Yugi Mutou’s Gift

A strong start—Amagi Hikaru claimed the first win of the tournament. But the reactions on both sides couldn't have been more different.

Yugo, after his loss, wasn't especially discouraged. It was just one Duel, after all. He'd lost to Rin and Yusei plenty of times before. But what truly enraged him was what came after: Security officers stormed the stage, dragging him off like trash, spitting venom like "Satellite scum are useless" as they hauled him away.

He fought back—tried to land a punch—but this time the cops were ready. Two brutes pinned him down, while others raised their batons. Even Yusei would've had trouble getting through that mess—let alone kids like them.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing to a kid?!" Jaden Yuki couldn't just watch anymore. He rushed forward—but before he could act, a hand grabbed his wrist. He turned, finding Jesse Anderson gripping his fist, jaw tight, clearly holding himself back.

Right.

They weren't from this world. This wasn't their fight.

If they stepped in now, what would happen to the ones left behind after they left this dimension? They could play the heroes and walk away—but the people here would have to live with the consequences.

This was only the first contact. If they really wanted to make a difference, they needed time—and caution.

Back on their side, many were still in shock. The opposing world might not have understood what they'd seen, but when Hikaru summoned Dark Paladin, jaws dropped.

What hit even harder—he didn't even use a Fusion substitute card.

He fused using an actual Dark Magician.

A real one.

One of the rarest cards in existence.

There might be a handful left in the world, but every one of them was an elite collector's gem, the signature card of the first King of Games himself—Yugi Mutou.

Among those shocked were the Tyler Sisters. As elite tag duelists within the Fusion Army, they exchanged a glance—surprise and a flicker of suspicion in their eyes.

They'd heard whispers about a stolen Dark Magician within their ranks not long ago. Hikaru's card... it couldn't be... could it?

The thought alone lit sparks of excitement in their chests.

Others just wanted to see it.

Duelists, staff, even random bystanders swarmed around Hikaru, desperate to catch a glimpse of the card. Most had only seen replicas of the Dark Magician in exhibitions. To see the real thing—used in battle—was beyond rare.

"Awesome duel, Hikaru! Can I see the card?" Jaden, as direct as ever.

"Ahem, Amagi, you know... My master is the guy, so I've always wanted to see a real Dark Magician in action..." Bastion Misawa coughed, trying to sound modest but clearly angling for a peek.

Even people who didn't know Hikaru were crowding in, hoping to see the legendary card.

That's when the crowd parted.

Someone was approaching. Just a presence—no words—and the air shifted.

Yugi Mutou.

He looked at Hikaru, then gave a brief glance to Tierra, who shrank slightly behind Hikaru's shoulder under his gaze. Yugi offered her a gentle smile, then turned back to Hikaru.

"I watched your Duel. It was excellent." He reached into his card case, pulled out a card, and offered it with a quiet chuckle. "This is for you."

Hikaru's mouth fell open. Slowly, reverently, he took the card and looked up in awe.

"Th-thank you so much, Mr. Yugi!"

Only Yugi... would give someone a rare card just like that.

Dark Knight Gaia.

Yugi nodded once more and turned to leave, while Seto Kaiba, watching from afar, narrowed his eyes, burning Hikaru's face into memory.

He'd noticed Hikaru before—but now? Using Dark Magician and receiving a gift from Yugi himself? That bumped him up several tiers in Kaiba's personal rankings.

"Whoa..." murmured several around him, still stunned.

Then realization hit.

"Wait—if we Duel well too…"

"Yeah! Didn't that Yuki kid get a card from Yugi once too?!"

"C'mon, let's go! Time to prove ourselves!"

They were hyped—dreaming of their own rise, Yugi's approval, becoming local heroes. Screw prize money—a card from the King of Games? That was the ultimate reward.

Meanwhile, in a holding cell behind steel bars...

Yugo sat on the floor, tossed aside like trash. Rin and Yusei rushed to help him. Luckily, he was tough. Bruised but not broken, he stood after flexing his limbs.

"Man… that sucks. I really thought I had him," he muttered, sitting cross-legged, arms behind his head.

"You did great," Yusei encouraged. "But he was more prepared."

Yugo was still young. Yusei knew he had much to learn. Losing wasn't surprising—after all, Hikaru was a top student from Duel Academy. Yugo hadn't even reached that level yet.

And honestly? It pissed Yusei off.

The officials had insisted on no kids from their side—but then fielded one themselves? Typical upper district hypocrisy.

Then came a voice from outside.

"Number 1. Who's Number 1? Hurry up and get out here!"

Yusei turned, glancing at the two kids. "Rin, I'm up. Look after Yugo."

"Don't worry. He'll be fine."

Yusei gave a nod, grabbed his Duel Disk and Deck, and silently stepped out of the cage.

At the same time...

In the upper district's Security HQ, a man stood watching him walk away, arms folded behind his back.