It's been a week since Yukio was introduced to the game of duel monsters. Since his duel with Lucas, he has updated his deck with new cards from packs.
It's a regular Tuesday in Domino City. Yukio is in the middle of one of his classes, idly looking out the window at the sky.
After the last class of the day wraps, the students make haste leaving the grounds. Yukio stands alone outside the gate as the last student passes him. Lucas had to help family with their shop, and Akio had other commitments.
Yukio looks around, but can't see anyone else at first. He starts walking down the street, passing the various trees planted along the pavement.
After the third tree, he comes across a misshapen tree with two branches. He stops walking and looks at it. It's a person dressed as a tree.
He just stares at them, waiting for them to turn around to face him. After a few seconds of silence, he grabs a stick from the ground and pokes them in the back.
The tree turns around to reveal Leonard in disguise. They just stare at each other again before saying something.
"Why are you dressed as a tree?"
"Because my wall costume was in the dry cleaners," Leonard replies, stepping out of costume to show him in full uniform underneath.
Yukio just shakes his head in disbelief. "Do you have it?"
Leonard nods, reaching back into the costume, he pulls out a picture. He hands it to Yukio to examine. "His name is Ryuga Fukyūna. Although, he's also referred to as 'The Undying Dragon'."
Yukio examines the picture of Ryuga while Leonard gives him more details on the character. The person in the image looks older than him, with dyed blonde hair in the attire of a delinquent.
"Lucas told me about a rumoured duellist known for taking other duelists cards," Yukio comments.
"Oh yeah, Ryuga is a tough duellist. He's beaten players all over Domino. He plays with the ante rule. Winner takes the lover's best card."
Yukio hands back the photo. "And where is he now?"
"I don't know. But his main duelling ground is this game shop downtown by the karaoke bar." Just as Leonard finishes talking, Yukio starts walking off, and he follows after him. "Wait, you're not thinking of challenging him, are you? He's undefeated. Why do you think they call him Undying?"
Yukio keeps walking, his blank stare now filled with determination. He reaches into his pocket, and pulls out his deck. The bottom of his deck is Tri-Horned Dragon, his ace monster. "You said this guy is undefeated?"
"He's never lost a game. He's on the same level as Insector Haga, or Dinosaur Ryuzaki. Even with that dragon card of yours, you can't win."
Yukio puts his cards back into his jacket pocket, and continues walking. "The best way to fight a dragon is with a dragon."
Seeing that Yukio is determined to face Ryuga, Leonard runs after him, helping lead him to the right game shop.
They arrive outside the game shop. While part of a complex, the shop remains on the ground floor. Looking through the window, Yukio sees a store counter with the shop owner behind it, as well as some occupied tables with duels already happening.
Before Leonard could talk him out of it, Yukio enters the shop to search for Ryuga, and he walks in afterwards.
They look around the shop until they see a crowd in the back. Yukio walks over to find the finale to a duel. A duellist in a uniform from a different school just lost. His opponent was Ryuga. Yukio stands there and watches.
The high schooler drops their cards in defeat, their expression blank and lifeless as they look the colour in their eyes. Ryuga sits back in his chair while one of his gang members cools him off with a fan.
"And that's another one who thought that could beat me. Where do these rejects come from?" Ryuga scoffs, biting down on a chewed up toothpick. "And now, my prize," he reaches across the game board, and takes one of their cards. "Gaia, the Dark Knight. This will make a fine addition to my collection." He hands the card over to another gang member.
Their opponent picks up what's left of their deck and runs out the door, passing Yukio and Leonard on the way out. Yukio watches as the gang member takes the card, and slots it into a blinder full of rare cards.
"I think I should move on to the next city. I doubt there's a duellist here that can give me a worthy challenge. Or anything rare enough to add to my collection," Ryuga sounds proud and boastful as his gang cheers him on.
Yukio has had enough, and approaches the table. "Ryuga Fukyūna? The Undying Dragon?"
Ryuga looks up from his chair to see Yukio standing there. "That's me. Who the hell are you?" He says before tossing his pick at him. It misses Yukio, and instead hits the dart board behind him.
"Yukio Sakurai. I heard you were a strong duellist in terms of gameplay. I've come to challenge you to a duel." Yukio remains steadfast, and straight faced while staring down the goliath.
Ryuga's gang start laughing amongst themselves but Ryuga is quick to silence them with a snap of his fingers.
"You talk tough, but know this. I don't duel just anybody. So if you want to challenge me, you got to have something pretty special to put up for ante when you lose. I ain't playing some newbie for Mushroom Man."
Yukio nods as he reaches into his jacket for his deck. "For my ante, I will put up my rarest card," he reveals his card to them. The gang members nearly faint at the sight of it, while Ryuga grins.
"Tri-Horn Dragon. That's a pretty powerful card. I could use it for my deck. You have yourself a duel rookie," Ryuga gestures to the empty seat. "Sit down."
Yukio takes his seat at the table, before setting his deck down beside the duel mat. Leonard watches from the sidelines, keeping out of Ryuga's sight, but close enough to see the duel. He wishes Yukio luck before the duel starts.