let's move on now…" The teacher advised.
"Pleased to meet you." Kaiba smiled at everyone in a greeting tone. Yugi just stared at the guy in front of the class. He had heard about Kaiba Corporation before as well as Seto Kaiba himself. Kaiba Corporation was one of the best gaming companies known to Japan, maybe even the whole world. They were mostly famous for their advanced technology that they were working on to make the games even more realistic. Rumor had it that they were planning on making theme parks around the brand name. Also, Kaiba-kun was said to be the heir to the company. And yet he was still in high school, he must be really smart and must be very passionate about games to have such a life for himself.
"How cool." Anzu commented as she stared at Kaiba.
"The son of some rich guy," Jounouchi sneered inwardly. "I'm not impressed." Another thing Yugi learned about Jounouchi as they formed a friendship with one another, he didn't respect rich people who didn't have to work hard to get a good life. He never knew why, maybe it was because Jounouchi was poor or something. At least that was what Yugi guessed.
"Let's see now…" The teacher looked around the class to see if he could find an empty seat where Kaiba would be sitting the rest of the school year. "Ah, you can sit next to Mutou-kun." The teacher instructed. Yugi smiled at this as he saw the brunet coming closer to him. This would give them a great chance to get to know one another.
"Hello." Yugi greeted Kaiba as he walked over to his desk. He looked at Yugi for a moment before lowering his gaze to the floor. That was when he saw a Duel Monsters card. Yugi must have dropped it while he was shuffling them into his backpack. He picked it up and presented it to Yugi.
"Is this Duel Monsters card yours?" He asked as he handed the card to the younger of them.
"Thanks." Yugi grabbed the card and placed it in his backpack again. Thank heavens he got it back before he forgot about it. He looked back up at Kaiba and then asked him a question. "Are you into games like these?"
"Yeah. I love them." Kaiba admitted as he shrugged and smiled. Yugi knew right then and there that Kaiba had to have been a good person to love games. Yugi watched as he took his seat and began to get ready for the lesson. He was glad, he had a feeling he and Kaiba would be getting along.
Just before anyone knew it, the class had ended. Everyone was packing up, getting ready to either head to a different room or to get what they needed for the next. Yugi closed his notebook, finished with taking notes for the period. History was usually the best class he was good at, since his grandfather used to be an archeologist back in the day. He would always tell Yugi fascinating stories about different cultures as bedtime stories. Yugi had no trouble with that class, but he still took notes mostly due to fascination. He smiled as he looked, puting the notebook back into his desk and taking out the one he needed for Math. "Yugi-kun…" The short high schooler turned to his left, seeing Kaiba standing up and looked at him with that kind smile of his.
"Oh, Kaiba-kun. How are you liking the school so far?" Yugi asked to be polite to the new student.
Kaiba chuckled at Yugi. "It seems good so far. I was homeschooled for most of my life, so it's nice to be surrounded by other people. It's very refreshing." He admitted.
Yugi blinked at that information. He was curious so he asked, "You were homeschooled?"
"Yeah, the owner of Kaiba Corp, my old man, he wanted me to inherit the company once he retired. So he gave me the best tutors and had them teach me. The lessons were great, but it was a bit lonely being the only student."
"I can only imagine…" Yugi noted as he smiled at Kaiba. "But there are many friendly teachers and students here. So you shouldn't have a problem making any friends."
"Actually…" Kaiba gained Yugi's attention as the smaller one watched him curiously. "I noticed that you seem to be a fan of Duel Monsters." Yugi blinked, but was reminded of Kaiba handing him his card.
"Oh yeah, I just started playing it actually. My Grandpa taught it to me, though I'm still a beginner." He admitted sheepishly.
"If you would like to learn a bit more, I could always teach you." Kaiba offered. Yugi looked up at Kaiba, even more surprised by the offer. Kaiba kept his smile as he went on. "Actually, I was wondering if you would be interested in coming over to my house after school?"
"You want me to come over?" Yugi didn't know how to process such a request. Yugi never really has been to too many friends' houses, on the account he never had that many friends to begin with. The only house he ever went to was Anzu's, but usually they hung out at his place. Even now, Yugi barely had anyone over at his house. On the one hand, Yugi was pretty excited about the chance to get to know Kaiba better by hanging out at his home. Plus, if Kaiba was already inviting Yugi over, that must have meant Kaiba really saw him as a friend.
"I happen to have a collection of Duel Monster Cards," the burnet explained. "Since you seem to be a fan of the game, I could show you my collection."
"You've collected Duel Monster cards yourself?" Yugi was far beyond impressed.
Kaiba however was trying to be modest. "I just recently started collecting them when I was over in America last year. It's not that big of a collection, but if you are interested-"
"Of course!" Yugi cheered with excitement. He didn't let Kaiba finish because he officially made up his mind. "I'll definitely be over today after school." Yugi promised.
He could see the smile on the other student getting bigger. A glimmer of pleasantness in his eyes as Kaiba grabbed some paper from his desk and used a pen to write on it. He then passed the written note to Yugi, who accepted it. "My address is on there. It's a way outward, but it shouldn't be hard to miss. I'll make sure everything is prepared before you arrive."
Yugi looked up from the note that was written for him. He smiled and nodded at Kaiba. "I can't wait. I'll be there for sure."
Kaiba smiled back at Yugi, he himself was excited and hopeful for the event but for different reasons.
Soon, the school day came to an end at 3:30. The bell rang throughout the whole school grounds as students were either heading home, or were heading to their club activities. Yugi was outside of the school gates, he was walking with Kaiba as they approached a blue limousine. "Ah, my ride's here." Kaiba noted as he opened the car door, climbing into the backseat. He lowered the window to look at Yugi. "When do you think you will be at my house?"
Yugi thought for a moment, trying to figure it out. He supposed he could call his grandfather and let him know. He would have to use a public phone though, since he had yet to buy a cellphone for his grandson. However, the young highschooler believed his grandfather would be okay with it since he knew Yugi was hanging out with his friends more often. As long as he knew where Yugi was, Sugoruko would most likely be okay. "I'll have to tell my grandfather about where I'm heading, but I should be there no later than five." Yugi tried to estimate. The house was a bit away from school, but it should be okay walking distance wise.
"Alright, Yugi-kun. I'll be waiting." Kaiba told him.
"Sure. I can't wait." Yugi beamed with joy as the car Kaiba was in started to drive off. Yugi watched as the limousine drove away from the school. His smile was spreading on his face, he couldn't wait to see what kind of collection Kaiba had. Sure, Yugi may have only just recently gotten into Duel Monsters, but the game alone was interested and pretty promising.
"Woah, what a great car!" Miho exclaimed. Yugi turned around, seeing her, Anzu, Cosmo and Jounouchi approaching him. They must have just seen Kaiba off as they approached Yugi. Jounouchi watched the rich student leaving in such a car. Unlike Miho, he was not as amused.
Jounouchi scoffed, looking away with disgust. "He's rich enough to get his own cars, and yet he can't get himself a license." Yugi didn't get why Jounochi had to criticize Kaiba about such a trivial notion. Perhaps it was just an excuse to try and make the transfer student seem not that great. Yugi didn't pay much attention to it though, after all, Kaiba's actions were speaking louder than his words.
"So, Yugi, you and Kaiba are getting along already?" Anzu asked as she looked at the shortest male.
"Yeah, Kaiba-kun invited me over to see his card collection." Yugi explained.
"He already invited you to his house?" Cosmo sounded surprised.
"He saw my Duel Monsters card before the start of class, and he wanted to teach me some of the rules." Yugi explained. "Plus, he was excited to see another fan of the game."
"That sure is kind of him," Anzu stated.
"I guess this means you've made a new friend then, huh Yugi-kun?" Cosmo asked with a small smile. Yugi nodded in agreement. He had hoped that he and Kaiba would be getting along, since it would be nice to have someone else to play such great games with. And since Kaiba seemed to have been a Duel Monsters expert, it will just make the game that much more thrilling.
"Miho wants to go to Kaiba's house too!" Miho begged as her eyes sparkled. Knowing Miho, she probably just wanted to go to see what fancy life was all about. She may have been kind of shallow when it comes to material items, but she did have her good qualities to her.
"Miho, we shouldn't just barge in on Yugi and Kaiba." Anzu pointed out sternly.
Yugi shook his head. "We can all go," he suggested, making everyone turn over to him. "I'm sure he will be pleased to see all of us." Yugi assured, being reminded about how lonely Kaiba said he was. He thought that if the two of them were going to be friends, perhaps they all could become closer together.
"Are you sure it will be okay?" Cosmo seemed unconvinced.
"Don't worry, I'm sure it will be fine. To be honest, I'm really looking forward to it." Yugi seemed more sure about this idea. He was much more confident in his ability to make friends now that he had so many. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
Everyone was more or so convinced about Yugi's invitation. Though some still seemed hesitant and others would rather be anywhere else, the group agreed to go. Yugi went to his game shop to tell his grandfather where he was going while everyone else went to their homes to explain that they were going somewhere with each other. Yugi had already given everyone the address and agreed to meet at the front gate before they would enter. As Yugi made his way to Seto Kaiba's house, he met up with Cosmo, Anzu and Jounouchi along the way. The four of them agreed to head there together since they were heading in the same direction. It wasn't hard to locate the house that Kaiba resided in, since it stood out like a sore thumb.
Yugi had to admit, the place Kaiba lived seemed fitting for a person of his standard. The front yard alone could fit two, maybe even three of Domino High schools! And the house seemed just as equally large. The yard had so many hedges and a fountain at the center. The mansion was made of red bricks with a black tiled roof and white windows and doors. This definitely proved that Kaiba certainly was the son of a multibillion dollar company. Yugi would have never thought in his whole life he would ever live in a mansion like this, let alone see one with his own eyes. It made him a bit nervous though, since Yugi felt so out of place just being here. But he couldn't refuse Kaiba's kindness, and as long as his friends were by his side he felt a bit better.
"Hey!" Jounouchi muttered as he looked at the gate that fenced in the mansion. "Isn't there some law against an individual having such a large house!" Seems that Jounouchi was still unimpressed.
"Of course not!" Anzu assured, sounding a bit annoyed. Guess not everyone was enjoying the scenery. But this was just the outside, surely the inside would be more lively. Yugi just hoped Jounouchi would be on his best behavior. Last thing he wanted was for Kaiba to feel uncomfortable. He didn't want to replace his friends, he just wanted to make sure they all got along.
The four didn't have to wait for Honda and Miho to arrive, as the two came up to them on a blue bicycle. Honda was pedalling while Miho rode in the back. They came to a stop, parking outside the gate as Honda tried to gain a few gasps of air. "Glad to see you guys got here." Yugi smiled at them, happy that everyone made it.
"Honda-kun thought it would be a good idea to use his bike." Miho explained.
"It… was nothing… a Beatuftication member… couldn't handle…" He assured in between breaths.
"Your breathing says otherwise." Anzu pointed out.
As the group were all together, they heard Kaiba's voice call out to them. "Welcome everyone. Glad you could make it." The six looked around, wondering where that voice was coming from. Yugi figured it must have been the intercom that was on the gates. He looked up and saw a camera staring down at them. It must have been how Kaiba knew they were here. And with the press of a button, the gates opened up for them to enter. The group walked through the courtyard, admiring the hedges and the decor just on the outside.
"The flowers here are so beautiful," Cosmo awed as she noticed some of the hedges had such lovely red roses. "They're so big and just blooming way before their primal day." She noted.
"We didn't come here to admire the flowers," Anzu told the young girl. "We are being invited inside after all." As they neared the mansion, most of them were amazed. The mansion seemed just as big as the school, it was hard to believe only a single family lived here. They walked up the marble stairs, and waited for the solid oak doors to open. They only took a glimpse inside before their breaths were taken away. A shining chandelier hung on the ceiling, the walls were coated in a light yellow color with giant purple pillars holding up the foundation of the second floor. A bunch of maids lined up with silver platters and blue uniforms. They bowed as the group were greeted by Seto himself, who stood in the doorway.
"Hello Yugi. I'm so glad you made it." He smiled with his greeting.
"I hope you don't mind, but the others wanted to come as well." Yugi explained.
"We hope we aren't intruding…" Cosmo bowed in respect.
"No, not at all. I'm very pleased you brought your friends." Kaiba assured. "It'll be nice to have some new people over, especially those who share the love of Duel Monsters."
"Oh yeah, you said you would show us your collection?" Yugi reminded him.
"Right, this way." Kaiba walked down the hallway, leading the group further into the house. They walked on a red carpet, passing by many portraits of beautiful artwork and decorations of ceramic pieces. It seemed like your typical mansion one would see in the media portraying the life of a rich person.
"What an amazing mansion." Miho gushed, being persuaded with the treasures the hallway alone held.
"It's really not that big of a deal." Kaiba stated as he continued to lead them down the corridor.
"If this is "no big deal" then why bother flaunting us around?!" Jounouchi muttered to himself with aggression. Anzu laughed behind him trying to suppress it. Honda however walked up beside the blond and had a sly smile on his face.
"Jounouchi, jealousy is most unsightly." Honda advised.
That was when Jounouchi reached over and grabbed Honda by the collar of his school uniform. "Honda! You saying that really pisses me off!" Jounouchi shouted as it seemed he was ready to fight with Honda right here and now. Luckily, Anzu separated them and looked at one another.
"Hey, you guys! Can you at least act properly here?" she requested trying to keep them apart. Yugi could understand where she was coming from. This was no way to act in a new friend's home. "S-sorry about that, Kaiba-kun." Anzu apologized. Surprisingly though, Kaiba laughed it off as he looked over at them.
"It's alright. It's more fun if it's lively." He reassured.
"Speaking of lively, it must be kind of strange to be in such a large building by yourself?" Yugi questioned. "I noticed there were maids here, but you seem to be the only other person living in this mansion."
"Usually there is, right now though my father is away on a business trip so I have to take care of the house as well as the company while he's away." Kaiba explained. "It's not the best time but I try to balance it with my schoolwork and free time."
"Is it just you and your father that live here?" Cosmo asked.
"No, my little brother lives with us as well. He usually plays with his friends after school, so he comes home a bit late. But he's still a kid and I want him to have some fun while he is still young. As for me, I do find time for myself and lately, I have been more invested in Duel Monsters. Come, I'll show you." Kaiba began to walk down the hallway, with Yugi, Miho and Cosmo following behind. Jounouchi still mumbled behind their backs as he stood there with Honda and Anzu.
"That polished pig… he's making me dislike him even more…" The blond scoffed.
"I dunno, he may be rich but he isn't snobby." Honda pointed out. "He seems like a good guy for the most part." Even though Jounouchi still didn't seem interested, he kept going and catching up with everyone else. Yugi had to agree, for someone who lived his life in such a way, it really didn't affect his attitude towards people. If anything, he acts rather nice and friendly.
"Ah, here it is." Kaiba walked down to the far end of the hallway, to the door at the very edge. He grabbed the handle and opened the room up, letting everyone see inside. "Here it is, my collection of Duel Monsters." Inside the teal colored room, the group looked in wonder, seeing the walls decorated with glass frames, containing rare Duel Monsters cards, ones that Yugi hadn't even seen or heard of yet. Yugi didn't think Kaiba would have such a collection, but this only proved he really was a Duel Monsters fan.
"Wow." Yugi gushed as he was impressed. "I can't believe you have so many of these cards. I've never even seen some of these ones." He checked over every single monster, spell and even trap card that was in the glass case. He wished he could have reached out and touched them, to feel how powerful they were. However, he knew better to not want to disrespect Kaiba's property.
"Most of the cards were the ones I got from America. I went there a year ago to do some business in regards to getting paterons for our upcoming projects. I also partook in the card game and grew quite fond of it." He smirked as his and everyone else's eyes gazed over at another wall, where golden trophies were standing on their pedestals.
"What are those?" Anzu asked, seeing the golden objects.
"Those were from the Duel Monsters tournaments that I won."
"Won?!" Everyone gasped.
"Duel Monsters has become an increasingly popular game over in America. Tournaments have been scheduled as well. I figured I would try my hand and take on a few of them myself while I was over in the States. Next thing I knew, I was winning in the eastern states, the northern states, the western states and even the southern states. I will be honest, the game has become quite an addiction to me now. Yet there is that sense of accomplishment with every enemy you defeat." Kaiba had a look of determination on his face as he stared over at his collection. Yugi had to admit, even he was impressed. While he was only just learning the rules of the game, Kaiba seemed to have enough experience to be a pro at this point. Not only did he have an impressive collection, but the trophies he won proved his skills were of advanced level. With so many medals as well, Yugi knew it would be a while before he could even get to Kaiba's level. It motivated him to want to play the game and to try to get up to where Kaiba was.
Jounouchi's jaw dropped as he seemed stunned by the room as well, but for different reasons. Honda noticed this, putting a hand on the blond to try and persuade him. "Give it up, Jounouchi." Honda told him. "You'll never reach his level." It was true in more ways than one. Between his fortune, his fame and even his skills, there was no way Jounouchi could ever hope to get on Kaiba's pedestal.
"Say, Kaiba-kun," Cosmo approached the rich prodigy with curiosity in her eyes. "If you do not mind me asking, I heard rumors that you were developing an amusement park based on your experience with Duel Monsters."
"Eh? Where did you hear that?" Yugi asked just as curiously.
"Oh, Sparkle-chan told me." Cosmo answered him.
"Sparkle?" Yugi repeated, being reminded of that purple haired girl that was capable of taking down men twice her size. He wondered how she knew about that but doubted he would get an answer from Cosmo.
"Ah, your friend must have good ears then." Kaiba noted. "Actually, the idea for KaibaLand has been in my mind for quite a while. However, after my experience in America, I wanted to branch out the concepts. We will still have plenty of games all over, but our prime target is Duel Monsters. We want to try and gather more followers of the game to spread it across Japan. It was a promise between me and Industrial Illusions, the founder of Duel Monsters."
"Industrial Illusions?" Anzu repeated.
Yugi nodded, since he was slightly familiar with them. "The owner, Maximillion J. Pegasus, created the cards and sold them in America. It became a sensation with the younger kids but became state wide with every age group."
Seto beamed. "You sure know a lot about the card game."
Yugi was flustered, rubbing the back of his neck. "J-just the history, again s-still learning about the game itself."
"So cool!" Miho smiled with excitement. "Do you think we could go once it's opened?"
"I'll buy the tickets, Miho-chan!" Honda offered as he walked up to her.
Kaiba gave a small nod. "I'll make a reservation once the park opens. If we stay ahead of schedule, we should be able to open it up by the end of summer."
Miho was so pleased, she hugged Kaiba and cheered. "You're the best! I wish you luck on this project." He seemed reluctant to hug, but he allowed it nonetheless. Honda however, was not at all pleased. He gritted his teeth as a fiery aura surrounded him. Clearly he was jealous about the fact that Miho was praising someone she just met, though that shouldn't be something that was new to him. Thankfully, Kaiba didn't seem to notice his rage. Though it was safe to say that Honda now could share Jounouchi's feelings of the champion.
When Miho let Kaiba go, he walked over to Yugi. "But tell me, Yugi. I'm sure you must have some great cards yourself."
"Eh?" Yugi held his hands over his head and answered Kaiba. "No, my deck is pretty standard to most."
Anzu looked over at Yugi and asked him something. "But didn't you mention that your grandfather has a collection himself?" Yugi looked over at her, being reminded about what he said earlier that day. His grandfather did mention some rare cards he had, and one that was especially the best out of all of them. Though they weren't Yugi's cards, his grandfather did offer to show him if he was at all interested.
There was a glimmer of amusement in Kaiba's eyes as he heard what Anzu said. "Really? I'd definitely like to see for myself." Kaiba pleaded as he now had such a delightful expression on his face that Yugi never saw before.
Jounouchi and Honda soon surrounded Yugi as they were demanding him to follow through. "Yugi! Show it to him right away!" Jounouchi urged.
"Come on! Show him!" Honda begged. Clearly they just wanted to show Kaiba up in the hopes that they could beat him at something. Well, technically it would have been Sugaroku's victory if he even has such a card. Yugi felt the pressure on him, clearly everyone was wanting to see this said collection. Still, he just couldn't refuse them at this point. Yugi rubbed the back of his head, knowing he would be forced to comply.
"A-Alright…" His agreement was reluctant, but if it would make everyone happy he was fine with it.
"Thank you, Yugi! I look forward to seeing it myself." Kaiba deemed with such glee.
Kaiba had offered to drive them there since they had walked to his house, and the distance was a bit much. Honda and Miho still took the bike, but the other five rode in the limousine to get to the game shop. By the time they arrived, the sun was setting and the sky was a mixture of orange and red. Yugi led them all into the shop, where Sugaroku greeted them all.
"Well Yugi, I must admit, this is the first time you've brought over so many friends." His grandfather chuckled as they all gathered around the counter that the old man was behind.
"Grandpa, is it alright if you could show us your rare card?" Yugi asked nicely. "Kaiba here is a big fan of Duel Monsters, and he is interested in seeing it." Kaiba bowed in respect towards the old man.
When Sugaroku looked over at Kaiba, he could tell right away how excited the young man was. Everyone seemed just as eager to check out what it was the elder had in regards to his Duel Monsters. "My best card?" He asked his grandson.
"Please Grandpa, can you show it?" Yugi begged. Now he was just as giddy as the others.
"Please, I really want to see it." Kaiba also begged.
Sugaroku chuckled as he knew that he would have to comply like how Yugi did. "Looks like I've got no choice. Hang on a moment." He bent down and started rummaging behind the desk. Checking over the items that were stored away, until he got out a small wooden box. Placing it on the counter, he opened the lid and took out the card everyone was waiting for. It was a vanilla colored monster card, with the illustration of a dragon in white with blue eyes. Having eight stars on top with an attack of 3000 and defense of 2500. "Here it is." He showed off the card to the group, waiting for their reactions.
Kaiba was astonished to say the least. He gasped, looking over the piece of paper, as his eyes wavered. "T-This is…" he trailed off with his sentence. All of his interests seem to have been in that card alone. Everyone else however, were not that big on it.
"That's it? I thought that from how it sounded, it would be decorated with some sort of jewels or at least more colorful." Miho stared at the card as she made her statement.
Honda leaned in with wide eyes, trying to get a good view of the card but he said nothing. Jounochi also was not as big on the card as Miho was. "It doesn't look any different than the others I've seen." Jounouchi remarked.
Sugaroku sighed in disappointment. Then again, they barely knew anything about Duel Monsters so he couldn't really blame them. "Let me explain it then. This card is called the 'Blue Eyes White Dragon'. It is one of the most powerful cards in Duel Monsters that have been recently released. However, due to its power, the production of this card was cancelled. As of now, there are only four of this card out there." The older man told everyone as he looked over the card.
"The way you make it sound makes it far more interesting." Anzu had to agree as she seemed just as drawn to the card as he was.
Honda leaned over the counter, pointing over at the elder Mutou. "Grandpa Mutou, with a card like this, it's dangerous to have on you! As a Beautification member, I must advise that you turn it over for safekeeping!" Honda sounded pretty serious with his demand.
Though Sugaroku was somewhat dumbfounded by the sudden request, he gave a smile at the young high schooler and asked him a question. "Why would a beautification member care about such a thing?"
That really got the club member as he lost his composure. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Clearly his pride as an advocate of that club was damaged anytime no one took what he did seriously. His classmates were one thing, but to be mocked at by an older man about it was just a low blow. Honda backed away though, knowing that he would not be getting what he needed.
"Mr. Mutou!" Everyone turned as Kaiba was the next one to approach the counter. He set down his silver briefcase on the desk, a strong look of determination written on his face. "T-That Blue Eyes Dragon… I beg of you! Please take all of these cards in exchange for it!" At his request, he opened up his case and showed off other Duel Monster cards that were stored inside. From monster cards, to spells and even trap cards.
Upon seeing the collection, Yugi, Jounouchi and Honda were in shock. They jumped up, seeing the impressive amount of cards that Kaiba had. They couldn't believe that Kaiba was willing to trade so many of his own cards, the ones he hung up on his wall nonetheless and used them in tournaments. "No way!" Jounouchi cried out, staring at the collection the champion had.
However, Sugaroku held the card close to himself. "No thanks," he declined without much thought.
Once again, they three boys were even more astonished by the refusal. Even Kaiba couldn't understand how someone could pass up an opportunity such as this. Then again, this was the Blue Eyes White Dragon, letting it go would not be an easy feat. "But why not?" Kaiba has to ask, wondering what he was missing.
Sugaroku once again gave off a light hearted laugh. "Kaiba-kun, I can understand how you feel about this card, however, I'm not keeping Blue Eyes because of its rarity." Kaiba and the others looked up to where the older man was staring up at a shelf, A picture rested on the level where Sugaroku was. In the frame was of him and a man with blond hair and mustache, smoking a pipe. He was no doubt America from the looks of it, but it seemed the two of them were pretty close in the picture. "This card was given to me from a good friend that lives in America. It's a symbol of our friendship, and holds the memory of how I got interested in Duel Monsters to begin with. Therefore, it has sentimental value that I just can't part with it." At Sugaroku's explanation, Kaiba gritted his teeth as his eyes narrowed. He was not pleased with the answer, since it meant the old man was not at all interested in giving it up for profit at this point. "Besides," the elder Mutou went on. "The cards you hold value are those that you put your heart into. Like how I've put my heart into this card. So, Kaiba-kun, that's why it's important to cherish the cards you do have so they can help lead you to victory."
Kaiba grunted, hearing the spheal that Sugaroku had given. As much as he seemed upset with the fact he couldn't get the Blue Eyes card, his face soon lost that determination. He put on a forced smile, closing the briefcase. "Perhaps you're right…" Kaiba admitted. "I was mistaken to have thought otherwise."
"I get how you felt, should the roles have been reversed, I would have probably done the same." Sugaroku assured him.
Kaiba bowed in respect again as he grabbed his briefcase. "Thank you, but I should be heading back home. It's getting late, Yugi." Kaiba looked over at the small student. "Thank you for your hospitality."
Yugi only smirked. "Thank you for coming over and showing us your collection. I'll try my best to be at your level!" He promised. Kaiba gave a side smile before heading out the door, leaving. After he was gone, everyone gathered around the oldest Mutou to compliment him.
"Gramps, you said some great things today!" Jounouchi cheered.
"I see you in a new light." Miho giggled as she hugged the old man. Sugaroku seemed embarrassed and even surprised by the sudden praises, but he seemed to accept them nonetheless. Yugi couldn't help but be proud of his grandfather as well. There really was more to Duel Monsters than just knowing the rules, you had to play with the cards you love and only then can you hope to win.
It wasn't long before everyone else had to leave the shop to head home. It was nearly dark outside and they had to get back before their families worried. Yugi and his grandfather had a pretty quiet night together as they were eating dinner. But the topic of Duel Monsters was brought up. "So, have you been studying the rules of the game, Yugi?" Sugaroku asked as he began to take his dishes to the sink.
Yugi nodded. "I know the basics, but I still have yet to build my deck. I want to be able to play the game so I can get on Kaiba's level. And I hope that the others will be interested in Duel Monsters as well."
Sugaroku chuckled. "Well, after my speech today, I think they are more than willing to learn." He began to clean off his dishes. Yugi set his plate on the counter as well, ready to help his grandfather out. That is until the phone began to ring nearby. Yugi was closer so he went towards the landline.
"I got it, Grandpa." Yugi assured, picking it up. He probably assumed it was his mother or father calling from their works. They usually checked up on him at around this time, so he didn't think that much of it. "Hello? Mutou residences." Yugi greeted on the other end. Instead of hearing the feminine voice of his mother or even the business accent of his father, it was a voice he heard only today. "Kaiba-kun?" Yugi was taken aback by the voice. How did Kaiba get his number? And why was he calling so late at night? The young highschooler listened as the prodigy was talking with him over the phone.
It was another day at Domino High, everyone was bustling about as they had their break for lunch. Some went to the cafeteria to get lunch and those that have already eaten were in the classrooms, the hallways or anywhere chatting about. With a new day, Yugi thought it would be a great idea to officially show the group how to play Duel Monsters. He had gathered some cards for them to play, though a lot of them were random and pretty weak in some regards. His grandfather was the one that supplied him the cards, but even he didn't have that much since it was still a new product in Japan. Yugi figured it was alright, after all he and his friends were technically beginners. He brought the field mat and sat it on the desk, then he began to shuffle some random cards into different decks. Once that was done, he beckoned Jounouchi and Honda to take a seat so he could begin to show them off. The two were more than happy to begin the game, both pumped up at the idea of wanting to beat the other.
"Alright Yugi, I think we're all set up." Honda stated as he held five cards in his hand.
"Yeah, go ahead and tell us what to do." Jounouchi assured, holding his set of cards.
"Alright, once the game starts, you each take one card from the pile during each of your standby phases. However, the person that goes first in the Duel does not draw a card." Yugi began to explain as he guided them.
"Then I'll start this Duel." Honda offered, looking over his hand and placed a monster on the field. "I play Pyramid Turtle in Attack mode, with an attack of 1200. Since it's a zombie, I'll place him in the graveyard. Then I'll end my turn from there."
"My turn then!" Jounouchi grinned as he drew a card from his deck. He seemed pleased with his draw as he laid down a semi-powerful monster. "I'll set Dark Dragon in attack mode on the field. He has 1500 attack points! That means I won!" Jounouchi cheered for himself.
"I lost." Honda sighed in defeat, slumping his head on the table.
Yugi, however, had to draw their attention. "Actually, Honda wins this round."
Both the blond and burnet turned towards the smaller student, with surprise and curiosity on their faces. "Why?!" They both asked in unison.
Yugi started to explain. "Pyramid Turtle may have lower attack and defense points than Dark Dragon, however, since it's a zombie type, it's field advantage is the graveyard. Whenever a monster of a certain type is placed in a certain field, they gain a power bonus depending on how much of that field covers the mat. Since the graveyard is 27 percent of the mat, the monster gains a 27 power boost, which brings its attack to 1524, a little over enough to take down Jounouchi's monster and deal some damage to his life points."
"Shit!" Jounouchi cursed as he tossed his cards onto the desk.
"I guess my cards have the beautification heart within them!" Honda praised.
"How can a beautification use something as dirty as a zombie to win?!" Jounouchi challenged.
Honda leaned in, rubbing his chin as he had a smug look on his face. "No need for poor sportsmanship." The burnet was pretty pleased to have won against the blond, even though he may not have realized he had won if it wasn't for Yugi.
As the two of them were bickering, Yugi noticed Anzu and Miho coming into the classroom. "Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun are playing Duel Monsters now?" Miho asked, seeing the two of them at the desk.
Anzu shrugged, giving her explanation. "They probably want to train to beat Kaiba-kun."
Jounouchi and Honda pointed at each other from across the desk, looking over at Anzu with a goofy smile and wide eyes. "It was his idea!" They both said in unison. As they gave their answer, the two of them stood up, glaring into one another's eyes. "What?!" It seemed that the two of them really had more in common than Yugi thought. Anzu sighed as she went over to try and calm the two of them down. They kept arguing and bickering, none of Anzu's attempts seemed to have gotten through to them. Yugi knew better than to get involved, it wasn't his business anyways. Besides, if they had a reason to want to duel, then it was good enough for him.
"Good morning, Yugi." The short student turned around, seeing Kaiba enter through the doorway. Everyone else was busy to have noticed he was there as they kept talking, so at the moment only Yugi knew he was in the classroom.
"Hello Kaiba," Yugi greeted.
"I see everyone else is taking up Duel Monsters." Kaiba noted as he looked over to the dueling mat on the desk.
Yugi nodded. "After yesterday, everyone wanted to get more into the game. I think they were just excited after seeing your collection and seeing my grandpa." Yugi explained.
Kaiba's eyes lit up at the mention of his grandfather. "By the way, about the phone call from last night…"
"Oh yeah," Yugi went into his backpack and began to rummage through. "Grandpa allowed me to borrow it for the day."
"Thank you," Kaiba leaned in closer to Yugi. "I had to see it again so badly. After he taught me to love my cards yesterday." Kaiba said to Yugi, as the glimmer of joy appeared in his eyes. A slight smirk on his face as Yugi handed Kaiba the card. Kaiba didn't even hesitate to grab the card, but he tried to be gentle with it. It was a precious card after all, and he didn't want to damage it. "Wow! It's just as amazing as the last time." He grinned wider as his eyes were locked onto the card. He seemed about ready to drool as he held onto the card.
Unbeknownst to Yugi though, Kaiba reached into his back pocket as he was getting something. Yugi was none the wiser though, since he was so trusting. "Thanks Yugi." Kaiba reached over, ready to give the card back to him. However, his fingers seemed to have slipped as the card fell and landed on the ground. "Ah, sorry…" He bent down, grabbing the card and bringing it back up. "Here…" Kaiba handed the card back to Yugi, who accepted it without question. However, Honda and Jounouchi seemed to have noticed something off about that exchange. Yugi was not aware at first though. "Sorry about that, fingers must have slipped."
"It's alright," Yugi assured him. "I'm sure Grandpa will be glad to know you really appreciated the card."
Kaiba smiled as he looked over at the card that was with Yugi. "Say Yugi, speaking of Duel Monsters, have you considered playing against me sometime?" Kaiba asked.
Yugi rubbed the back of his neck as he had a nervous look on his face. "I… dunno about that. I may know the rules, but I don't have a lot of confidence to duel against a champion such as yourself." Yugi admitted.
Kaiba thought that Yugi was just being humble, after all, he had a Blue Eyes White Dragon card, which meant he must have had many more good cards on him. Kaiba didn't blame Yugi though, the heir to the corporation had more experience with duels and had won all of them. "We don't have to play for the title," Kaiba assured. "But I get if you may feel a bit scared. I would consider it an honor to duel someone such as yourself."
"Really?" Yugi's eyes beamed at the compliment.
"Yeah, someone who loves the game as much as I do. Can you think about it at least?" Kaiba asked.
Yugi had to admit, being able to challenge someone as great as Kaiba would be ideal. Even if he was not yet ready, he could use the time to prepare. It wasn't like they were going to battle right away, so he figured why not accept the invite? "Alright, once I figure out my deck, I'll let you know when I'm ready." Kaiba took that as his answer. The bell rang and everyone picked up their messes and began to take their seats. Yugi took care of the Duel Monsters mat and cards. He placed everything back in his backpack, but as he held onto the Blue Eyes White Dragon card, he stared at it with intense eyes. He slowly put it back into his bag before taking his seat.
As the day came to a close, Yugi was walking back home. The sun was beginning to set since Yugi had to stay behind in class a bit longer to look over some notes. Cosmo was walking by his side though, since she had to stay behind to help out a few chores for the teachers. They decided to head home together, but as they were walking, there was this uneasy feeling inside of Yugi that he couldn't shake off. It was mostly due to him looking at the Blue Eyes Dragon as he held it in his hand. "Say Yugi, I wanted to ask you about Duel Monsters and the types?" Cosmo perked up as she looked at Yugi. But his mind was focused on the card that Kaiba gave to him. It just didn't seem right, and even though he knew why, he didn't say anything. "Yugi?" Cosmo called him.
"Huh?" Yugi turned to look back at Cosmo, who was staring at him with wide, blue eyes.
"Are you okay? You've been staring at the Blue Eyes card since we started walking from school." Cosmo noticed, which made Yugi look down to the ground as he stopped walking. The green haired girl looked at him with curiosity in his eyes. "Yugi?" She called out again.
Before he could answer, Anzu appeared behind them, walking up with Sparkle by her side. "Yugi! Cosmo!" Anzu greeted them.
"Anzu! Sparkle-chan!" Cosmo blinked as she saw the two girls together. "What are you doing here?"
"Sparkle and I wanted to let you know that Jounouchi and Honda are planning on playing Kaiba in Duel Monsters." Anzu explained. Yugi and Cosmo's eyes went wide as Anzu mentioned that. Jounouchi and Honda wanted to take on Kaiba? They only just recently learned how to play, were they that confident or was there something else?
"I'm surprised they are even attempting it," Sparkle rolled her eyes. "Kaiba isn't someone to mess with."
"Sparkle… you know about Kaiba?" Yugi asked, quite shocked.
"Pretty much everyone knows about Seto Kaiba," Sparkle explained. "In Japan, he is known as the heir to Kaiba Corporation, which has been known to be one of the top gaming companies in the country. But in America, he's known as the reigning Champion. I've seen him duel in the American tournament of Duel Monsters, the first ones in fact. He's definitely skilled in the game, and he raises the stakes with every Duel he has."
"Guess he's more intimidating than we first thought," Anzu noted.
"And he's more dangerous…" Everyone looked over at Sparkle, wondering what else she was going to say. "Rumor has it that during the tournaments in America, a bunch of people were knocked unconscious. When they came to, they mentioned that they were being hunted down by some buffed suited men, forcing them to hand over the most powerful card they had in their decks."
"What?" Anzu gasped. "Are you serious!?"
Sparkle nodded. "It gets worse. The people that had their cards taken were participants in tournaments that Kaiba was a part of. And the men that they described were pretty similar to the body guards that Kaiba has whenever he goes out publicly. What's more, after Kaiba had come back to Japan, these mysterious attacks and thefts stopped in the states. If you ask me, all the evidence adds up. Though there is no physical evidence, there is no mistaking that there is a suspect."
Upon hearing that, everyone was even more shocked. Sparkle had such information about Kaiba that she didn't share before. Then again, as Yugi looked at the card that he held, it wouldn't have mattered since there would have been nothing for Seto to gain. Unless there was something for him to gain. Something he would want much more that he would trade nearly anything for it. The shortest of the four tucked the paper away and picked up his feet, heading in the direction of the school. "Yugi-kun!" Cosmo and Anzu called out, but their words fell on deaf ears. He should have known, no, he knew all along but he didn't want to say anything because he didn't want to believe it. He wanted to be wrong, but if what Sparkle said was true then he had to be there. Yugi hoped that they were still at the school, he needed to stop this before it got out of hand. He ran as fast as his short legs could carry him.
When he made it to the grounds of the school, he was thankful to see that Kaiba's limo was there. Which meant that they were still in the building, but he had to find him. As Yugi looked in the classrooms, he soon came up empty handed. The only logical location he could think to look was the roof. With little breath in his lungs, he ran up the stairs and opened the door to see the scene that was before him. Lying face down on the ground were Jounouchi and Honda, bruised with fist indents and foot prints. Kaiba and two suited men were standing over them. "Jounouchi! Honda!" Yugi shouted, seeing the damage that they received. He looked up, seeing Kaiba with a blank stare. No longer did he have such passion in his eyes nor that kind smile, he looked over at Yugi, not even trying to hide any remorse.
"Yugi, let me explain." Kaiba tried to protest. "They were falsely accusing me of something unbelievable." His voice didn't even sound concerned or guilty for that matter. Yugi stepped forward, not wanting to play along with Kaiba's feigned ignorance.
"They claimed that you switched my Grandpa's card, didn't they?" Yugi asked solemnly while looking down. Kaiba had a look of shock on his face, as Yugi continued. "I noticed it myself. I didn't say anything because I thought you would have returned it eventually. Since you love games so much." As Yugi looked up, the grin on Kaiba's face went wider, which indicated how wrong Yugi really was this whole time. "Now I see that I was wrong… Please! Give me back the card right now! I know you still have it, right?! It's important to my grandpa who cherishes it based on memory not power!" Yugi attempted to beg Kaiba as much as he could. He even walked over, grabbing him by the sleeves. "It's like Grandpa's heart! So please, give it back!" Yugi begged, looking up into Kaiba's eyes. Despite his pleas, Yugi did not seem to get through to the CEO. He glared at Yugi, with a newfound hatred as he shoved Yugi off of him with the hand that was holding his briefcase. Yugi fell to the ground, betrayal in his eyes and heart as he looked up at Kaiba while he towered over him.
"A card is a heart? Do you even hear yourself?" He mocked down at Yugi. "It's just a piece of paper. They are only useful when the proper person reveals its true power." Yugi cowered against the fence of the school roof, he had not seen this side of Kaiba with his own eyes before. Now that he revealed his true character, it was that more terrifying. "Tell your grandfather this…" Kaiba warned. "Heart has nothing to do with games! Only skill and having the motivation to reach such desires yourself is what they mean. Though tell him that I will thank him for giving me such a great card." With that, Kaiba turned on his heels and walked away, heading to the stairs of the roof.
Yugi got up, attempting to follow him and even called out his name. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that he was not alone. He got picked up by the back of his collar, being face to face with one of the two body guards. "Don't even think about it, boy!" The man balled his hand into a fist, punching Yugi right in the guts. Yugi screamed in pain, as he was let go. Falling onto his knees and then face first onto the roof. It was more than enough to knock him unconscious, as his Millennium Puzzle began to glow.
The moment Yugi felt himself lose control over his body, he began to feel a familiar power flowing into him. Yugi felt like he couldn't breathe, but it was only for a moment as he was engulfed in the ability and lost complete consciousness. But his body moved as a dark aura surrounded him, and made him gain a new personality. The symbol of the eye from the puzzle was glowing on his forehead as Yugi's eyes went from a round, light violet color, to a sharper, crimson tone. A smirk appeared on his face as 'Yugi' picked himself up and drew the attention of the two body guards. The guards were readying to attack once again, but the smirk only widened as the two men paused in their movements. 'Yugi' chuckled. "Sometimes, physical attacks aren't enough to take down an opponent." With just the snap of his fingers, the guards grunted and hissed in pain as they held onto their heads. They soon fell to their knees, losing their eyesight as they fell to the ground, being knocked out.
'Yugi' soon made his way back to the entrance of the school building, where Kaiba was just about to head into his limousine. "Kaiba!" 'Yugi called out to the brunet. He turned around, seeing the more serious 'Yugi' looking at him with determined eyes. "It's time for our duel."
Kaiba noticed this and backed away, somewhat intimidated by this new personality 'Yugi' was giving off. Was this some sort of trick, or did 'Yugi' finally gain a back bone? Kaiba had so many questions as to what was going on, however, he was challenged by 'Yugi' and he was never one to back down from said challenge. The two of them were brought into a classroom, setting up their decks and even the Duel Monsters mat on a desk. They sat across from one another, both having their legs crossed as they were prepared for the battle game they would play.
"So, you finally agreed to my offer. But have you forgotten you are challenging a Duel Monsters expert?" Kaiba wondered, now being able to be who he really is. And yet, part of him was somewhat ecstatic to finally have this duel with 'Yugi'.
'Yugi' kept his arms crossed over his chest, having just as much confidence as Kaiba at the moment. "Of course. Now then, this Duel Monsters game will be much different than others." He warned his rival.
"Oh?" Kaiba mused. "I'm looking forward to seeing that, Yugi." His eyes narrowed at the opponent across from him. Kaiba could tell right away that something was off. The Yugi he had known never had this much courage. Whatever this new facade he was doing was, Kaiba would not let it distract him from this challenge.
"Well then, we each have 40 cards and start off with two thousand life points." 'Yugi' reminded him.
"And whichever one of us reaches zero, will be the loser." Kaiba smirked as he kept his eyes focused on the one across from him.
"Then… Game, start!" 'Yugi' declared.
Kaiba didn't hesitate, taking the opportunity to go first as he looked at the five cards in his hand. "My turn, I summon 'Gargoyle'" Kaiba declared as he placed the card on a forest area. "I place him on the Dark Forest field!" The moment that his card hit the mat, green smoke began to seep from the card as it warped its way around the desk. "What's this?!" Kaiba backed away, seeing the smoke filling the room as before his eyes, the monster that was on the card rose from the paper, looking just as real as him and 'Yugi'. It pounded on it's chest as it roared. Kaiba couldn't believe what he was seeing. Could this have been another trick from Yugi? No, not even he could set something this advanced up.
"I warned you, Kaiba." 'Yugi' claimed. "Now, my turn! I draw a card, and will block your attack with this monster." He set a monster card on the Lake field. "Dark Dragon." 'Yugi' called out the name. Just like the first monster, Dark Dragon became real and growled at Kaiba's monster. While Gargoyle went from 1000 attack points to 1500 attack points in the Forest Field, Dark Dragon's original attack was 1500, but went up to 2000 with the Lake Field power bonus. Therefore, making Yugi win that round and deducting five hundred life points from Kaiba. "Turn end." Before the CEO could even be discouraged with the loss, he looked back to the field, seeing the smoke coming from his own card starting to vanish before the piece of paper disappeared from the board.
"My card is…" Kaiba trailed off.
"That's right…" 'Yugi' began to explain. "The losing card is destroyed and removed from the game. This game is a Duel Monsters Shadow Game."
Kaiba's shock only lasted a split second, before he began to laugh. When he looked up, a crazed expression was drawn on his face. "Interesting! Very interesting, Yugi! Now this is the kind of ultimate game I've been searching for!" Kaiba drew a card from his deck and checked his hand, looking for a new strategy. "But this duel will be me! I use one of the strongest cards in my deck, Minotaurus!" He set the card down in the desert, making the creature become real and battle against the dragon that 'Yugi' set. Even when the Dark Dragon fires flames at Minotaurus, the monster blocks it with its sword. From 1700 attack points to 2500, it is enough to cut through the Dark Dragons neck, decapitating it and bringing 'Yugi's' life points to be equal to Kaiba's. Thus destroying his card in the process. Even though 'Yugi' looked disgruntled, he didn't seem to flinch at the attack.
"Now, I'll end my turn." Kaiba said as he was all for this Shadow Game of Duel Monsters. He was fairly certain that 'Yugi' would not be able to pull something that could spare him from such a powerful monster. "Try as you might, no monster can have the attack to take down my Minotaurus!"
"You think so?" 'Yugi' challenged that thought as he drew. "Holy Elf, I'll play her in Defense mode in the forest field. She may not have a high attack, but her defense will be 2700, so you can not attack with such a monster."
Kaiba looked at the female elf on the field. "Not bad, playing defense is all you can do though. However, attacking like this will make me lose my life points." Kaiba noted as he looked over his cards. "So I'll also place Minotaurus in defense and set one card face down, which will end my turn."
'Must be a magic card,' 'Yugi' thought as he looked at Kaiba's side of the field. 'If he combines it with his current strength, I may be at a disadvantage.' He drew his card and looked over his hand, hoping for a miracle. However, the card he did draw was a level 2 monster with 300 attack and 200 defense. It was nowhere near enough to take down the monster Kaiba currently had. He grunted, knowing that he had no such cards as of now he could use to gain him the upper hand. "I end my turn without playing a card."
Kaiba chuckled. "Big mistake, Yugi. I activate the magic card, Growth. Minotaurus attack power increases by three hundred, bringing him up to 2800." His monster roared in power, as it used its sword to slash Holy Elf, making Yugi lose his monster. But due to it being in defense, he lost no Life Points, so he was safe. But Kaiba kept laughing, knowing he had an advantage now. "No matter what you do, nothing can stop Minotaurus now! Turn end. Now, let's see what you do, Yugi."
Yugi placed his hand over the deck, ready to draw his next card. "Don't think that I'll give up that easily!" 'Yugi' told Kaiba.
"Prolong your defeat if you want."
'Yugi' looked at the card he had just drawn, and the look of confidence along with his smug grin returned on his face. "You may have strong monsters, but I have powerful cards in my deck as well." Kaiba was astonished, what kind of card could 'Yugi' have drawn that could turn the tables around? He got his answer as 'Yugi' put a monster card on the field. "Summon Demon! I'll set him in the Dark Forest."
"What?! You have one of the five rare cards in Duel Monsters to date?!" How could Yugi have such a powerful card? He thought he only had the Blue Eyes, but clearly his grandfather must have been holding out on Kaiba. Summoned Demon only had 2500 attacks, but in the Dark Forest, it went up to 3100 attack points. With lightning abilities, it took down Kaiba's monster with ease, and reduced him to 1200 Life points as his card disappeared.
"Looks like it can be anyone's game at the rate things are going…" 'Yugi' declared. "Turn End. Now, let's see what card you draw next."
Kaiba was not going to give up that easily. 'Yugi' may have a strong monster on his field, but there was still one card that Kaiba had. While it wasn't technically 'his' card, it would no doubt be the tipping point in this duel. He reached into his pocket, finding the card he needed and acted as if he placed it on the deck. "That's not true," Kaiba assured as his mouth widened. "You may think that the heart controls this game… but there's still skill! And my card is…" He drew the card he placed, looking at the Blue Eyes White Dragon in all its glory. However, he knew it would be more special once he summoned it to the field. "Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba placed it on the lake, believing it would be his ace card to win.
'Yugi' had a nervous expression on his features, but kept his smirk. "So you had it after all…" His eyes wavered, knowing his suspicions were correct. Now he only needed to survive his attack. With the drop of water, the creature turned real and came out of the waves. Just the blinding light of the dragon was enough to decrease 'Yugi's' Life points without an official attack. The Blue Eyes was at 3600 attack, with the increased bonus, it was a force not to be messed with.
"Go! Blue Eyes Dragon!" Kaiba commanded, laughing his head off, as he was certain victory was in his grasp. Nothing would be able to stop him, for there was no card that Yugi could possibly draw that would even come close to matching up this dragon's power. However, as seconds passed, Kaiba noticed that, despite 'Yugi's' life points decreasing, the dragon was not at all attacking. It stood there, facing off against Summoned Demon, but neither monsters were making any moves. "What's wrong?!" Kaiba slammed his fists onto the table in pure anger, giving his order to the monster. "Finish him!"
The monster did not respond, as the Millenium Puzzle around 'Yugi's' neck began glowing, emphasising that this duel was nearly over. 'Yugi' pointed at the one across from him, for he was now the one smiling in triumph. "Kaiba, you really don't get it, do you? There's a reason why Blue Eyes White Dragon isn't taking your orders. Because it knows that you are not the true owner."
"Wh-What?!" Kaiba felt sweat dripping from his face. There was no way! Kaiba couldn't believe it.
"I can see it." 'Yugi' assured, as he looked at the Blue eyes on the field, envisioning his grandfather with a heartfelt laughter in the background. "I can feel Grandpa's heart within that Blue Eyes. Where it's loyalty truly lies."
"It can't be!" Kaiba protested, as he watched purple mist surround Blue Eyes, making the life-like image disintegrate. "Blue Eyes is disappearing?!"
"It's will to fight and loyalty to Grandpa is what's causing it's values to clash." 'Yugi' explained. Kaiba and 'Yugi' could see this for themselves, as the monster roared while the purple fog was consuming it. The creature was killing itself off in an attempt to not betray it's true owner. With a flash of blue light, the dragon was erased from Kaiba's side of the field.
He held onto the card, staring at it in disbelief as it continued to smoke from the paper. "This can't be!" Kaiba was denying it more and more. "How can a card possess a will of their own?!" It wasn't until the card fully disintegrated, did he have a complete look of loss and defeat on his face.
"Think of it what you will," 'Yugi' stated as he drew a card from his deck. "I play the spell card, Monster Reborn. It can revive one monster from either player's graveyard."
"No way… don't tell me…" Kaiba was practically shaking now as he stared at the spell card, for he knew which card 'Yugi' planned to revive. With only that spell alone, the white dragon was now on 'Yugi's' side of the field, ready to fight for the right owner. "It's over, Kaiba. No matter what you do, nothing will stop Blue Eyes."
Kaiba would not give up, he drew another card, wanting to win no matter what. "I still have one more turn!" He looked at the card in his hand, Drawing Gremlin, which had 2500 attack points. "Gremlin! No! I can't win with this weak card...unless…" Kaiba looked at the field, placing the card between two different land locations. "There! I place him between the mountains and forest!"
"What?!" 'Yugi' seemed to be the shocked one now, seeing the Gremlin going up against the Blue Eyes. A volcano was erupting from the background, making the battle between them that much more intense. The earth beneath the Blue Eyes split open, causing the monster to fall into the abyss.
"Germlin's ability splits the land, causing the destruction of all monsters including mine! We take damage equal to half of our monsters attack points, meaning this duel ends in a draw!" Kaiba declared with a crazed look in his eyes. As he spoke, the room began to fill with light purple smoke, causing him to disappear before 'Yugis's' eyes. "We will meet again, Yugi!" Kaiba warned him.
Once the smoke cleared, Kaiba was nowhere to be seen. He must have escaped the room and ran off. With both of them losing, neither one of them would be delivered the punishment of the Shadow Game. The desk that once had the Dueling mat was broken in half, because of Kaiba's card which caused the land on the map to be split in half. Even though 'Yugi' didn't win, he didn't officially lose either. He only needed to get one card from Kaiba, and he did just that. "Just as you would expect from a Duel Monsters expert." 'Yugi' said to himself. He looked down at the ground, seeing the Blue Eyes White Dragon fully intact. He grabbed it, looking at it as he smiled. "I've got your heart back, Grandpa." 'Yugi' stated. He needed the card, and he got it back. Though he had a sinking feeling that Kaiba would stay true to his words. Which meant he would have to be ready when that happened.
Another day was shining in the sky, as Yugi was heading to school with Jounouchi, Anzu and Cosmo. The group seemed pretty calm and even happy for the most part. "I'm glad you were able to find your grandfather's card." Cosmo said as she looked over at Yugi.
"I have to thank Jounouchi and Honda for that." Yugi admitted.
"We didn't do anything really," Jounouchi claimed as he had his arms behind the back of his head.
"What do you mean?" Anzu asked.
"When we came to, those guards were just on the ground, unresponsive. And Kaiba was nowhere to be seen." Jounouchi explained.
"Then… if you two didn't do that, who did?" Cosmo had to wonder as even she was confused.
"Well what matters is that Yugi got his card back." Anzu tried to assure, since it was all over with now. Yugi was just glad that things seemed to have gone back to normal. Everyone paused as they heard some giggling from behind, looking over to see Honda riding his bike with Miho behind him.
"This is way better than a taxi!" she cheered as they rode down the path.
"Really Miho?!" Honda blushed as he looked behind her, not paying attention to the road at all. The four looked to see the two coming down together. When Honda saw them, he seemed more than happy. "We finally found something we can do together!"
"Faster Honda, go faster!" Miho pleaded.
"Okay!" He obeyed her command, riding past the four as they watched them go off in a giggling fit.
"Eh?! H-Honda-kun! Watch out!" Cosmo called out to them. But it was too late as their laughter of fun turned in panicked screams. The four bystanders watched as they crashed into some trash cans, knocking them from their bike and having Miho land on Honda. They had spirals for eyes and they became dizzy.
"Are you okay?!" Anzu asked, seeing the two of them on the ground.
They only responded with fits of delirious giggles and stutters. Yugi laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "They seem alright to me."
"Damn… Useless beautification guy." Jounouchi mocked Honda.