YUGIOH: It's Time to Duel!

Chapter 38: Let's Duel With Moderation From Now On



[3rd POV]

Seto's eyes widened as Yuna collapsed on the floor. Blood stained her lips as she lay there motionlessly. Researchers and medical staff immediately burst into the room and rushed towards her. As this was all happening, Seto remained in a daze, unable to comprehend the entire situation.

He stared at his duel disk, where Obelisk the Tormentor was placed. For the first time, instead of relishing in the God Card's power, Seto felt nothing but disgust...

"Be careful. Make sure blood's not clogging up her airway!" The head doctor shouted: "Lift her gently in case any fluid enters her lungs!"

Finally realising the seriousness of the circumstances, Seto gritted his teeth and removed the hologram of Obelisk the Tormentor as it felt displeasing to the eye.

This kind of victory wasn't one that he desired. Angered off having his triumph robbed from him, Seto left. However, despite his enraged expression, there was a moment of concern for Yuna's health...

[Yuna's POV]

Where am I?

I quietly opened my eyes and found myself lying on a bed of flowers. Beside me was a massive tree that gave a cool shade while not obstructing the fluffy white clouds floating in the clear blue sky.

I subconsciously reached out my hand, wishing to feel the clouds between my fingers. However, that thought left me immediately when I sensed another presence nearby.

In the corner of my vision was a woman with snowy hair in a pure white dress. I recalled seeing her during the duel against Pegasus and always wondered who she was. But now that she's before me, I couldn't find the urge to call out to her. The woman's back was facing me and seemed unaware of my awakening.

Unlike her elegant appearance, her hair seemed slightly dishevelled, with signs that she had been pulling at them with frustration. The woman's clothes were also dirtied and unkept, as if she had just finished sprinting from one place to another.

"What is he thinking?!" The woman yelled while biting her nails: "Summoning Obelisk the Tormentor?! Does he want to kill someone?"

Was she talking about Kaiba? I listened curiously as the woman continued to rant: "Yet, she and that dragon may as well be as brain-dead as him!" The woman shouted, and I felt myself wincing from the insult.

"To call upon a spirit despite having a broken Ba and him responding to the call even when he knew that?" She growled with annoyance.

The woman eventually turned around and flinched in shock. Her gaze met mine as we bathed in the awkward silence.

"Hey..." I called out to the woman, and she blushed with embarrassment. She hurriedly adjusted her outfit to maintain her elegant appearance, even if that image had already gone down the drain.

"You're finally awake..." The woman said bashfully: "Are you alright?"

"Am I dead?" I asked the first thought that came to my mind, and I was surprised as the words easily left my mouth.

Fortunately, the woman giggled and shook her head: "No, you're still alive. Why would you ask something like that?"

"Then I must be imagining it," I muttered and pointed at a branch: "Because I'm seeing a Starving Venom Fusion Dragon drooling from up there..."

The woman's expression stiffened, and she noticed the monster I was referring to. She kicked the tree trunk and raised her fist: "Get out! Can't you see you're disturbing her?!"

Startled by the outburst, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon retreated deeper into the tree. Once the dragon left, the woman returned to her usual smile: "You must have many questions. Please ask away. However, it's best if I don't tell you my identity."

Heeding her suggestion, I gulped: "Where are we?"

"This is your Soul Space, Yuna; you must have heard of something like this, right?" The woman responded.

I instantly understood her meaning. I recalled something like this in Yugioh, which was introduced at the end of the Duelist Kingdom, where Shadi invaded Yugi's head.

'So this is mine...' I glanced at the empty grassland: 'Was that why I can speak this freely?'

However, my mood soon turned solemn: "I heard just then saying something about a broken Ba.... What was that all about?"

The woman smiled awkwardly: "Yuna, it's obvious if I say you're different from everyone else. That you're not originally from here."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I trembled in shock as my biggest secret was revealed. The woman still smiled nonchalantly as if she hadn't just dropped a massive bomb.

"Our worlds are quite different from each other," She explained: "In this one, every person possessed a soul, and within was something called a Ba and a Ka."

"Ba is the essence of a person's personality or self and is linked to the mind."

"While Ka is life energy channelled from Ba used to summon spirits..."

I nervously clenched my fist: "Then what's wrong with my Ba?"

The woman sighed: "Under the stress of living in another world, your Ba is unstable and broken. With a broken Ba, your life could be in danger..."

No way, am I going to die? I anxiously bit my lips, hoping there was any good news.

"Thankfully, we are here to make sure that your Ba remains intact," The woman said, bringing her hands to her chest.

"We?" I tilted my head and noticed a large shadow over us.

BOOOOOM

The creature landed beside us, causing the ground to quake under its weight. Under the yellow sun, its golden scales shrined brilliantly, and its red pupils were full of life.

"Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand?" I blurted.

The dragon growled softly and licked my face. I giggled and gently pushed its head away. I was still surprised that Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand resided within me, but I felt secure in its

presence.

"To think you're my spirit..." I muttered while rubbing my hand along its sharp spikes.

"Yes, this one was quite eager to join you," The woman explained: "Even fighting off other spirits so that he can be the first one."

Yeah, it all made sense now. That's why I received Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand instead of an ultimate rare card, and it's because this guy must have stolen the other monsters' spot. Instead of feeling mad, I shrugged as I couldn't deny how much help he had been, and despite being a rare card, Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand was not weak in the slightest.

"You have already seen Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. That one has quite an attitude, but he won't harm you." The woman said and sighed like a mother being fed up with her child.

I stopped patting Divine Dragon Lord Felgrand and glimpsed at her: "Knowing this much about me, you must have known about the system?" I asked, and the woman nodded. "That's correct. However, I couldn't disclose much. But trust me when I say that the creator of your "system" meant no harm."

"I see," I muttered in understanding. It was pointless to ask about the system's creator, so I returned to the main topic: "So, is there any way for my Ba to recover?"

"Yes, there is..." The woman nodded, much to my relief.

"As you may already know, Duel Monsters is a game connected with the world of spirits." She

said: "And every time two duelists battle, they will offer their Ba."

"Only a minuscule amount of Ba will be used in a normal game, so it's quite safe. Unfortunately, with the recent duel disk, the amount of Ba used has increased exponentially."

She explained that the duel disk was based on an ancient Egyptian artifact called the

DiaDhank. Using life force, the user can summon spirits to fight each other.

"Normally, Ba would replenish after a duel, but with a fragmented soul, it's impossible." The

woman explained in an apologetic tone.

"Then!" I uttered nervously: "Will I die if I keep duelling?!"

"Quite the contrary," The woman said, and I let go of the breath I had been holding: "You need to keep duelling using the Duel Disk; by winning, you can absorb the other duelist's Ba. The woman described people's souls as a cup and Ba as water. She told me that since I have a soul akin to a broken cup, it meant that my Ba would be drained, and like an empty cup, it needed to be refilled.

"However," She warned: "If you lose a game, your Ba will not recover, so keep in mind to win as many duels as possible."

I nodded keenly, forever archiving this important information into my brain. But one thing still baffled me: "But in the match against Kaiba, I haven't lost yet. Why did I collapse?" "Well," The woman chuckled: "You're fighting against a God Card after all; they can harm the soul. Don't worry, we have kept the damage to a minimum, but it would have been easier if

she's here as well..."

She? I tilted my head. Was there another spirit here beforehand? Where was she now? More and more questions filled my mind. And I knew most of them wouldn't be answered... "Please try to avoid that situation again," The woman continued, ignorant of my troubles: "Still, even I know that suggestion is useless..." "Sorry..." I muttered and averted my gaze. With what will happen in Battle City, I'm afraid that Kaiba's Obelisk the Tormentor wasn't the only thing I should worry about... However, this time will be different now. As long I keep winning battles, I should have enough Ba to survive. Suddenly, I felt a headache and clasped my head in pain. "Looks like you're going to wake up now..." The woman said in a disappointed tone.

"Wait, I have one last question!" I yelled while enduring the migraine: "Why did you help me? You're not a spirit right."

The woman laughed and held my hand. A comfortable warmth coursed through my body, and

I relaxed: "Fu fu fu, Yuna, you don't know how important you are. Your transmigration wasn't an accident but planned. Don't worry, we will meet again..."

As I struggled to stay awake, the woman placed my head on her lap. She softly stroked my hair: "Stay strong, Yuna.... We will overcome this together." She muttered as I lost

consciousness.

Meanwhile...

My eyes snapped open, and I gasped for breath. Instantly, a major headache assaulted my

head as I groaned in discomfort. Using all my strength, I sat up and rubbed my eyes with exhaustion. Where am I now?

I'm currently in a place that resembles a hospital room. My clothes were swapped into a

patient gown, and the rest of my belongings were placed on the side. I exhaled and clenched

my fist, relieved that I was still alive.

"You're awake." A voice called out.

My eyes widened in shock as I stared at the man sitting across the room. Kaiba snorted and crossed his arms: "You have been in a coma for two days...."

For two days, I thought and held my breath. To think I have been asleep for this long. Kaiba

said that after I collapsed, my body was swiftly brought to the Kaiba Corp's private hospital.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and Mokuba stood by the entrance gasping for air: "Big sister!" He yelled and threw himself into me.

Luckily, I managed to catch Mokuba before he could hit the ground. Mokuba buried his face

into my stomach and cried: "Sister suddenly collapsed. There's so much blood, I thought... I

thought!"

Words won't form in Mokuba's mouth, and he clung to me like a baby koala. I couldn't help

but feel guilty for putting him through this. Within this month, Mokuba was kidnapped and watched his brother's soul stolen.

Then, immediately after saving his brother, he witnessed him almost getting sacrificed for an evil dragon in a game. Then, finally, I vomited blood and went into a coma for two days.

The fact that he was still hanging on was amazing, and I couldn't help but admire him. I gently wiped his tears, and he sniffled.

"Sorry..." I muttered: "Not... feeling well... recently."

"Is Big Sister sick!?" Mokuba whimpered: "What kind of disease is it!" He stared at me,

demanding an answer.

Being put in the spotlight, I averted my gaze: "A cold..."

"Stop lying!" Mokuba yelled: "What kind of cold have you vomiting blood!"

I smiled helplessly, and Mokuba growled: "You're just like big brother! I was never told

anything!"

"Mokuba..." I muttered softly, and he glanced at me with his teary eyes.

I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him close. The sound of his sobs echoed through the

room. I gently patted his head as an agonising feeling sprouted from my heart. I was once reminded that I'm no longer alone in this life.

Some people cared about me and felt my actions could greatly affect them. However, despite

this, I was glad...

It was comforting to know that I wouldn't be forgotten if I ever disappeared from this world.

But that doesn't mean I will call it quits anytime soon!

"Won't die..." I said soothingly: "Will live."

"R... really?" Mokuba asked and wiped his face with his sleeves.

I nodded, and Mokuba finally returned to his smiling mood. It wasn't long until fatigue finally

caught up with him, and he fell asleep beside me. I turned to Kaiba, who had remained silent the entire time.

There was a complicated expression on his face. Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose and

sighed: "On behalf of Kaiba Corps, I apologise for what happened, and we will compensate for the damages."

"Also," Kaiba said, avoiding my eyes: "I still haven't repaid you for saving my life... What can

I do to repay you?"

Kaiba coughed awkwardly, and he seemed slightly embarrassed. His reaction surprised me,

but his expression instantly became stern: "Don't misinterpret my words. As a businessman, I dread having anything that can exploit me, so say your price, and then we were even."

I nodded and sighed lightly. What am I expecting from him anyway? It's Seto Kaiba we're

talking about here. However, I wasn't affected by his mood and began thinking seriously. As the young president of a multi-billionaire company, there were many things he could possibly do, things I couldn't even possibly imagine. "Three... Favours..." I eventually said and held out three of my fingers. Kaiba thoughtfully rubbed his chin. He must be calculating the ups and downs of my request. I

felt tense for some reason. Will he disagree entirely, or will he change it in a way that could

benefit him?

"Alright," Kaiba agreed, catching me off guard: "As long it is within my capability, I will

listen to three of your demands."

[3rd POV]

Seto felt annoyed as he had to follow Yuna's orders three times. However, completing three

favours was milder than he had imagined. He can easily grant any of those money, power, or

fame.

Having Yuna saved his life and her being harmed within his company grounds, she could ask for things that would be detrimental. Yet, merely listening to three of her requests was considered small compared to the trouble he caused.

Staring at her face, Seto grunted with dissatisfaction and stood up: "Wait." Yuna stopped him

as he approached the door.

With a frown, he turned around as Yuna reached into her bag and showed him her deck: "Duel, let's..." "Are you using one of your favours already?" Seto retorted: "What a waste..." However, Yuna shook her head: "Haven't finished, continue." Understanding her implications, Seto narrowed his eyes: "We both know that duel has already

reached its end, and it should have been my win even if you didn't go unconscious."

Having enough of the conversation, Seto placed one foot through the door but froze when he heard Yuna's next word. "Satisfied?" she asked while tilting her head.

Seto clicked his teeth, frustrated that Yuna read his thoughts. She was right, and he was never

satisfied with that type of win, and the angering emotions lingered within him for multiple

days.

Deep inside, he wanted to believe that Yuna had a way of defeating Obelisk the Tormentor, and the duel wouldn't end with that. Wishing to satisfy the intense curiosity in his heart, Seto returned and placed a small table across the room onto the free area of the bed.

Yuna smiled as they placed their decks on opposite sides and began playing. In the first game,

Yuna stopped his Crush Card Virus strategy, leaving her with many monsters that overwhelmed Seto.

In the second game, Yuna bricked, and Seto could summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon onto

the field. In the third game, as Seto would call upon Obelisk the Tormentor, Yuna ended that thought by stealing the card using Exchange and summoning Mysterion the Dragon Crown, banishing his Blue-Eyes White Dragon, leaving him defenceless.

They continued to play deeper into the night, and with each game, Seto's competitive spirit

grew as they exchanged various battles. Finally, after twenty rounds, Yuna won thirteen, while Seto only won seven.

"Again," Seto growled and stared at his hand intently.

Yuna nodded and yawned tiredly. Noticing her sleepy expression, Seto glanced at the clock

and saw they had been playing well past midnight.

Seto eventually sighed and packed his cards away: "Go to sleep; it's a pointless win if you're

not at one hundred percent."

"Nn," Having no more energy to say anything, Yuna sank into her pillow and immediately fell

asleep.

Picking up the already asleep Mokuba, Seto stared at Yuna's sleeping face calmly before leaving. Promising in his heart that he will defeat her, no matter what.

Meanwhile, in Egypt...

In a deep underground, countless cloaked kneeling towards a man sitting at the far end of the

room. There was no sound except for the wax melting from the candlelight and dripping onto

the limestone floor.

The man in question had dark skin, purple eyes and white gold hair. He wore a purple robe and cape donned with an Eye of Anubis symbol at the centre. He was also equipped with gold jewellery, such as earrings, armbands and bracelets on his body. However, what was the most noticeable was the short golden rod in his hand.

At the tip of the rod was attached to a sphere resembling the Millenium Eye, and on the side of

the sphere were two small blades that gave the tool a slight similarity to an axe.

"Is it true that my sister went to Domino City?" The man asked.

"Yes, Lord Marik, we believe Lady Ishizu went to Domino City for the Battle City tournament

that will be held in a few days."

The man, Marik, hummed: "Then what of the Obelisk the Tormentor?"

"We believe she gave the card to a man named Seto Kaiba." One of the cloaked men answered.

"Battle City tournament..." Marik muttered to himself.

Ultimately, he stood up and glared at the crowd kneeling before him: "We will be attending

that tournament and take back what sister stole from me. Find a way to hack into the

tournament."

"Odion," Marik glanced at the tall young man behind him.

"Yes, master Marik?" Odion said while bowing.

"Lead the Rare Hunters and participate in that Battle City tournament. Locate Obelisk the

Tormentor and retrieve regardless of the cost."

"Understood," Odion said, and the audience was soon dismissed, leaving Marik alone.

He sat down on his throne and smiled as he fiddled with the Millennium Rod: "Battle City tournament... How interesting..."