A card that surpasses the Three Mythic Gods!? Kaiba has obtained a mysterious card, the “Pyramid of Light”! Meanwhile, Yugi hears an ominous premonition involving Kaiba and the other Yugi that grasps Kaiba’s own life and the fate of the two Yugis. A dangerous duel has begun! An original movie, a big hit in the States, in complete novel form!!

遊戯王デュエルモンスターズ－光のピラミッド
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters: Pyramid of Light

Created by: Kazuki Takahashi
Author: Junki Takegami
Duel Layout: Masahiro Hikokubo

Japanese Translations: Tatsunoboshi Horoko
Novel Provisions: Gato/Cindy

About the Creator/Author:

Kazuki Takahashi:
Debuted in 1990 with “Tokio no Tsuma.” “Yu-Gi-Oh” is serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1996 to 2004. Published in many countries all over the world, it is a blockbuster hit with its own anime broadcast on television.

Junki Takegami
Born in Kagoshima. Currently lives with his wife and eighteen cats. Series Layout and Scriptwriter for “Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX.” He is currently working on the scripts of such shows as “One Piece”, “Pokémon Advance Generation”, and “Dekaranger.”

CONTENTS

Prologue
Chapter 1: The Omen
Chapter 2: The Three Mythic Gods Appear
Chapter 3: The Pyramid of Light
Chapter 4: Shining Dragon
Chapter 5: Anubis, King of Destruction
Epilogue
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters: Pyramid of Light
Character-Specific Potential Analysis

PROFILE

Yugi Mutou
Possessor of the Millennium Puzzle. After he earns his dark powers, he becomes Duel King and obtains the Three Mythic Gods.

Seto Kaiba
The young head of Kaiba Corporation. Rivals with Yugi in the card game Duel Monsters.

Pegasus J. Crawford
The creator of Duel Monsters. He was once in possession of the Millennium Eye.

Sugoroku Mutou
Yugi’s grandfather. Back when he was active as a treasure hunter, he obtained the Millennium Puzzle.

Mokuba Kaiba
Seto Kaiba’s younger brother. Committed to his brother, his only blood relative.

Anzu Mazaki
Yugi’s childhood friend.

Katsuya Jonouchi
Yugi’s classmate and friend.

Hiroto Honda
Yugi’s friend. Always hangs around with Yugi and Jonouchi.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, groups, or events is purely coincidental.

The history of games: It is said to extend five-thousand years into the past, stretching back to Ancient Egypt. In ancient times, games foretold the future of both man and king and were magic ceremonies to determine one’s fate. They were called “Games of Darkness.” Now, there is a boy who has solved the Millennium Puzzle, inherited the Games of Darkness, and become a keeper of the just. Light and dark, the boy who holds two hearts is known to others as the King of Games.

プロローグ
Prologue

The blue shine from the fluorescent lamps waver on the water surface like glowworms. In the school pool at night, Katsuya Jonouchi searched the bottom while still in his uniform. Getting himself soaked, his eyes, as they look under the water, are bright with earnestness. That very day, with the intention of teasing a small, shy and withdrawn, game maniac classmate, Jonouchi threw a piece of his jigsaw puzzle into the pool.
However, that boy stood in the way of the toughest kid in school who even racked Jonouchi in fear. He called Jonouchi, who was felled and beat up all over, his friend and tried to protect him. His classmate’s name was Yugi Mutou.
Jonouchi had realized. (I didn’t throw just the piece into the pool. It was a piece of his…Yugi’s heart. Yugi called me his friend, and yet I threw a piece of his heart and hid it in the pool…I’m…I’m…such a pathetic human being.) Yugi had taught him about the plight of his heart which he had forgotten about.
(I have to look for it…I have to look for that piece….)
As soon as Jonouchi meant that from the bottom of his heart, the puzzle piece glinted sharply amidst the thick underwater darkness. That being the “Eye of Wdjat,” located at the center of the reverse pyramid, the Millennium Puzzle, and Wdjat being the eye of the Horus, God of the Heavens. It is said that it holds the meaning of being a “something good” and one of the only charms fit to guard over the kings.
“Got it! I got it!”
Once Jonouchi gripped tightly to that puzzle piece of the eye of an Ancient Egyptian god, a “something good” came about in his heart.

The first floor of Sugoroku Mutou’s house in Domino City is a game shop with the second floor being its living quarters. Once a group of ominous clouds cluster and swirl around the skies above Sugoroku’s game shop, the air gets clammy and grave, and an evil presence began to fill the area.
Clank, clank, clank—In a child’s room on the second floor, Yugi Mutou was feverishly assembling the Millennium Puzzle without any concern to the signs outside. Eight years ago, he was told that the puzzle he received from his grandfather would grant a wish once it is completed. The memos analyzing the puzzle which liter the entire room make it apparent that it has been an uphill struggle over the past years.
“…What you can see yet have never seen…” Yugi repeated like it was a spell. “It’s the puzzle…” Yugi stops moving his hand and scratches his head out of shape.
Yugi looked through the memos he had on the wall and the memos scattered about for one of them and re-checked it.
“You can see it, but since it hasn’t been completed yet, you have no idea of what it’s going to look like done…” Something came into Yugi’s head as he was looking at the memo and pondering. “That’s it! I got it, now.”
He starts to fiddle with the puzzle with a clatter once more. Pieces he thought would never fit for all this time were gradually taking form. The Millennium Puzzle, readily being assembled, released a creeping and suspicious form of plasma from it.
As soon as he assembled all the pieces he had on hand, the concealed figure of the three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle finally showed itself as an upside-down pyramid and shined an eerie golden color. The Millennium Puzzle, unsolvable to any and all over the span of several millennia, was taking shape for the first time ever. Only the yet-to-be inserted last piece in the center of the upside-down pyramid leaves the gaping black hole in it open.
“I-I-It’s done! As soon as I fit the last piece in, it’ll be complete!” Yugi had extended his trembling fingers to the chest modeled in the likeness of a tabernacle which held the puzzle pieces.
However, the tips of his fingers search all four corners of the cold chest.
“Gone! The last piece is gone…! No way…I must’ve…dropped it somewhere…Mm-hmm…Mm-hmm! Mm-hmm!”
Yugi, beside himself, foraged through his entire room.

The ominous clouds swirl in the skies above. Jonouchi stood outside of Sugoroku’s game shop, soaking wet. As he looked up at the lights in the windows, Jonouchi’s body may have been cold, but there was a faint bit of warmth within his heart.
He gently opened his clasped fist and there was the Wdjat Eye piece of the Millennium Puzzle he had carefully brought back from the pool, but he was hesitant about ringing the doorbell.
As if someone knew that Jonouchi was standing there, the door opened from the inside with a click. Behind the door, a small old man with bulging eyes was smiling with raised lips.
“You must be Yugi’s friend.”
Looking past his movie alien-like face, there was kindness in the old man’s tone.

The Millennium Puzzle, missing only its Wdjat Eye piece rests all alone on the desk in Yugi’s room. In front of it, Yugi was sitting with his head bent down. For that single moment, even Yugi’s spiky and pointed hairstyle looked like it was drooping.
“I’ll never, ever be able to complete the Puzzle…None of my wishes will get through!” Yugi finally put his head on his desk and started to cry.
It was exactly then that the door placed directly behind his desk opened with a slow creek. There, behind him, stood Sugoroku with his arms folded.
“Oh-ho…This is incredible! You’ve completed the Puzzle…”
“No…I wasn’t able to do it, after all…Grandpa…”
“I’m sure that your wish will come true.” In the palm Sugoroku’s outstretched hand laid the Wdjat Eye.
“Ah!!” Yugi had forgotten to wipe his tear-stained eyes. “G-Grandpa!? Where was it at!?”
“A friend of yours just dropped by the shop…I was asked me to give it back to you…For some reason, his clothes were wet even though it hadn’t rained…”
“Huh…? A friend? Did they really say they were my friend?” Yugi asked dubiously since he thought he didn’t have any friends.
“I believe he said he was ‘Jonouchi’-kun or something. Once he handed me that puzzle piece, his face took a sign of relief and he took off. I even called out to him about coming inside, too.”
“Jonouchi-kun called me his friend…?” Yugi muttered with a confounded look on his face.
“Good night, Yugi!”
“Thank you…Good night, Grandpa.”
Sugoroku shut the door behind him with a thud.
“I can’t believe he actually completed it…However, those who complete the Millennium Puzzle become ruler of dark powers…Perhaps I’ve placed too heavy a fate on his shoulders,” Sugoroku muttered with a complex look on his face as he went down the stairs.
In his room, Yugi was oblivious to the concerns Sugoroku had.
“I’m finally going to complete the Millennium Puzzle…!”
The tips of his fingers spontaneously trembled from his seething excitement. Setting the final piece, the Eye of Wdjat, into place with a click, the upside-down shaped Millennium Puzzle was finished.
“I did it! It’s complete!” Yugi put the chain of the Millennium Puzzle around his neck and held the true, metallic form of the upside-down pyramid in both of his hands. “O Millennium Puzzle…Hear my wish…I want a friend…A best friend who has bonds strong enough to tie both our hearts together….”
His heart racing, Yugi waits for the Millennium Puzzle to grant him his wish. As soon as the Puzzle in his hands got warm, the entire Millennium Puzzle shined with a sharp chime. “Did my wish reach you…?”
In that next instant, the entire room is hit with rumbling vibrations.
“Wh-What?!” An evil force gushed forth from the Millennium Puzzle. “A-A-Aaaah!!” Within a split second, the black mist assumed the form of different kinds of dark demonic beasts. The released demonic beasts fly around and about the room.
“Waaah…!!” When fear racked Yugi’s mind, the Eye of Wdjat shined with a ping. A uniform mark formed on Yugi’s forehead to respond to the shine of the Eye of Wdjat. When the kind Yugi was engulfed by light, a different person emerged to coincide with him at the same time. He is the soul of the Egyptian Pharaoh locked within the Millennium Puzzle.
The Ruler of Darkness—the other personality also better referred to as the Yugi of Darkness, had taken control of Yugi’s consciousness.
“….”
The demonic beasts circle around and about the room and spread open their jaws with a cackle, scouting for their chance to feast on the Dark Yugi. The Dark Yugi watched the demonic beasts with resolve.
“—Silence, demonic beasts!!”
Once Yugi’s voice echoed throughout the room, the evil spirits scampering about were drawn into the Millennium Puzzle.
In the completely silent room, Dark Yugi stared at his own reflection off the window’s glass and tilted his head in mystery. The soul of the nameless Egyptian Pharaoh checked how he looked reborn in the world of the living for his first time.
“Who are you…? I’m…Yugi Mutou…”
“Who am I…? I don’t even know that myself.”

第一章　前兆　～オーメン～
Chapter 1: The Omen

Are you familiar with the game known as “Duel Monsters”? Competitors referred to as Duelists ready a stack of forty or more cards referred to as a Deck. A deck is chosen from the countless number of cards that exist to assure victory. Battle alternates with the opponent.
Turn Sequence—players take turns and draw cards from their deck and adds it to their hand. A player taking their turn can summon monsters, activate magic, and set traps. And of course, they can also wage battle with their opponent.
Reducing your opponent’s Life Points while protecting your own are the fundamentals of battle. If you summon a monster stronger than your opponent’s, their monster is nothing to fear.
However, monsters have attributes and effects, so if you pick just cards strong in their numerical values, called attack and defense power, that doesn’t make your deck strong. By using these cards in combination, you can create powerful effects not possible with a single card. That is a combo.
Combos created by the unity of cards together, a Duelist’s knowledge, and luck are important elements to a duel. Commanding various kinds of monsters, magic, and trap cards, defeating enemy monsters, and reducing your opponent’s Life Points to 0 is what a Duel Monsters card battle is about.
Currently, a single king has been born from the Duel Monsters world. He is Yugi Mutou. First, he defeated the father of Duel Monsters, Pegasus J. Crawford. Next, in Battle City, he beat the best in the world that were there, his eternal rival, Seto Kaiba, and an assassin from the darkness, Malik Ishtar, and became Duel King. And then, the three God cards, which all Duelists aspire for, were all with Yugi.
In an era of information, this fact was distributed across the entire world. The name Yugi Mutou became the object of both envy and jealously of Duelists all over the world practically overnight. But the one who is most unaware of this might be Yugi Mutou himself. By contrast, the one most aware of that occurrence at the time was Yugi’s eternal rival, Seto Kaiba.

The Kaiba Corporation Main Headquarters, a towering skyscraper in Domino City. In one of its rooms, Kaiba and Yugi face one another with stern expressions on their faces, equipped with the wing-like Duel Disk Systems on their left arms.
The monitor displays the Life Points as Kaiba with 1300 and Yugi with 2200. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is on Kaiba’s field, while the Three Mythic Gods, The Saint Dragon of Osiris, The Winged Dragon of Ra, and The God of Obelisk have been gathered on Yugi’s field.
“It’s my turn…” Kaiba draws a card from his deck to find it is ‘Fusion.’ “There cannot be creation without destruction! I will destroy the Three Mythic Gods and forge new history! I activate the Fusion card from my hand!!”
The three emerged Blue-Eyes White Dragons swirled together and fused themselves into a single monster. Letting out its cry, the three-headed dragon, the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, appeared. Multi-headed dragons, without even mentioning the eight-headed Yamata no Orochi, are harbingers of misfortune.
“Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! And the Equipment Magic, Giant Growth, its attack power will double!” Ultimate’s parameters instantly rose to 9000. “Now, Ultimate surpasses your Gods!”
“God of Obelisk, show him your true ultimate power!” Yugi, taking a long look at the skies above, called in a loud voice.
Kaiba looks on, dubiously, and says, “What!?”
The God of Obelisk on Yugi’s field spreads both of its bulky arms out and saddles The Saint Dragon of Osiris and The Winged Dragon of Ra on either side. The God of Obelisk absorbs Ra and Osiris, both of which turning into collective masses of light.
“Soul Energy MAX! By sacrificing two of my Gods, Obelisk has now attained infinite power!”
“What?! Are you telling me that your God sacrificed your other Gods!?”
“Feel my God’s mighty blow! God Hand Impact!!”
“What?! Super Ultimate Burst!!”
Doooom! The two energies collide with one another. The God of Obelisk’s infinite power overpowers Ultimate Dragon’s burst. Graaaaah! When Ultimate Dragon let out its last throes, gray scan lines ran through the air. Even Kaiba and Dark Yugi distorted as everything disappeared in a white light. All of it was Virtual Reality made by the Solid Vision System.
The computer controlling the system strikes off sparks. The engineers make adjustments in a mad rush as the monitor displays the results of the simulation. Power, Defense, Offense, Balance, Speed, Power: Yugi dominated in terms of deck power.
“W-What is this? From our calculations, Ultimate’s destructive power should have prevailed over the Three Mythic Gods…” One of the engineers said in confusion. “I'm positive we can beat the Three Mythic Gods in the next simulation…”
“How dare you fail in your analysis of the God cards and then run a simulation! Scram! I don’t want to see any of your faces!”
The engineers were frightened by Kaiba’s threatening demeanor.
“Master Kaiba! Please give us just one more chance.”
“There was only one thing true in the farce you all created. And that was only that the future cannot be created unless the past is destroyed! There cannot be a future unless those three God cards are surpassed…” Kaiba, with a furious expression on his face, left the system room. (My deck as it is now doesn’t come close to the power Yugi’s deck has. But, I’m sure that a card to fill this gap in power exists…)
Yugi and his three God cards were locked in Kaiba’s mind. It seemed if he didn’t even catch sight of Mokuba, who stares at his older brother, right by his side.

***

The continent of North America, where the Pacific Ocean is sandwiched between Domino City, is still shrouded with the darkness of the night. A white villa on a lake where Himalayan cedars grow thick was shining in moonlight. It is the villa of the company head of Industrial Illusions.
Only Industrial Illusions can release official Duel Monsters cards. Kaiba Corporation is permitted to the division which deals with scanning the information on the IC chips embedded in dueling cards and projecting their image.
Pegasus was once an art student. When his lover died by an illness, he headed to Egypt in chase of legends which say that meeting the deceased is possible. It is there that he obtains the Millennium Eye, one of the Millennium Items. By deciphering the magic words kept hidden in Duel Monsters and converting them into IC chips, Pegasus made an enormous fortune.
Though, if you gain much of something, you will, of course, lose something as well. The Millennium Eye sees everything with its magic powers. After obtaining it in Egypt, Pegasus’ left eye has been gleaming eerily. However, in Duelist Kingdom, Dark Bakura stole the Millennium Eye.
It was a point in time where it was unknown whether he was alive or dead. The fact is that he had trifled with dark powers, was robbed of his strength, and lingered on the verge of death. However, recovering his health with intensive care by the latest medical teams, he immediately worked on releasing new cards. Even the peerless game designer had tried to surpass the Three Mythic Gods and reclaim the title of Duel King.
The deep forest surrounding the villa was absolutely silent. In his luxuriously constructed Medieval European bedroom soaked with blue moonlight, the Prince of the World of Toons lay sleep on silk bedding, peacefully. The lace curtains hanging down from the canopy bed swayed gently. There was an ominous air about.
The presence of someone came gradually closer to the bed. A shadow was cast overtop the sleeping Pegasus’ head. It appeared to be an Ancient Egyptian priest, bare from the waist up, wearing a headdress on his long hair. Both of his giant hands seized Pegasus’ fair-haired capped head.
“Grmmm…” Pegasus groaned unconsciously. The thoughts of the ancient enter the sleeping Pegasus’ brain.

The Saint Dragon of Osiris, The Winged Dragon of Ra, and The God of Obelisk. In front of Pegasus’ gaze, the Three Mythic Gods were afloat, ruling the skies.
“Oh, excellent! Beautiful! Unbelievable! I have never seen beauty so divine.”
“Heh heh heh heh…” A scoffing laugh could be heard from somewhere. It was obviously making light of the Gods.
“Who is laughing at the grandeur of the Gods!?”
“So these are the three sacred beasts that reign over the world of darkness and who can be used by the King of Darkness…They will eventually have to grovel before the light of truth. The time when the Three Mythic Gods are defeated shall come in the not-so-distant future, rest assured.”
Rrm, Rrm, Rrm, Rrm—Pegasus felt his guts churning with a sense of reality unlike any kind of dream. Thousands of millions of particles of light clustered together to create an irradiant pyramid which captured the Three Mythic Gods.
That is where the dream faded away.

(That same dream again…What in the world could it be alluding to…?) Pegasus’ entire body is drenched with a cold sweat. Flinging off his silk pajamas to expose his naked white body, he took a hot shower. (As long as the three God cards, the mightiest of all cards, exist, Yugi’s title as Duel King will probably never budge…so that’s why I had developed card to surpass the God cards since Duelist Kingdom….)
Duel Monsters cards aren’t things that can be developed on a whim. There exists basis-forming text, discovered from ancient ruins, in the monsters which make their home in the cards. New cards, or even yet, the card with the ability to oppose against the Three Mythic Gods, cannot be created in a day.
(The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is the only card with enough potential. There are only three Blue-Eyes White Dragons left in the world and they are with Kaiba-boy. With that in mind, I developed a card evolved based on the text of Blue-Eyes White Dragon. However, one new card cannot defeat the Three Mythic Gods. Another card is needed. That’s probably why I had that dream…But, what was that pyramid filled with light? Maybe it’s my brain trying to spark new imaginative ideas. No, it seems almost as an implication of something much more terrifying. Now that I’ve lost the Millennium Eye, I cannot see out anything more than I can now.)
With all the hot showers he took, he couldn’t wash away the sense of foreboding he had from him.

There are originally four Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards in the world. Yugi Mutou’s grandfather, Sugoroku, had one of them. However, it was torn up with Seto Kaiba’s own hands. Seto Kaiba tracked down the remaining three cards using the Kaiba Corporation Network and his financial power. However, since no one would relinquish their priceless cards, Kaiba had even resorted to criminal acts to obtain the Blue-Eyes White Dragons.
Kaiba has had a connection between himself and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The reason behind this traces back to the times before Kaiba’s reincarnation, when he was the Priest Seto. Although, he has an extreme hate of the occult and doesn’t believe in anything unscientific. Kaiba himself has never told about his connection with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, but his heart displays itself in a different form.
The catapult door atop the Kaiba Corporation rooftop opened. Kaiba’s jet, which surfaced from it, was an exact replica of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. In the cockpit, Kaiba grasped the control stick in a practiced manner.
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon spurted pale flames from its boosters and took off. Switching over to auto pilot, Kaiba indulged himself in meditation.
(I want to give me Blue-Eyes White Dragon the power to surpass the Three Mythic Gods…) Kaiba’s mind-set of surpassing the three God cards bared a resemblance to Pegasus. (Still, even though I have the capability and the power of the Kaiba Corporation, I can’t develop new cards…I don’t believe in the myths that say that cards can’t be developed without ancient magic or magic powers. The contents of his black box-based IC chips are still a secret. That man holds the secrets of the development of Duel Monsters in his hands. I’m going to have to meet with that man in order to have a new card developed!)
Far below, the Pacific Ocean was reflecting sunlight.

A sonic boom blared, breaking the winds and the tweeting of small birds. The jet made a nosedive for a section of the white villa. At that time, Pegasus was by his pool, elegantly sipping wine.
Not even a few minutes passed before the figure of a young man emerged from the thicket of Himalayan cedars. Pegasus, standing up, addressed his ambivalent visitor.
“Hi, Kaiba-boy! It’s been too long.”
“I don’t need any of your hellos, Pegasus…” Kaiba spat. “You created three dueling cards that have the power of Gods. But it’s destined that those at the very top can be overcome sooner or later. This is how history has been weaved.”
“What…? Did you come here to lecture me, a Westerner, on history? Maybe the rise and fall of the Roman Empire? Or maybe you’ll teach me about the downfall of Napoleon?”
Pegasus’ single eye fixed on Kaiba’s features, which were quite chiseled for an Oriental.
“I guess you know, then. If you intend on playing dumb, let’s just cut through straight to the point. Pegasus, there isn’t any way that a duelist of your caliber wouldn’t prepare a card which surpasses the three God cards.”
“If that’s the case, we have nothing to discuss. Run along now, Kaiba-boy.”
“So I was right…It’s already completed!”
Pegasus shook his head, regarding it as nonsense. “Oh…No…I’m retired from the forefront.” Pegasus suddenly transferred his gaze from Kaiba to the beautiful environment. The surface of the lake reflected the beautiful forest. “It’s almost like your heart rises to the surface whenever you’re here. I feel ridiculous, having spent half of my life in obsessive pursuit of something. Kaiba-boy, what is your motivation? Your goal in life shouldn’t be just to become Duel King.”
“Hmph! I didn't cross the Pacific here to talk about that! Our information network encompasses the world. There’s no use trying to give me the runaround.”
Pegasus looked at the eyes of the boy from the East once more. The eyes, deep with a color filled with ambition, were sharp, as if they were seeing through to the back of his mind. Pegasus gave up the song and dance.
“The card does indeed exist, but I simply cannot give it to you now.”
“What!?”
“A befitting heart is needed to handle power. Power without heart gives birth to tragedy.” Pegasus stroked his fair hair up without the slightest hesitation and showed the hidden half of his face to Kaiba.
“Guh…” Kaiba took a gasp. The gaping opening in his eye socket was an unsightly reminder of where one of the Millennium Items, the Millennium Eye, had once fit into.
“I first went in hunt for the Millennium Items with desires of meeting my lost lover. It was an act of folly brought on by my innocence which was shameful even to me. Before long, controlled by the Millennium Eye, I sought dark powers. It was no doubt on part of my feeble spirit. Therefore, to serve as a lesson to myself, I won’t put in an artificial eye or hide this unsightly scar.” Pegasus smiled self-mockingly. “This is what those who abuse power eventually look like in the end. Kaiba-boy, you want only power…and that is extremely dangerous.”
“Heh heh heh heh…” Kaiba laughed softly. “Pegasus, I can’t believe someone like you believes in that myth. It’s on part of your own foolishness that made you look like that. As you yourself admit, the weakness of your own heart is to blame.”
Pegasus was listening without refute.
“I am indeed a cold man, but it’s not because I don’t have a heart. It’s because I have a heart stronger than the rest of the crowd! Especially one that’s strong, as a duelist!”
“Is that so? Didn’t you lose to Yugi Mutou? Is that the three God card’s fault? Oh, no…Maybe it’s because of Yugi’s skills? Oh, no…What you lack when it comes to Yugi is that you have a heart of a duelist who is merely convinced he’s strong.”
“Are you telling me I don’t have a heart as a duelist…?” Kaiba’s almond eyes shined unmercifully. “Then make sure of it with a duel!” Kaiba pulled his three Blue-Eyes White Dragon out from his deck case. “A duel using the Ante Rules. I’ll ante up these three cards. These cards that are my very life!”
“O-ho, your three Blue-Eyes…” It was obvious that Pegasus caught word of Kaiba went through any kind of risk to collect his three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. “Are you willing to go that far, Kaiba-boy…? Fine, then…I accept your duel using the Ante Rules. However, the outcome is clear.”
“What…?”
“You and me…Allow me to make you remember that not one thing has changed in the balance between our powers since Duelist Kingdom!” Kaiba’s boorish challenge damaged his pride as the creator of Duel Monsters.
Angry ripples formed on the lake’s tranquil surface. A flame was ignited in Pegasus’ heart as a duelist and he forgot about the ominous dream last night. If he had known his dream was an omen of a destructive future, Pegasus would have given up on the duel.

The afternoon light flows into the dry area’s clerestory on a slant. The basement, whether it has gone unused for a long while, smelled of moist mildew. Placed in the middle of the room was an old Duel Ring measuring seven meters on each side. Switching on the power, the ringed filled with light of the seven prismatic colors. Both Kaiba and Pegasus took their sides on the opposition.
“We will use this Duel Ring for the duel.”
“…The system is pretty antique, but it’ll do…Where is that new card you created to go up against the three God cards. I already told you that I won’t be deceived by my opponents.”
“That’s no problem…” A section of the floor splits open and a steel table rises up from it. The duralumin-steel case atop the table lets off a dull luster. “The newly-developed cards are in that case. Defeat me and take them.”
“You don’t need to state the obvious!”
Both Pegasus and Kaiba shouted “Duel!” at the same time.
“It’s my turn. Draw…” Pegasus looked at his drawn card and put on a grin. “I’m going to make you remember the terror of our battle at Duelist Kingdom. I activate a Magic card from my hand by paying 1000 Life Points,” Pegasus’ Life Points reduced by 1000 to 3000. Kaiba was able to guess what that meant without having to hear Pegasus’ declaration. “Toon World!”
A thick comic book appeared in the space in front of Pegasus and a cartoonish toon city popped from it. “Kyahaha” sounded a bizarre laugh. There were none that didn’t know that Pegasus’ Toon deck was his old standby.
(Imbecile…Setting when I participated in Duelist Kingdom aside…time is moving by the moment, letting me develop even more.) Kaiba stares unshaken and undaunted. “Hmph…You haven’t made any progression and cling on to the past just like this old Duel Ring. Our battle is over, after all…”
“Grrr…” Kaiba’s remark had dyed Pegasus’ white skin red with anger. “I summon Toon Gemini Elf in attack mode!”
“Boring…”
“I also set a reverse card which will end my turn.”
(Kaiba-boy…How far can you keep up your bluff? Still, there’s not an adversary in the world that can defeat me as long as I pull him into my specialty patterns.) Pegasus was already ascertain of his victory.
“I summon X-Head Cannon!” Kaiba declared and played a card from his hand. The holograms of the outdated early type Duel Ring emanated an unsteady shine as it projects the monster. A levitating mecha with giant cannons equipped to both of its shoulders appeared, flickering with scan lines.
With Pegasus using his Toons, the duel was turned toward his favor. Kaiba’s Life Points, having received a direct attack by Gemini Elf, drop from 4000 to 1000 in one whack. In the middle of it, Kaiba fought back with Attack Guidance Armor, but Pegasus’ assault didn’t halt.
“Taking off 500 of my Life Points, I can Normal Summon a different monster! From Blood Compensation’s effect, I offer Toon Gemini Elf as a sacrifice to summon Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon. And of course, it’s a Level 8, but Cost Down’s effect treats it as a Level 6 monster, so a single sacrifice suffices.” He continued on. “Also, I summon Toon Demon! I don’t need to explain, but since Cost Down’s effect makes Level 6 monsters be treated as Level 4’s, sacrifices aren’t needed for its summoning.”
Pegasus’ Life Points, from using Blood Compensation’s effect, drops to 1900. However, he was far from dispirited, and his tensions were running high.
“Kya kya kya he he he he!” Toon Black Magician Girl, Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon, Toon Demon—The Toons which Pegasus took pride in, laughing bizarrely and hoping about.
“I hadn’t realized that I’ve gotten immersed in this duel.” Pegasus looks at his own monsters with satisfaction. “My ace Toon monsters are here in full force. This game is all set. Do you see now? I’ll let you keep your Blue-Eyes…Now pack up your cards and hurry along back home.”
However, while being out muscled duel-wise, Kaiba stood firm. “You don’t make any progress at all. A duelist is someone who always looks to the future and makes their way forward. Dwelling upon past glory is the epitome of stupidity…”
“What!?”
“Dueling is an art where the imaginations of duelists who look to the future are born. And the people who cling to things as lame as their past tactics don’t even deserve to be called Duelists.”
Pegasus, who was pretending to be calm and ignoring what was being said, was at his final straw and it had been broken.
“How dare you show such disrespect to me, the creator of Duel Monsters! You’re nothing more than an Oriental that can do no more than mock others! You may have created superb electronics and an outstanding virtual system, but you can't understand the true essence of a duel.”
He had let out the emotions he had kept pent up inside of him all at once. Kaiba ignored the outburst and grinned. At this very moment, the two’s situations had changed.
“I’m going to show you a duel that transcends common logic! My turn!” Kaiba drew Black Core from his deck. “I activate a Magic card from my hand! Black Core!”
With a shine of a purple flash, the pitch-darkness suddenly opened up a gaping opening in space.
“Black Core! That is a card that removes one monster on the field from the game by discarding a card from your hand…And Kaiba-boy is after…” Pegasus took another look at his field, and his eyes stop on Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon. “It has to be the one with the highest attack power…no…it’s the monster Kaiba-boy most cherishes…Blue-Eyes.”
“You fool, that would mean being confined to common logic!” Kaiba snapped. “I discard Y-Dragon Head from my hand into the cemetery to remove X-Head Cannon from the game!”
“Removing your own monster from the game…What are you planning on doing?”
“Next, the Magic card, Soul Release…This card’s effect will remove the Y-Dragon Head in my cemetery from the game.”
“Removing your X and Y monsters—?”
“I summon a monster, Z-Metal Caterpillar!” The mechanical monster, Z-Metal Caterpillar, appeared on the field.
“And now Z…You couldn’t be!”
“Destroying the past to create the future. To a dweller of the past, the future must be an unthinkable series of events. I pay half of my Life Points to activate Return from the Different Dimension from my field!” Kaiba’s Life Points reduce drastically, leaving them at 1050. The Return from the Different Dimension card whammed into sight.
“Return from the Different Dimension Special Summons as many of my monsters removed from the game that can be summoned on to the field in attack mode!”
X-Head Cannon returned from out of the pitch-darkness, crossing space and being summoned to the field.
It was then that Pegasus realized the gravity of the situation and turned pale.
“XYZ Combination! Come forth, XYZ-Dragon Cannon!” The three mecha hit their jets against the field and soar up above. The mecha combine together, making heavy clanking noises. The fearsome form of the mechanical XYZ-Dragon Cannon appeared before the frozen Pegasus.
“This card destroys one of your cards by discarding one card in my hand.” Kaiba discarded a card in his hand. “Destroy his Toon World, XYZ-Dragon Cannon!”
XYZ-Dragon Cannon’s gigantic turrets are positioned Toon World with a low charging sound.
“Oh no!” Pegasus’ grievous cry vanished in the vicious sound of gunfire. Toon World was thoroughly destroyed instantly. The Toons, having lost the protection of their world, shrieked and turned into light dust.
“Hyper Destruction!” In addition to that, the direct attack coming from XYZ-Dragon Cannon assaulted Pegasus.
“Oh noo-o-o!” Pegasus writhed in pain and yelled maddeningly. His count dropped at a tremendous rate and Pegasus’ Life Points became 0. The duel was over. The mental shock was fed back into his body and Pegasus collapsed on the floor.
Kaiba exits the Duel Ring without even glancing at Pegasus. When he opened the duralumin case, two cards were placed inside there. “As for the Ante Rules…I have won your two cards.” With the duralumin case in hand, he retraced his steps out.
Pegasus, fallen on the ground, desperately reached out for Kaiba. “—Two cards…? T-That cannot be…Wait, Kaiba-boy!”
In place of an answer, Kaiba shut the iron door with a thick thud.
(I only created one new card…Another card…That might be the dark card my dream about the events of the future was clueing me in on…)
The sounds of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet sounded in the distance. Pegasus’ consciousness once again falls into a deep darkness.

第二章　三幻神あらわる
Chapter 2: The Three Mythic Gods Appear

Sugoroku’s shop in Domino City is visited by the tranquil early afternoon. Inside, Sugoroku, who looks like Yugi kept to dry in the sun for half a century, tends to the shop.
Today, there hasn’t been any sign of a customer since morning. The day of a game shop without popular video game or card releases is a boring one. Even so, the future of business doesn’t seem to bother Sugoroku. He appears to be entranced in a certain newspaper article.
“Hmmm… Mummy brought from Egypt on display at the Domino Museum…” A photograph of the sarcophagus being submitted to Domino Museum was on the front page with a color photo of the rightside-up, crystal “Pyramid of Light” lined right next to it.
“What’s this…!? Has it finally been found!?” His hands, holding the newspaper, quiver.
There might not be anyone who would believe it by looking at his present, decrepit appearance, but Sugoroku was once a genuine international treasure hunter. Even him obtaining the Millennium Puzzle which Yugi holds was a fruit of those adventures.
Sugoroku had heard about a rightside-up pyramid Millennium Item, counterpart to the Millennium Puzzle, from his old friends. As a treasure hunter, he had hoped of bringing both treasures together, but during his career, that wish never came true.
They found what he had dreamed of in his youth and put it on exhibit in Domino City. Sugoroku quickly began to close up shop in order to, of course, go meet the Pyramid of Light, the lover he has yet to see.

***

The afternoon bell rang at Domino High School. Classes were over and out of the small groups of students going home were Jonouchi, Anzu, and Yugi. However, the three’s legs suddenly stopped in their tracks. Students, who were overflowing from the school, were making a crowd in front of the main gate.
“What’s with that?” Jonouchi asks suspiciously. The high school doesn’t have a public entertainment route where entertainment travels back and forth.
The students stare at the outside of the main gate from the schoolyard. Jonouchi, with his tall figure, scoped the outside over the heads of the crowd. He saw that duelists, gathered from all over the world, were forming a dense crowd. There were people of different apparel, age, and skin color.
“What’s up with this? This is bound to be something awesome!”
Jonouchi suddenly looks behind him. Yugi was trying to see to the front by hippity-hopping.
“What’s awesome…?” Yugi showed his face from out the crowd without digression.
“It’s Mutou Yugi, the Duel King!”
“I’ve been waiting for you! Accept my challenge!!”
“Champion! Let’s have a duel using the Ante Rules with your three God cards on the line!”
The international duelists, who were encircling the place at a safe distance, ran at the main gate. Yugi, in complete confusion, stares in terror. Wading through the surge of people, Honda came running up.
“This sure is something, Yugi! You’re a world celebrity right now! The whole world knows about you becoming champion in the Battle City Tournament and getting the God cards!”
“This is bad. Yugi, you slip out the back gate.”
“But is it all right for me not to come out? I wonder if everyone understand and go home.”
“If you come out now, you’ll get wasted! Hurry and run! I’ll figure something out here.”
“Yugi, quickly!” Anzu grabbed the bewildered Yugi’s hand in a fret and started running.
“But…they came all this way to come meet me…”
“If you go up against opponents like these, it could go on forever!”
The duelists, not settling with Yugi not showing up, loiter around the outside of the school gate. Panic could be in store if things don’t change.
“I’m counting on you, Jonouchi!”
“Sure, leave it to me!” Jonouchi, shaking with excitement, rushed forward into the duelists and Honda stood behind him as if he were a bodyguard.
“Hold it, hold it, hold it! Hold it right there!!” Jonouchi stands in front of the Duelists with his feet set apart.
“Why is the Duel King running away!?”
“Is the Champion, Yugi Mutou, a chicken?!”
“Is he intending on running out with the God cards?!”
Jonouchi stood up to the Duelists. “What in the hell are you guys babbling about?! Yugi ain’t no chicken!”
“Then why doesn’t he fight us fair and square?!”
“He’s right! He’s right!”
“The Three Mythic Gods that Pegasus created aren’t just Yugi Mutou’s! They should be the treasure of Duelists over the world!”
There was a valid point in the Duelists’ words. Jonouchi was at a loss of words and gulped. His simplex brain cells couldn’t find any words that would convince the Duelists. The sound of his blood vessel around his temple could be heard snapping.
“Shaddap! If you got any complaints, say ‘em after you beat me! Katsuya Jonouchi, one of the final four in Battle City, is gonna make sure whether you guys have what it takes to challenge Yugi!”
Things were different from the times when he was in the final eight of the town tournament. Now, he may be one of the best five Duelists in the world.
Jonouchi put his Duel Disk on his arm. “C’mon, who’s stepping up?! Come and get it!”
“All right! I challenge you!” sounded a voice from the crowd.
The white-skinned boy that had already had his Duel Disk attacked to his body didn’t look anything like a boy with all the muscles he had.
“He’s got quite the body on him! Don’t lose, Jonouchi!”
“Are you stupid or something, Honda?! Duels aren’t about using brawn!”
While nervous on the inside, Jonouchi picked himself up. Using the schoolyard as a ring, the duel started.

***

Yugi ran while being forcibly drawn by Anzu and tripping.
“Jonouchi is keeping them busy. Now’s our chance!”
“I wonder if Jonouchi-kun will be okay…” Yugi was concerned not for himself, but his friends.
Anzu was searching for a place to hide themselves. A building in Ancient Roman construction, shining chalky white, appeared before their very eyes. This building, disproportioned in such a small suburban city, is the Domino City Museum. Anzu thought of hiding there for the time being.
“Yugi, in there!” Anzu, glancing back, loses sight of Yugi, who was supposed to be right next to her. Yugi was looking at a displayed billboard with keen interest. The poster read “Mummy and Crystal Pyramid Special Exhibit” and a picture of the Crystal Pyramid on it.

The Crystal Pyramid looked like the Millennium Puzzle turned upside down to Anzu. Whether it was because it was daytime on a weekday, there weren’t many people for the large-scale exhibit.
Artifacts that have surfaced in the present day, through many thousands of years, are displayed in an orderly fashion. Yugi and Anzu travel between the different exhibits and approached the glass case near the rear.
The mummy, with eyes, already worn down to its sockets, open, was housed in the sarcophagus. Yugi was deeply interested, but Anzu is a girl about it.
“This is making me sick…Let’s go to the next one.”
Anzu hurried them up to the next exhibit. Yugi was taken away from the mummy’s side with reluctance.
“It looks like the Crystal Pyramid exhibit is on the other side.”
Following the direction board, they headed for the adjoining room while eyes watch them through the glass. The pitch-black eye sockets of the mummy glared for a split second. Unbeknownst to that, Yugi and Anzu were at the display corner for the “Pyramid of Light.” A small old man was planted in front of the Pyramid of Light.
Without noticing the two behind him, Sugoroku looks inside as if in a daze.
“Wha? Grandpa, what are you doing here!?”
“Oh, Yugi, so you’re here? Look at this!”
“Huh? What is it…?”
“It’s said that the Pyramid of Light closely resembles the Millennium Puzzle in overall impressions. The engraved patterns and Text of the Ancient Priests are almost identical. Its crystal and, instead of the Eye of Wdjat, a red-eye jewel is set into it…”
Anzu gazed at the Millennium Puzzle worn around Yugi’s neck. “It really does look alike, but isn’t it being displayed upside down?”
“It’s not. From the direction of the Text of the Ancient Priests, the Hieratic Text, this is how it should be. This is a legendary treasure which I couldn’t find in the end.”
Sugoroku wouldn’t normally flaunt his past as a treasure hunter, but he would tell his dear grandson just a little bit about it. Yugi remembered that.
“Does it have anything to do with the Millennium Puzzle?”
“Mm-hmm. They say that the Pyramid of Light is the symbol of the King of Light. In other words, it exists on an opposite extreme to your Millennium Puzzle which governs the darkness.”
Yugi re-glanced at the Millennium Puzzle on his chest.
“Hmmm…There was something written on lid of the mummy’s sarcophagus on the other side too.”
“Mm-hmm, let’s get back there.”
“I don’t want to go that mummy again!”
Anzu, her eyes looking around restlessly, noticed the lithograph decorating the spot next to the glass case. Engravings, perceived to be the Three Mythic Gods, were chiseled on the triangular lithograph.
“You know something, could this be about the three God cards?” When Anzu looked back, Yugi and Sugoroku had already returned in front of the mummy’s sarcophagus. “For the love of…”
Anzu, following the two, without much choice in the matter, returned to the mummy’s sarcophagus exhibit. She stands squeamishly with the two a little ways apart. Yugi and Sugoroku were looking at the Hieratic Text on the lid of the sarcophagus.
“What’s this written here? Do you know, Grandpa?”
Having to live up to his grandson’s expectations, Sugoroku enthusiastically took a look at the Text of the Ancient Priests. “Hm-hum, the King of Light and the King of Darkness fight…and then the King of Destruction will be reborn…or something meaning to that effect is written here. This Hieratic Text is like a prophetic note of some kind.”
If they had seen something to inspire them in even the slightest, maybe they wouldn’t have overlooked the eyeballs shining slimily in the mummy’s eye sockets.
The vision of a man dressed in the attire of an ancient priest emerged above Yugi and Sugoroku’s heads. The man reached for their heads with them having no way of knowing that this was going on.
Yugi and Sugoroku were wrapped in a mysterious light which caused them to become dazed and the scenery around them jumps into white. Coming to, Yugi was in the middle of a sea of stars. In the swirling galaxy float pyramids of Light and Dark. The two pyramids draw nearer as if to call one another.
“What is this!?”
A voice echoed throughout his mind to answer Yugi’s question. “When both Light and Dark intersect…” An image in which Dark Yugi and Kaiba confront each other in a duel surfaces. “The King of Light will destroy the Sacred Beasts of Darkness and lay waste to the King of Darkness.” The image of Dark Yugi sunk to his knees. “When enough light is fulfilled…” A giant arm drew near on a triumphant Kaiba from behind, and grabbed his head. “The King of Destruction will reborn.”
Light gushes from the Millennium Puzzle, severing the image. Yugi looks up to see he is in his Mind Room within the Millennium Puzzle. Dark Yugi was sitting in the stone children’s room, looking mindful.
“Other Self!? What was that just now? Did you just have that vision too?” He tries asking the Dark Yugi.
“Yeah…I don’t know what it’s about, but maybe I’m this ‘King of Darkness.’”
“Then who’s the King of Light? I’m sure I saw an image of Kaiba-kun!”
“If the King of Light is referring to Kaiba, then who is the King of Destruction…? I sense that an evil power is afoot.”
“If this is foretelling the future as Grandpa said…”
“Kaiba might be a goner.”
“Kaiba-kun could!?”
It was then that at a briiiing, a shrill, resounding metallic sound, Yugi was brought back to his senses. Yugi opens his eyes to find that the alarm installed into the museum was ablare.
Anzu was looking at Yugi and Sugoroku, lying collapsed on the floor, worriedly. “Yugi! Grandfather! Snap out of it!”
Yugi was the first to have opened his eyes.
“Did you have that vision just now too, Anzu?”
“What are you talking about? I’m pretty sure that the place filled with light and blinded me, but…Look at that!”
Yugi looked to where Anzu was pointing to see that the mummy’s sarcophagus placed on one end of the room had been smashed to pieces and that the inside was empty.
“The inside of the sarcophagus! The mummy is missing!?” calls the guard who had instantly came running.
There was the voice of another guard coming from the corresponding room. “In here too! The Crystal Pyramid is missing!”
At that time, Sugoroku, who lay fallen nearby, comes to his senses with a “Mmph…” Yugi and Anzu, who were peering over him, took hefty sighs of relief.
“Anzu, you take care of Grandpa.”
“Where are you going, Yugi!?”
“There something that’s on my mind!” Yugi started to run.
“Hold on, Yugi…”
Anzu wanted to go chase after Yugi, but she couldn’t leave Sugoroku behind.
“Grandfather? Are you okay?”
Sugoroku vaguely watched the shape of the guards running around the building but suddenly regained his senses and looked at Anzu. “What happened to me?”
“You lost consciousness. Yugi said that he had a vision.”
“How long was I unconscious for?”
“A split second. But in that time, the mummy and the Pyramid of Light disappeared!”
“So that ancient mummy really did revive, did it…”
“That can’t be, it’s impossible.”
“Yes, through common sense, that is. However, the premonition on the lid of the sarcophagus told of the rebirth of the King of Destruction…Unpredictable things do happen in a world controlled by darkness.” Sugoroku looked around him and finally realized that Yugi wasn’t there. “Where’s Yugi?”
“I have no idea myself, but he went off somewhere in a hurry.”
“Could it be that Yugi and I had the same vision? It seems that something unimaginable to the common sense of this world is already on the move.”
“What is this ‘something unimaginable’?”
“Normally, I’d say the powers of darkness…but the enemy this time is much more terrible—the powers of light!”

***

Yugi rushed in front of the gates of the Domino City Museum in effort to inform Kaiba of the danger—the mysterious prophecy. He had no process in mind that could allow both Kaiba and himself to avoid the danger trying to attack them.
He feels pressed, but there are no taxis nearby. That is where a limousine shows up, screeching its tires, making a quick stop right in front of him. The backseat door opened with a solid thud and a bam. Who came out was Mokuba, Seto Kaiba’s younger brother.
“Mokuba-kun!? I thought you’d be heading to your brother right now!”
“What luck. This is a message from Brother. ‘I’m waiting at the Kaiba Land Event Dome’…” Mokuba’s eyes were somewhat frightened. It is quite clear that his heart trembles.
“I understand. Let’s go.” Yugi hopped in the car without hesitation. Mokuba was the only one in the backseat and Yugi sat down and his body sunk deep into the cushions. The driver’s seat is partitioned with black glass. The car drove off silently.
“Brother said for you to put the three God cards in your deck, no matter what. He said there would be no point unless he fights against the Duel King at his very best.”
“Mokuba-kun, I’m sorry but I can’t use the God cards.”
“Why not!?”
“The God cards have a power which transcends logic. They might override the system and inflict damage to its adversaries.”
“While that may be true, he probably won’t sit well unless you have the God cards. Brother isn’t acting normal nowadays. He’d probably use any means necessary to make you use the God cards…”
“What do you mean by saying he’s not acting normal, Mokuba-kun? If it’s okay with you, why don’t you tell me about it?”
“The truth is that I’m not very sure, but he’s acting weird, almost as if he is being controlled by something.” Mokuba’s troubled eyes shimmered as to protest of something.
“Just what you know is fine…So why don’t you tell me anything you know.”
“Right…After Battle City, I thought that the kind Brother I once knew would finally come back, but…” We’re both the only brothers me and my Brother each have in the world. A long time ago, since we had lost both our parents, we were put into a orphanage.”
Even be it Yugi, he wasn’t clueless about Kaiba and Mokuba. While en route towards the Duel Tower, the cite of the Battle City finals, they were abducted by a mysterious submarine. The culprit was Noa, the real son of Gozaburo, Kaiba’s adoptive father.
Noa had already suffered a premature death, and afterwards, his spirit was turned into programming and left in their computers; it was Gozaburo’s expression of the depths of his love towards his son. However, time passes on and Gozaburo’s visits with Noa in the virtual world became infrequent. Noa knew the reason was because he adopted Seto Kaiba as his son. The sadness of having lost the love of his father had been changed into a vengeance towards Kaiba and in order to beat Kaiba, Noa had recorded and analyzed everything on Kaiba. Yugi was sucked into that family love-hate drama. That was when, within the submarine, Noa showed them Kaiba and Mokuba’s past, recreated through Virtual Reality.
However, Yugi listened silently to Mokuba’s words. He thought that listening to all on Mokuba’s mind would be a key to the mystery behind Kaiba.
Mokuba started on his tale. Kaiba physically defended the small and bullied Mokuba. When Mokuba was down, Kaiba would play Mokuba in games which he was good at. In the time he spent playing with his brother, he forgot about everything which made him sad. To Mokuba, games were tools to tie both his and his brother’s hearts together. Those were the most peaceful and fun times for the brothers.
“But ever since our adoptive father, Gozaburo, visited the orphanage, Brother’s personality changed.”
Kaiba had challenged Gozaburo, who was a world chess champion, and defeat him. Touting his talents to Gozaburo, he had won his bet to be adopted. Since then, games to Kaiba were turned into tools, not to confirm affections, but to fulfill his own ambitions. After that, Kaiba’s progress was remarkabale.
Seto developed the Solid Vision System, under the tutelage of his adoptive father, for use in Duel Monsters. Kaiba, utilizing this system, tried to construct Kaiba Land, a game paradise which was a dream since his childhood, but Gozaburo disregarded Kaiba’s dream and utilized the system for military purposes. It was a possibility for Kaiba Corporation advance to a conglomerate. Despite his requests to build Kaiba Land, Gozaburo continued to disregard them. That was when Gozaburo Kaiba died abruptly.
Different rumors spread regarding Gozaburo’s death. Among one of them was that he was killed by Kaiba Seto. Even Mokuba has heard that one.
“I don’t believe in those rumors, but it is true that since then, with the Big Five trapped in the Computer World, the company has gone under one-man management. Brother has become all the more colder ever since around then…You would probably know about my Brother ever since then, Yugi. His interest seems to be in you more than me, his own brother, after all.”
“It’s not like that…There’s no way Kaiba-kun would forget about you.”
“Don’t console me! I hate games and I hate Duel Monsters. Duel Monsters has split us both apart!”
“Mokuba-kun…” Yugi was unhappy. A young boy’s heart was being damaged by Duel Monsters, the game which he loved so. He wanted to return Kaiba’s heart to him somehow or another. “Duel Monsters is supposed to have the power to tie hearts among people together. If I didn’t duel, I’m sure that I wouldn’t have been able to link my heart with Jonouchi-kun, Honda-kun, Anzu-chan, and…” he tried talking about his other self, but he suddenly held his tongue, “and…with my many rivals. It’s true that duels have a magical power which enthralls the heart of an individual. He’ll probably seem to be acting weird, temporarily, just as you said…but Kaiba-kun is sensible. I’m sure he’ll eventually open his eyes.”
“Duels link people’s hearts together, you say!? Then prove it to me! Get back Brother’s heart! Brother’s heart is frozen solid! Get back my old Brother that used to laugh together with me!”
The heart of the boy, pleading with tears in his round eyes, needed to have an answer, and Yugi decided.
“I understand.”
“Huh…!?”
“Stop the car at my house…The three God cards are at home.”

***

In front of Sugoroku’s house, Jonouchi trails in Honda’s heels with an exhausted look on his face and panting.
“I wonder if Yugi got away all right.”
“Am I ever beat. Oh well, it wasn’t that big a problem, right?”
“You liar. You better bet it was a problem.”
It was then that a limousine was driving past their very eyes.
“Huh? That car just came from Yugi’s house.”
“It’s heading towards Kaiba Land.”
Jonouchi saw where the car was going. The roof of the massive Kaiba Land Event Dome, which is where the straight road led to, shined red by the sunset being reflected off it.
The limousine stopped in the Kaiba Land parking lot and Mokuba and Yugi got out of the car. Mokuba had stopped at the Event Dome’s elevator and pointed at the door.
“Brother should be waiting for you inside the Dome.”
Yugi entered the elevator with his bag in hand and the door shut without making a sound with the red sunset running through the see-through elevator tube. Yugi took the three God cards from his bag and stared at them.
“Other self…” Yugi addressed, facing his other self within the darkness of his image. “I had planned not to use these three God cards…their powers are far too great and will affect the people that are dueling…Besides that, these cards just happen to be essential in order for you to regain your name. They must not be stolen by anyone else ever again.”
“Hmm...”
“But I want to use these cards just this once.” The Dark Yugi stares at Yugi’s earnest eyes. “I have to use them to save Kaiba-kun…It looks like something is happening to Kaiba-kun now…And according to the premonition, if I lose and Kaiba-kun wins…Kaiba-kun will die…”
“I feel an evil power. You should give up this duel, but even if I said that, you probably wouldn’t listen, anyway.”
“I have no idea what will happen once the duel starts. But I simply can’t afford to lose this duel.”
“There is indeed only one way to beat this premonition. And that has to be by fighting with the three God cards and defeating Kaiba…”
“Other Self, will you lend me your strength? With our powers, we’ll change the future predicted for us.”
“I will, Partner!”
The Millennium Puzzle around Yugi’s neck releases a sparkling plasma. The light shined brightly, concentrating into the Eye of Wdjat. Under the pressure being exerted from the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi’s hair floats up. The shining consumes the area and the two Yugis could be seen at the same time for a split second.
Wham! The personalities of Yugi and the Dark Yugi had switched places. The eyes which opened sharply were of Dark Yugi, who had already become ever so more intimidating. Dark Yugi picked up the three God cards and put them into his deck.

Around the same time, Honda and Jonouchi had followed the car and made it to Kaiba Land.
“Say, Jonouchi, do you really think that Yugi came here?”
“The car was definitely heading from Yugi’s house towards Kaiba Land.”
Mokuba showed up in front of the two as they prowled around aimlessly without a way to enter the Dome.
“What are you guys doing over there?”
“Mokuba!?”
“I’m sure that Yugi came here!”
“Yeah, Yugi is inside the dome.”
“Why did he come here?”
“So that he can get back my Brother’s heart.”
“Huh!?” Jonouchi and Honda interjected as they looked at Mokuba.

***

Kaiba was standing perfectly still in the Duel Ring installed on the Dome’s field. (I will surpass Yugi…surpass the Gods…and stand at the apex of Duel Monsters.)
Two new cards were stocked in Kaiba’s deck. Those cards were the secret strategies Pegasus developed to defeat the Gods.
The ties between Kaiba and Yugi ran deep. It started with them being in the same school with one being the representative of Kaiba Corporation and the other being nothing more than the mere inheritor of game shop with a love of games. Kaiba wasn’t even aware of Yugi being his rival.
However, once he started in Duel Monsters, he steadily distinguished himself. After being invited to Duelist Kingdom by the Game of Darkness video sent by Pegasus, he defeated leading duelists and ascended to the apex in a baffling amount of time.
Kaiba has always been looking at Yugi, as he keeps making it big, with eyes of jealousy. He can be the only man to become Duel King, and if it only weren’t for that other man, he could have been ruling and reigning over the world right around now—. There was only one way to quell his self-surprisingly violent mind and that was to smash his rival to pieces with his own hands.
He would stop at nothing, as did happen long ago when he got in right with Gozaburo, became his adoptive son, and took over the company. As when collecting the Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards or even when he tried to oust the Big Five and control the company to his own will…he has come through hell and high water to accomplish the impossible.
Kaiba suddenly glances at the field’s entrance to see Dark Yugi entering. Kaiba grinned and murmured, “So he’s arrived.”
At that very time, Jonouchi and Honda fly in from the stand entrance. The two leaned over the fence and looked at the Duel Ring. Mokuba entered the metallic booth that has a concentration of all the systems used to control the Dome. The booth traveled along the guide rail to the top of the ceiling.
“Yugi. How are you going to get back Brother’s heart? If you manage to do it, I’ll like Duel Monsters again…”
Kaiba and Dark Yugi stood, facing each other, on either side of the Ring.
“How good of you to come, Yugi. I’ll give you credit for that. I’m going to get back the title of Duel King here and today.”
“Wait, Kaiba! There’s an evil force at work in this duel. It might have momentous life-threatening consequences on you. And yet, you’re saying that you’re willing to go through with this duel?”
“Again with your occult tales…? Enough is enough. That aside, have you brought the three God cards?”
“I have. They’re already in my deck.”
“Life-threatening? That too sounds interesting. But all I want is to overcome you, the possessor of the three God cards. If I can do that, I’ll gladly give up my life.” Kaiba points sharply at the control room. “Mokuba, seal off all entrances and exits.”
“Yes, Brother!” Mokuba, in the booth, pushed a switch and a heavy mechanical sound blared across the spectator stands.
The shutters of Dome’s ceiling and all the entrances and exits close simultaneously.
“Kaiba, what are you up to? Why do you have to seal Kaiba Dome!?”
“Yugi, it’s so you won’t escape.”
“Grr!”
Yugi’s likeness floated right next to Dark Yugi. Even after swapping personalities, Yugi, while inside the children’s room in the ‘Mind Labyrinth,’ and Dark Yugi, while in the real world, can talk to each other in this way.
(Other self, it seems that Kaiba hasn’t realized anything, after all. Persuasion is no good. I think that winning the duel just might be the only way to change the future.)
“Mm-hmm, it appears we can only confirm the true nature of the evil during the duel.” Dark Yugi switched his gaze onto Kaiba. “I got it, then! I’m up for it!!”
“Without even having to fight, victory is already within my deck! Each player will take their shuffled cards and set them in the Duel Disk.”
The initial Duel Disk System was a gigantic machine that is installed in the Ring. However, now that it has evolved, it has become so compact that it can fit around one’s left arm. Following directions, Dark Yugi set his deck of cards into the Duel Disk on his left arm.
“Life Points are 4000! Counters, set!” Blue characters reading 4000 flash on the electronic scoreboard. “All of our duels up until now have ended up the same many a time! But this will be the last!! For when everything is over, you’ll have used up all of your strength and you won’t be able to so much as hold a card ever again!!”
“A duel that’ll use up all of my strength? I’ll take your challenge!”
“Duel!!” both Kaiba and Yugi cried at the same time.
“It’s my turn! Draw!!” As soon as Kaiba drew the first card, the duel had finally gone underway. “I summon Familiar Knight from my hand in defense mode!”
A hint of a Game of Darkness could still not be sensed. When it came back to be his turn, Dark Yugi summoned Queen’s Knight and commenced battle straight away. He wishes to win and end the game before any dark powers set in motion.
“Queen’s Saber Slash!!” The sharp sound of the female knight’s sword rang throughout the field.
When Familiar Knight let out the last throes of its life and disappeared from the field, Rare Metal Dragon cropped up on Kaiba’s side of the field. It was Special Summoned through Familiar Knight’s monster effect. Rare Metal has a level of 4 and attack power 2400. Kaiba leaving himself open to have Yugi attack was all part of his strategy to use Familiar Knight as a sacrifice to bring in the mightiest of 4-star monsters which cannot be Normal Summoned, Rare Metal Dragon.
(So, the dark power still hasn't taken him over, has it? Kaiba’s judgment as a duelist is cool and rational,) Yugi mentally murmured and smiled at ease.
“What’s so funny, Yugi…?”
“I’m going to take advantage of your own combo. You’re not the only one that can call out a level 4 monster through Familiar Knight’s destruction! I summon King’s Knight!” The two knights were lined up in front of Yugi, but the combo didn’t end on just that. “When the King and Queen are on the field, I can summon the Jack from my deck to the field.” Three knights based off of the King, Queen, and Jack face playing cards were all together. Now as long as he can bring in a God card into his hand, the preparations for summoning it are complete. “Then, I set one reverse card and end my turn.” Yugi forced himself to set a Trap card face down.
(Bringing together sacrifices for the summoning of God through a monster combo in no time at all…Yugi, it seems that your skills haven’t gotten rusty…Then again, I had factored that in as well.) The turn passes to Kaiba.
In a duel, if the element of luck were to come in, it would be the moment of a draw. Strength in drawing could possibly be an ability given by God. So, in this very case, whether what housed inside Kaiba is God or the Devil, there is no doubt that he is being acted upon by someone not human.
Kaiba drew the exact card he was expecting for from his deck: The Pyramid of Light. It was one of the cards he brought back from Pegasus’ villa. The card features a picture of a pyramid shining gold, as its name suggests. On the pyramid, a red eye, similar to the Eye of Wdjat, is wide open. The eye gave off the presence of a something not “good” but “ill,” and this ill presence seemed as if it were engrossing Kaiba.
Kaiba places the Pyramid of Light face down. (Yugi, quickly call upon your Gods!)
Even though the turns had switched, Yugi didn’t move right away and instead glanced at the two cards arranged on Kaiba’s side of the field.
(Why did he summon a level 4 monster with 2400 points yet not attack!? Is he being wary of my reverse card…? What could Kaiba be up to?)
Dark Yugi put his fingers on his deck and had a feeling as if an electric shock ran from his fingertips to his brow. Even if Kaiba were to show his devilish drawing, it wouldn’t even compare to Yugi’s drawing strength.
“This is it! I feel it!”
Dark Yugi draws The Saint Dragon of Osiris and the original Yugi’s form shows up right beside Dark Yugi.
(So it’s finally here, Other Self…) Yugi had a complex look on his face.
“Yeah, Partner, I understand how you feel! I admit that it’s dangerous, but we can’t save Kaiba unless we do.”
Yugi nodded in agreement. The two had their intentions certain.
“I offer my three knights on the field as sacrifices to summon The Saint Dragon of Osiris!” Dark Yugi cries, wrapping the three knights in light and sublimating them. The golden particles swirl in the sky above the ring, stirring up clouds.
Seeing the signs of the appearance of the God, Kaiba beamed, not in fear, but in great joy. (I’ve been awaiting you…God!)
With lightning gushing from the swelling clouds, the flying holy dragon made its appearance.
“Kaiba! I don’t know what you have face-down, but Traps have no effect on a God!” Dark Yugi glanced sternly at the God of the Skies. “Osiris attacks! Thunder Force!” The Sky Dragon opens his jaws with a crackling sound, and an intense shine runs through the sky. The electrical attack coming from the 3000 attack power Saint Dragon of Osiris’ mouth assaults the 2400 attack power Rare Metal Dragon. The purple flash runs through the space, leaving a burnt smell lingering and wiping Rare Metal Dragon off of the field. The pointed tip of the plasma also flew at Kaiba which made his Life Points decrease from 4000 to 3400. “I end my turn!”
“Awesome!” called Honda in the spectator stands.
“Sure is. This is gonna be a clear cut victory!” Jonouchi was certain. No, even excluding Jonouchi and it was a hundred out of a hundred duelists, they would probably all believe in Dark Yugi’s victory.
Kaiba drew his card with his mouth distorted evilly. “Yugi, I’m going to remove the three Gods which you hold from the field!”
“What!?”
“Magic card, activate! Obligatory Summon! This makes you Special Summon monsters as many monsters as possible from their deck to the field of the same type as a monster under your control.”
Dark Yugi and Yugi looked at each other in wonder. “Kaiba, what in the world are you thinking?”
(What could Kaiba be after by bringing together all three Gods out on purpose?)
“What’s the hold up, Yugi? Come on, call upon your three Gods! I’m going to surpass them!!” Kaiba screamed in the Duel Ring.
“That’s impossible! There’s no such card that can surpass a God!!” Dark Yugi scowled sharply at Kaiba. “I still can’t read Kaiba’s strategy. But the appearance of the Gods will surely change the future.”
(You’re right, Other Self!)
The certainties motivated Dark Yugi.
“The God of Obelisk and the Winged Dragon of Ra!!”
Gwoooosh! A gust of wind blows through the Virtual System Duel Ring and both Dark Yugi and Kaiba desperately hold their ground while the black clouds cascade into a space warp. By first extending its giant arm extends from the rift, The God of Obelisk then reveals its entire body, which is wrapped in an armor of thick muscle. Next, a mysterious bird came, spreading its wings, on to the scene from the swirl of dark clouds. This was the calling of The Winged Dragon of Ra.
The Three Mythic Gods, which possessed a presence unlike any 3D virtual projection, were arrayed above Yugi. Mokuba, inside the booth installed on the Dome’s ceiling, was looking at this sight with a shiver.
“Yugi…Can your three Gods open my Brother’s eyes? Can you bring my Brother back to me!?”

第三章　光のピラミッド
Chapter 3: The Pyramid of Light

Kaiba, having crossed the Pacific to return from Pegasus’ place, had done an immediate analysis on the two cards and quivered with joy, for he was convinced that they had the power to best the Three Mythic Gods.
“You’re scaring me,” said Mokuba as he looked at Kaiba, who appeared to be jubilated.
When he was asked, “What are you afraid of,” he replied, “It’s like you’re being possessed, Big Brother,” and then pleaded to Kaiba, “Come back to normal.”
“What nonsense,” thought Kaiba. “You should be rising to the heights I’m at, as well!” Kaiba then reproached.
At the moment, his older brother is bidding for the apex of the entire dueling world. Long ago, Kaiba and Mokuba were tormented and shunned by the world, but now, on the contrary, they have been given a chance to rule the world. The time for them to get back at the world, which made fools of them both, had arrived.
How many times have they dyed their hands in blood for this very day? Having their adoptive father, Gozaburo, dead, they drove out the Big Five. What had they spent their whole life crossing these dangerous bridges for? Wasn’t it to grab at this chance? Wouldn’t his little brother, Mokuba, be the one to understand this best of all? Kaiba was on edge.
“This isn’t the time to be going on about connecting both our hearts or other sickening things like that! We could rule the world as many times as we’d like by being good brothers!!” By becoming King of Duel Monsters and seizing everything nominally and virtually, the world would move through his own accord; that is what Kaiba believed.
What his brother said made Mokuba go silent. The younger brother tried to deny what his brother had said with his silence, but the older brother took it appositively.
The rift between Seto Kaiba and Mokuba’s hearts had gotten so very wide without them even knowing and there was someone trying to get in that gap in their hearts in secret. Kaiba’s heart, which otherwise has a pure love of gaming, is being directed down a wicked path called revenge. Mokuba, who thought he came off as being possessed by someone, is not incorrect. Perhaps, to the eyes of Mokuba, it looked like an ominous black shadow.

***

The Three Mythic Gods were floating against Dark Yugi in the background.
“Wah ha ha ha, What a spectacular sight, Yugi! But this is the beginning of your defeat!” Kaiba shouted in boast of his victory while at an overwhelming disadvantage. “Now that all the Three Mythic Gods are out on the field, I’m going to activate my God-containing Pyramid of Light!”
“What? God-containing! Could that possible be?” Dark Yugi remembered the sight he saw at Domino City Museum. He hadn’t taken much heed to the triangular lithograph lined next to the Crystal Pyramid when Anzu called out to him. However, the Three Mythic Gods were definitely engraved on it.
(Could this have been what the lithograph was showing!?) Dark Yugi mentally murmured.
“All your Gods on the field will be removed from the game!! Away you go to the dimensional mists!” Kaiba shouted.
Grm, grm, grm grm—. The tossing tremors shake the entire Dome and a wall of light lurches up from the field, splitting between the Three Mythic Gods and the Ring evenly. Had a thousand suns risen? The Three Mythic Gods do nothing but recoil at the intense brilliance.
Jonouchi and Honda were in the Dome’s spectators’ stands looking in astonishment.
“W-What is that…? Jonouchi! A wall of light popped up! Is that thing a 3D image made by the Duel Ring, too?”
“That’s impossible, Honda! It’s too real to be a holographic image the Duel Ring can generate! Even a sound system with bass deep enough shouldn’t be strong enough to bring down the Dome!”
“There’s no doubt about it, then! Is the Dome roof starting to crack!? Are you serious!?”
The particles of light sparkle and spread out. The spots become a surface and create walls of light and the walls enclose the ring from every direction towards the top. In the middle of the dome, with the Ring encompassed, a huge pyramid was created—The Pyramid of Light.
The Three Mythic Gods, Ra, Obelisk and Osiris, having been repelled by the walls of light, disappear from the Dome.
“Look, Jonouchi! The Three Mythic Gods didn’t even do anything and they just disappeared …!”
“W-What is with these strong winds?!”
Danger didn’t just nip at the buds at the Three Mythic Gods as a red eye formed on the walls of light, sucking up a large quantity of air while swirling like Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.
“Aaaaaah! Honda!”
Jonouchi’s body, which was leaning forward from the spectators’ stand, was caught in the air. Honda quickly reached out for him and his sturdy palm grabbed Jonouchi’s arm. Though, they couldn’t fight the fierce torrent of air.
“Hyaaaaah—!!”
Honda and Jonouchi disappear into the red eye, leaving their pitiful screams behind.
There was one more person watching this scene in disbelief. It was Mokuba, in the control booth that was knocked off its rail in the violent quaking and being suspended in mid-air with the help of several cords.
Mokuba, in the tilted booth, looks down at the entire Dome, grasping onto the hardware. The huge pyramid which appeared in the middle of the field wasn’t an illusion. “This isn’t a Solid Vision System virtual image!” The Pyramid of Light that encloses Kaiba and Dark Yugi now, before Mokuba’s very eyes, was very real; he knows best of all that Kaiba Corporation doesn’t have that sort of scientific power. “If it weren’t for the occult, which Brother always denies of, something like this could never happen!”
The tremors sensate through Mokuba’s body. The cords tethering the booth to the ceiling could snap at any moment.
Before the booth fell, Mokuba barely managed to escape down a rope. In that next instant, the Dome ceiling came crumbling down.
The glow of the Pyramid splits and drifts up from his eyes towards the sky. Ominous clouds swirled in the skies above the Dome.

***

Two figures were running towards Kaiba Dome. Even though Anzu was a young would-be dancer, Sugoroku, the good walker he is, manages to follow in her heels.
“What’s that light!?” Anzu points to a corner of the sky. The light coming from the Dome stood out against the swirling clouds.
“Oh no, we’re too late! According to my experience, having gone on hundreds of adventures and uncovering thousands of ruins, when the forbidden edicts are broken, dark clouds, forbearing tides of ill omen, form.”
“What does that mean!?”
“Let’s hurry! If my hunch is right, something horrible is going to happen! We have to stop Yugi and Kaiba-kun’s duel at all costs!”
“What do you mean!? How do you know those two are dueling?”
“I had a vision while I was unconscious at the museum. In their duel, Kaiba defeats Yugi, but a demon’s giant hand grabs the triumphant Kaiba.”
What does the old man speak of? Since when did he become a prophet?
Anzu, one of today’s children, readily disbelieves what Sugoroku had said. “Grandfather, don’t you think we should go to Kaiba Dome after we go to Domino City Hospital…? You did happen to hit your head when you collapsed at the museum.”
“Hey, you don’t believe a word I’ve said, do you? Don’t believe me if you want, but make no doubts that a dangerous duel is about to go on.”
Anzu couldn’t believe the nonsense that the old man, his age set apart from her own by half a century, was sprouting out. The terrible accident had made the beautiful Kaiba Dome, depicting a hemisphere, to cave in miserably. Even Anzu had to admit that, in the face of reality, something was going on.
Avoiding the scattered rubble, Anzu and Sugoroku proceeded to walk cautiously inside the Dome. Normally there would be a passageway for Duelists heading towards the Ring. By going through the dark concrete tunnel, they should have come out on the green turf field. However, a mountain of debris could be seen cutting off the other side of the tunnel.
“What in the world happened? It’s almost as it caved through in a big earthquake or something…”
“Yeah. And if Yugi and Kaiba-kun are dueling like the prophecy stated, then this isn’t even half of our worries.”
They dart out of a crawlspace into the vast interior of the Dome where Sugoroku and Anzu find Mokuba in one corner, standing still and dumbfounded.
“Mokuba-kun? What in the world…” Anzu bit back her next words. The walls of light past Mokuba covered her field of vision. It was so huge that she couldn’t look over the entire thing. It was only after she got out of the tunnel did she recognize the Pyramid of Light towering over the surrounds. The Pyramid of Light surrounded the entire Duel Ring. In the middle of the walls of light, the red eye symbol swirled around. “This really seems unreal…”
“Mm-mmm…it’s so bizarre yet so beautiful…I’ve been around the world but I’ve never seen a sight this beautiful…”
“Mokuba-kun, what is this thing!?”
“I don’t know…but this isn’t Duel Monsters! Something like this couldn’t be created even with Kaiba Corporation’s technological capabilities.”
“Was Yugi dueling?”
“Yeah, Brother and Yugi should be beyond those walls of light…”
“Yugi!” Anzu unconsciously ran up to the walls of light.
Bsshh! A plasma ran from the red eye. Sugoroku had moved quickly, despite his old age; maybe it was his resurgent of his younger days as an adventurer that pushed his body. Before the lightning reached Anzu, Sugoroku quickly held her under his arm and protected her by falling to the ground. The spear of electricity narrowly bore into the ground right beside them.
“Are you okay, Anzu-chan?”
“Thank you, Grandfather…But what is happening? What on earth is this Pyramid of Light thing!?”
“The prophecy says that when the King of Light defeats the King of Darkness and enough light is fulfilled, the King of Destruction will be reborn.”
“When enough light is fulfilled…”
“Mm-hmm. When I saw this pyramid filled with light, I knew that this was it.”
“So you mean that if the prophecy goes unchanged, the King of Destruction will be revived!?”
“I don’t believe that!” Mokuba ran up before they even knew it. “Brother doesn’t believe in those tall occult tales either.”
“Believe it or not, there’s nothing but light filling our eyes at this very moment!”
“Are Yugi and Kaiba-kun still dueling inside there?”
“If the vision I saw was a premonition, it’s probably still going on. And while Yugi might lose, Kaiba, being victorious, will be in mortal jeopardy! We have to stop that duel, at all costs!”
“I can’t believe that Brother is…” Mokuba regretted ever asking Yugi to get back his brother’s heart. He should have asked him not to fight no matter what, even if it meant betraying his brother. He screamed “Brother!” towards the Duel Ring, but didn’t get a response.

***

The inside of the Pyramid of Light was wrapped in a peculiar silence. There was no way for Dark Yugi to know the true nature of the walls of light while in the ring. Glancing all around, the walls of light were all uniformly spread across them. When he looks up, the four walls were grouped at a single point a dozen or so meters above them. It was definitely a rightside-up pyramid, a pyramid created by the walls of light.
(Is this an image made by the Virtual System too?) Dark Yugi reached out to a wall right behind him from the Duel Ring.
Bsshh! The plasma turned into a purple glow which ran into the palm of Dark Yugi’s hand and in between the wall of light. At that very moment, the Eye of Wdjat on the Millennium Puzzle around his neck was wrapped in plasma. Yugi’s face seemed to be overlapping the Millennium Puzzle and it grimaced in pain.
(Other Self!)
“What’s wrong, Partner?!”
(I can’t hold on! I can’t stay here any longer! I’m being dragged off somewhere! Aaaaah! I can’t hold on!) Yugi’s voice grew distant with a dreadful scream.
“Partner!” Dark Yugi was bewildered. He could no longer hear the breathing of his other self, which he sensed right next to him not even a few seconds ago. (Partner! Please answer me! I can’t hear your voice…) Dark Yugi looked at Kaiba who stood without batting a lash. “What is going on here!? Weren’t you denying the existence of a Game of Darkness in duels?!”
“Ha ha ha ha! That’s right. It seems you were shocked at the Gods vanishing like that, but I had calculated this as well. This is the effect the Pyramid of Light possesses,” Kaiba replied with a relaxed look on his face. “Duel Monsters begins by reading the chips fixed inside cards with the Duel Disk System. The central computer analyzes the program, which it reads, and creates a 3D image using holograms.”
“Are you saying that this is one of your so-called holographic images?”
“The Duel Disk System isn’t just some toy. Its technology is on the level of some military secrets. So, it’s frustrating that only Pegasus’ Industrial Illusions is the only company that can develop the programming which taps into its latent potential to its fullest.”
“So you mean you never expected that you would see a result this great, right?”
“Yeah…Even with my Simulation System, I’ve failed to recreate the God cards, after all. Even if we could predict what effect the Pyramid of Light would have on the God cards, it could possibly be enough to create a projection of this magnitude. But, on that not-so-distant day, I will call, not only the Duel Ring hardware, but the Card Programming software, or in other words, all of Duel Monsters, my very own!”
“Your vaulting ambitions will be your demise.”
“Hmph…Sorry, but I’m not a man who’d be content with just the title of Duel King. The three God cards which have been impossible to analyze and the Pyramid of Light which not even the God cards can come close to…Once I analyze its program, Kaiba Corporation will reach new levels, which is to be the greatest business giant in the world!” Kaiba’s eyes appear to be shimmering. “I am a Duel God! I shall become divine creator of all duels!!”
“Wait! You still plan on continuing with the duel!?”
“Of course I do! My turn isn’t over yet! The duel will continue as the countdown to my victory!!”
“It’s about time you realized! You’re being possessed by something!” Dark Yugi uttered the same thing that Mokuba, the younger brother, had. “I activate Cyclone! It destroys one Magic or Trap card on the entire field!”
The duel continued at Kaiba’s pace. He destroyed Yugi’s Holy Barrier – Mirror Force, summoned Peten the Dark Clown from his hand and attacked directly. Dark Yugi’s Life Points drop to 3500.
A sharp pain coursed through Dark Yugi’s body and a blue glow escaped from his body. Neither Yugi nor Kaiba were aware that this was the glow of the life force which controlled his very essence.
(What was that pain and damage I felt when my Life Points decreased…?) Yugi found the sensation different than usual and winced. (Don’t tell me that this is…) a sense of foreboding flashed in his mind.
“Then, I place a card face-down and end my turn.”
The duel continued within the strange space, which was encompassed by walls of light on all four sides, as if nothing had happened. Dark Yugi tried fighting back. He summoned Magician’s Valkyria and assaulted Peten the Dark Clown, with the results of the battle being perfectly obvious.
When Kaiba’s Life Points drop from 3400 to 2300, the glow of his life force oozes out of his body. An intense pain instantly coursed through Kaiba’s body as well. (Grr…What’s this pain…?) The pain, which couldn’t possible come from the Virtual System, was probably something which Kaiba, who has a hate for all things illogical, couldn’t accept. Yet, in preparation for his next move, the pain was not engaged in Kaiba’s mind set. “Something as insignificant as this won’t affect me in the least! You fell into my trap! With Peten the Dark Clown acting as the catalyst, my Virus Combo is activated! The Permanent Trap, Absolute Destruction – Genocide Virus!”
The card turned with its face up on the field was Absolute Destruction – Genocide Virus. It was one of his forte cutthroat strategies. Dark Yugi must randomly send ten cards from his deck into the Cemetery.
“My life deck…!”
“It’s my advanced Virus Combo. Your ‘life’ is going to decrease with each passing moment.”
The tentacles of the Virus destroyed ten cards in Dark Yugi’s deck and discarded them into the Cemetery. Kaiba’s combo didn’t stop at that. The special effect of the Peten the Dark Clown sent to the Cemetery Special Summoned a new Clown from the deck.
Though Dark Yugi was able to make a reduction in Life Points, Kaiba’s field has not changed a single bit before Dark Yugi attacked. Instead, things had gotten worse for Dark Yugi.
(I’m sorry, my life deck It’s my fault that you guys got sent to the Cemetery without even proving yourselves…) He ended his turn with his face look grim. This Virus Combo attack was a serious blow to Dark Yugi, who had a bond with his Duel Spirits. The psychological pain from the actual dueling damage was great.
Kaiba continues the duel straightforwardly with his traditional cold expression, reaching the seventh turn. Kaiba summoned his Death Gremlin, used Treasured Cards of Life-Whittling, and drew until his hand had five cards.
Descent of White Dragon, Knight of White Dragon, Attack Guidance Armor, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Fusion; these were the five cards collected in his hand. Kaiba activated the Descent of White Dragon Ritual Magic, using Death Gremlin as a sacrifice, called forth Knight of White Dragon to the field through its Ritual Summon and then conducted battle.
Yugi’s Life Points drop again, from 3500 to 3200. His life force being sucked out of his body, Dark Yugi wore a look of anguish on his face. (What could this pain that I felt even before be!? Once my Life Points reduce, it’s almost as if my life force is being rung from my body…) Dark Yugi was trying to unravel the mystery of the mysterious sensations he felt. He follows a blue, shining vapor escaping from his very body. (What’s that?!) Dark Yugi noticed the red eye hovering on the walls of light. His life force dissipates into that red eye. (I sense it…these are dark powers without a doubt! Kaiba hasn’t noticed?!)
However, Dark Yugi’s deduction was interrupted. Employing his best specialty patterns, Kaiba could see nothing more than winning in sight.
“Knight of White Dragon’s special effect Special Summons the Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my deck!” The Knight of White Dragon switches positions by being wrapped in light and fading away while a blue shine emerged up on the Ring. Gweergh! A strange cry rang throughout the Ring. “Heh heh heh…Now that you’ve lost your Three Mythic Gods, you lack the power to be called Duel King. My monster will put you to and end”
Emerging from the glow was Kaiba’s soul card, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The dragon with a silver shine displayed its sublime appearance. Dark Yugi’s Life Points are 3200 while the Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s attack power is 3000. If exposed to the dragon’s destructive flames, Dark Yugi’s fate would be put in a very precarious situation. The dragon’s jaws open slowly, but Kaiba didn’t give it the order to battle.
(Tch…He’s summoned Blue-Eyes.) Dark Yugi’s face looks impatient.
“You’re saved for now, Yugi…” Kaiba grinned. “A Blue-Eyes White Dragon Special Summoned by Knight of White Dragon’s effect cannot attack in the turn it’s summoned. Then, I’ll place a card face-down and end my turn on that.”

***

Yugi was in the darkness. A small point of light spreads and looms over his view. “M-Mmmm…” He woke up and looked around. “Where am I…? What happened!? Other Self, can you hear me?” Wrapped in silence, was in the area that could answer. Yugi took another look at his surrounding view. “The Mind Labyrinth…?”
The Mind Labyrinth is another world inside the Millennium Puzzle, and there is a Mind Room, where the soul of the nameless Pharaoh has spent several millennia alone.
While Yugi remains in that room when he and the Dark Yugi switch places, he, the nameless Pharaoh, has remained there alone for an eternity in his time. Every time Yugi visits this world, he has thought of the Pharaoh’s loneliness and cried.
However, what sits before his eyes now is different from the view he’s used to. The passageways, stairways and corridors are all intricately in disarray across the confines. The stairways that were upside down which made it unclear which way to climb them and the corridors which cut off in mid-air made it seem that this mind was in disarray.
Feeling something indescribably and very wicked, he glanced at the surrounding scenery in blank amazement. “This isn’t the same old Mind Labyrinth! I’ve never seen this scenery before! My Other Self’s Mind Room is missing. Unless I find his Mind Room, I won’t be able to communicate with my Other Self.”
Yugi carefully crossed a crumbling stone bridge with determination; he has to find the Mind Room and escape these confines. “Where is my Other Self’s Mind Room…? If I don’t find it, I’ll probably never be able to get to the real world again.”
He saw a door to a room behind a crumbled stone wall. “It’s a door! Is that the one!?” Yugi pulls on the handle, but he has a hard time as it is caught on something. “Ummm!” He opens the door with all of his might to have a tremendous amount of sand come gushing out. “Aaaaah!!” Yugi ran in a mad rush, almost being buried in the sand.
Full of sand, he once again progresses through the labyrinth and finds another door. “Other Self!” Yugi grabbed the handle, praying that this would be the Mind Room. “This has to be it…” He musters up his strength to open the door with all of his might. In the room, something wriggles noisily. “Huh?” Yugi looked carefully; wriggling about were a countless number of scorpions. They raise their poisonous tails, which claim lives with their stings, over their heads and close in. “Gaaaaaah!!”

Where did he pass and how did he get to where he was now? Yugi sat down in a passageway, out of breath. A blue glow flows over his head. It is the life force that escaped from Dark Yugi’s body, or in fact, Yugi’s body itself.
“What’s that? What a pretty glow,” he murmurs carefree, unbeknownst to the true nature of the glow.
Yugi, intrigued by its beautiful light, chased after the life force’s glow. The corridor immediately turned into a dead end. Blocking his path was an astonishingly high, monolithic door. The life force’s is sucked up in a small crevice between the door and wall.
“What is this…?” Yugi touched the door lightly, and whether it was a mechanism of some kind, the huge stone door menacingly moved and made a crevice which could easily let a single person through. Yugi carefully walks forward. It reeked of mold from a cellar that hadn’t been entered in years.
“I wonder what kind of room this is.” About ten of his school’s gymnasiums could probably fill the grand hall that he surveys. The fire of several dozens of candlesticks arranged on the stone bridge, which was unreachable even with your arms held out, couldn’t even illuminate the ceiling.
Hundreds of sarcophaguses lined both sides of the central passageway that was paved with stone and an altar, also forged in stone, formed at the end of it. The glow of the life force is sucked into the red eye.
In the darkness, a mummy had been in a long slumber for around three thousand years. Shining in the shady world was the crystal Pyramid of Light embedded in its chest. In its center, a red eye set with lazuline jewels was also shining. These were the mummy and Crystal Pyramid that had disappeared all of the sudden from the museum. The gemstones were the places where the life force’s glow ended up.
Taking in life force, the decayed body is wrapped in a blue light, and a fresh and youthful body forms back over the dried skeleton. Muscle grows and skin forms. The eyeballs, which without any white in them were black like an animal’s, in the dark and gaping wide eye sockets shined. The mysterious chant of the ancient priests rang throughout its regenerated eardrums from somewhere. The chant even reached Yugi’s ears.
“Huh!? What are those voices…?” Yugi looked in the large hall, searching for the singer of the chant.
The voices were echoing from the hundreds of sarcophagus. Something heavy makes a very deep scraping sound; it was the sound of the lids of the sarcophaguses coming off.
The lids drop with a crash and the things inside simultaneously stand up. Yugi couldn’t believe his own eyes. They were warriors, clad in ancient armaments, breastplates, swords and spears. The bodies of the decaying mummies stood up from their sarcophaguses, joints creaking, and followed the central stone pathway.
Yugi was standing in the mummy warriors’ way.
“Eyaaaaaaah!!” letting out a pitiable scream, Yugi forced his shaking legs to move and fled. Around the same time Yugi was in the midst of a nightmare, two boys were wandering the Mind Labyrinth. It was Jonouchi and Honda. The two arrived, looking at around at everything like country mice lost in a city, in the unfamiliar scenery.
The space enclosing every direction with stone walls intricately form several floors. Even the stone-paved path they had been walking on was sitting atop mountain upon mountains of balconies.
“Jonouchi, where did we end up? The Dome’s underground sewer system?”
“Don’t ask me! How should I know what you don’t know?!” Jonouchi was pretty testy.
“S-Sorry. But still, even though you’re acting as stupid as me, I think you’re acting just a little bit more stupid.”
“The ‘acting as stupid’ part was unnecessary, but you definitely have a point. My conclusion, though, is that it looks like this is somehow gonna work out to be one hell of a mess…”
“So in other words, you have no idea what’s going on, do you?”
“That seems to be the case, I guess.”
Jonouchi and Honda had been carrying on with an unproductive conversation.
“Waaaaaah!!” A scream could be heard coming from somewhere.
“Is that voice…!?”
“Yeah, no mistaking it. That’s Yugi’s voice!”
Both of them had their ears peeled.
“I’m sure I heard it from here.” Jonochi pointed to a floor below the balcony. The stone-constructed pathway continued into darkness. Yugi’s screams of “Eeyaah! Eeeyaah!” resound from the heart of the darkness below.
“What’s Yugi making all that ruckus for? Did something make him happy or something?”
“We’re over here! You hear?!” As soon as Honda yells, the two of them gasp the unbelievable sight. Yugi, having rushed out from the darkness, had a pallid look on his face. Mummy warriors, moving choppily like a bunch of rusted robots, pursue him from behind. “Eeek! Wh-What are those?!” Honda yelled.
Jonouchi, who was half ready to flee himself, tightened up the look on his face sternly. “But you can’t say stuff like that! I’m not gonna let Yugi fall prey to those mummies! Honda, grab my legs!”
“Right! I get you!”
Jonouchi, making Honda hold both of his legs, hung himself over the balcony. Practically hanging upside down, he reaches over to the bottom floor.
“Yugi, right here! Keep running over here!!”
The face of his friend turned upside down appeared at the edges of running Yugi’s field of vision. “Jonouchi-kun! Honda-kun!” He had no time to be weltered in emotions over their reunion, the swords and spears of the mummies behind him were drawing closer.
“Grab hold of my hand! Come on, hurry!!”
“Mm-hmm! Got you!!” Yugi reached out but it wouldn’t reach. “No good! Jonouchi-kun, I can’t reach up there at my height! Those guys are chasing me. The two of you just try and get out of here by yourselves!”
“What the hell are you talking about, dummy?! You’re not so narrow minded as to think that we’d abandon our best friend to save ourselves, are you?! You agree, Honda?!”
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine either way, but it’s not easy trying to just hold you alone! Hurry up and save Yugi already!”
“Yugi! Listen! It’s either life or death! Jump towards my hand! Put the pedal to the metal and jump!”
“Mm-hmm! I understand!” Yugi concentrated like he didn’t even have experience in a gym test. He packed all of the strength in his body into the tips of his toes and kicked the stone pavement with all his might. The palm of Yugi’s hand, extended in midair, Jonouchi grabbed it tightly, in fear of letting it go. Yugi’s body weight shifts on Jonouchi’s shoulder all at once.
“Ugh!” Jonouchi endured it.
“Grrrm…” The strain on Honda, supporting the weight of both Yugi and Jonouchi, was even greater. Jonouchi and Honda had the strength of friendship backing them; the two were filled with strength.
Yugi slowly draws himself up, and not a moment too sooner. The tips of mummies’ spears swiped at Yugi’s legs.
“Ready…and up…!”
With both of his friends’ strength, his small body was pulled up in a single motion.
Dooomf! With momentum left, the three rolled on the hard stone floor. The three were wrapped more in the feeling of relief of having escaped the mummies than the pain coursing through their entire bodies. They took a deep breath and looked at each other.
“Thank you…Jonouchi-kun, Honda-kun…”
“Heh heh…It was nothing…”
The rowdy Jonouchi and Honda were uncharacteristically bashful about being thanked right to their faces.
“By the way, Yugi, what are you doing here!?” Honda questioned blankly.
“You asked me that but…I haven’t the slightest clue either.”
“Honda, you idiot! Stop asking questions like that!”
“But there’s a whole lot that I don’t understand! What in the hell were those things chasing Yugi!? Where in the hell are we!?”
“We’ll talk about it later! They’re coming!” Jonouchi pressed.
The armed mummies were trying to reach the upper balcony where Yugi and the others were. The three realized that running away took top priority over unraveling mysteries right now. Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda, putting up with their aching legs, made a break for it.

第四章　シャイニング・ドラゴン
Chapter 4: Shining Dragon

Dark Yugi felt that this battle was a Game of Darkness.
A Game of Darkness is a fierce battle where the damage in a duel doesn’t just stop at as a numerical value, but affects on the duelists’ body and spirit.
However, there was so