Kisaragi glanced back at Mai and Téa. "You two should come too. We're all girls, after all."
"Really?!" Téa bolted over first, with Mai following behind.
Joey started to speak—only for Mai to cut him off immediately.
"Idiot. This is for girls. If you boys want to wash, jump in the river!"
With that, she slammed the bathroom door shut.
"Damn it!" Joey cursed under his breath.
Water sounds soon filled the air from inside. Joey and Tristan both felt their hearts itch with curiosity… but Kaiba was standing guard nearby, and neither of them dared try anything stupid.
After a while, the three girls stepped out.
"So good… I can't believe we got to soak in a bath here," Mai said, steam practically rising off her.
Kisaragi and Téa came out refreshed too—while Joey just stared at all three of them like his brain had stopped functioning.
"Hey… don't you think girls look even prettier after a shower?" Joey whispered to Tristan.
"Yeah," Tristan agreed. "Even Téa looks better than usual—let alone Mai and Kisaragi."
Kisaragi sensed Bakura was about to appear. She stood up, planning to slip away for a bit.
"Kisaragi, where are you going?" Kaiba asked.
"To catch some sea breeze."
"Then I'm coming with you. It's not safe to be alone out here."
"Okay."
Mai watched them walk off. "Looks like those two are going to be alone together."
Joey's face flushed bright red as he glared viciously at Kaiba's receding back.
Moonlit Shore: Almost a Moment
By the coast, Kisaragi sat on a rock, staring out at the sea. Memories surfaced—her world before she was thrown into this one.
Back then, she'd been an ordinary girl. No special talent. Nothing remarkable… except that she was pretty good at card games. But in that world, dueling was entertainment—not everything.
"What are you thinking about?" Kaiba asked, watching her space out.
"Nothing. Just… thinking about the past."
"The past?" Kaiba narrowed his eyes. "You've never talked about it."
"It was normal," Kisaragi smiled, trying to brush it off. "Nothing exciting."
Kaiba stared at her—moonlight on her face, silver hair swaying in the sea breeze—and his heart jolted.
Before he realized it, he reached out and gently tucked her messy hair back into place.
Kisaragi froze, startled, stepping back half a pace—her cheeks faintly red.
"It's late. L-let's go back," she said quickly, turning toward the others.
Kaiba watched her reaction, and for some reason a strange excitement rose in his chest. The corner of his mouth lifted.
Beep-beep-beep— Kaiba's phone rang.
"Who is it…?"
Back in the Forest: The Real Problem Shows Up
After Kisaragi and Kaiba left, Mai finished eating and wandered off alone "to walk it off."
Yugi's group sat around the campfire chatting.
Rustle… rustle…
The bushes behind Téa moved.
"Ah!" Téa jolted up, and Joey and Tristan immediately stepped in front of her.
"Who's there?! Come out!" Joey shouted at the shrubs.
"If you don't, we're coming over there!"
A white-haired boy stepped into view.
"Bakura…?" Yugi said.
"So I wasn't imagining it," Téa murmured, remembering she'd seen Bakura's silhouette on the cruise and again after they arrived on the island. "I thought I was mistaken…"
"It really is Bakura," Joey said suspiciously. "How are you here? Did you stow away like Téa and Tristan?"
"…Yeah. That's right," Bakura replied.
The five of them sat by the fire, and each pulled out their Duel Monsters cards.
"So everyone brought cards," Tristan said, relieved.
"Of course," Joey nodded. "This is Duelist Kingdom—everyone's wishes are tied up in these cards."
Bakura tilted his head. "Joey, what's your favorite card?"
Joey proudly held one up. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon! The moment Kisaragi gave it to me, I couldn't put it down!"
"And mine's this one—Commander!" Tristan chimed in.
"You two are such kids," Téa laughed.
"But Joey's right," Yugi said warmly. "Téa, you've got a favorite too, don't you?"
"I do!" Téa pulled out a card.
"That's Mystical Elf—looks like a creepy woman to me," Joey blurted.
"Idiot!" Téa snapped.
Bakura turned to Yugi. "And you, Yugi? What's your favorite?"
Yugi smiled from the heart. "Dark Magician."
"I get it," Bakura said softly. "That feeling of trusting the card you love."
"My grandpa always said: cards represent the heart. Only when you use cards that carry a spirit… can it be called a true duel."
Everyone nodded.
Then Yugi asked, "What about you, Bakura? What's your favorite card?"
Bakura raised one card. "Mine is this."
"Change of Heart?!" they reacted at once.
"That's… a weird favorite," Joey muttered.
Bakura smiled. "By the way, Yugi—want to duel? This one won't be about Star Chips."
"That's a good idea," Joey said. "Just to kill time. Every duel on this island is stressful."
"Yeah," Yugi agreed. "A light duel to change the mood sounds nice."
Bakura added, "How about everyone puts their favorite card into Yugi's deck?"
"Sounds good."
"Alright," Yugi said, energized. "Let's build a new deck using everyone's favorites!"
Once the deck was ready, Yugi and Bakura sat facing each other on wooden stumps.
"Good luck, both of you!" the others cheered.
The Wind Chimes—and the Darkness Game Begins
Jingle-jingle-jingle—
A sound like wind chimes rang out.
"What was that?"
"Where's it coming from?!"
Bakura's expression changed.
Where his chest had been empty before, a golden pendant suddenly appeared—triangular core, a circular rim, and five dangling ornaments around the ring.
"That is—" Yugi started.
But darkness swallowed the surroundings.
"That's… the Darkness Game!" Yugi exclaimed.
A white light flared from Bakura's artifact.
The souls of Téa, Joey, Tristan—and even Yugi—were pulled out and sucked into the freshly built deck. Their bodies collapsed limply to the ground.
"Unbelievably easy," Bakura said, rising and stepping toward Yugi.
"Now… the Millennium Puzzle is mine."
He reached for the Puzzle—
But just before his fingers touched it, the Puzzle blazed with light.
Yami Yugi took over, standing up in Yugi's body.
"What?!"
"If this is a Darkness Game…" Yami Yugi said coldly, eyes sharp, "then I will be your opponent."
Bakura's grin widened.
"Heh heh heh… finally. The other Yugi. I've waited a long time for you."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 175)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 126)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter134)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 87
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 79
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 64
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 73
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 45
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 49
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 45
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 45
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