Chapter 50: Transition from the Kingdom Arc to the City Arc

After personally releasing the soul of Grandpa Muto from the game and allowing it to return to his body in the hospital, the Duelist Kingdom thus came to a close.

With the journey to Duelist Kingdom at an end, everyone returned to the city, each going their separate ways. Joey Wheeler, with tears in his eyes, clutched the bank card Yugi had given him, along with his prize money as a semifinalist, and hurried gratefully to the hospital where his sister Serenity was staying.

Mai Valentine resumed her solitary travels, insisting that the outside world was where she truly belonged.

As for our protagonist, Yugi? After defeating Pegasus, Yugi received a special reward from the system—a unique ability to manifest Duel Monster cards into reality. Using the magic card “Monster Reborn,” he brought its power from the card game into the real world. With the dark power of Pegasus’s Millennium Eye, he resurrected Cynthia, Pegasus’s beloved who had died many years before.

Yugi did not press him for details, but in gratitude for reuniting him with his love, Pegasus underwent surgery to remove his Millennium Eye and gifted it to Yugi. Yugi held the pristine Millennium Eye in his hand, unsure what use it might have for him, but he accepted it nonetheless—after all, it was a token of Pegasus’s goodwill and, besides, he had a collector’s obsession for Millennium Items.

With his lover restored, Pegasus honored his promise and passed the presidency of Industrial Illusions to Yugi. He then set off with Cynthia for a world tour that would last a full season.

Upon becoming president of International Illusions, and under the guidance of Pegasus’s loyal old butler, Yugi reorganized the company. He then reached out to Seto Kaiba, chairman of Kaiba Corporation, to propose a partnership. Together, the two companies founded a massive gaming company themed around Duel Monsters.

(Having read neither business novels nor watched much of such dramas, I’m simply writing freely—please enjoy, and don’t be too particular about the details.)

Yugi joined forces with Kaiba for one purpose: to elevate Duel Monsters, this card battle game, to the pinnacle it had reached both in his previous life’s anime and in the real-world trading card realm.

Just as a certain fantasy novel from his past life described: This is a world of dueling, not dazzling magic, but a world where dueling has evolved to its zenith!

Three months later.

In Pegasus’s private villa.

“Pegasus! Tell me, why have you summoned me here?”

Seto Kaiba, clad in a white trench coat and every bit the iconic president he’d become, had received a personal call from Pegasus the night before. Early this morning, he had piloted his Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet to the villa.

“Oh, Kaiba Boy! It’s been far too long!” Pegasus, dressed in a bathrobe, sat up from his lounge chair, wine in hand, and greeted Kaiba. They hadn’t seen each other for a little over three months.

“No need for pleasantries. Just tell me why I’m here,” Kaiba replied with a slight frown. He had been busy lately, developing the next-generation duel disk to surpass the old models from Duelist Kingdom.

Since discussing and finalizing the new Master Rules with Yugi’s International Illusions and posting them to the companies’ official sites for duelists worldwide, Yugi’s side had focused on developing new Duel Monster cards, while Kaiba had been engrossed in creating the next-era duel disk.

Had Pegasus not called last night and insisted on his presence today, Kaiba would likely still be in his lab, perfecting the disk.

Pegasus understood what Kaiba had been up to—he’d heard it from Yugi, the new president. After greeting Kaiba, he invited him to take a seat, then asked:

“Kaiba Boy, have you ever heard of the ‘Egyptian God Cards’?”

“The Egyptian God Cards? …It can’t be!” At first, Kaiba was confused by the term, but then realization struck.

“The Egyptian God Cards, the legendary and mythical rare cards! Even rarer and more valuable than my three Blue-Eyes White Dragons! In the current Duel Monsters game, the only thing that can rival them is Yugi’s complete set of ‘Exodia the Forbidden One’!”

Though he hated to admit it, his Blue-Eyes White Dragons, no matter how rare or powerful, couldn’t compare to the legendary God Cards.

“In addition, if anyone could assemble all three God Cards, they would stand at the very pinnacle of duelists—alongside the legend of the undefeated!”

The Egyptian God Cards—also known as the ultimate weapons of Duel Monsters.

Summoning even one of the God Cards in a duel meant no other monster could stand against it—a sweeping victory, as if one already held the key to the door of triumph.

“If you’re bringing up the God Cards, does that mean you have them here?!” Kaiba was intrigued. The usually cold-faced president was now breathing heavily; if Pegasus truly possessed the God Cards, no price would be too high for Kaiba to obtain them.

Only a top-tier duelist like himself deserved to wield such power!

“No.” The answer was straightforward, and Kaiba’s face immediately returned to its usual icy expression, tinged with faint annoyance.

No? Then why bring up the God Cards?

Just as Kaiba was about to get up and leave, Pegasus spoke again—this time, his words stirred even greater excitement in Kaiba than before.

“Although I don’t have the God Cards, a month ago I developed a brand-new card! A Duel Monster even greater than the God Cards!”

“What is it?” In a single stride, Kaiba returned before Pegasus and gripped his shoulders tightly.

Paying no mind to Kaiba’s rough gesture, Pegasus beamed at the curiosity and anticipation in his face.

Kaiba Boy, you truly are an interesting soul!

Pegasus had no intention of hiding it. He revealed the true identity of the new card:

“That card is the ultimate evolution of your most powerful monster, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon—introducing the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!”