That night... you did not turn me away.

Duel Disk: [Dark MAGE - Ekzodia, Rule Nature Victory!]

“...Tch!”

Watching the duel disk’s score display flash two lines of English, Malik’s dissatisfied voice came from the mouth of the controlled puppet.

“Yugi!”

Suddenly, the puppet lifted its head and called out to Yugi, who was standing with Kaiba and the others.

“This time, it was my own mistake! I forgot to include the ‘Dark Archmage - Ekzodia,’ which has rule-based victory!”

Perhaps because Yugi had intervened in this city’s events, or due to the earlier confrontations with Gurus members and their conversations, or maybe thanks to Yugi’s warning that helped them guess the opponent’s victory condition ahead of time, Malik admitted his error decisively this time.

“I do have a bit of integrity, after all.”

As he spoke, Malik manipulated the puppet to fish out a puzzle chip card from its pocket, and then reached to remove the “Slifer the Sky Dragon” card attached to the monster zone on the duel disk.

The puzzle chip card and the Sky Dragon card overlapped, and with a sharp flick, the puppet sent both flying toward Yugi.

Catching the two spoils with ease, Yugi calmly looked back at Malik, waiting for what would come next.

“Hmph! I’ll count this round as your win for now! The card of Slifer the Sky Dragon will remain with you for the time being! When I arrive in Domino City by ship, that will be the time for our rematch, and I’ll reclaim the God Card then!”

Yugi: “...”

“Oh, and Seto Kaiba— the card of the Blue Giant— Obelisk the Tormentor in your possession as well!”

Kaiba: ???

“Hmph!”

With a heavy snort, Malik did not abandon the puppet, but controlled it to flee swiftly into the distance.

The group watched as the puppet disappeared from sight, and only then did Jonouchi turn to his friend Yugi, asking the crucial question:

“Yugi... The Blue Giant, Obelisk the Tormentor, one of the three Egyptian God Cards— it’s not with Kaiba, is it? You have it, don’t you?”

At the mention of God Cards and Obelisk, Kaiba’s interest was piqued, and he fixed a piercing gaze on his partner (who was half a friend, half a rival).

“That’s right.”

Without concealment, Yugi held the Sky Dragon he’d just received from Malik in his left hand, and with his right, reached to his deck pouch at his waist to draw a card. Its design was strikingly similar to the Sky Dragon’s, but instead of the orange or yellow frame of a regular monster card, its face was a sea blue.

“It was personally entrusted to me by Malik’s elder sister— Ishizu Ishtar.”

Speaking of Obelisk, Yugi could not help but recall the events of that night. (Ahem, don’t get the wrong idea →_→)

—Flashback—

Inside the Domino City Museum.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Yugi, the new president of Illusion Inc.!”

Looking at Yugi standing before her, dressed in a black casual jacket with his thumbs hooked in his pockets, Ishizu Ishtar, director of the Egyptian Archaeological Bureau, greeted him with a faint smile.

“I know that under your leadership, Illusion Inc. has brought Duel Monsters to new heights of popularity, especially since you began collaborating with the president of Kaiba Corporation!”

Yugi’s expression remained unchanged at the woman’s flattery.

At that moment, two sets of footsteps approached from behind, accompanied by two rough voices:

“Director! All clear!”

“No anomalies on my side, either!”

Glancing at the two turbaned bodyguards, Yugi finally understood how Kaiba must have felt in the anime when he was treated with such caution.

“If you don’t trust me, I can leave right now.”

Though he knew they were simply being careful, Yugi couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable— after all, he was now the president of a multinational gaming company.

“My apologies! Please try to understand our situation. At this moment, the Egyptian Archaeological Bureau is undertaking the most daring operation permitted within our limits!”

The Gurus organization, stirred up by her younger brother Malik?

As a transmigrator deeply familiar with the DM storyline, Yugi easily deduced the reason for their caution.

“So, you called my office personally and insisted I come in person— what exactly is this about?”

That afternoon, while Yugi was handling matters in his office, a direct call came through to his desk. Curious at the unfamiliar number, he answered, only to hear Ishizu’s mature and familiar voice on the line— which led to the present scene.

“It’s not convenient to talk here. Please, follow me.”

Gesturing for Yugi to come along, Ishizu led the way while talking:

“Our Egyptian Archaeological Bureau was founded in 1857 as a government agency to protect important historical treasures from tomb raiders. To this day, we monitor excavations and investigations around the world without fail...”

Tap.

Before Ishizu finished her explanation, Yugi’s footsteps suddenly stopped behind her.

“No need for introductions. Just tell me directly why you asked me here.”

Though Yugi knew some things about Ishizu, he hadn’t connected this meeting to that card, nor had he considered it.

“...Since you wish to get straight to the point, very well! I have a mural here— I wonder what you think of it?”

With that, Ishizu resumed leading the way, and this time, Yugi did not interrupt.

After half a minute’s walk, Yugi saw two stone murals that Ishizu wished to show him— the same ones Kaiba had seen in the original anime.

“One mural depicts the origins of Duel Monsters— Pegasus, the former president, drew inspiration from these stone carvings to create the cards.”

Gazing at the massive slab engraved with the images of many duel monsters, Yugi quietly explained its significance.

He then turned to comment on the more important adjacent mural:

“The second mural’s main scene— three thousand years ago, the nameless Pharaoh, commanding an entity resembling the ‘Dark Magician,’ and the Egyptian priest Set, commanding a monster similar to the ‘Blue-Eyes White Dragon,’ engage in a sacred battle.”

At this, Ishizu, standing behind him, closed her eyes slightly.

“Beside the depiction of the nameless Pharaoh and Priest Set’s duel are the seven Millennium Items, including the Millennium Puzzle!”

“At the very top are three beasts— the supreme beings of Duel Monsters, revered as gods by modern humanity!”

“One symbolizes kindness and evil, the red dragon that roars across the heavens— Slifer the Sky Dragon; one symbolizes light and darkness, the blue giant that shakes the earth— Obelisk the Tormentor; and finally, the highest among the three, the golden divine bird that symbolizes sky and earth, shining with the sun’s radiance— The Winged Dragon of Ra!”

“The ultimate weapons of the Duel Monsters world, collectively known as— ‘The Egyptian God Cards!’”

At Yugi’s final words, the underground chamber fell utterly silent, until, after an unknown span of time, Ishizu’s mature voice drifted from behind him.

“Yahari! You, who know these forbidden secrets, do not belong to this world!”