013 The Kingdom of Duelists Beneath the Night

This time, Yugi and Jounouchi raced desperately, bringing back the retrieved Star Chips just as the deportation boat was about to depart.

As previously agreed, if they managed to recover the Star Chips within the allotted time, the boy who had lost them would regain his qualification to compete. Now, Yugi and Jounouchi returned right at the last moment. The black-clad bodyguard, who in the original had betrayed Seto Kaiba and made this promise, had no choice but to call the boat back, then hand over the Star Chips in Yugi's possession to their rightful owner, allowing the boy to continue participating in the tournament.

Grateful for regaining his entry, the boy repeatedly thanked Yugi and Jounouchi. At the very beginning, Jounouchi had even joked, "If we help you get your Star Chips back, just give us half of them as thanks." Though it was said in jest, the boy remembered it!

After disembarking and reclaiming his Star Chips, the boy waited until they left the small dock before calling out to Yugi and Jounouchi. He unclipped two Star Chips from his duel glove and gave one each to Yugi and Jounouchi.

Seeing the boy bow deeply in gratitude, the two chose to accept his gift. After all, they were the ones who retrieved the Star Chips for him; without their help, the boy would likely have been sent off the island by now. Accepting the gift, therefore, was entirely reasonable.

Parting ways with the boy, the pair hurried back to the dueling platform in the forest. After reuniting with Yugi’s friends, they recounted the whole process of returning the Star Chips.

After someone remarked, “That boy’s a good kid,” they all set off together with Anzu, taking advantage of the remaining daylight to search for other duelists.

...

Time passed, and the bright moon hung high in the night sky.

After two hours of searching, they still hadn’t found a suitable opponent. Either those with too few Star Chips ran away at the sight of them, or the duelists they found were already engaged in duels.

Frankly, those duels were little more than a contest of mediocrity—a waste of time to wait by the dueling platforms for such matches to end.

After some discussion, they decided to call it a night. The day’s journey around the island had left them all exhausted. Moreover, Yugi had already gathered the ten Star Chips needed for advancement, so there was no more pressure for him. Jounouchi had six, and Yugi four—still short of ten, but with another full day ahead, there was no need to rush.

With that settled, Yugi invited Jounouchi and Honda to join him, imitating the fisherman they’d met at noon, to catch fish by the sea. Meanwhile, Yugi, Anzu, and Anzu's brother collected firewood, keeping an eye out for anything else useful.

Half an hour later, everyone gathered at their chosen campsite. Yugi and his companion, who had returned first with the firewood, were wide-eyed at the sight of the ten fish and several seashells brought back by the others.

“Heh, we got lucky tonight. We can really eat our fill!” Jounouchi laughed. Half the haul was his doing, a testament to his renowned good fortune.

For dinner, Yugi was the first to finish, consuming a fish and a half along with two shells. The remaining half a fish went to the famished Jounouchi and Honda.

Afterward, Yugi spoke to the others, then headed alone to the edge of a nearby cliff, quietly savoring the night sea breeze.

“Come out,” he said—three words, abrupt and unceremonious.

“……”

“No need to hide. I know you’re around here.”

“……”

Again, no human voice replied.

“The assassin who prowls the kingdom’s night! The ‘Duel Assassin’ who claims Star Chips as his victims’ tombstones!”

“……”

Still, there was silence. Just as Yugi considered saying something more, he finally heard movement behind him.

“How did you know who I am?” came a voice—a massive, clay-like figure, the style of his features crudely drawn compared to the others, looming in the moonlight.

“You don’t need to know how I figured that out,” Yugi replied as he turned, facing the towering, black-skinned Duel Assassin, dressed entirely in black, about five meters away. He smiled.

“This is the perfect moment for the hunt!”

“You’re right! A dark night, a high wind… heh heh!” The Duel Assassin agreed wholeheartedly; not only did he take Star Chips from weak duelists, but he’d also been ordered to defeat anyone named ‘Yugi’ or ‘Yugi Mutou’ and kick them out of the tournament.

“No, no, no.” Yugi wagged his finger, lips curling in a chilling smile as the moon slid behind a cloud.

“Don’t get it twisted. You’re here to duel me... you coward lurking in the shadows.”

...

While Yugi was “inviting” the Duel Assassin to a midnight duel, the rest of the group—

“Yugi, how about a duel with me?”

Like Honda and Anzu, another classmate who had stowed away to the island—a beautiful transfer student named Bakura—approached, holding his beloved ‘Change of Heart’ card, and challenged Yugi to a duel.

“Of course, it’s just a friendly match—no Star Chips on the line,” Bakura quickly added.

“Hey, not bad, Yugi! Ever since we got to this island, it’s been nothing but tense, high-stakes matches!” Jounouchi perked up at the prospect of a duel without Star Chips.

“True, a relaxed duel to change the mood sounds great,” Yugi agreed. Since the tournament began, every duel had been a life-or-death gamble for Star Chips. Now that Bakura suggested a casual match, it was the perfect way to unwind after dinner and pass the time.

“Let’s all add our favorite cards to Yugi’s deck,” Bakura suggested.

“Great idea!” Jounouchi chimed in, quickly echoed by Honda, Anzu, and even Yugi himself.

“Alright! Let’s put everyone’s cards together and make a brand new deck!” Yugi gathered their cards, mixing in his cherished Dark Magician, so that four cards were added to his own deck.

As Yugi shuffled the mixed deck, Bakura’s lips curled in a subtle, satisfied smile—a hint of a hidden plan no one else noticed...