On a riverside embankment in Domino City, Yugi stood by the water.
"Aibou… In this Battle City tournament, it feels like you're searching for something," Yugi said quietly. "Is it connected to your memories?"
A shadowy silhouette appeared—Yami Yugi.
"So you noticed?" he asked.
"Yeah… I can kind of feel it," Yugi nodded. "Ever since you and Anzu went on that 'date' and saw the stone tablet… your gaze keeps drifting somewhere, like you've found a target."
"But whatever you're chasing—I'll support you. I spent years completing the Millennium Puzzle, and then I met you. You gave courage to someone like me—friendless and timid. Because of you, I gained friends… I owe you so much."
"That's not right," Yami Yugi said with a small smile. "That strength was always yours."
"So even if I can't help much this time… whatever you do, I'll support you from behind!"
"No—"
Rustle, rustle, rustle!
Rapid footsteps scraped against the embankment.
"Be careful," Yami Yugi warned. "Something is coming."
"I know." Yugi tensed, scanning the area.
Then—
A doll leapt down onto the embankment and stopped in front of them.
The moment Yugi saw the Eye of Horus etched onto its forehead, he understood.
"You…!"
"Heh heh heh… You're the vessel of the Pharaoh—Mutou Yugi, aren't you?" the doll spoke.
"Marik!"
"So you know me," the voice said calmly. "Yes—I, the one controlling this doll, am Marik. This silent puppet is only a container. The real me is still far from Domino City."
The Millennium Puzzle flared with light—Yami Yugi's presence sharpened.
"Using a Millennium Item to control others at will… I will never forgive you, Marik!"
"This is a battle spanning three thousand years," Marik said. "Today, I end it."
"If destiny is guiding this duel… I won't run," Yami Yugi declared. "I accept!"
Marik's voice dropped, icy.
"If I win, this puppet will kill you. No matter where you flee, it will pursue you—until you die."
"Then you'd better win first," Yami Yugi replied, unfazed.
At that moment, Kisaragi and Kaiba arrived—just in time to be seen.
"Kisaragi… Kaiba?" Yami Yugi frowned. "Why are you here?"
"You came to stop my duel with Yugi?" Marik snapped.
"We're not stopping anything," Kisaragi said flatly. "We're here to watch a god."
Then she warned Yugi:
"Yugi—be careful. His Deck has a God Card."
"A God Card…?" Yugi's eyes narrowed. "Then today I'll defeat a god."
"Heh heh heh," Marik laughed. "Defeat a god? Don't make me laugh."
Both Duel Disks opened.
"DUEL!" ×2
Marik LP 4000
Yami Yugi LP 4000
Marik's Turn
"Yugi—first move is mine!"
"My turn—draw!"
He set one monster face-down, then set one card.
"And now—Continuous Spell: Card of Safe Return! Continuous Spell: Dark Sun!"
A black sun appeared above Marik, swallowing the light.
"End turn." (Cards in hand: 2)
Yami Yugi's Turn
"My turn—draw!"
"I Normal Summon Queen's Knight in Attack Position!"
Queen's Knight (1500/1600)
"Battle! Queen's Knight attacks the face-down monster!"
The monster burst—blue sludge splattering across the field.
"What—?!"
Yami Yugi set two cards.
"End turn." (Cards in hand: 3)
Marik's Turn
"My turn—draw!"
The puddle of slime began to move. It crawled back together, reforming into a creature.
"What?!" Yugi's eyes widened.
"The monster you destroyed was Revival Jam," Marik said. "When it's destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon it from the Graveyard during my next Standby Phase—by paying 1000 LP."
"Come forth—Revival Jam!"
Marik LP 4000 → 3000
Revival Jam (1500/500)
"Now, Dark Sun activates. When a monster is Special Summoned face-up from my Graveyard, I target one of them—its ATK increases by 1000!"
Revival Jam (2500/500)
"And Card of Safe Return—each time I Special Summon from my Graveyard, I draw 1 card."
Then Marik Normal Summoned:
"Attack Position—Jam Breeding Machine!"
Jam Breeding Machine (500/500)
"And its effect—during my Main Phase, I Special Summon two Slime Tokens!"
Slime Token ×2 (500/500)
Kisaragi narrowed her eyes. "He's building sacrifices… He's setting up the God Card summon."
Kaiba nodded. "Question is whether he actually drew it."
Yami Yugi's mind raced: Revival Jam + Dark Sun as pressure… tokens as tribute fodder…
"Now—Revival Jam attacks Queen's Knight!"
Yami Yugi's Counter
"Trap—Joker's Wild!"
Kaiba's eyes sharpened at the wording; this wasn't a simple negate.
"I send a Spell that lists Queen's Knight, Jack's Knight, King's Knight from my Deck to the Graveyard—then this effect becomes that Spell's activation effect!"
He sent Arcana Extra Joker Fusion (as "Poker Fusion" in this story's naming) to the Graveyard and declared its effect:
"I fuse Queen's Knight on the field, King's Knight from my hand, and Jack's Knight from my Deck—Fusion Summon!"
"Come forth—Arcana Knight Joker!"
Arcana Knight Joker (3800/2500)
With the battle rewound by the new summon…
"Because of the battle replay, I cancel the attack. End turn." (Cards in hand: 1)
Kisaragi's eyes glittered. "So Yugi upgraded his deck's ceiling."
Kaiba crossed his arms tighter than necessary. "Tch. Not bad… but if he faced me, he still wouldn't win."
Kisaragi thought, Kaiba hasn't even dueled Yugi yet… but that competitiveness feels… sharper than canon. Maybe I'm imagining it.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 138)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter155)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter98)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter172)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 158
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 144
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 100
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 165
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 140
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 120
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 69
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 90
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 95
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 70
Uma Musume: I Want All 80
I Can Copy Unique Skills 65
Summoning an Evil God, but the 52
Supernatural Multiverse 65
My Harem Is Indescribable 50
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 55
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 40
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 50
Still playing traditional Honk 30
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