Seto is the most passionate duelist in the series. I think some people might argue with me about that, pointing to Yugi or Joey, but I don't think anyone in this whole-ass franchise has ever poured as much blood, sweat, and tears into the game than he has.

And speaking as someone who's poured all of himself into his passions . . . I may not be as flashy as Seto, but that doesn't mean I lack conviction.

Mostly, I lack money.

.

"Have you ever been to Ireland, my prince?"

Seto frowned thoughtfully. "No," he said. "Why?"

Kisara shrugged and gestured randomly. "I noticed that there are monsters among your army, here, who bear a not-insignificant resemblance to banshees, and other faeries for that matter. I wondered how such creatures came to find themselves in your service."

Seto hummed. "I have collected at least one copy of every Magic & Wizards card to ever exist. Well, I mean, aside from two of the Egyptian Gods. I certainly attempted to collect those, too." He cleared his throat, looking embarrassed for a moment. "Every legitimate card, let's say, is mine. I've attempted to play any number of matches with every theme I've come across. I have dueled with faerie decks before."

Kisara frowned. "Surely to earn a monster's loyalty, one must do more than use them."

Seto laughed quietly. "Kisara, you misunderstand how I approach this game. If I construct a deck, before I step into battle with it I've spent more time with the cards than most players ever will. This is more than a hobby for me. It is a cornerstone of my career, and the only aspect of magic that I've ever permitted myself to care about."

Kisara smiled. "Sometimes," she said, "I forget just how much passion you pour into what you chase. The day-to-day dealings I see you work through are so . . . mundane. There is so much routine, so much bureaucracy, and there is so little time or space for you to spread your wings."

"It's the sacrifice I make for the life I lead," Seto said. "All in all, I'd call it a minor one."

"I am sorry," Kisara said, "that the first time you've had cause to meet your soldiers like this . . . has been on account of a danger I've brought to your doorstep. I'm certain you would have much rather seen them in a more controlled environment. Possibly in a celebratory one, where security was not placed at so much a premium." She gestured. "Everything about this is so . . . grim."

Seto shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said. "This is no picnic, no vacation, but that doesn't mean I'm not above finding some measure of joy in watching my monsters work. To stand beside them, like I've always envisioned." He swept his arm wide to encompass the whole camp. "This, right here, is precisely what I wanted to see out of the Duel Disk when I first built it. This is why I bent Solid Vision toward entertainment, and toward Magic & Wizards specifically. To replicate this. To reinforce the idea that we are truly generals on the field, guiding our soldiers to war."

Kisara nodded. She smiled, just a little. "If only you could show this marvel to the rest of the world," she said.

"I'd like that," Seto admitted, "if only because I think it would make my predecessor roll in his grave. But I think most players understand, at least on some level, that the cards they use have power to protect them. They can trust their monsters, and their spells and traps, to protect them."

"You're quite the romantic, aren't you, my prince?"

"Don't tell anyone."