Episode 2: The Heart of the Cards (Part 2)

The shadows of late afternoon had already begun to lengthen across the streets of Domino City. Yugi walked with a nervous bounce in his step, his small hand clutching the strap of his backpack. Next to him, Joey’s smile was wide and eager.

"Man, I hope Gramps has some cool cards today," Joey mused, already envisioning himself with a monster strong enough to beat Yugi.

Yugi giggled, the jingling of the Millennium Puzzle around his neck a light counterpoint to the city noise. "Yeah, Me too!"

Tea nodded, her expression warm. "Yeah! I hope he has more of those adorable monsters."

A minute later, the quartet arrived at the Game Shop. Joey, always the most impulsive, threw his bag carelessly onto the pavement outside, practically vibrating with impatience. He burst through the door. "Okay, Gramps, I'm back to get more cards! Hey, hey Gramps!"

Yugi followed, his eyes scanning the familiar shelves. "Grandpa, I'm home."

The shop was silent. The air felt flat, the usual comforting warmth absent.

Tea frowned, her eyebrows rising in concern. "Maybe he... went out?"

Tristan looked around, scratching his head. "Maybe it's lunch break or something."

Joey’s eagerness curdled into confusion. He picked up his bag and hugged it to his chest. "Maybe. But why would he leave the door unlocked? Gramps never leaves the till exposed."

Yugi shook his head, a knot tightening in his stomach. The absence of his grandfather felt like a physical chill. "No... It's still too early for lunch break.... Something's wrong..."

Tea’s worried frown deepened. "Yeah..."

Suddenly, a harsh, insistent ring sliced through the quiet tension the shop's old rotary phone near the counter was screaming. Yugi and his friends exchanged nervous looks before Yugi, driven by a terrible premonition, picked it up.

"Hello. Game Shop."

Kaiba’s voice, devoid of all warmth and layered with sneering contempt, cut across the line. "It's you. Perfect."

Yugi’s eyes went wide with pure terror. "Kaiba?!"

Tea, Joey, and Tristan instantly crowded around, their faces reflecting Yugi's shock.

Kaiba's voice was sharp with smug victory. "Your grandfather's here visiting. But he's not feeling well. Why don't you come by my office and pick him up.**"

Yugi gasped, his hand gripping the receiver so hard his knuckles turned white. "Kaiba! What've you done, Kaiba?!**"

With a cold, decisive *click*, Kaiba hung up. The dial tone buzzed loudly in Yugi’s ear, a mocking sound of finality. He lowered the phone slowly, his body trembling.

Tea, her mind already racing, grabbed his shoulder. "Yugi! We gotta stop Kaiba from whatever he is trying to do, Let's go!"

Yugi looked at her, his fear giving way to frantic determination. He nodded once, and the four friends bolted out of the Game Shop, running with a desperate speed toward the heart of the city the towering fortress of KaibaCorp.

The lobby of the KaibaCorp skyscraper was a mausoleum of cold marble and polished chrome. The friends flew across the vast space and slammed the button for the upper floors.

The ride up was a blur of silence and mutual dread. When the elevator doors finally slid open on one of the executive floors, Yugi didn't wait. He sprinted out onto a vast, circular viewing platform overlooking the city.

In the center, amidst an array of sophisticated monitors and control panels, lay Solomon Muto. He was sprawled on the futuristic, metallic floor, clutching his chest. His usually vibrant face was pale and slick with sweat, his breathing ragged.

Yugi's eyes widened in horror. He fell to his knees beside his grandfather, gently pulling him up for balance. "Grandpa! Grandpa. A-are you okay?"

Tea rushed over, quickly helping Yugi support the old man. "Grandpa!"

Joey's face was white with shock. "Oh no! Gramps!" He stepped forward, ready to lend any aid.

Solomon propped himself up on his elbows, his voice strained and weak. "Yugi. I failed. I wanted to teach that boy Kaiba a lesson about the heart of the cards, but I lost. He lost it... He is blinded by power and hate... I couldn't do anything to help him." He groaned, stumbling slightly, the pain visible in every line on his face.

Yugi wrapped his arms around him, holding him tighter. "Grandpa!"

Above them, towering over the platform, a figure stood atop a raised circular structure that resembled a miniature dueling arena built for a giant. Seto Kaiba, his arms crossed, looked down on the scene with an insufferable smirk, entirely detached from the suffering he had caused. "**How's the old man feeling, hmmm?"

Joey’s terror instantly transformed into pure, righteous fury. He pointed an accusatory finger up at the champion. "Kaiba! You sleaze! What've you done to him?!"

Kaiba casually turned his body, looking down at them only with the corner of his eye. "We had a duel, that's all. With each of us putting up our most valuable card as the prize. But I guess playing against a champion like myself was just too much stimulation for the old fool."

Tea's face was etched with disgust. She pointed at Kaiba. "Kaiba, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

Kaiba finally looked at them, his expression one of utter boredom, as if swatting away gnats. "Ashamed of what? It was fair." He then raised his hand, and everyone gasped. In his grip was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "And look at the sweet prize I won." With a casual flick of his wrist, Kaiba held the card between his thumb and forefinger and slowly, deliberately, tore it in half.

The sound a sharp, tearing *zzzzip* was deafening in the silence of the high-rise. The two pieces of the legendary card drifted lazily down, shimmering as they fell until they hit the cold ground.

Yugi’s face crumpled. His voice was a choked whisper of despair. "Grandpa's most treasured card! Nooo!"

Tea's eyes were wide pools of shock. "W-why!?"

Kaiba crossed his arms again, the casual destruction complete. "Yes, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon is a rare and powerful card, and this one will never be used against me."

Tristan blinked slowly, trying to process the sheer arrogance of the act. "Th-this guy is nuts!"

Solomon Muto clutched his chest, the final act of malice seemingly stealing his last breath. "Ahh, my Blue-Eyes White Dragon. My treasure."

Yugi’s heart ached for his grandfather. He shouted up at the smug figure. "Grandpa! Hold on!" Then, his voice ringing with anguish, he looked up at Kaiba. "How could you do such a thing?"

Kaiba laughed a short, sharp, humorless sound. "Wasn't I clear? Nobody is worthy of using this card. You peasants don't have the right of putting your hands on it."

Tea’s eyes flashed with anger. "You no-limits Kaiba!"

Joey roared. "You pain on the ass!"

With a supreme effort, Yugi's grandfather grabbed the edge of Yugi's shirt, pulling him close. He reached into his coat pocket and held up his Duel Monsters deck. "Yugi, here. Take this."

Yugi stared, his eyes wide. "Huh? Grandpa."

Solomon Muto sank back down to the floor, his strength failing. "I built this deck. I put my soul in these cards. And I taught you everything I know, Yugi. Take them. Take my cards and teach him respect. Teach Kaiba respect for the heart of the cards, Yugi."

Yugi shook his head, tears welling up. "But Grandpa, you need help. I've got to get you to a doctor!"

Kaiba smirked, seizing the moment. "That sounds like an excuse. Your friends can care for your grandfather while you and I duel.... unless you're afraid?"

Joey shoved Yugi's shoulder, his eyes burning with conviction. "Take him, Yugi! Teach him a lesson!"

Yugi turned back to his friends, his expression torn. "Huh?"

Joey grabbed Yugi's shoulders, his grip tight. "We can take care of your grandpa while you take care of creepy Kaiba. Teach that rich, spoiled brat what a real duel's all about."

Tea nodded vehemently, her hands on her hips. "For your grandpa, Yugi! Pay him with the same coin!"

Yugi looked down at his trembling hands, then at the deck Solomon offered. "I don't know..."

Joey leaned in, his voice sincere and full of faith. "Trust me, you're like the best player I've ever seen, and you've got the Millennium Puzzle to give you good luck. You can do this, Yugi! I know you can!"

Tea and Tristan nodded, a unified front of support. "We all do." "Get him, Yugi!"

Yugi’s doubt vanished, replaced by a fierce resolve. He nodded, reaching for the deck Solomon pressed into his palm. "Okay, Grandpa. I'll do it! I will make you proud!"

Solomon nodded back, a faint, proud smile touching the corner of his mouth. "I know you will, my boy."

Tea suddenly whipped out a black marker. "Everyone, put your hands together!" She gathered their four hands in the center and quickly drew a small, crude **smiley face** on their combined skin, a quick, desperate attempt at unity.

Joey looked at his hand, confused. "What gives, Tea?"

Tea smiled, her eyes brimming with a fierce loyalty. "It's a symbol of our friendship so when Yugi's dueling, no matter how tough it gets, he'll know that he's not alone. We're all right there with him."

Joey and Tristan exchanged a look, then nodded, understanding the power of the gesture.

Outside the towering cold of KaibaCorp, an ambulance screeched to a halt. Tea, Joey, and Tristan carefully rushed Solomon Muto out.

"Joey, Tristan and I will take Yugi's grandpa to the hospital!" Tea instructed, her voice steady despite her worry. "Why don't you get back in there and cheer Yugi on?"

Tristan nodded, his face serious. "Go for it, dude!"

Joey nodded, his resolve fixed. "Okay, take good care of him, Tea, Tristan!" He turned and sprinted back toward the imposing doors of KaibaCorp.

Inside, Yugi stepped onto a small, automated lift that rose from the floor, taking him swiftly up to the dueling platform. The higher he rose, the more surreal the environment became. He was rising toward the mock arena, the floor bathed in an eerie, pulsing blue light.

Kaiba stood across the platform, a figure of icy confidence. "I designed this virtual stadium myself. Impressive, hmmm? I think you'll agree, it adds a bit more life to the game. We each begin with two thousand life points. The first player to hit zero loses. Are you ready to play, runt?"

Yugi stood on the platform, the weight of the deck heavy in his hand, the Millennium Puzzle warm against his chest. His small body straightened, and his voice, though trembling slightly at first, grew into a shout that echoed off the glass walls. "Play-time is over, Kaiba! Aaaaa!"

YU-GI-OOOOOOOOOH!!!

He closed his eyes, gripping the Millennium Puzzle with all his might. A strange, blinding golden aura exploded from the Puzzle, engulfing Yugi. The light was intense, powerful, and utterly alien. Yugi’s body seemed to stretch, his small frame growing taller, broader. His voice deepened, his posture shifted from hesitant to utterly dominant, and when he opened his eyes, they were no longer the soft magenta of Yugi Muto, but sharp, cold, and determined violet.

Kaiba’s eyes widened for a split second, his composure shattered by the sheer, unexplainable transformation. "What the-?"

Yami Yugi the spirit of the Puzzle, the true King of Games stood ready. He walked forward. His voice, resonant and commanding, echoed with the power of ages.

"Now, Kaiba, prepare yourself, because... IT'S TIME TO DUEL!"

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

Seto Kaiba quickly regained his composure, the brief flicker of surprise at Yami Yugi's transformation vanishing behind his trademark sneer. He gestured to the vast, neon-lit platform of the virtual arena.

"Virtual systems ready. So let's begin. Try not to get destroyed!"

The scoreboard above the platform blazed to life, displaying the starting totals.

| 𝗞𝗔𝗜𝗕𝗔 𝗟𝗣 - 2000 / 2000 - 𝗬𝗨𝗚𝗜 𝗟𝗣 |

"𝗗𝗨𝗘𝗟!"

Both duelists drew five cards from their decks. Kaiba, ever the picture of calculated aggression, checked his hand and allowed a smug smile to spread across his face. He held a card high with his fingers and slammed it onto the duel disk integrated into the platform.

"I summon the mighty Hitotsu Me Giant! Brace yourself, Yugi. You've never dueled like this before."

With a sudden, violent flash of light and a roar that made the glass walls of the high-rise thrum, a hulking, cyclopean brute materialized on the virtual field. The Hitotsu Me Giant slammed its massive, clawed fists onto the metal floor, its single eye glaring with savage fury.

Yami Yugi's sharp, determined eyes widened, and he recoiled slightly not out of fear, but sheer astonishment. "He's brought the monster on the card to life!"

Kaiba smirked, a proud, arrogant look of ownership gleaming in his eyes. "It's my virtual simulator. It creates life-like holograms of every Duel Monster. Do you get it or will I have to make you a drawing? I end my turn."

Yami Yugi's frown deepened for a moment. "So this is how you beat my grandfather...." The shadow of concern was quickly replaced by a steely resolve. "Well then! Now it's my turn. Draw!" He pulled his top card, then slammed a Monster Card onto his field. "I call on the Winged Dragon! Come out!"

Appearing on Yami's side was a majestic, reptilian beast, the Guardian of the Fortress. It took flight immediately, letting out a hot, smoky breath that misted the virtual air.

Just then, Joey, having dashed past the startled security, burst through the elevator doors and froze, his jaw slack. He looked up at the battling beasts, his eyes wide with a combination of terror and awe. "Whoa, monsters! Real monsters! That's so sick!"

Yami Yugi, ignoring the commotion, pointed decisively toward Kaiba’s side. "Hold yourself, Kaiba, here it comes! Winged Dragon now! Fireball Attack!"

The Winged Dragon banked hard, gaining high-speed altitude. Once soaring, it opened its mouth wide, gathering a dense, powerful fireball of magical energy. It blasted the projectile straight at the Giant. Hitotsu Me Giant's single eye widened in panic as it raised its arms to defend. The fireball slammed into the Giant, the virtual energy effect crackling violently before the giant shattered into crystalline shards of light.

The platform beneath Kaiba pulsed red as his Life Points dropped.

| 𝗞𝗔𝗜𝗕𝗔 𝗟𝗣 - 1800 / 2000 - 𝗬𝗨𝗚𝗜 𝗟𝗣 |

Kaiba's eyes twitched slightly with annoyance the first sign that Yugi was not the "runt" he had dismissed. "Tsk! So you really know the basics, huh? Not bad..."

Yami Yugi offered a tight, challenging smirk. "Was that a compliment, Kaiba? You suddenly went out of character. I end my turn."

Kaiba gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing. "Enjoy it, Yugi. It will be your most treasured moment for the rest of your life! Draw!"

As Kaiba drew his card, the glass-and-steel door near his platform opened, and a figure rushed in. It was a young girl with an air of nervous refinement. Her eyes, wide and full of worry, immediately fixed on Kaiba's fluctuating Life Points. No one ever dared to push the great Seto Kaiba this hard. She quickly stepped toward the edge of his platform.

"Big brother!" she shouted, her voice thick with panic. "Are you alright?" She glanced across the chasm at Yami Yugi, utterly bewildered by the giant Winged Dragon now gliding on the opposing field.

Joey, emboldened by the victory, cheered wildly from the sidelines. "Alright! Go Yugi! Beat his arrogant butt!"

Kaiba ignored the newcomer and focused his laser-like attention on his rival. "Hah. Well played, Yugi... Now let's see how you deal with this!" Kaiba slammed a card onto the field.

A small, unsettling imp with a perpetually mischievous smile and tattered robes materialized: Saggi the Dark Clown. It giggled and hovered, a disturbing contrast to the powerful beasts that usually dominated the arena.

Yami Yugi raised an eyebrow, wary of the low-level monster. "Saggi the Dark Clown? What are you trying to do, Kaiba!"

Kaiba’s smirk widened. "Your Winged Dragon's attack is 1400, while my Dark Clown's is only 600, but check this out! I activate Saggi's effect! Negative Energy Generator!"

Yami Yugi's eyes widened. "An effect!?"

The Dark Clown pulsed with a dark, sickening energy.

Kaiba pointed forward, his voice dripping with malice. "Exactly. The Negative Energy Generator. When Saggi is summoned it's ATK becomes 1800 until the end of the turn! Dark Clown now! Attack with Dark Light!"

Saggi raised a hand, charging a ball of swirling dark energy. It hurled the malicious sphere at the Winged Dragon. The majestic monster was consumed by the dark light, dissolving instantly and painfully into a black vortex of dissipating pixels.

Yami Yugi grunted, bracing himself against the impact. "Urgh...."

His Life Points flickered downward.

| 𝗞𝗔𝗜𝗕𝗔 𝗟𝗣 - 1800 / 1600 - 𝗬𝗨𝗚𝗜 𝗟𝗣 |

Joey’s excitement evaporated. "What the-!" He quickly shouted, his voice full of worry. "Yugi, are you okay!?"

Yami Yugi glanced down briefly at Joey, a slight, reassuring nod. "I am okay, don't worry." He then focused his intense gaze back on Kaiba.

Kaiba laughed, a cold, satisfied sound. "Fufufufu! As you can see, vanilla cards won't be enough to give you the victory, Yugi. I end my turn."

Yami Yugi sighed, his focus now absolute. "He's good. He knows how to play the game. But my grandpa put all of his gaming knowledge, his whole heart, into assembling this deck. I have to believe that it holds some secret strategy. Draw!"

He looked at the card he’d just drawn it was a torn half of a very specific card. "This card is...useless, I can't beat the Dark Clown with this... I'll have to use a different monster in defense position. The monster will be sacrificed, but my overall Life Points will be safe." Yami set a single card face-down. "I set a card face-down and end my turn!"

Kaiba smirked, leaning back on the console. "Playing defensive, eh, Yugi? Are you sure you have the time to do that?"

Yami Yugi pointed back at him, his composure unshaken. "Every strategy is a strategy, no matter the execution. Make your move!"

Kaiba accepted the challenge. "As you wish, Yugi. Now Saggi! Dark Light Attack!"

Saggi giggled, his hand raised as he charged another ball of dark energy, throwing it at Yugi's face-down card. The hidden monster, an unseen sacrifice, dissolved into the black hole of destruction.

Yami Yugi gritted his teeth. "Darn it..."

Kaiba laughed again, a sound of increasing mania. "You better not be waiting for something to happen, Yugi! Fufufufu!"

Joey's voice, raw with emotion, shouted up from below. "Hang in there, Yugi! Don't pull your punches!"

Kaiba stepped forward to the edge of his platform, his voice laced with venom. "You're not faring any better than the old man did, Yugi. This deck is just the same: weak and feeble as your grandfather. Magic won't make it change!"

Yami Yugi's eyes flashed with anger, the slight, polite duelist gone, replaced by a fierce protector. "My grandpa is a great man, and a better duelist than you'll ever be! He entrusted me with his cards and I can feel his heart in this deck. I doubt you have that kind of faith in your cards, Kaiba! I draw!"

Kaiba growled, dismissing his opponent's conviction. "Don't get too excited for a piece of paper and some pretty drawings, Yugi!"

Yami Yugi ignored him, slamming his card onto the field with a confidence that shook the arena. "Now! I start by activating the Spell Card, Zone of the Forbidden One!"

Kaiba's eyes widened, the name striking a chord of dark familiarity. "That name..."

Yami Yugi smirked, a sliver of the old, playful challenge returning. "What's wrong, Kaiba? Feeling scared?"

Kaiba’s face flushed with fury. "You fool!"

Yami Yugi pointed forward, his voice a battle cry. "When this Spell Card is activated, I can summon any number of Monster Cards on my hand with the restriction that they must be set face-down and cannot be turned face-up without a direct trigger from the opponent!"

Yami set two cards face-down, the tension on the field dramatically increasing.

Kaiba scoffed. "It's that all? More hiding behind your monsters? Pfft!"

Yami Yugi’s smirk widened. "Don't worry, Kaiba, I still have this move! My fate on the heart of the cards awards me with this! I use two of my face-down monsters to summon, Gaia the Fierce Knight!"

Kaiba gritted his teeth, an annoyed gaze fixed on the field. "Damn you!"

A formidable, mounted warrior, Gaia the Fierce Knight, burst onto the field, its lance held high as its spectral warhorse slammed a hoof onto the ground. The sheer force made the little Saggi yelp and retreat backward.

Yami Yugi pointed sharply. "Go, Gaia! Now, Super Sonic Tackle!"

Gaia charged forward in a blur, spinning his lance before impaling the terrified Saggi the Dark Clown, shattering the imp into glittering motes of dust.

| 𝗞𝗔𝗜𝗕𝗔 𝗟𝗣 - 1300 / 1600 - 𝗬𝗨𝗚𝗜 𝗟𝗣 |

Joey raised his fist, jumping with renewed vigor. "Way to go, Yugi! Now you have the higher ground!"

Yami Yugi crossed his arms, the Duel Master fully in control. "Alright, Kaiba, your move."

Kaiba roared, drawing his card with violent intensity. "Draw! You will regret this, Yugi!" He checked his hand, then an evil, calculating smirk spread across his face. "Let's start with this: I activate Pot of Greed!" Kaiba slammed a Spell Card down. "This card makes me draw 2 cards!"

Yami Yugi frowned, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Hmm, what are you trying to obtain, Kaiba?"

Kaiba looked at the card he’d just drawn, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent. "This'll be over sooner than you think." Kaiba slammed another card onto the field. "By banishing 2 Monster Cards from my hand, I can now Special Summon, my Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

The roar that followed dwarfed every other sound. A Blue-Eyes White Dragon exploded onto the playing field, its massive, scaled body shimmering in the lights. It opened its tremendous wings, casting a paralyzing shadow over the arena, its crystalline skin reflecting the light like polished diamond.

Yami Yugi's eyes went wide with pure, unadulterated terror. "What!?"

Joey’s jaw dropped so low he looked physically ill. "Impossible! We all watched Kaiba tear that card in half. What's going on here!?"

Kaiba laughed, a cruel, cold, triumphant sound. "Surprised? Did you think your pathetic grandfather was the only one to possess a Blue-Eyes White Dragon? Pfft hahahaha"

Kaiba’s eyes were sharp with rage. "I won't say this again: your hands aren't worth to touch a Blue-Eyes White Dragon like mine! Now, go! Burst Stream of Destruction!"

The Blue-Eyes opened its massive jaw and unleashed a devastating, pure white lightning beam. It struck Gaia the Fierce Knight, dissolving the warrior and his steed into smithereens in seconds.

Yami Yugi braced himself, grunting against the psychic shockwave. "Argh. Darn it!"

| 𝗞𝗔𝗜𝗕𝗔 𝗟𝗣 - 1300 / 900 - 𝗬𝗨𝗚𝗜 𝗟𝗣 |

Kaiba laughed again, a chilling sound of victory. "Fufufufu! Your Fierce Knight is destroyed. Faith or no faith, you will fall before my superior monsters, Yugi. Power is what this game is all about, you fool. Faith is for losers... like your pathetic grandfather. But don't worry, I am not done yet! I activate my Spell Card, RecoverRy! With this card I can get to put up to 3 cards banished this turn back to my hand!"

Yami Yugi's eyes widened at the card's powerful effect. "W-what an effect!"

Kaiba smirked, drawing the Monster Cards he had just banished. "What's better than one Blue Eyes White Dragon?" Kaiba held up a third Blue-Eyes White Dragon with a maniacal grin. "Another Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

A second, gargantuan Blue-Eyes White Dragon materialized next to the others, all two side-by-side, their combined aura of power radiating overwhelming dominance.

Kaiba threw his hands out wide, demanding surrender. "Why don't you just admit defeat, Yugi?"

Yami Yugi gritted his teeth, looking up at the two colossal, impossible beasts he was about to deal with, the odds stacked higher than ever before.

Meanwhile, at Domino General Hospital, the interior was a frantic blur of beige and white walls under fluorescent lights. Solomon, his face ghost-white and oxygen mask secured, was being rushed down a wide hallway on a stretcher. Tea Gardner and Tristan Taylor ran alongside, their expressions etched with worry.

Solomon, his voice barely a rasp beneath the oxygen mask, repeated a mantra to himself, his faint words a plea into the universe.

"Don't give up... Yugi, Don't give up..."

The duel has reached a breaking point, and Yugi is facing the impossible. The fate of the duel and his grandfather's pride rests on his next move.

Hope was a fragile, flickering thing in the massive, virtual arena. Yami Yugi stood alone, his Life Points at a perilous 900, facing down three colossal, roaring Blue-Eyes White Dragons that completely dominated the air. Joey, watching from below, felt his own heart sinking.

"Yugi! This is bad!" Joey screamed, the noise barely reaching the platform.

Yami turned his head just enough to show Joey a thin, determined smile at the corner of his mouth. "Put your hope in me, Joey.... I won't let everyone that is believing in me down!"

Joey’s eyes instantly filled with pride and renewed faith. "Alright! Get him, Yugs!"

Kaiba threw his head back and laughed, a mocking sound of assured victory. "You won't stand a chance! Pffttt hahahaha!"

Yami nodded, his gaze locking onto Kaiba with fierce intensity. "I won't give up. Grandpa's.... Everyone is counting on me. Draw!" Yugi drew his card, and his intense eyes widened with dawning recognition. "Huh, this is it." He slammed the card onto the field. "Swords of Revealing Light! It stops all monsters on the field for three turns!"

A shimmering, golden rain of glowing swords fell from the high ceiling of the virtual stadium, slamming into the metallic floor around the two Blue-Eyes White Dragons. The mighty beasts roared in frustration, unable to move, trapped by the shimmering magical prison.

Kaiba, though momentarily stunned, quickly recovered and smirked. "How desperate. What possible good will a three-turn delay do you?"

Yami pointed at Kaiba, his voice firm. "Just wait and see, Kaiba! Your defeat is closer than ever!"

Kaiba laughed, waving a dismissive hand. "You are only barks, no bites. You better do something fast, you are running out of options. Fufufufufu. I set a card face-down and end my turn."

Yami rubbed his temples, the adrenaline fading, leaving him grappling with the impossible math. "He's right. What do I do? I can't figure out what to do with these cards."

He looked at his hand a collection of monster limbs and random Spell cards. "They're just a bunch of... pieces. How can I use them to battle an expert like Kaiba?"

Suddenly, a warm voice, Solomon Muto's voice, echoed inside Yami's mind. "For someone claiming to have faith, you're giving up too easily, Yugi."

Yami's eyes widened. Solomon Muto materialized in a gentle, hazy light within his consciousness. "Grandpa! W-what is happening?"

Solomon placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder, pressing lightly. "Listen, my boy, sometimes the cards are like a puzzle. You have to put all the different pieces in their proper place. And then you will be able to find a strategy to give you the victory."

Yami’s mind raced, connecting the dots. "Ahh, like the Millennium Puzzle?"

Solomon nodded slowly. "Exactly. Each piece helps build a greater entity."

Yami gasped, the solution clicking into place. "I-I get it now, grandpa..."

Solomon’s form began to fade, the light dimming.

Yami shouted, raising his hand, trying to hold on. "Grandpa!"

Solomon's voice whispered as it slowly faded into the warmth of the Millennium Puzzle. "Like the pieces of a puzzle, Yugi. Remember..."

Yami snapped back to reality. "Puzzle? When are the cards like a puzzle? Wait! Grandpa once said, 'Duel monsters contains only one unstoppable monster Exodia. But he can only be summoned by drawing all five special cards. A feat that, to this very day, no one has ever accomplished.'"

Kaiba slammed his fists on the field, impatience boiling over. "Quit your stalling, Yugi! Or you will be forced to forfeit the match."

Yami stared at Kaiba with a cold, absolute glare. "I never forfeit, Kaiba." He drew another card. "Huh? Another piece of the puzzle."

Kaiba laughed, utterly secure in his power. "Draw any card you like, it won't change a thing. My dragons may be frozen for another two turns, but my new monster is under no such spell. I tribute my face-down card to summon Judge Man!"

"When he is summoned, his effect activates! Him and the next monsters I will summon will be unaffected by any effects they find on the field! Now, Judge Man, attack!"

A hulking, robed figure wielding an enormous gavel materialized and charged forward, smashing Yami's face-down monster and dissolving it.

Kaiba smirked. "Fufufufu, you are running out of time, Yugi!"

Yami quickly drew, determination hardening his eyes. "Hold it, Kaiba! You are going down!"

Kaiba’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. "What!?"

"By sending 2 Monster Cards from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Summon my faithful servant! The Dark Magician!" Yami slammed a card down, raising his hand high.

Dark Magician appeared with a flourish, spinning his magical rod before holding it forward, the purple lines around his robe turn red boiling with power. His eyes, an extension of Yami's own cold stare, were sharp and focused.

Yami frowned, whispering under his breath. "But he won't stand a chance once Kaiba's dragons are free of my spell. Yet I need to be able to damage Kaiba!"

Kaiba growled. "This is your last turn, Yugi, do your worst!"

Yami pointed at Kaiba. "Dark Magician... attack! Dark Magic Attack!"

The Magician pointed his rod, charging a powerful ball of dark energy. He grabbed his rod tightly like a baseball bat and swung, slamming the dark sphere straight at Judge Man. It hit the imposing monster right on the head, shattering him.

| 𝗞𝗔𝗜𝗕𝗔 𝗟𝗣 - 1000 / 900 - 𝗬𝗨𝗚𝗜 𝗟𝗣 |

Yami pointed at Kaiba. "Judge Man falls! I end my turn."

Kaiba shook his head with mock disappointment. "Ahh, a sacrifice that doesn't even phase me. And though neither dragon can move for one more turn, my next card is... the third Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"

Yami gritted his teeth, anger and pressure mounting. "Nngh!"

Kaiba laughed, basking in his own dominance. "Ohh? What, did the cat eat your tongue?"

Yami pointed at Kaiba, shouting with frustration. "You deserve the worst of me, Kaiba!"

Kaiba smirked. "Ohh, look at me, all scared. Pffft, hahahahaha!"

The third Blue-Eyes White Dragon materialized, joining its brethren. The three beasts roared in unison, a sound that sent a palpable shockwave across the entire virtual platform.

Joey screamed from below. "Yugi! Watch out!"

Kaiba pointed at Yami, his voice sharp with finality. "Now, my dragon, attack! Burst Stream of Destruction!"

The closest Blue-Eyes opened its massive jaw and unleashed a devastating, pure white lightning beam, instantly reducing the Dark Magician to swirling dust.

| 𝗞𝗔𝗜𝗕𝗔 𝗟𝗣 - 1000 / 400 - 𝗬𝗨𝗚𝗜 𝗟𝗣 |

Kaiba laughed, his eyes sharp and full of malice. "So tell me, Yugi, how's your faith now? On my next turn, all three Blue-Eyes White Dragons are free to attack. This game's over no matter what card you draw. You can't possibly stand against my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. It's over, Yugi. You were never a match for me."

Joey screamed, his voice raw. "Don't listen, Yugi! Y-you still got it!"

Yami Muto gritted his teeth, the cold reality settling in. "Kaiba had three Blue-Eyes all along. He only wanted my grandpa's card so it couldn't be used against him. My only chance now is to assemble all the pieces of Exodia. But the odds are against me. I don't think I can do this." Yami lost his hope, the only thing left was luck... He reached for the deck, but it seemed to pull away from his hand.

"Wha- The deck! It senses my doubt!" For a moment, Yami and Yugi seemed to split, two distinct spirits struggling for control. "Don't lose focus, Yugi. Don't lose faith. Concentrate!" The two spirits instantly melded back together, held fast by a tight, powerful sensation. "Wha- ? T-this is..." Yami looked down at the smiley face Tea had drawn on his hand. "Our friendship symbol!"

In Yami’s mind, Tea, Tristan, and Joey suddenly appeared next to the deck, shining with warm light.

Tea smiled, her eyes fierce. "Yugi, we're right here with you. Keep fighting until the very end!"

Tristan added, with a determined and supportive smile. "Yugi, you've got to believe in yourself like we all believe in you..."

Joey grabbed Yami’s mind-shoulder, his voice strong. "You can do it! The only one who can kick Kaiba's butt is you, Yugi!"

Yami slowly opened his eyes, the doubt completely gone, replaced by absolute certainty. "They're right. I've got to believe in the cards like my friends believe in me. I can't let them down!"

Kaiba slammed his fists on the field, his smirk growing wider, bordering on hysteria. "Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this, Yugi!"

Yami looked at Kaiba, his sharp, cold eyes burning with ancient power. "My grandpa's deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba. But it does contain..." Yami drew his last card and held it high—the Head of Exodia. "...the unstoppable Exodia!"

Kaiba’s eyes bulged in absolute terror. "Ahhh!!! T-this- this!" Kaiba stumbled backward. "Impossible!"

Yami raised his hands high, the five cards forming a perfect, terrifying pentagram of power. A colossal blow of golden energy covered the whole building, burning bright on their faces. "I've assembled all five special cards. All five pieces of the puzzle!"

A blue, swirling portal opened on the playing field. Exodia the Forbidden One materialized a towering deity of immense power, its limbs assembling one by one into a perfect, impossible being.

Joey screamed in awe. "W-woahhhh!!!"

Kaiba’s lips trembled, his voice shaking, his eyes wide with fear. "Exodia! Ahh, it's not possible! No one's ever been able to call him!"

Yami inhaled slowly, a single drop of sweat falling from his brow, a mark of the incredible pressure. He opened his eyes with intensity and shouted the command. "Exodia Obliterate!!"

Exodia channeled a powerful, surging ball of brilliant golden light between its massive hands. The light filled the entire stadium, steaming with pure, cosmic power. Exodia launched the sphere forward, slamming into the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons and obliterating them in a silent, final atomic explosion of virtual energy.

Kaiba screamed in raw, terrified agony as the intense glow blinded his eyes and the shockwave nearly knocked him from the platform. "Ghaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!"

Joey covered his eyes. "Ahhhh!"

Silence descended. The dust and smoke settled, and only the score remained.

| 𝗞𝗔𝗜𝗕𝗔 𝗟𝗣 - 0 / 400 - 𝗬𝗨𝗚𝗜 𝗟𝗣 |

Joey slowly uncovered his eyes, coughing and wiping dust from his clothes. "This was... Something else..."

He instantly turned and sprinted toward Yugi's side of the field. "You did it! Yugi, you won!"

On Kaiba’s platform, the girl stumbled back, her eyes wide with terror and disbelief. "This can't be. My brother never loses."

Kaiba stared at his trembling hands, his eyes full of fear and shock. He had never seen that coming; that wasn't on his plans.... That was.... A miracle.

Yami crossed his arms, his powerful presence unchanged. "You play only for power, Kaiba, and that is why you lost. But if you put your heart in the game, there is nothing you can't do."

Kaiba looked up at Yugi, his eyes narrowing, seeking an explanation beyond the cards. "But... but how? How could I have lost to him?"

Yami slowly raised his hand toward Kaiba. His eyes glowed with intensity, and a shimmering, ancient third eye the power of the Millennium Puzzle opened on his forehead. "Kaiba, if you truly want to know... Open Your Mind!"

Kaiba gasped sharply, clutching his head. "Gaaahhhhrghh...." Something inside him violently snapped and broke, like chains being shattered—the mental shackles of his own arrogant, consuming power. When the sensation stopped, he collapsed to his knees, his eyes wide and vacant.

Yami nodded, his voice dropping to a measured tone. "There, Kaiba. Maybe now you will begin to see..."

...

At Domino General Hospital, a gentle warmth filled Solomon's heart, causing his eyes to flutter open slowly. He gasped and looked around the sterile room.

Tea and Tristan, who had been waiting anxiously, sprang to their feet and dashed to his bedside.

Tea’s eyes widened with joy. "Grandpa's awake!"

Tristan looked at Tea, a hopeful realization on his face. "Does this mean...."

Solomon smiled, closing his eyes with a deep, peaceful breath. "Yugi won.... My boy won..."

...

In a separate, undisclosed dark room, a lackey rushed toward a shadowy figure seated in a high-backed leather chair.

The lackey whispered into the figure's ear. "Mrs. Pegasus, ma'am. Seto Kaiba, our uncontested champion, he's... been defeated in a duel, sir, by someone named Yugi."

A slow, chilling chuckle echoed in the dark. The figure tilted his head, and her right eye began to glow slowly with a golden, malevolent energy. "Hmmm... Really? Fufufufufu..."