Episode 1: The Heart of the Cards (Part 1)

 

𝑫𝑶𝑵'𝑻 𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑮𝑬𝑻 𝑻𝑶 𝑷𝑼𝑻 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑶𝑺𝑻 𝑶𝑵 𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑷 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑨 𝑭𝑼𝑳𝑳 𝑬𝑿𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬.

The afternoon sun, already low in the sky, sliced through the tall windows of Domino High, illuminating the dust motes dancing over the desks. A small crowd of students was bunched around a single table, their focus absolute.

"Hey Joey! Earth to Joey! Hey, are you in there? It's your turn. You know what a Turn is, right?" Yugi Muto, small but radiating an intense, coiled energy, leaned forward, his eyes bright with playful impatience. He tapped a finger near a shimmering card on the tabletop.

Tea Gardner rested her chin on her crossed arms, a soft, encouraging smile on her face. "Don't rush him, Yugi. He's concentrating."

"Hold it Yugs! Lemme think, alright? Ummmm...." Joey Wheeler, all lanky posture and a perpetually furrowed brow, scratched his spikey, blonde hair. Cards were scattered like fallen autumn leaves, a testament to the chaos of the game they were playing. Joey needed a miracle to escape Yugi's airtight field setup. "Hehe! Got it!"

Just then, the classroom door swung open, and Tristan Taylor strolled in, all swagger and a slightly too-tight t-shirt. He stopped, glanced at the huddle, and let out a smug chuckle as he deliberately pumped his shoulder into Joey's back.

"Look at him," Tristan sniped, leaning over Joey. "Isn't he cute when he's thinking? I never saw you using this much of your brain cells, jeez, I can almost smell the smoke coming out of your head, hehehe."

Joey glared back, rubbing his shoulder. "Yo Trists, Yugi here's teaching me how to play Duel Monsters." He slammed down a card, a move born of desperation.

"Drooling monsters?" Tristan rose a skeptical eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the elaborate cards.

"It's Duel Monsters, you nimrod. It's a pretty popular thing, you know!" Joey hissed, his face already flushing with annoyance.

"Sheesh." Tristan rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Never heard of this game thingy. Sounds kinda... complicated."

Tea breaks her silence, letting out a soft sigh that spoke of long hours spent watching this particular dynamic. "They've been at it for hours. Joey's starting to get the hang of the game, but Yugi's like an expert he sees everything three moves ahead."

Joey puffed out his chest, ignoring Tristan. "Okay Yugi. It's time to duel. Check this out!" He gestured triumphantly at the card he’d just played.

Tristan grabs a card, reading some of the text on it to himself. "Jeez... This game looks kinda hard"

"It's not that hard!" Tea quickly interjected, stepping in to educate the dense Tristan. "See, each card has an Attack number and a Defense number. The first player to eliminate the other player's Life Points wins the duel by attacking and destroying the opponent's card. And you can play Spell and Trap cards to protect or help support your monsters to the victory!"

Tristan's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine interest sparking in them. "Woah, so it is like a real life fighting game!"

"Pretty good move, huh, Yugi?" Joey was all proud, his chest nearly touching the desk.

Yugi offered a gentle smile. "Yup! Pretty good move, but not good enough." He drew a card, his fingers expertly handling the slick paper. With a decisive *thwack*, he placed it down, signaling an attack. "That wipes out your monster, and my damage goes straight to your Life Points! Game over, Joey. I win!"

"What?!" Joey shouted, jumping back as if scalded. "Thanks a lot. A card that powerful totally wipes me out!"

Tristan was quick to pour salt in the wound. "Whoa, you stink at this game, Joey."

Yugi chuckled, gathering his cards with surprising speed. "Hehe! You did fine, Joey. I just have better cards. See, my Grandpa owns a game shop, and I get all my best cards from him."

"Woah! For real? Your own game shop!" Joey’s face transformed from despair to manic excitement. "What're we waiting for? Let's go!" The idea of new, powerful cards made him shiver.

Yugi smiled, slipping his cards into a deck box shaped like a miniature gold sarcophagus. "Okay, maybe I could even get my Grandpa to show us this super rare card he's got. You guys are gonna love it!

A little distance away, near the back wall, stood a figure tall, impeccably dressed, and radiating an air of untouchable arrogance. He'd been watching Yugi and his friends for a while, listening to their careless words.

"Rare card, huh? Could they have found the card that I've been searching for?" His cold, blue eyes narrowed, a shark scenting blood. He straightened his expensive jacket and turned, his gait purposeful, already moving toward the door.

𝑫𝑶𝑵'𝑻 𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑮𝑬𝑻 𝑻𝑶 𝑷𝑼𝑻 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑶𝑺𝑻 𝑶𝑵 𝑳𝑶𝑶𝑷 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑨 𝑭𝑼𝑳𝑳 𝑬𝑿𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬.

The Kame Game Shop was a comforting oasis in the bustling commercial heart of Domino City. The street outside was full of the noise of traffic and distant chatter, but stepping inside was like entering a library populated, yet calm. The shelves were packed wall-to-wall with every kind of distraction: rare action figures still in their packaging, vintage video game cartridges stacked like bricks, and countless boxes of board games. It was a treasure trove of nostalgia and novelty, warm light casting long shadows from the display cases.

Yugi pushed open the door, a small chime ringing out. Joey, Tristan, and Tea trailed in, their noisy energy immediately absorbed by the quiet atmosphere. "Grandpa? I'm home!"

Solomon Muto, a kindly man with a powerful, stocky build and a knowing sparkle in his eyes, smiled as he was organizing the money behind the counter. "Oh, Yugi, my boy! And I see you've brought company."

"Gramps, could you show my friends your awesome, super rare card? I bet it's something they never saw before!" Yugi's voice was bright with anticipation.

Solomon raised a playful eyebrow. "Rare card? My special card? Hmmm..."

Yugi slapped his hands together in a pleading gesture. "Please! Please!"

Joey stepped closer to the counter, mirroring Yugi's enthusiasm with his own wide, pleading eyes. "Pretty please?"

Solomon chuckled, a hearty, warm sound. "Hah hah! How could I refuse? You kids are in for a treat." He reached beneath the counter and pulled out a small, intricately carved wooden box. Placing it down, he opened the lid with a dramatic flourish, exposing a card nestled inside a velvet lining.

"I don't take this card out too often. Ready? Here it is." Solomon’s voice dropped to a reverent whisper. "The Blue-Eyes White Dragon so rare, so powerful, I never let it leave my hands."

Joey's jaw dropped. "Woahhhhh! Awesome! Look at all those numbers!"

Tea leaned closer, impressed. "Woah, and it is very shining, never saw a card like this around."

Yugi giggled. "Yeah, you can tell that it is very important!"

Tristan, unable to contain his curiosity, actually reached out and snatched the card from the box. "It doesn't look all that special to me..." he mumbled, squinting at the holographic foil.

 

Yugi's grandpa was lightning fast, snatching the priceless card back into his protective grip. "Ahh! Now, this card is priceless. There are only four of them in all the world, you know?"

Tristan’s eyes went wide. "Really? Well, it really looks very important when you put it like that, though."

Joey, already in a frenzy, bounced on the balls of his feet. "Speaking of priceless, I'm ready to trade!"

Solomon shook his head gently. "Not for this card."

Joey tried to recover, quickly looking away and pretending to be intensely interested in a stack of old comics. "Huh? Nah, I didn't mean that card. I meant, show me some other cool cards to get me started." 

The others giggled, sharing knowing glances. Yugi began to tour his friends around the shop, showing them the whole collection of cards and toys that he knew they would love to see. 

Just as the friendly atmosphere was restored, the door chimed again, but this time, the presence that entered was a cold draft that seemed to suck the warmth from the room. A tall, pale figure in a tailored, dark suit stepped inside, closing the door behind him with a decisive, heavy thud.

Yugi's grandpa looked up, his smile fading slightly. "Hello, can I help you?"

Yugi and his friends stared. Tea’s eyebrows rose. 

Tristan’s rises his eyebrows. "It's that..."

The figure’s voice was deadpan and cold, cutting through the silence. "If you can't, it certainly wouldn't surprise me."

Yugi’s eyes went wide with realization. "Seto Kaiba!" 

Joey raised his eyebrows. "Kaibs?!"

Kaiba didn't even acknowledge them. He walked purposefully toward the counter, his shoulder sharply pumping into Joey’s chest, knocking him a step backward. "It's Seto Kaiba for you, peasant."

Joey rubbed his shoulder, his face clouding with frustration. "Hey!"

Tristan scratched the back of his head. "Doesn't he have a big fancy company to run? What's he doing down here?"

Kaiba cut them off, not bothering to lower his voice. "Not that it's any of your business, but I came to see the card. Not your insect faces."

Tea rolled her eyes, whispering to herself. "I hate this edgelord type of guys. Tsk..." 

Joey, ever the optimist, stepped forward with a genuine smile. "Hey, are you into Duel Monsters too? This is perfect! Maybe we could all duel together sometime!"

Kaiba looked at him out of the corner of his eye, his expression one of utter disdain. "Me? Duel you? I'd have more of a challenge playing solitaire. Why would I duel someone who can't even write his name right?"

Joey's eyes went wide with shock and terror. "What?"

Tristan crossed his arms, leaning against a shelf. "Jeez... What an intense guy..."

Kaiba turned his full attention to Solomon, refusing to make eye contact with the friends. "I am the number one ranked duelist in the country, and the favorite to win the Duel Monsters championship. Hah, you wouldn't last two minutes in a duel against me. Just like the way you can hold a single thought in your head without burning your brain cells."

Tea shouted, her hands going to her hips. "Hey!"

Joey’s hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white. "Ooh, I'm shaking. Maybe you'd like to settle this with fists instead of cards."

Yugi quickly grabbed Joey's arm, holding him in place. "Whoa! Take it easy, Joey!"

Tea helped Yugi, grabbing Joey's other arm. "Don't bother, Joey, just ignore him..."

Joey hissed, straining against their grip. "But Yugi, Tea, Kaiba's asking for it!"

Kaiba sighed dramatically, scanning the counter. "Now, does this dump have any worthwhile cards or not?" His eyes quickly locked onto the glimmer of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon peeking out from behind Solomon's hand. He lurched forward, his composure momentarily cracking, he frowns slightly annoyed "Can it be? The Blue-Eyes White Dragon in a dump like this? It is. The card I've been searching for."

Yugi’s grandpa quickly covered the card with both hands. "Well, enough window shopping. Is there anything else I can help you with, Intense Boy?"

Kaiba growled with a smirk, lifting a sleek, expensive-looking briefcase onto the counter and snapping it open. "Try not to drool too much, alright?"

Solomon’s eyes widened at the contents. "Huh? Oooh." The case was packed with the rarest, shiniest cards imaginable—holos and ultra-rares stacked neatly inside cushioned compartments.

Kaiba slammed his hands on the counter, the sound sharp and demanding. "Listen to me, old man. Gimme your Blue-Eyes White Dragon card, and I'll trade you all of these."

"Woah!" the friends chorused.

Tea gasped. "They are all so shiny! Wow... So there is more!?"

Tristan added, whistling low. "Whoa, this game has some crazy artwork!"

Yugi's grandpa smiled serenely, pushing the briefcase back toward Kaiba. "Ahh, nice. But no thanks."

"Huh?!" they all exclaimed, shock etched on their faces.

Yugi looked surprised. "Grandpa..."

Kaiba's control snapped. He slammed the counter again. "Nngh. Fine! If you won't trade, maybe you'll sell it. Name your price. I can pay anything you ask. Quick!"

Solomon Muto shook his head, his gaze steady and compassionate, looking at Kaiba like a disappointed father. "I'm sure you could. But this card is worth more than you could ever offer. Not because of its power or because it's so rare, but because of what it means to me. This card was given to me by a dear friend, and so I treasure this card as I do that friend. So, parting with it is completely out of the question. It’s worth more than everything you could ever pay me..."

Kaiba hissed, his face a mask of fury. "You...!"

Yugi nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on his grandfather. "You'd feel the same even if it were a common card, right, Grandpa?"

Solomon smiled, laying a hand over his heart. "Exactly, my boy. You see, this precious card has bonded with my heart."

Kaiba let out a loud, theatrical sigh of annoyance, his chest heaving. "Fine! I've heard enough of your nonsense." He slammed the briefcase shut and turned sharply, his expensive leather shoes scraping on the wooden floor. "Senile old fool. You don't know what you put yourself into... But you will see..." Kaiba quickly walked away, pushing Joey out of the way again with a brutal elbow.

Joey stumbled, his face dark with rage. "Gahh! You!!!"

Yugi grabbed his shoulder. "Come on, Joey! He is not worth it!"

Joey hissed, pulling his arm free. "**This Kaiba just pisses me off!**"

Tea watched the retreating figure. "I don't think he can help himself."

Tristan smirked. "I am sure he doesn't have any friends, that's why he is like that."

Yugi shook his head, looking toward the door as it slammed shut. "Yeah."

Outside the Game Shop, Kaiba’s sleek, black limousine was already idling at the curb. He slid into the backseat, the door clicking shut with a sound of insulated finality. Inside the car were two imposing men in black suits his personal security detail.

Kaiba pressed his knuckles into his palms, his tension palpable. "Heart of the cards. Ridiculous. Cards are all about power. A piece of paper doesn't have any heart... One way or another, his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card... will be mine. He can just wait..."

A mysterious, calm voice came from a device attached to the car's console. "Calm down, my Master. It's not good to stress yourself for minor things."

"Silence...." Kaiba hissed.

"Yes, Master," the voice shut down, leaving Kaiba alone with his dark, consuming thoughts.

He stared out the tinted window as the car drove away from the old commercial district. The quiet streets soon gave way to a towering, metallic skyline. The car stopped at the front gate of a massive, cold, silver-and-glass governmental complex KaibaCorp. This was Kaiba's own empire, a labyrinth of concrete and technology that ruled every aspect of Domino City, from food production to transportation, incomparable and unbeatable.

As the car entered the complex, a promotional video played on the huge, holographic billboards surrounding the tower. A life-sized, photorealistic AI avatar of a beautiful woman with serene, platinum hair the same model as the voice assistant appeared on the screens introducing KaibaCorp.

"Greetings, citizens of Domino City, Welcome to the KaibaEra. An era of peace and cooperation between our states forged and achieved by our corporation, KaibaCorp." Her gentle voice boomed across the complex, contrasting sharply with the cold silence inside Kaiba's car.

"KaibaCorp's mission is to innovate and connect people together. We strive to bridge the gap between technology and humanity, offering a future defined by opportunity and fairness." The screens flashed images of children playing the Duel Monsters game with wide, happy smiles, elderly people receiving top-tier medical care, and massive solar panel farms powering the city.

"We believe that success is only meaningful when shared. Our initiatives, from revitalizing the city's infrastructure to democratizing global entertainment menage to improve even more with the popularization of the card game: Duel Monsters. Aiming to instruct health hobbies to the younghood, helping them to improve their skills and technique though Dueling. After a while, we believe that we are further close to reach out goal, which is expanding Duel Monster further to the world.

The screens centered on a single, crystalline blue image of a dragon’s eye, a starkly beautiful contrast to the harsh geometry of the building.

"KaibaCorp: Shaping the focus through blue eyes."

The car parked in an exclusive garage. Two stern-faced men in black were waiting. The car window slid down.

Kaiba’s voice was cold and heartless. "Gentlemen, there's a little something I'd like you to pick up for me at a certain... Game Shop..."

One of the bodyguards bowed stiffly. "Gladly, Master Kaiba."

Kaiba’s face twisted into a menacing sneer. "You better not fail. You will regret the day you were born." The window slid back up, severing the conversation.

...

The Next Day

The next morning, the two men in black were standing directly in front of the Game Shop. Inside, Yugi's grandpa was standing behind the counter, cleaning the glass as he was cheerfully whistling and humming, ready for another tranquil day of work. He smiled as he heard the door opening.

"Good morning," he said, turning around. "Hmm?"

The man in black stepped forward, his sunglasses glinting ominously. "My master, Seto Kaiba, challenges you to a duel. You may come with us now."

Solomon's smile slowly faded, replaced by a look of weary resolve. "And if I were to decline?"

The man in black gave a cold, shark-like smile. "I'm afraid I must... insist. We would be really bad making the little boy suffer for the rest of his life, right?"

Solomon's jaw tightened, and he slowly shook his head, his eyes showing a deep sadness. "Young Kaiba doesn't understand. But I'll teach him a lesson about the heart of the cards."

He slowly stood up, a quiet dignity surrounding him. He opened his arms and gestured toward the door. The two men moved in, flanking him, and guided him out of the humble Game Shop and into the merciless sunlight of Domino City.

                                             To Be Continue.....

Next Episode - https://theworldfanfics.blogspot.com/2025/11/episode-2-heart-of-cards-part-2.html?m=1