Hello, everyone. ThunderReborn from 2025. This chapter has originally been edited by TM11 when this chapter was originally released. On April 1st, 2020, this chapter was edited again by Darklord331. Finally, in April 2025, this chapter was edited again by my current beta reader, Waroyer123. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story.
The following is a fan-based parody.
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, TV Tokyo, Viz Media, Studio Pierrot... and other people.
Yugioh is owned by Kazuki Takahashi, Konami… 4Kids?... and other people.
All other references of characters or abilities are not mine.
Please support the official release.
"Hello." -Normal talking
"Hello." –Ichigo's thoughts.
"Hello." – Zanpakutō speaking
"Hello." – Zanpakutō thoughts.
Kon'nichiwa [Translation of Hello]
Chapter 12:
Ichigo was driving his car down the road from Kuoh. Sitting to his left was Eucliwood Hellscythe, dubbed as Eu, and in the back were his two sisters, Yuzu and Karin.
"Ichi-nii… aren't you worried that Goat-chin will ask Urahara-san to track the phone number?" Karin asked.
"No, I'm not worried. You see, I was forced to see him a few days ago. He agreed to help me whenever I asked for it. This includes transferring you two to Kuoh," Ichigo answered.
"I see…" Karin said.
"Anyway… does anyone have any idea where to go?" Ichigo asked the group.
"I don't know. It's not like we're going to get a phone call that leads us to our next adventure," Karin said sarcastically.
"Karin. Don't question fate. She's a bitch," Eu said plainly.
"Wha..?" Karin replied. Suddenly, everyone's phone rang. Ichigo handed Eu his phone, while Yuzu and Karin pulled out theirs.
"It's from the police," Yuzu said.
"As of 9:46 a.m., Kaiba Mokuba, age 10, was kidnapped by three men," Karin read aloud.
"The kidnappers used a white van with the license plate 29-74," Eu added.
"Is that it?" Ichigo asked, pointing to the van on their right. Yuzu, Karin, and Eu looked closer and saw that the white van next to them had the same license plate number.
"It is!" they screamed.
Ichigo changed lanes to get closer to the white van and used his Quincy Ring to create a gun, shooting the rear tires. The van swerved and crashed into the wall. Ichigo destroyed the gun as he parked the car and walked out. The thugs in the van jumped out and tried to attack him, but Ichigo quickly knocked them out and approached the van. Inside, he saw one thug pointing a gun at a child with black short hair, wearing a green uniform. The child looked nervous and scared. Behind the thug, Ichigo noticed Eu standing just outside.
Ichigo took a few steps back. The thug smiled, thinking his hostage was keeping Ichigo at bay, but suddenly, Eu broke the glass, grabbed both the thug and Mokuba, and threw them out of the van. Ichigo managed to catch the child.
"You all right?" Ichigo asked.
"I am," Mokuba replied.
"See my car? Get inside. My sisters are in there. They'll check if you're injured," Ichigo instructed. Mokuba did as told and ran to the car. Meanwhile, Ichigo and Eu tied up the thugs and then ran back to their car, driving off.
"Yuzu, Karin, how is he?" Ichigo asked.
"He's fine," Yuzu replied.
"Your name is Mokuba, right?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes…" Mokuba responded, hoping the stranger wouldn't kidnap him for ransom.
"Where do you live?" Ichigo asked.
"What?" Mokuba replied, confused.
"Mokuba, I'm asking where you live so I can take you back to your family," Ichigo clarified.
"Um… Domino City," Mokuba answered.
"Karin, give Mokuba your phone so he can call his family," Ichigo instructed.
"Okay, Ichi-nii," Karin said, handing her phone to Mokuba.
Mokuba dialed his brother's number and placed the phone to his ear, waiting for it to connect. Soon, his brother picked up.
"Who is this? How did you get this number?" Seto yelled.
"Big brother, it's me," Mokuba replied.
"Mokuba? Are you all right? Where are you? How did you get a phone?" Seto questioned urgently. Mokuba froze.
"Mokuba, give me the phone," Ichigo said. Mokuba handed it over.
"Hello?" Ichigo said.
"WHO ARE YOU? WHERE IS MOKUBA?" Seto shouted.
"Calm down. I'm not one of the kidnappers. I rescued him. He's safe in my car, and we're driving to Domino City right now. We should be there in about thirty minutes," Ichigo explained.
"Why should I trust you?" Seto asked suspiciously.
"Well… you could do a background check on me if you want. You could also track this phone's signal," Ichigo suggested.
"Your name?" Seto asked.
"Kurosaki Ichigo," Ichigo replied.
"I see," Seto said. "Fine, I trust you for now. I'll text you my address so you can bring him to my house."
"Thanks. Do you want to talk to Mokuba more?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes," Seto said. Ichigo handed the phone back to Mokuba, and the two resumed their conversation. Once finished, Karin allowed Mokuba to erase the call from her phone's memory. Afterward, Karin and Mokuba started talking about some online games they had played.
After thirty minutes, they arrived in front of a mansion. Ichigo noticed an intercom button near the gate. He stopped the car and walked over to press it.
"Hello?" Ichigo said.
"Hello. Who am I speaking to?" a voice replied.
"My name is Kurosaki Ichigo a—" Ichigo began before being interrupted.
"Ah! You're the one returning Master Mokuba, right?" the voice said.
"Yes," Ichigo confirmed.
"Go inside," the voice said, and the intercom clicked off as the gate began to open.
Ichigo got back in the car and drove up toward the mansion. Everyone noticed how well-constructed the mansion was; it reminded Ichigo and Eu of the Gregory Mansion. They soon arrived at the mansion's front door. Ichigo turned off the engine, and everyone got out. Mokuba led them through the mansion until they were in a large office filled with books of all kinds. In the middle of the office was a well-designed desk, with a chair facing the window.
"I thought I ordered no one to enter my office!" Seto yelled.
"Big brother, it's me," Mokuba said. Seto turned around and saw Mokuba. He quickly ran toward his little brother.
"Mokuba," Seto said, hugging his little brother.
"How sweet," Yuzu said. After their brief moment, Seto looked at Ichigo.
"Thank you for saving my little brother," Seto said, looking at Ichigo. "Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Ichigo," Ichigo said.
"I'm Yuzu," Yuzu said.
"I'm Karin," Karin said.
"My name is Eu," Eu said.
"Anyway, why are you here in Domino City?" Seto asked.
"Well, all of us are from Karakura Town. Due to personal reasons, I left Karakura Town. Yuzu and Karin decided to leave with me, and now I travel around the world, supporting these two while they finish high school," Ichigo said. "Which reminds me…" Ichigo added. "You two need to finish studying because, in a few days, you'll be attending Kuoh Academy," Ichigo said.
"But Ichi-nii!" they yelled.
"I agreed to take care of you, but you're still going to attend school," Ichigo said. The girls were about to pout, but Ichigo quickly added, "No puppy eyes. If I see those, I'll duct tape you two and ship you back home to Goat-Chin."
The girls sighed in defeat and responded, "Fine, Ichi-nii," sounding depressed.
"Let's make a deal," Ichigo said. The two looked up. "This semester, if both of you score in the top five of your class and the top ten of the entire school, I'll take you with me wherever I'm going until school starts again," Ichigo proposed.
"YES!" Yuzu and Karin quickly replied. Seto and Mokuba smiled at the antics of the Kurosaki family.
"Do you have a job right now?" Seto asked.
"Well… right now, no. How come?" Ichigo asked.
"I want to see if you'd like to become my bodyguard," Seto said.
"What about Mokuba?" Ichigo asked.
"I can be his bodyguard," Eu said.
"Are you sure?" Seto asked, unsure of the little cosplaying girl. Suddenly, Seto was slammed down, both of his arms held by Eu while her knee pinned his shoulders.
"FINE! I BELIEVE YOU! GET OFF MY BACK!" Seto yelled in pain. Eu responded and helped Seto up.
"Anyway, Ichigo, you'll be my bodyguard, and Eu will be Mokuba's," Seto said as he walked back to his desk, bringing out two contracts and handing them to Ichigo and Eu. "You'll be paid 5000 yen (about 44 dollars) an hour, with medical and dental insurance. You'll also receive three meals a day and won't have to worry about living expenses," Seto explained. "Do you have any questions?"
"I might have other things I need to take care of… how should I inform you?" Ichigo asked.
"I'll allow you to handle your tasks when I'm back at the mansion," Seto said. "Any other questions?"
"Are you two going to stay here right now?" Ichigo asked.
"No," Seto replied.
"Well… I'm going to take Yuzu and Karin back to Kuoh Academy," Ichigo said.
"Ok. Let me get your number," Seto said. Ichigo and Seto exchanged numbers, and then the four left to take Yuzu and Karin to Kuoh Academy.
"Big brother… is that a good idea?" Mokuba asked.
"It actually is," Seto said.
"Why?" Mokuba asked.
"That's Kurosaki Ichigo. He's older than me by one year. Even though I run the company, school sometimes conflicts. But with Ichigo here, he can tutor both you and me on the material we've missed," Seto explained.
"I see…" Mokuba said.
"Not only that, but he's also well known in many sports communities all over Japan," Seto added.
"Ok…" Mokuba said, then left to get resituated. Ichigo drove Yuzu and Karin back to Kuoh. There, Ichigo greeted Issei and explained the situation, including the fact that Yuzu and Karin would be attending Kuoh Academy.
"If my sisters are injured in any way, you better hope it's not your fault," Ichigo threatened before driving back to Seto's mansion. One of the butlers guided Ichigo and Eu to their rooms. Ichigo's room was next to Seto's, and Eu's was next to Mokuba's. With that, Ichigo and Eu spent some time learning their schedules. A maid knocked on their doors and informed them that it was dinnertime. Ichigo and Eu went back downstairs to the dining room for dinner. Afterward, they returned to their rooms and went to bed.
Time Skip: One Week Later
During the past week at Seto's mansion, Ichigo woke up early each day for morning exercises, which included running laps around the estate. Afterward, he practiced controlling the elemental powers he'd gained from Michael. For fire, he had to use his reiatsu to manipulate and ignite the chemicals in the air. He used his reiatsu to manipulate air, water, and earth. Currently, he is experimenting with freezing water, generating lightning from intense heat, and controlling minerals in various metals. After his training, Ichigo returned to his room to shower. Once done, he knocked on Eu's door to make sure she wasn't still sleeping. The two then went downstairs to eat breakfast with the Kaiba brothers. Afterward, Eu and Mokuba left for school, while Ichigo packed a small bag of books to read while accompanying Seto to school. Ichigo informed the staff that he'd be with Seto at all times, sitting in the back of the classroom. As they were heading to the front door, one of the butlers stopped them.
"Master Seto and Master Ichigo," the butler said.
"Yes?" Seto responded.
"We received a letter from Maximillion Pegasus for you. We've already checked that there are no chemicals in the letter," the butler said, presenting the letter and a letter opener to Seto. Seto took both, opened the letter, and quickly skimmed it. At that moment, Ichigo sensed a small burst of reiatsu from Seto, which quickly disappeared.
"What was that?" Ichigo thought.
Seto crumpled the piece of paper and handed it to the butler. "Throw this in the trash," Seto ordered.
"As you wish, Master," the butler replied. He bowed and left to take care of it.
"What was that about?" Ichigo asked.
"Just some stupid counteroffer that I would never accept," Seto said. Ichigo decided to drop the matter for now but kept a closer eye on his boss.
During the first week, Ichigo learned that the former CEO, Gozaburo Kaiba, adopted Seto but later committed suicide after Seto took control of KaibaCorp. At the time, KaibaCorp manufactured and sold weapons, but when Seto took over, he turned the company into a gaming business. Seto also learned that Ichigo was born with that unique hair color and is very protective of his friends and family. The most important thing Seto discovered was that Ichigo's mother died protecting him from an attack.
Eventually, the two arrived at Domino High School. On the first day, the sensei explained to the class that Seto had hired bodyguards for himself and his brother, and Seto's bodyguard would remain in the back and not cause any problems. Ichigo introduced himself, then walked to the back of the classroom and read his book. Each day followed the same routine: Ichigo greeted the teacher and sat in the back of the classroom.
It was currently break time. Ichigo noticed a group of people gathered around some tables while Seto, uninterested, read a book.
"Maybe I could even get my grandfather to show us the super-rare card he has," said a boy with wild hair. Ichigo noticed Seto start paying attention to the conversation. Soon, the class resumed, and everyone returned to studying or at least pretending to.
Eventually, Ichigo and Seto returned to the mansion. Seto ran up to his room and brought out a silver suitcase.
"Hey, Seto. What's in the suitcase?" Ichigo asked.
"None of your business, Kurosaki," Seto snapped and rushed out of the mansion.
"Something's wrong," Ichigo thought.
"I agree," Kyōka said.
"Zangetsu, can you do a little recon to see what Seto is up to?" Ichigo asked.
"Fine. Hope I get some action soon," Zangetsu replied as he vanished to track Seto.
"Why did you send Zangetsu after Seto?" Kyōka asked.
"To keep him from bugging me while we sit here and wait," Ichigo explained, returning to his book. Moments later, Zangetsu burst in.
"Ichigo, that Seto guy is insane right now," Zangetsu reported.
"What happened?" Ichigo asked.
"He went to a card shop to buy a card. The old man there refused to sell or trade it. Seto went back to his building in Domino City, then ordered people to kidnap the old man and duel him for the card," Zangetsu explained.
"Something's very wrong," Ichigo said. He wrote a note to Eu, grabbed his car keys, and drove to KaibaCorp. Ichigo arrived just in time to see a boy with crazy hair crying over his collapsed grandfather.
"Grandpa! Are you okay?" the boy shouted.
"Yugi…" the old man replied weakly. "I wanted to teach that boy a lesson about the heart of the cards, but I lost."
"How is the old man feeling?" Seto asked smugly.
"Kaiba, you sleaze! What have you done to him?" a blond boy yelled.
"We dueled, that's all. We each wagered our most valuable card. I guess playing against a champion like me was too much for the old fool," Seto said.
"Kaiba, you should be ashamed of yourself," a girl in the group scolded.
"It was fair. And check out the sweet prize I won," Seto said, flaunting the card. Before he could rip it, Ichigo snatched it from his hand.
"Nope," Ichigo shouted.
"KUROSAKI! What are you doing?" Seto yelled.
"I'm stopping you from doing something stupid. You attacked an old man over a trading card. If you want to duel the kid, duel him. I'll hold onto this card to keep you from destroying it if the kid wins," Ichigo argued, pocketing the card without looking at it.
"Fine," Seto growled. "Yugi, when you're ready to avenge your grandpa, come into the duel arena."
"Yugi," Yugi's grandfather said, holding out a deck. "Take this."
"Huh? Grandpa?" Yugi asked, confused.
"I built this deck. I put my soul into these cards. I taught you everything I know. Take them and teach him respect—teach Kaiba respect for the heart of the cards," Yugi's grandfather urged.
"But Grandpa, you need help. I have to get you to a doctor," Yugi protested.
"Your friends can take care of him. Go beat Seto," Ichigo said.
"Okay, Grandpa," Yugi said, accepting the deck. The girl in the group gathered the other three and drew smiley faces on their hands.
"This is a symbol of our friendship. Even if we're physically far, we're mentally and spiritually together," she said. The group then carried Yugi's grandpa out.
"You ready?" Ichigo asked.
"I am," Yugi replied, and the two walked into the dueling arena.
"Welcome, Yugi and Kurosaki. Kurosaki, you are not dueling—go to the sidelines," Seto said. Ichigo did as instructed. "I designed this virtual stadium myself. Impressive?" Seto asked. "I think you'll agree it adds a bit more life to the game." Seto continued explaining the rules (1).
"Are you ready to play, runt?" Kaiba asked.
"Playtime is over, Kaiba," Yugi said. Suddenly, Yugi's pendant started to glow golden.
"What the fuck? That pendant is radiating reiatsu!" Ichigo thought. "This might be what Yasaka was talking about." The pendant began to move on its own, and soon a flash of light blinded Ichigo. Once his eyes adjusted, Yugi looked completely different. Before, he was barely five feet tall; now, he looked about five foot four. Before, the kid seemed nervous and scared; now, he showed confidence.
"What the?" Seto said, also noticing the sudden change in Yugi.
"Now, Kaiba, prepare yourself because it's time to duel," the new Yugi said.
"Even his voice changed!" Ichigo thought.
"Virtual systems ready. Let's begin. I summon the mighty Hitotsu-me Giant!" Seto said, placing a card down. From the stands, Ichigo noticed a spot glowing green. "Brace yourself. You've never dueled like this before," Seto said. From the green spot appeared a green beast—Hitotsu-me Giant, with a ripped body and one eye. The beast roared and stood ready for Kaiba's orders.
"He brought the monster on the card to life," Yugi said.
"It's my virtual simulator. It creates life-like holograms of every duel monster," Seto explained.
"So this is how you beat my grandfather. Well, now it's my turn. I call on the Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress." A blue dragon appeared and attacked Hitotsu-me Giant.
While the duel continued, Mokuba and Eu showed up.
"Ichigo, why is Big Brother dueling?" Mokuba asked. Ichigo explained to Mokuba and Eu while the duel went on. On Yugi's side, the blond-haired friend showed up and cheered Yugi on after getting over his fear of the monsters. As the duel resumed, Seto summoned Saggi the Dark Clown and used the Magic Card Negative Energy Generator to triple its ATK, destroying Yugi's Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress. Yugi then set Sangan (2), Battle Steer, and Torike to stall against Saggi.
"You're not faring any better than the old man, Yugi. Your deck is just as weak and feeble as your grandfather's," Seto commented.
"Ichigo, why is Big Brother acting like an arrogant dick?" Mokuba asked.
"One—language," Ichigo replied.
"Hey!" Mokuba responded.
"Two—I believe he's cursed to act like this," Ichigo said.
"Say what?!" Mokuba yelled.
"I'll explain when this is over," Ichigo said.
In response to Seto's comment, Yugi summoned Gaia the Fierce Knight, and defeated Saggi the Dark Clown.
"All right, Kaiba, your move," Yugi said.
"Ha. This will be over sooner than you think," Seto said, drawing his card. "I call on the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Seto yelled and placed the card on the field. When the dragon appeared, everyone was shocked. Yugi and the blond kid were surprised because they didn't know Seto had one. Mokuba was shocked that Seto drew into it. Ichigo and Eu were shocked for another reason.
"Kisara… why are you in this game?" Ichigo asked mentally.
"What are you talking about?" Kisara replied, looking at what Ichigo was seeing. "What the hell?" Kisara exclaimed. Everyone in Ichigo's mindscape saw Kisara's dragon form. Valiona was laughing at Kisara's predicament.
"Shut up. I bet you have a form in this game," Kisara yelled back.
"You wish," Valiona responded. Kisara muttered about her dragon form looking fat in the game, which made Ichigo chuckle. He resumed watching the duel. Eu noticed Ichigo's eyes twitch slightly.
"Later," Ichigo said and kept watching.
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon finished destroying Gaia the Fierce Knight. Yugi used Horn Imp and Beaver Warrior to protect himself from the dragon's attacks.
"In your entire deck, there's not a single card that can stand up against a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. So what hope do you have against two?" Seto taunted and summoned a second Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "Why don't you just admit defeat, Yugi?" Seto sneered.
Yugi managed to draw Swords of Revealing Light (3), which prevented Seto's two Blue-Eyes from attacking. Seto simply ended his turn (1/3). Yugi set another monster to protect his life points.
"Draw whatever card you like, but it won't change a thing. My dragons may be frozen for another two turns, but my new monster is under no such spell," Seto said. "I summon Judge Man! He has an attack power of 2,200." Judge Man quickly attacked Yugi's set monster, revealing Rude Kaiser (2/3). Yugi summoned the Dark Magician and attacked Judge Man. Seto didn't even flinch at losing another monster.
"A sacrifice that doesn't faze me. Even though my dragons can't move for another turn, my next card is the third Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Seto declared and summoned his final Blue-Eyes, which quickly destroyed Yugi's Dark Magician. "Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this, Yugi," Seto said, expecting an easy victory.
"My grandpa's deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba, but it does contain the unstoppable Exodia!" Yugi said, revealing Exodia the Forbidden One.
"Impossible!" Seto yelled.
"I've assembled all five pieces. All five pieces to unlock the forbidden seal," Yugi said. A five-pointed star appeared on Yugi's side of the field. From the left, a giant right fist punched out of the void, followed by the left fist, the head, and finally the rest of the body.
"Impossible!" Seto yelled, panicking as Exodia materialized. "Exodia, you said?! Did you just create a miracle?!" Seto shouted. Exodia's hands came together, and a ball of energy started to form in its grasp.
"Exodia... OBLITERATE!" Yugi declared. Exodia, hearing his orders, fired the energy beam toward Seto's field. The beam destroyed all of Seto's copies of Blue-Eyes White Dragon and wiped out all his life points.
"You play for power, Kaiba. That's why you lost. But if you put your heart into the game, there's nothing you can't do," Yugi said.
"But... but how? How could I have lost to him?" Seto said, trying to understand how he had lost to Yugi.
"Kaiba... you lost because you have darkness in your heart," Yugi said. Ichigo and Eu suddenly felt a large surge of Reiatsu. They looked at Yugi's side and saw a golden light in the shape of an eye on Yugi's forehead.
"MIND CRUSH!" Yugi said. Ichigo and Eu felt the wave of Reiatsu heading toward Seto. Ichigo wasn't able to react in time, and Seto was hit by the attack, falling unconscious. Ichigo quickly took the card that Seto had stolen out of his pocket. He noticed it was another Blue-Eyes White Dragon and handed it to Mokuba.
"Mokuba, give this back to Yugi. This is not Seto's Blue-Eyes," Ichigo said, giving the card to Mokuba before running to where Seto lay. Mokuba looked at the card and confirmed it was a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. He then saw Yugi about to leave the stadium.
"YUGI! WAIT!" Mokuba yelled, running toward him. Yugi turned to see a kid running toward him. Mokuba stopped and caught his breath before handing the card to Yugi.
"I... Ichigo told me... to give this back to you," Mokuba said.
"Tell him thank you for keeping the terms of the duel," Yugi replied and resumed walking out. Mokuba quickly ran back to Seto's side and saw Ichigo piggyback carrying Seto out. He guided Ichigo to the car, and once everyone was in, Mokuba ordered the driver to take them back to the mansion.
"Okay, spill. You know something is going on," Mokuba said to Ichigo.
"Mokuba, I'll explain everything to you and your brother together," Ichigo replied.
"Okay," Mokuba accepted. They soon arrived back at the mansion. Ichigo placed Seto in his bedroom, and Mokuba quickly called a doctor to examine him. The doctor reported that Seto appeared to be unconscious and advised letting him wake up on his own. With that, the doctor left. Mokuba began pacing, mumbling to himself. Ichigo and Eu managed to hear bits and pieces, something about "Yugi's fault" and "How can it be fixed?"
"Kyōka, can you detect any problems with Seto?" Ichigo asked.
"Well... from the technique used on Seto, it was able to exorcize (4) whatever was influencing his mind. However, it seems Yugi was either inexperienced with the technique or hasn't used it in a long time," Kyōka explained.
"How?" Ichigo asked.
"Yugi used his Reiatsu to force the influence out of Seto's mind, but in doing so, he disrupted how Seto's mind was organized," Kyōka said.
"WHAT?!" Ichigo thought.
"Yugi didn't destroy the mind itself. What he did was disrupt the organization of Seto's memories," Kyōka explained further. "Think of Seto's mind like a library, with memories organized like books on shelves. Yugi destroyed the shelves, causing Seto's mind to shut down to reorganize itself, which is why he's unconscious."
"I see... Is there any way to help him?" Ichigo asked.
"Well... I might be able to help if you use Yomu Kioku since it allows me to influence his memories," Kyōka suggested.
"All right then, get ready," Ichigo said. He summoned Kagamigetsu, surprising Mokuba as a katana suddenly appeared out of thin air.
"Eu, hold Mokuba down and seal the room," Ichigo ordered. Eu quickly pinned Mokuba down.
"ICHIGO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Mokuba yelled, struggling against Eu's grip.
"Shatter..." Ichigo began. Eu closed her eyes and forced Mokuba's head down. "Kyōka Suigetsu," Ichigo said, unsealing Kyōka. "Yomu Kioku," Ichigo added, stabbing Kyōka into Seto. Mokuba managed to look up and saw Ichigo stabbing his brother.
"YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE KILLING MY BROTHER!" Mokuba screamed. Ichigo sighed.
"Eu, if you please," Ichigo said. Eu quickly knocked Mokuba out and let go of him. Ichigo then explained to Eu what Yugi had done and what Kyōka was now doing for Seto.
Scene change: Seto's Mindscape
Seto woke up on the ground. "Where am I?" he said, looking around. He saw his entire estate in ruins and quickly ran toward it, searching for the cause and wondering how to fix it. He pulled out a phone to call for help, but it wouldn't connect. After several attempts, Seto threw the phone in frustration.
"Damn it!" he yelled.
"Looks like you need help," Kyōka said as she floated down.
"Who are you?" Seto asked.
"My name is Kyōka. I'm a friend of Ichigo," she replied.
"What does Ichigo have to do with this? And where are we?" Seto asked.
"Well... indirectly, a lot. As for where we are, we're inside your mind," Kyōka said.
"What?" Seto said, trying to process her words. Suddenly, the ground a few feet away exploded. "What the!" Seto exclaimed in shock.
"Your mindscape needs to be fixed," Kyōka said.
"What are you talking about?" Seto asked.
"You need to focus. Focus on what you want to repair," Kyōka instructed. "Your memories are like books, organized on shelves that form the foundation of your estate. You can rebuild it."
"How?" Seto asked.
"Just imagine how you want it to look," Kyōka explained.
"Fine," Seto said and began to concentrate. He and Kyōka spent what felt like days repairing Seto's mindscape. Eventually, they completed the task.
"Good job, Seto. Are you ready to wake up?" Kyōka asked.
"I am. Will I see you again?" Seto asked.
"You will. Ichigo will explain the situation more clearly," Kyōka said.
"Wait, how do I get out of here?" Seto asked.
"Just will yourself out, like how you willed the buildings to reform," Kyōka said, and her figure shattered into rainbow particles. Seto, looking at her former spot, forced himself out of his mindscape. Suddenly, Seto saw white.
Scene change: Outside
Ichigo and Eu were reading books in Seto's bedroom when Kyōka appeared in front of them.
"Did it work?" Ichigo asked.
"It did. He should be waking up about now," Kyōka said. Ichigo and Eu looked at the bed, seeing Seto's body slowly moving.
"What a dream," Seto said.
"About losing to Yugi or having your mindscape rebuilt with my help?" Ichigo asked.
"About the… wait, what did you say?" Seto asked.
"I'll explain in a bit. Let me wake Mokuba up," Ichigo said, standing up and going to the bathroom. Seto looked and saw an unconscious Mokuba sitting on a chair. Ichigo returned with two cups of water, handed one to Seto, and threw the other at Mokuba.
"AH!" Mokuba yelled, abruptly woken from his dream. He glared at Ichigo, noticing the empty glass in his hand.
"Instead of glaring at me, why don't you look at your brother? He just woke up," Ichigo said. Mokuba looked and saw his older brother regaining consciousness.
"BIG BROTHER!" Mokuba yelled, hugging his brother. "I had a weird dream where Eu pinned me down while Ichigo stabbed you with a katana."
"That is very weird and oddly specific," Seto commented.
"That's because it wasn't a dream. It actually happened," Ichigo said, summoning Kagamigetsu. The two brothers were surprised at the sudden appearance of the katana. "Before you do anything rash, allow me to explain," Ichigo said.
"Okay, Ichigo," Seto said.
"But, Big Brother, he stabbed you with a katana!" Mokuba argued.
"I did stab you, Seto. If you look, you'll see there's no stab wound. How it happened will be explained if you let me," Ichigo said.
"All right then," Seto said. Ichigo spent an hour explaining the concept of Shinigami, Hollows, and Yōkai.
"The real reason Eu and I are here is due to a surge of Egyptian magic here in Domino City," Ichigo said.
"Egyptian magic?" Seto asked.
"Yes, like what caused Yugi to become the other Yugi," Ichigo said, pulling out Seto's laptop and playing a clip of Yugi's transformation. "To clarify which Yugi we're talking about, we'll refer to the other Yugi as Yami," Ichigo said.
"Okay," Seto said.
"When you received that letter yesterday morning, I sensed reiatsu on it. I believe the letter caused you to willingly do evil things. You said it was from a man named Max something," Ichigo said.
"Maximillion Pegasus?" Seto asked.
"Yes, that's his name," Ichigo said. "After losing the duel, Yami attempted to use some sort of exorcism technique to remove the evil influence. In Yami's inexperience or lack of practice, the technique also destroyed a lot of your mindscape."
"What's a mindscape?" Mokuba asked.
"A mindscape is a world within your mind," Kyōka said as she appeared.
"Kyōka!" Seto said, surprised to see her.
"Hello, Kyōka. Let me explain what happened leading up to when I stabbed Seto," Ichigo said.
"Okay," Kyōka said.
"Now… where was I? When Yami used that technique, it destroyed most of your mindscape. To prevent you from going insane, your mind shuts itself down, causing you to fall unconscious. I then summoned Kagamigetsu, released Kyōka Suigetsu, and used one of her abilities called Yomu Kioku. This allowed me to enter someone's mind when they are cut by her blade," Ichigo said.
"From there, I helped Seto rebuild his mindscape. The time ratio between the real world and the mindscape varies based on how strong you are. Seto, you may have a strong reincarnated soul, which caused your mindscape's time ratio to be quite slow," Kyōka said.
"Okay... now that everyone is caught up, what are we going to do?" Seto asked.
"First off, Big Brother, we need to do something to regain KaibaCorp's reputation," Mokuba said.
"Now that you mention it, I found a recording that might interest you. It's time-stamped right after your duel with Yugi," Ichigo said, loading the file. The video revealed Maximillion Pegasus talking with five other men. The first man appeared to be a fair-skinned old man with gray hair, partially bald, short, and fat, carrying a cane. He wore a double-breasted tan suit. The second man had brown hair, brown eyes, and a mustache. He was fairly short, middle-aged, with furrowed eyebrows, giving him a Middle Eastern look. Crump, another man, was fair-skinned and wore a double-breasted green suit. The third man wore glasses, had dark hair, and wore an ordinary black suit. The fourth man was tall, with brown hair and dark skin, also wearing an ordinary suit. The last man was tall, with brown hair and an unusual preference for ordinary suits.
"Gansley, Crump, Johnson, Leichter, and Nezbitt, you cheating bastards," Seto commented.
"I hope you've all heard the unfortunate news regarding Seto," Pegasus said.
"We have," Gansley said. "So what did you call this meeting for?"
"I hope you'll all sell your shares of KaibaCorp to me," Pegasus said. A few of the executives gave him questioning looks. "We need to renovate KaibaCorp, and this is the only way for the company to survive the loss of funding," Pegasus explained.
"We understand your request," Johnson said.
"However, there is one condition," Leichter added.
"Oh?" Pegasus responded.
"The reason for this downturn is... that boy, Yugi," Gansley said.
"To regain everyone's trust, you must defeat that boy," Nezbitt stated.
"Mr. Pegasus, if you fulfill this condition, we will hold a board meeting without Seto Kaiba to discuss his dismissal," Crump offered.
"After that, all of KaibaCorp will be in your hands," Gansley said.
"Defeating that boy Yugi will be very easy!" Pegasus declared.
"One more thing. The key to Seto Kaiba's dismissal is hidden from us. We believe his little brother, Mokuba, has it," Gansley added.
"Oh, no problem! Leave that to me!" Pegasus replied. With that, Ichigo ended the recording.
"Big brother, you gave the key to me?" Mokuba asked in shock.
"I did. I won't tell you or anyone else what it is exactly, but you are guarding it," Seto replied.
"So... what do we do now?" Mokuba asked.
"The first thing is for you to apologize to Yugi and his grandfather for what you did," Ichigo said.
"Okay," Seto agreed.
"From there, I want to see if I can talk to Yami to find out if he remembers anything from his past," Ichigo added.
"Okay. We'll do this in the evening," Seto said. Mokuba helped Seto get up from the bed, and Seto began reviewing various paperwork related to KaibaCorp. Ichigo and Eu left the bedroom.
"So... Seto likes Kisara's dragon form," Eu commented once they were far enough from the room.
"Yep. Somehow, someone designed the Blue-Eyes White Dragon to look exactly like her," Ichigo said.
"Coincidence?" Eu asked.
"I'm not sure right now," Ichigo replied.
"We need more information. It might be linked to the past," Ichigo theorized.
Soon, the day ended, and Ichigo, Eu, Mokuba, and Seto drove to Yugi's house. Along the way, Ichigo and Eu quickly dealt with a group of thugs disguised as construction workers. Ichigo took pictures of their faces and IDs. Eventually, they arrived at Yugi's place. Ichigo walked up to the door and knocked. A young man with brown hair peeked out.
"You're Seto's bodyguard... Ichigo, right?" the man asked.
"Yes, I am. Could we see Yugi?" Ichigo asked.
"I'm not sure. Something just happened, and Yugi's grandfather collapsed," Tristan said.
"Let me see," Ichigo said. "I have medical experience." Tristan opened the door, allowing everyone to enter. He led them to the living room, where they saw Yugi's grandfather collapse and Yugi yelling at the TV. Téa and Joey noticed Kaiba's arrival.
"Kaiba!" Joey shouted. "What are you doing here? Causing more trouble?"
"Yugi, stop yelling at the TV and explain why your grandfather lost his soul," Ichigo said.
"WHAT?!" everyone except Yugi yelled.
"How do you know?" Yugi asked quietly.
"I deal with spirits a lot, so I can tell when a body is missing a soul," Ichigo explained. Yugi, deciding to trust Ichigo, told him what had happened. While this was going on, Seto called his private doctor to prepare a room for Yugi's grandfather at his estate. Joey and Tristan helped carry Yugi's grandfather to Seto's doctor for care.
"So... you were challenged by Maximillion Pegasus to a 15-minute duel. Pegasus has an object called the Millennium Eye, which allows him to read your mind. You lost, and he took your grandfather's soul to motivate you to meet him in the finals," Ichigo summarized.
"That's right," Yugi confirmed.
"We need to find a way to prevent Pegasus from using his Millennium Eye to learn about this," Seto said.
"How?" Joey asked.
"I believe I can help," Kyōka said, manifesting herself. She startled everyone except Ichigo, Eu, and Seto.
"Who is she?!" Yugi asked.
"Her name is Kyōka. She's a spirit that lives in my mind," Ichigo explained.
"My idea is that, with your permission, we can create temporary guardians in your minds to defend against intruders," Kyōka offered.
"How?" everyone asked.
"It works by me stabbing you with this katana," Ichigo said, summoning Kagamigetsu . "From there, Kyōka will guide the process of creating mental guardians to protect your mind."
"Who wants to go first?" Ichigo asked.
"I will," Joey volunteered.
"Yugi, do you have a spare bedroom we can use?" Ichigo asked.
"We do," Yugi said. "Why?"
"The person receiving help will fall unconscious. I want them to be comfortable while doing this," Ichigo explained. Yugi guided Ichigo and Joey to the spare room and left them.
"Joey, lie down, close your eyes, and relax," Ichigo instructed. Joey did as told.
"Shatter... Kyōka Suigetsu," Ichigo said, unsealing Kyōka. "Yomu Kioku," Ichigo said as he stabbed Joey. While waiting, Kyōka helped guide Joey in building his mental defenses. During this process, Ichigo assimilated all the new information he was receiving from Yomu Kioku. Twenty minutes later, Kyōka returned to Ichigo's mindscape.
"Are you all right?" Ichigo asked.
"I am," Kyōka replied. Soon, Joey woke up.
"How do you feel?" Ichigo asked.
"Good. I feel that I can think clearly and remember a lot more things," Joey commented.
"That's the usual effect of this process," Ichigo said, guiding Joey back to the group. "Who's next?" Ichigo asked. Tristan volunteered, followed by Téa and Mokuba. The last person left was Yugi.
"Let's go, Yugi," Ichigo said, and the two walked to the spare room. "For you, it will be very different compared to the others," Ichigo said.
"Why?" Yugi asked.
"You and Yami are two souls sharing one body," Ichigo explained.
"Yami?" Yugi asked.
"I named the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle Yami," Ichigo clarified.
"How will it be difficult?" Yugi asked.
"For you, your souls don't reside in one mind, but rather in two separate minds that are connected," Ichigo said.
"So, is there anything else different compared to the others?" Yugi asked.
"Yes. Both you and Yami must meet in the middle. This will allow Kyōka to help both of you cooperate to build your defenses. That way, both of you will know how to access these doors. Once that's done, she will help build defenses in each of your minds, ensuring that each other's private thoughts remain private," Ichigo explained.
"Okay," Yugi said. With that, Yugi lay down on the bed.
"Shatter... Kyōka Suigetsu," Ichigo said, unsealing Kyōka. "Yomu Kioku," Ichigo said, stabbing Yugi.
Scene Change: Crossroad Mindscape
Kyōka appeared in front of a hallway. One side of the hallway was built with purple bricks, while the other side was dark brown with various-colored veins running across the walls. As she approached, she found two doors. On the purple-brick side, there was a golden door. On the dark-brown side, there was a black door with veins and a golden eye. Kyōka knocked on both doors. Both doors opened, and she saw Yugi and Yami facing her.
"Are you two ready to begin?" Kyōka asked.
"I am," Yugi replied.
"I am also ready," Yami said. With that, the three worked on constructing the outer barrier to protect the crossroads. Eventually, they finished building the outer defense and returned to the crossroads.
"We've completed the outer protection," Kyōka said.
"I'm tired," Yugi admitted.
"So am I," Yami agreed.
"Now we need to work on the inner defenses of your room," Kyōka said.
"Okay," Yugi said.
"I believe I'm fine," Yami said.
"Are you sure?" Kyōka asked.
"Yes, I believe it's fine," Yami replied. With that, Yami returned to his room. Yugi and Kyōka went inside Yugi's room. There, Kyōka helped Yugi set up his mindscape. Once Kyōka was satisfied that the protections were in place, she left Yugi's mind.
Scene Change: Outside
Ichigo was sitting, reading a book about Duel Monsters. Eventually, Kyōka reappeared in his mind.
"Are you finished?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes. It was very tiring to get this done." Kyōka commented.
"Likely, I won't need your help out here for a while," Ichigo said.
"… I better help Hōgyoku organize everything," Kyōka said and returned to her part of the mindscape. Ichigo stood up and stretched. A few seconds later, Yugi woke up. The rest of the group gathered in Yugi's living room.
"Now that we've finished all of that, what should we do next?" Mokuba asked.
"You received that box with a glove and two stars, right?" Seto asked, pointing at the box.
"Yes," Yugi confirmed.
"There should also be a white envelope inside," Seto said. Yugi opened the box and found the glove, the two stars, and underneath them, a white envelope. He opened the envelope and revealed five cards.
"I'm invited to the Duelist Kingdom!?" Yugi exclaimed in shock.
"That makes sense, doesn't it?" Ichigo said. Yugi and his friends looked at him in confusion. "Why would Pegasus want you to go to the Duelist Kingdom?" Ichigo asked. "The reason is so Pegasus can defeat you and take control of KaibaCorp," Ichigo explained. "Normally, he wouldn't bother with the tournament. However, Kaiba's board told Pegasus that to sell their shares, he needed to avenge the company by defeating you in a duel. To get you to agree to attend the event, Pegasus stole your grandfather's soul as a bargaining chip," Ichigo continued. Yugi then looked at the castle card to read the rules of the event.
"Each player begins the Duel with 2000 Life Points. Direct attacks on the opponent are not allowed. Only one monster can declare an attack per turn. Players can Normal Summon monsters of any Level without Tributing. When a monster is destroyed by a card effect, the controller of that card takes damage equal to half of that monster's ATK. At the beginning of the event, all participants will have at most 40 cards at all times. The exception is if the player has an extra deck. All participants of the tournament must have at least 1 star or will be disqualified from the island," Yugi read aloud.
"Joey, catch," Ichigo said, tossing him the dueling glove.
"What?" Joey asked in confusion.
"Pegasus mailed two boxes to Seto's mansion," Ichigo explained. "Pegasus probably wrote the rules to allow me to participate in the tournament and bring Mokuba along. However, he didn't realize that I'm not a duelist."
"You could also choose not to show up and not bring Mokuba," Seto commented.
"However, if I'm not there, who would save you?" Ichigo said. "Also, Mokuba would sneak off to the island anyway."
"You're right," Seto said.
"Well… I need to make sure I get camping gear for those two days," Ichigo said. Everyone looked at him, confused. "Wait. None of you knew that the initial phase of the tournament lasted 48 hours outside the castle?" Ichigo said. All of Yugi's friends were surprised by this new information. The tournament is tomorrow night, leaving them little time to buy camping gear. To make matters worse, none of the four had ever been camping before.
"Ichigo, can you please help us?" Téa asked, giving him a puppy-eye pout. Fortunately, Ichigo had experience dealing with the dreaded puppy-eye pout.
"Téa, you need to ask Seto," Ichigo said, not flinching. Téa stood up and walked toward Seto.
"Seto, can you allow Ichigo to help us?" Téa asked, continuing with the puppy-eye pout. In Seto's seventeen years of existence, he had dealt with corrupt businessmen, politicians, and kidnappers, but he was unprepared for this.
"ICHIGO!" Seto yelled. Everyone laughed at the scene.
"Yes, Seto?" Ichigo asked, trying not to break character.
"HELP ME!" Seto yelled.
"Okay," Ichigo said. "Sure. Seto said I could help you with the gear," Ichigo confirmed. The rest of the gang began thanking Ichigo and Seto for their help.
"However, you must bring enough food and clothing to last the initial phase of the tournament," Ichigo said. Meanwhile, Seto glared at Ichigo for making him go through that.
"Wait, how are we going to get on board the ship? Everyone has a valid way to get on the ship except Téa and me," Tristan questioned.
"You two could stay in the cargo hold area for the ride," Ichigo suggested. With that plan, Ichigo, Mokuba, and Seto left. On the ride back, Mokuba asked Ichigo a question.
"Ichigo," Mokuba said.
"Yes?" Ichigo responded.
"Aren't you worried about Yuzu and Karin?" Mokuba asked.
"About what exactly?" Ichigo inquired.
"Wouldn't they be at risk if Pegasus decided to kidnap them as well?" Mokuba asked.
"Well, you're technically right that I should be worried about Yuzu and Karin. However, they are staying with friends who could protect them," Ichigo said. Eventually, they all arrived home. Ichigo decided to call Issei to see if they could keep an eye on Yuzu and Karin. Ichigo pulled out his phone and dialed Issei's number.
"Hello?" Issei answered.
"Issei, this is Ichigo," Ichigo said.
"Hello, Ichigo-senpai," Issei replied.
"Issei, are you guys going to be busy for the next few days?" Ichigo asked.
"Um, actually yes, we are. Our entire peerage is about to go to the Underworld for some training," Issei explained.
"I see…" Ichigo said.
"Is there anything going on?" Issei asked.
"Don't worry about it. Do you know how long you'll be there?" Ichigo asked.
"Um, according to Buchou, we're likely staying for at least three weeks," Issei said.
"Okay. Thanks," Ichigo said.
"No problem, Ichigo-senpai. Sorry, we can't watch over Yuzu and Karin," Issei apologized.
"No problem," Ichigo said and hung up. Ichigo then walked to Eu's room and knocked on the door. She let him in, and Ichigo quickly explained the situation.
"So, you want me to watch over Yuzu and Karin for the three weeks Rias and her peerage are in the Underworld?" Eu asked.
"Yes," Ichigo confirmed.
"Okay," Eu said, using Yūyami to teleport away. Ichigo left her room and went to Seto's room to update him about Eu.
"So… Eu is now guarding your sisters," Seto said.
"Yes," Ichigo replied.
"How will this work out?" Seto asked.
"Well, we could have it so that all three of us stay together. If you get captured, Mokuba and I will quickly run away, preventing Pegasus from getting the combination to the vault," Ichigo explained.
"So… together, as in with everyone from Yugi's group?" Seto asked.
"Likely…" Yugi said.
"No thanks," Seto said.
"Well, we could give them my old gear," Ichigo suggested, pulling out the camping gear he had taken from home. "While I go buy some new gear for all three of us," Ichigo said.
"Wouldn't they still ask for help?" Seto asked.
"I told them we would supply them with the gear. We don't need to be physically there," Ichigo said. "Maybe the first time to teach them how to set up the camping equipment properly," he added.
"Okay," Seto said, handing Ichigo a credit card. "Use this to buy three new sets of camping gear and enough food to last through the initial phase of the tournament," Seto instructed.
"Are either of you picky eaters?" Ichigo asked.
"Why?" Seto inquired.
"Most of the food will likely be instant. Unless I manage to catch some fish or gather berries," Ichigo explained.
"I'm fine with that. As for Mokuba… I'm not so sure," Seto said. With that, Ichigo left the room to find Mokuba.
"Mokuba, are you a picky eater?" Ichigo asked.
"Not really. Why?" Mokuba responded.
"Well, most of the food I would likely bring would be instant food. Unless I manage to catch some fish or gather berries, that is what I'm going to bring," Ichigo explained.
"Could they not have vegetables?" Mokuba whispered. Ichigo smiled.
"Well, maybe a little from instant noodles, but other than that, no vegetables," Ichigo said.
"Okay," Mokuba said. Ichigo left the mansion and drove his black Challenger SRT Hellcat to a camping store to buy camping and fishing gear. Luckily, the camping store sold a variety of camping food. Eventually, the total came to 23,504 yen (about $200). Ichigo quickly swiped Seto's card, loaded everything into his car, and drove back to Seto's mansion. Once he arrived, Ichigo sent all the gear to his mindscape for safekeeping. With that done, Ichigo returned the card to Seto along with the receipt if Seto wanted to review the purchases.
Scene Change: Night Time: Domino City Harbor
Seto decided he would arrive separately at the island to give the illusion that he was in a coma, as the media was reporting that Seto was unconscious. Ichigo and Mokuba arrived at the port. They showed the guard that they didn't have a glove but did have a starship and a Duel Monster card. The guards initially tried to deny them entry, but Ichigo pulled out the rule card, showing that they met the minimum requirements. The guards were forced to let them on. Ichigo took a quick photo of the guards before boarding the boat. He noticed that Yugi and Joey got on safely. Thirty minutes later, the ship began to sail. Ichigo detected that Téa and Tristan had managed to get into the cargo hold safely. As the four began to explore the main floor, Yugi, Joey, and Mokuba traded various cards with other participants. After twenty minutes of trading, the group of four stopped by a table to talk.
"I managed to trade cards with someone," Joey said.
"Let me have a look," Yugi said. Joey showed Yugi the cards he had traded for. "Salamander, Kauai with Chain, Baby Dragon, and Shield and Sword," Yugi said as he read each card's name. "Yeah, these Magic and Trap Cards you obtained should expand your strategies much farther than before," Yugi said.
"Surprisingly, some people traded these commons and rare cards to you, Joey," Mokuba commented. Ichigo tapped Mokuba on the head.
"HEY!" Mokuba yelled, glaring at Ichigo.
"You're starting to sound like an arrogant rich kid," Ichigo commented.
"Now I can get my hands on the championship!" Joey boasted. Yugi and Mokuba chuckled at Joey's boast.
"It won't be as easy as you seem to think," Yugi said. Suddenly, Yugi remembered something. "That's right. You can use this one too." Yugi opened his card box, pulled out a card, and handed it to Joey. "It'll come in handy when you're in trouble," Yugi said, presenting the card to Joey.
"Really!? Thank you, Yugi," Joey said.
Suddenly, a guy wearing large round yellow glasses, with turquoise hair styled in a "Beatles" haircut, and blue eyes, appeared. His outfit consisted of a green jacket with a raised collar, a white shirt underneath, a red bow tie, brown trousers, and brown shoes. He looked at Yugi frequently, and Yugi noticed the guy's constant gaze.
"Hello again, Yugi," the green-haired boy said.
"Weevil Underwood," Yugi said in surprise.
"The night wind feels so good," Weevil said, looking out at the ocean. He then turned to face Yugi. "By the way, did you trade for any good cards?"
"No. I decided to fight using the cards I came here with," Yugi answered.
"I thought so," Weevil said.
"You've got the cards you used to defeat Kaiba in that deck. Exodia, right?" Weevil asked.
"As expected of you," Yugi replied.
"Hey, mind if I take a look at these legendary cards?" Weevil asked.
"No," Ichigo said, stepping in between the two.
"Why, Ichigo?" Yugi asked, puzzled.
"Weevil is one of your opponents in this tournament. If he gets access to the cards, what if he accidentally lets go of them and they fly off the ship?" Ichigo explained. Yugi realized what could have happened to his cards.
"Dang it," Weevil said, quickly leaving after his plan was spoiled. "I'll get you back, Ichigo. You'll be the first one I duel in this tournament!" Weevil vowed.
"Thank you, Ichigo," Yugi said. "I would have let him look at Exodia and imagined what could have happened."
"No kidding," Joey said.
"No problem. I just want this tournament to be over with," Ichigo commented. With that done, the four enjoyed the rest of their ride. Soon, everyone got tired and went to sleep. Ichigo stayed up to ensure no one attempted to sabotage Yugi's or Joey's chances of winning or kidnap Mokuba again. With Ichigo's enhanced sight, he noticed an island with a castle-like structure. Ichigo woke the other three. They awoke, confused about who had woken them. Ichigo guided them to the bow (5) of the ship. When they arrived at the bow, they were fully awake. As they stood there, the sun was rising. The four enjoyed the sunrise and the moment, momentarily forgetting why they were there. Unfortunately, a loudspeaker came on.
"This is your Captain. We are arriving at Duelist Kingdom Island in one hour. I repeat we are arriving at Duelist Kingdom Island in one hour." The speaker turned off. The four went back to their compartments to retrieve their bags. They chatted briefly and waited until the ship stopped. All the participants were instructed to disembark and were guided to a staging area. There was a person there, a large individual in a suit.
"Attention, Duelists. Welcome to the Duelist Kingdom Tournament! My name is Kemo. I am here to remind you of the tournament rules," Kemo said. He spent a few minutes reiterating the rules. "In forty-eight hours, the initial phase of this tournament will be over. You must collect ten Star Chips to enter the semi-finals. You cannot give, steal, or trade for star chips. With that, good luck." Kemo said and walked off the stage. Ichigo and the gang slowly walked away from the stage.
"Hold it!" someone yelled. Ichigo and the gang looked behind them and saw Weevil running toward them. "Ichigo! I challenge you to a duel!" Weevil yelled.
"Sorry, I can't," Ichigo said.
"Why?" Weevil asked.
"Because I don't have enough cards to play," Ichigo said.
"WHAT! Then why are you here?" Weevil asked.
"Because I want to piss off Pegasus," Ichigo said, pointing at a camera. "Sorry, Pegasus. I'm here, but I am not a duelist."
"However, I would accept your challenge," Yugi said.
"Deal!" Weevil said, and the duelists walked to the nearest Duel Stadium. Everyone paid attention to the duel. Ichigo pulled out a computer, sat down by a stump, and began typing. Mokuba noticed that Ichigo wasn't paying attention to the duel.
"What are you doing?" Mokuba asked.
"I'm just looking at the KaibaCorp card list to see what cards I can use to make some decks," Ichigo said.
"Really?" Mokuba asked.
"Yes, at least one deck involving Blue-Eyes White Dragon," Ichigo answered.
"Why?" Mokuba asked, even more curious.
"Reasons," Ichigo answered and resumed typing. Ten minutes later, Yugi won the duel and claimed two more star chips. Throughout the day, Yugi and Joey continued to be challenged to duels. By the end of the first night, Yugi and Joey each had seven stars. Ichigo brought out his equipment and began cooking dinner. After finishing, Ichigo received a phone call. He saw that it was Seto calling him.
"Hello?" Ichigo answered.
"Ichigo, I arrived at the island and got the necessary star chips," Seto said.
"Okay. Want me to come and get you?" Ichigo asked.
"No thanks. I'm already at the entrance," Seto said. With that, he hung up.
"That idiot," Ichigo muttered, putting his phone away. He went back to typing on his computer. Soon, it was nighttime, and Ichigo asked Yhwach if he could guard the campsite. Yhwach agreed, and everyone got some sleep. In the morning, everyone woke up and quickly packed away their gear. Yugi and Joey continued to duel more people.
Scene Change: Duelist Kingdom, Day 2
During the duel between Joey and a duelist named Rex Raptor, it was revealed that Valiona also had a card. Kisara laughed and called it karma. Seeing that Valiona had a card in the game, Ichigo decided to look into making another deck based on her. Soon enough, both of them had Ten Star chips each. The group of six walked up the stairs to the castle door. The door appeared to have a lock on it. On closer inspection, it was revealed that you needed to insert all ten chips into the door and turn it. Yugi placed his Ten Star chips in the door and started to turn it. Soon, the ten chips were in place, and the door opened. The six walked in and were greeted by Mai, who was also one of the semi-finalists. One of the suits escorted the group of seven to a ballroom.
Kemo came out and congratulated all the semifinalists. It was revealed that the other semifinalist was a man named Bandit Keith. Kemo informed them that the two semifinal duels would take place the next day. The following day, the winners of the semifinals would face each other. Based on the cards each player had at that moment, it would be determined who would receive the prize money and who would get the opportunity to duel Pegasus. With that, everyone was assigned rooms and informed of their duel schedules. Yugi would face Mai the next day, while Joey would duel Keith the following day. Ichigo and Mokuba shared a room so that Ichigo could guard Mokuba while everyone else had separate rooms. Ichigo asked Hōgyoku and Yhwach to guard the rooms in case anyone approached.
Scene change: Duelist Kingdom, Semi-Finals
The next morning, the duel between Yugi and Mai commenced. Everyone else was allowed to watch from the balcony if they wished. While they dueled, Ichigo finished designing his Blue-Eyes deck and began working on his Red-Eyes deck. Soon, the duel finished with Yugi claiming victory. Everyone went back to their rooms and had lunch. After lunch, it was Joey against Bandit Keith. While Ichigo was working on designing his deck, he noticed that Keith was cheating. Ichigo glanced toward Pegasus and slightly shook his head. With that, Ichigo returned to the computer and resumed typing. Soon enough, Joey won the duel. Bandit Keith jumped over to where Pegasus was, knocked out the two guards, and pointed a gun (6) at Pegasus, threatening him for the money. Pegasus calmly pressed a button, and the floor panel Bandit Keith was standing on opened, causing Bandit Keith to fall in. With that, the two duels were finished.
Yugi and Joey spent their time in their rooms modifying their decks. Ichigo was working on his deck on the computer.
"Hey, Ichigo," Mokuba said.
"Yes?" Ichigo replied.
"What deck are you working on right now? During Yugi's duel, you said you were done," Mokuba asked.
"Well, I'm also working on another deck for Red-Eyes Black Dragon," Ichigo said.
"Personal reasons?" Mokuba guessed.
"Yes," Ichigo answered.
"Next thing you build is a deck revolving around Chaos," Mokuba said sarcastically.
"Chaos?" Ichigo questioned.
"Chaos is a slang term used for a deck that mixes LIGHT and DARK attributes. Some people also use Twilight as well," (7) Mokuba explained.
"Okay, thanks," Ichigo said and resumed typing on the computer.
"You're likely going to create a deck based on Chaos," Mokuba said.
"Twilight," Ichigo answered. With that, Mokuba resumed working on his homework for school.
Duelist Kingdom Finals
Everyone woke up, ate breakfast, and walked back down to watch the duel between Yugi and Joey. Ichigo managed to finish his Red-Eyes deck and was currently working on balancing the LIGHT and DARK in his Twilight deck. As Ichigo worked, he heard a loud commotion and saw that Joey might win the duel, as Joey was lucky with Time Wizard. Yami expected this and sided with Dark Sage, securing victory. Joey was happy that Yugi won. With that, everyone went back to their rooms, and Yugi prepared his deck. Ichigo planned to have Kyōka locate, free, and bring Seto's body back to their room. She agreed, and they prepared for the true finals of the tournament.
Scene Change: Duelist Kingdom, True Finals
Yami stood on the blue side of the field while Pegasus stood on the red side. The duel began, and Pegasus used his Millennium Eye to turn the duel into a shadow game. Ichigo used his reiatsu to allow everyone to see the duel.
"Ichigo, I managed to get Seto's body. I also found where Pegasus is keeping both Seto's and Yugi's grandfather's souls," Kyōka said.
"Thanks," Ichigo replied to Kyōka. The duel continued without any other magical events, and Ichigo returned to his computer. He discovered that the Twilight deck was more complicated than the other two decks. As Ichigo worked on building the deck, both Kisara and Valiona offered input.
"Ichigo, what if you created a fusion of both of us?" Kisara suggested.
"Why?" Ichigo asked.
"Because you need a symbol for the deck. For your Light and Darkness deck, we are the avatars. But the Twilight deck doesn't have one," Valiona explained.
"What if I also add the element of Ryūgonken to this deck?" Ichigo proposed.
"Then it would be a fusion of all three of us," Kisara agreed. With renewed motivation and ideas, Ichigo focused on his deck. He was so engrossed in developing the Twilight deck that he didn't pay attention to the duel. Fortunately, Yhwach informed him that the duel had just ended. With that, the entire group prepared to find the stolen souls. Ichigo told the group he had located the souls, and they all ran toward the tower. As they ran, Ichigo suddenly felt a blast of reiatsu.
"Just follow this path and enter the door on your left," Ichigo instructed and used Shunpō to reach the top of the tower. Just as Ichigo was about to enter the room, he heard beams firing at each other.
"Is this all the power the Millennium Eye can muster?!" someone said. A few seconds later, Ichigo heard a thud.
"Who are you?" Pegasus asked the person.
"I'm collecting the seven Millennium Items," the person said. Pegasus gasped in surprise. "Did you know that once you gather all seven Millennium Items, you are granted a power strong enough to control the world?" the stranger continued.
"Stop!" Pegasus screamed in panic. Ichigo decided now was the time and quickly burst in to tackle the stranger.
"Ichigo!" Pegasus recognized the orange-haired person.
"Dang it. Right when I was about to get it. We will meet again, Pegasus and رسول أوزوريس [Osiris's Messenger] (8)," the stranger said and teleported out.
"Ichigo… thank you for helping me. How can I repay you?" Pegasus asked.
"A few questions before we continue," Ichigo said.
"Okay," Pegasus replied. Suddenly, the remaining group barged in.
"Took you long enough," Ichigo joked. The remaining five collapsed on the floor, exhausted. Then Kyōka brought Seto's body to the room and disappeared.
"Now then, Pegasus. Please hand over the souls of my grandfather," Yugi said once he regained his breath.
"As well as my older brother," Mokuba added.
"A deal is a deal," Pegasus said and walked over to a table, releasing the souls trapped in the cards. The souls soon returned to their bodies. Seto regained consciousness and saw his brother safe and sound.
"Now then, Pegasus. Let's start at the beginning. Why did you do all of this?" Ichigo asked.
"Well… that question also ties to why I have this," Pegasus said, revealing his Millennium Eye. "Before I start my tale, please make yourselves comfortable and only ask questions when I'm finished," Pegasus requested.
"Okay," everyone agreed.
"Cecelia, that was the name of this young woman," Pegasus began, showing a Duel Monster card and a painting of a young woman. "She was my lover, and she passed away when I was seventeen. It has been 14 years since I first met her. My father was a wealthy man who managed casinos in Las Vegas. In the evenings, important people assembled for parties. At that time, I met my father's friend's daughter, Cecelia. It was love at first sight. We always talked about our dreams. I dreamed of becoming an artist and traveling to many countries. We swore we would live together. Soon after I turned 17, Cecelia died of an incurable illness. For months, I stared at the blank canvas of my heart. My mother, who studied Ancient Egyptian beliefs for her doctorate, told me that according to Ancient Egyptian beliefs, souls lived on after death. Suddenly, an idea struck me. Perhaps I could meet Cecelia if I used the techniques handed down in Ancient Egypt. I visited Egypt with that purpose in mind. In a certain village in Egypt, I met a young man. He warned me to leave the village. However, in my arrogance, I didn't listen to him and followed him down to an underground chamber. When I arrived, I saw many Egyptian artifacts. The young man I followed was at the center of the chamber. He noticed me and turned around.
"You ignored my warning," the young man said, and two men suddenly grabbed me. I tried to break free from their grasp, but they were too strong. "I am the guardian of the Millennium Items. The only way to leave this sacred place is to be chosen by the Millennium Items as their owner," the young man said, picking up the Millennium Eye and walking toward me. I tried to convince him that I wouldn't talk about the chamber. "From this moment, you will be tested by this Millennium Eye. If it recognizes you as its owner, the Millennium Item will grant you one wish," the young man said.
"A wish?" I questioned.
"Right. The doors of the underworld will open, and you will be able to see your lover again," the young man said.
"Cecelia," I said, realizing that my dreams were about to come true. To see my beloved Cecelia once again.
"But if it doesn't recognize you as its owner, the only thing awaiting you is death," the young man said. With that, he brought the Millennium Eye to my left eye and pushed it in. I screamed in pain as the Millennium Eye glowed. Gradually, the pain subsided, and I felt something wet from my left eye. Upon closer inspection, I saw blood. From a white light, I could see Cecelia coming toward me, ready to embrace me. She descended, and we embraced each other.
"I wanted to see you. I wanted to see you, Cecelia," I said. Soon, the image glowed pink and disappeared. I was left alone in the chamber, crying. The only evidence of what happened was the Millennium Eye in my left eye. When I returned from Egypt, I became aware of KaibaCorp's Virtual Simulation System. I hatched a plan: to materialize Cecelia's card, KaibaCorp had to be mine, no matter what it took," Pegasus concluded his story.
"Honestly, you could have just asked me if you wanted to create a small custom virtual system. I was already working on a portable version," Seto said.
"Would you do it for him, Seto, if he requested it?" Ichigo asked.
"Well… likely not," Seto admitted.
"So… now that you know, Seto, would you commission one to be made?" Pegasus asked.
"Well…" Seto said, unsure of the answer.
"Let me talk to him," Ichigo said and pulled Seto aside.
"Do it," Ichigo said.
"Why?" Seto asked.
"For one, you can use this as a new product. Partnering with Industrial Allusions, you could create memory cards and players. It allows any memory card, essentially a photo of the person in a Duel Monster format, to display their image. You could use this to gauge the device's popularity. Once you finish your new Duel System, more people will want to buy one," Ichigo suggested.
"Not a bad idea," Seto said.
"Also, it may lead to other joint projects with Industrial Allusions," Ichigo added.
"All right then," Seto agreed. The two walked back and faced Pegasus. "Pegasus, I accept your offer to make these virtual photo systems. In exchange, we'll make this a combined effort. Your company will handle the photo submissions and card creation, while my company will sell the virtual systems. You will also receive the final product and demonstrate it."
"Deal. Thank you, Ichigo and Seto," Pegasus said. With that, everyone stood up and stretched.
"Pegasus, do you want me to take your Millennium Eye?" Ichigo asked.
"Why?" Pegasus inquired.
"Because whoever tried to steal your Millennium Eye will try to take it again," Ichigo explained.
"I agree with your logic. However, how would you protect it better than I can?" Pegasus asked. Ichigo smirked and released a bit of his reiatsu. Suddenly, everyone was slammed to the floor, and all but Ichigo felt as though something was pressing down on them like they were at the bottom of the ocean. Soon, that feeling stopped and disappeared.
"Now do you believe I cannot protect the Millennium Eye?" Ichigo asked.
"I believe so," Pegasus said. Ichigo walked toward Pegasus, moved the hair from his Millennium Eye, and said, "I recommend lying down." Pegasus lay down, and Ichigo took a deep breath before pulling out the Millennium Eye. Pegasus screamed in pain as Ichigo removed it. Once it was over, Ichigo sent the Millennium Eye to his mindscape. Afterward, Ichigo used medical kidō to heal the damaged tissue. After twenty minutes, Ichigo had healed all the damage and managed to close the eyelid on Pegasus's left eye.
"What should we do with him?" Mokuba asked.
"You guys leave. I'll wait for him to wake up," Ichigo said.
"Are you sure?" Yugi asked.
"Yeah. I've got this," Ichigo said. With that, everyone left the room, leaving Ichigo and Pegasus alone. "You can come out now. I know you're hiding," Ichigo said. From the floor emerged a man wearing a pale white robe and turban. Around his neck was a golden ankh with a key-like bottom, and in his hand, he held a golden scale.
"How did you detect me?" the guest asked.
"I can sense your reiatsu as well as the souls in those items," Ichigo said.
"You can sense the souls in the Millennium Items!?" the guest exclaimed.
"I can. Before we continue, can I get a name?" Ichigo asked.
"My name is Shadi. Yours?" Shadi asked.
"Ichigo," Ichigo replied.
"Have you stolen the Millennium Eye from Pegasus?" Shadi asked.
"I did not take it from him. I asked, and he allowed me to remove it," Ichigo said.
"You must give it back!" Shadi yelled. "They must all be sealed away!" Shadi insisted.
"It is my job to destroy all of them and release the souls trapped in them," Ichigo said.
"Your job?" Shadi asked.
"I am a Shinigami. It is a Shinigami's job to maintain the balance of life and death. When these Millennium Items awakened in Japan, Amaterasu allowed me to investigate since this is affecting her children," Ichigo explained.
"I see…" Shadi said.
"Yes. You are also going to explain to me why these items are so important," Ichigo said.
"No," Shadi said and began to sink below.
"Like hell, I'm going to let my current lead in this investigation escape," Ichigo thought as he fired a Rikujōkōrō at Shadi. The kidō managed to stop Shadi from leaving. Ichigo grabbed him and forced him back up. He then took the Millennium Scales and Key from Shadi and sent them into his mindscape.
"What did you do with them?" Shadi yelled as he tried to break free from the kidō.
"I sent them to a safe space where no one but myself can access," Ichigo said. "Now then, are you going to explain to me the reason for the Millennium Items, why they are all important, and why you are protecting them?" Ichigo asked Shadi.
"No. I will not," Shadi said.
"Okay then," Ichigo said. He summoned Kagamigetsu. "Scatter… Kyōka Suigetsu… Yomu Kioku," Ichigo chanted and then stabbed Shadi in the gut before quickly dismissing Kagamigetsu. Ichigo then released Shadi from Rikujōkōrō, and Shadi quickly disappeared, looking quite confused. A few seconds later, Pegasus woke up.
"Ichigo… where did everyone else go?" Pegasus asked.
"I sent them all away since they really couldn't do anything," Ichigo explained.
"Well… thank you for all your help," Pegasus said.
"No problem," Ichigo replied.
"Is there something I can do for you?" Pegasus asked.
"Well… I just finished working on some decks, and I was wondering if you could make them into actual decks," Ichigo said.
"Why me? You're working for KaibaCorp. You could get it done there," Pegasus said.
"True, but some of the cards are new concepts, and Seto would likely add them to his deck since one of them is entirely themed around Blue-Eyes," Ichigo explained.
"I see… Sure, let me see them tonight," Pegasus agreed.
"Thanks. I did as much as I could regarding your left eye. I made it so your eyelid is permanently closed, so it doesn't look too abnormal," Ichigo said.
"Okay. Thanks. Tell the kids that in two hours at dinner, I will award Yugi and Joey their prizes," Pegasus instructed.
"Okay," Ichigo said and walked out. As he walked through the halls, Ichigo informed everyone that Pegasus was fine and that the award ceremony would take place during dinner. When dinner arrived, Pegasus officially awarded Yugi the title of King of Games and presented Joey with the prize money. Once the formal ceremony was over, Pegasus announced that a ship would take them back to Domino Harbor the following day. Everyone agreed to stay for one more night. After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms to prepare for departure. Ichigo took his laptop and went to Pegasus's room, where he showed Pegasus the deck. Ichigo emailed Pegasus the deck list and card designs for every card. Pegasus told Ichigo he would call him when it was done. With that, Ichigo returned to his room and went to bed.
The next morning, everyone got up and went to the harbor to set sail back to Domino City. When the ship arrived, Pegasus had his bodyguards stationed to protect against any attacks from the vicious fangirls. As soon as Yugi, Joey, and Seto stepped off the ship, the fangirls became aggressive. Ichigo told everyone to quickly get into Seto's limo. Everyone rushed to the limo, and Yugi barely made it inside, his shirt and pants ripped and his hair disheveled. The limo driver then drove them back to their house. Fortunately, none of the fangirls discovered their addresses, or they would have camped outside their homes. While in the limo, the radio reported an Egyptian exhibit. Once they arrived back at the Kaiba Mansion, Ichigo, Mokuba, and Seto were safe.
"Man, those fangirls were vicious," Mokuba said.
"I agree," Seto replied.
"It could be worse," Ichigo said.
"How?" Seto asked.
"They could be students at Domino High," Ichigo said. Suddenly, reality hit them. Many of the fangirls were their age, and there was a high chance they were from their school.
"I… hate you right now," Seto said.
"Other than fangirls, it couldn't get any worse," Mokuba said. Ichigo slapped Mokuba on the face.
"OW!" Mokuba yelled. "What was that for?" Mokuba asked.
"Have you never watched any movies?" Ichigo asked. "Never say those words," he warned. Suddenly, Seto's phone rang, startling Mokuba. Seto sighed and answered the phone.
"What is it?" Seto asked.
"You have an Ishizu Ishtar from the Egyptian government who would like to speak to you," Seto's secretary said.
"Ishizu Ishtar?" Seto asked. "Put her through," Seto instructed.
"Yes, sir," the secretary replied.
"Hello?" a female voice said.
"You are Ishizu Ishtar, the curator of the Egyptian exhibit that just arrived yesterday, correct?" Seto asked.
"I am. In two days, I would like you to come to my Egyptian exhibit before it opens. I wish to show you something that might interest you," Ishizu said.
"Okay. I'll come," Seto said.
"Make sure you come alone," Ishizu instructed and then hung up. Seto explained to Ichigo and Mokuba what was happening.
"See, Mokuba, you had to challenge her," Ichigo said.
"Her?" Mokuba asked.
"Fate. One does not simply challenge Fate. Unless you are strong enough to beat her at her own game," Ichigo explained.
"Ichigo, in two days, you're coming with me to this meeting," Seto said.
"Okay. I guess I need to brush up on my Egyptian history," Ichigo said and walked off.
Author's Note
The rules they are playing by are the Duelist Kingdom rules. Each player begins the duel with 2000 Life Points. Direct attacks on the opponent are not allowed. Only one monster is allowed to declare an attack per turn. Players can Normal Summon monsters of any Level without Tributing.
At this moment, Sangan is treated as a normal monster.
At this moment, Swords of Revealing Light's effect only works on monsters that are on the field when this card is activated.
This is the real verb of exorcism.
Front of the boat.
The gun was censored in the dubbed version.
Twilight/Chaos is an actual term used in the competitive game of Yu-Gi-Oh.
Osiris's Messenger: From what I could find, there is no real indication of an Egyptian immortal who guides souls to The Halls of Truth, where the soul is judged by Osiris. Therefore, I created Osiris's Messenger to be that being.