The warehouse crackled with energy as four duel disks flared to life, casting red and blue glows onto the cracked concrete. The duelists stood in formation: Yugi Muto at the front right, Connor Hawkins at his left, the Pharaoh's energy thrumming faintly behind his crimson eyes. Across from them stood the Rare Hunter who had once used Exodia to crush dreams with a single draw, and beside him—Joey Wheeler. Only this wasn't the Joey they knew. His eyes were vacant, clouded in a violet fog. His jaw clenched, his muscles rigid. Shadow magic pulsed softly across his Duel Disk.
Connor tightened his stance beside Yugi, his small fingers gripping the edge of his disk. His youthful face was calm, but his narrowed eyes burned with purpose. Despite his small frame, the steel in his gaze matched that of any seasoned duelist. He felt the weight of every second as the duel began.
[Team Yugi & Connor: 8000 LP] [Team Rare Hunter & Joey: 8000 LP]
"We'll go first," Yugi declared, his voice confident and clear, echoing across the walls like the call of a king.
"I summon Queen's Knight in Attack Mode!" [Queen's Knight - ATK 1500]
A shimmering warrior in red armor materialized, her sword gleaming with magical energy.
"Then I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
Connor nodded slightly, stepping forward. His eyes were calm, but his lips pressed together in concentration as his duel disk lit up.
He drew sharply. "I activate Thunder Dragon from my hand. I discard it to add two more Thunder Dragons to my hand."
Electric arcs crackled around his deck as he expertly searched and retrieved the cards.
"Then I activate Graceful Charity. I draw three cards and discard Thunder Dragon and my other copy of Thunder Dragon."
Yugi glanced at him, impressed. Connor's precision, despite his age, was surgical.
"I set one monster face-down and end my turn," Connor finished, the glow of his disk dimming.
The cloaked man laughed, a cold, calculated sound. "Soon, my hand will be complete. I activate Upstart Goblin. I draw one card, and you gain 1000 Life Points."
[Team Yugi & Connor: 8000 → 9000 LP]
"Then I play Pot of Greed. I draw two cards!"
Connor's brow furrowed. He could feel the tension rise in the air.
"Now I summon Sangan in Defense Mode." [Sangan - DEF 600]
The small, furry fiend shimmered into place, hunched and grinning.
"I set one card face-down and end my turn," the Rare Hunter said, his tone brimming with confidence.
Joey drew, his body jerking slightly. His eyes twitched, almost as if trying to break through the fog.
"I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight." [Gearfried - ATK 1800]
The armored warrior stomped onto the field with a metallic clang.
"Gearfried attacks your face-down monster, Connor."
A blast of energy slammed into the card.
"You attacked my Magical Merchant. Its effect activates. I send cards until I hit a Spell or Trap."
One by one, Connor revealed:
-Mystic Tomato
-Chaos Sorcerer
-Spirit Reaper
-Magician of Faith
-Mystical Space Typhoon
"I stop at Mystical Space Typhoon and add it to my hand."
Joey's jaw clenched as he slowly set a card face-down. "End turn," he muttered in a hollow voice.
Yugi's expression hardened. "I tribute Queen's Knight to summon Dark Magician Girl!" [Dark Magician Girl - ATK 2000]
The sorceress burst onto the field, wand raised.
"Dark Magician Girl, attack Sangan!"
The spellcaster unleashed a flurry of light that struck down the fiend.
"Sangan is destroyed," the Rare Hunter said. "Its effect adds Left Arm of the Forbidden One to my hand."
Yugi clenched his jaw, then set one more card. "I end my turn."
Connor drew his card with a sharp flick of his wrist, the soft sound of cardboard sliding over cardboard echoing through the cavernous warehouse. His lips curled slightly—not a smirk, but the twitch of a mind moving three steps ahead.
His icy blue eyes flashed with a sudden glint of power, and the temperature around him seemed to drop. "It's time to change the game."
He raised his arm, voice steady but heavy with pressure. "I banish one LIGHT and one DARK monster from my Graveyard to Special Summon—Chaos Sorcerer!"
[Chaos Sorcerer – ATK 2300]
A thunderclap roared above, shaking dust loose from the rafters. In a vortex of swirling light and darkness, the cloaked sorcerer descended with arms spread wide, his single glowing eye locked forward.
Yugi's gaze flickered toward Joey, and a note of concern tinged his voice. "It's okay... We'll save him."
Connor didn't answer right away. He looked at Joey—saw the tight grip on his duel disk, the flicker of tremor in his fingers—and nodded grimly. "Not if we waste time."
"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon—destroy Joey's face-down card."
A whirlwind formed above Connor's disk and screamed across the field, shattering the trap card in an instant. The fragments of Mirror Force sparkled like shards of glass before vanishing into mist.
"Now, Chaos Sorcerer, attack Gearfried!"
A dark beam surged from the sorcerer's hand. Gearfried was engulfed in shadowy fire, his armor cracking and exploding outward as his body shattered into pixels.
[Team Rare Hunter & Joey: 8000 → 7500 LP]
For just a heartbeat, Joey flinched—his head jerked to the side, teeth gritting. And for that fleeting instant, Connor saw it—pain. A buried scream behind the spell keeping him prisoner.
Connor's fingers tightened. "He's still in there."
The cloaked man's eyes were glassy, crazed—pupils dilated with obsession. He snapped his draw, sweat visibly dripping from his brow.
"Reckless Greed! I draw two cards—but skip my next two Draw Phases!" His lips curled into a wild grin. "I'm getting closer...!"
The cards slid into his hand, followed immediately by another. "Pot of Greed! I draw two more!"
Connor's heart rate spiked. He exchanged a glance with Yugi, whose jaw clenched hard.
"He's ripping through his deck...," Yugi muttered. "If he draws Exodia, we're finished."
"Too soon," Connor added, eyes narrowing. "We're running out of time."
The Rare Hunter's hands trembled slightly as he set two more cards. His breaths were shallow, irregular.
"I end my turn," he said, but it came out more like a hiss.
Joey's hand trembled as he drew. A bead of sweat trailed down his cheek. His lips moved like he wanted to say something—but no words came out.
"I... I summon Goblin Attack Force."
[Goblin Attack Force – ATK 2300]
The goblins crashed onto the field in a storm of laughter and stomping boots.
"Goblin... attack Dark Magician Girl."
Yugi gasped. "Joey, wait—!"
The goblins lunged and struck with wild force, smashing through the magical barrier in a flash of light.
[Team Yugi & Connor: 9000 → 8700 LP]
Dark Magician Girl vanished in an explosion of sparkles.
"Due to its effect, Goblin Attack Force now switches to Defense Mode."
Joey's face twitched. His breathing had gone ragged. His hand hovered above his duel disk like it didn't belong to him.
Connor stepped forward a little. "Joey... I know you're still fighting. Just hang on."
But Joey didn't—couldn't—respond.
Yugi's face was tight with pressure. His mind moved fast, but so did his fear. "We don't have long... if he draws the last piece..."
He drew his card with force.
"I activate Monster Reborn—I bring back Queen's Knight!"
A shimmer of red armor returned to the field.
"Now I Normal Summon King's Knight. Since Queen's Knight is on the field, I Special Summon Jack's Knight!"
Three proud warriors appeared in sequence, weapons gleaming under the flickering light.
"Now... I fuse them using Polymerization!"
A vortex consumed them all. Thunder cracked.
"Behold! Arcana Knight Joker!"
[Arcana Knight Joker – ATK 3800]
The towering armored king emerged, cloak flowing and blade held in righteous silence.
"Arcana Knight Joker, attack the Rare Hunter directly!"
Yugi flung his arm forward, but the Rare Hunter snapped back.
"Waboku!" he barked.
A trio of priestesses formed a barrier of light, blocking the attack.
Connor drew with mechanical precision. A small, satisfied grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Perfect."
He raised his hand with force. "I banish Thunder Dragon and Chaos Sorcerer to Special Summon—Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning!"
[Black Luster Soldier – ATK 3000]
A shining warrior descended, lightning curling around his twin blades.
"I activate his effect. First, attack Goblin Attack Force!"
BLS dashed forward, blades slicing in a blur. The goblins exploded into pixels.
Connor's expression grew sharper, voice louder. "Black Luster Soldier can attack again due to its effect!"
"Direct attack!"
A wave of energy burst from the soldier's sword, slamming into the Rare Hunter.
[Team Rare Hunter & Joey: 7500 → 4500 LP]
The Rare Hunter's head snapped back slightly. He clutched his duel disk, face twitching.
Connor's voice rang out, sharp and steady. "Chaos Sorcerer, direct attack!"
The sorcerer raised his cloaked arm, and from his palm surged a vortex of black and white magic—swirling with chaotic energy. The blast hurtled across the battlefield with a thunderous hum, striking the Rare Hunter with a brilliant explosion of light and force.
[Team Rare Hunter & Joey: 4500 → 2200 LP]
The Rare Hunter staggered backward, his cloak fluttering from the impact. His eyes widened in alarm, a flicker of panic breaking through the calm obsession that had ruled his face until now.
Yugi narrowed his eyes. "One more strike and we'll break through... but we have to stop him before he draws Exodia."
Connor's hands were clenched at his sides. "Then we can't miss. We end this next turn—or we lose everything."
Across the field, Joey's eyes twitched. One tear slipped down his cheek, as if he were trying to scream through silence.
The tension in the warehouse was thick as smoke. The air hung heavy with the scent of ozone and fear. Duel disks glowed like beacons in the gloom, casting harsh shadows across cracked concrete and the faces of warriors both seasoned and young. Each heartbeat echoed like a war drum. Each breath carried the weight of potential triumph or defeat.
Across the battlefield, the Rare Hunter's eyes gleamed with obsession as he drew his card with deliberate slowness. His breath caught, shallow and erratic. Sweat slicked his brow, and his fingers trembled with hunger and desperation.
"My turn..." he hissed, his voice a rasp through clenched teeth.
"I activate Card of Safe Return! Every time I revive a monster from my Graveyard, I draw a card."
Connor's stomach turned. He gritted his teeth, a flash of dread flashing across his young face. "He's trying to cycle straight into Exodia."
"Next, I activate Call of the Haunted! I bring back Sangan!"
A vortex of shadow and crackling electricity erupted behind the Rare Hunter. The grinning, hairy fiend crawled onto the field.
"Due to Card of Safe Return, I draw one card."
The Rare Hunter's lips curled into a fevered grin. His pupils were dilated. His voice had a sick glee to it.
"I tribute Sangan for a face-down monster!"
[Sangan sent to Graveyard → Right Leg of the Forbidden One added to hand]
Connor's eyes went wide. "That makes two pieces... and with all the drawing he's done, he could already have more."
Yugi nodded grimly. "We're running out of time."
"I set two cards face-down and end my turn," the Rare Hunter declared, a wild edge in his tone.
Joey stood beside him, rigid and silent, like a puppet hanging from invisible strings. His eyes were clouded, vacant. There was no emotion, only obedience.
Yugi turned to Connor, urgency in his expression. "We have to finish this now."
Yugi drew with conviction. His eyes burned with determination.
"I activate Premature Burial! I pay 800 Life Points to bring back Dark Magician Girl!"
[Team Yugi & Connor: 7900 → 7100 LP]
The magical girl burst forth from the shadows, her staff twirling as she took her place beside her allies.
"Arcana Knight Joker, attack Joey directly!"
As the mighty warrior surged forward, the Rare Hunter snapped up a hand.
"I activate Mirror Force! Say goodbye to your field!"
A wall of reflective energy exploded across the battlefield. Arcana Knight Joker, Queen's Knight, and Dark Magician Girl were engulfed in the shattering light and destroyed.
Yugi cursed under his breath, wincing as his monsters vanished. "I end my turn."
He glanced at Connor. "It's all up to you now."
Connor drew his card. His hand shook slightly. Inside, his chest thudded with a chaotic rhythm. Sweat beaded down his temple.
His mind flashed with everything that brought him here. That explosion. That damned convention. Jason. The experiment. His body ripped from him. His consciousness shoved into this fragile shell of a five-year-old. That version of him—the real Connor—was still out there. Probably comatose. Or worse. And now Joey... Joey was trapped like him. A soul shackled by someone else's command.
He clenched his fists.
"No," he whispered.
His jaw set. His brow furrowed. The flicker of doubt burned away in an instant.
"I'm not giving up," he muttered. "I'm going to fix this. I'm going to save Joey. And then... I'm going to get my life back."
He looked at the card he had drawn.
Heavy Storm.
His lips parted in a slow grin. "Yugi... looks like you really pulled for me with the heart of the cards."
Yugi gave a nod, pride glinting in his eyes.
"I activate Heavy Storm!" Connor called, slamming the card into his spell zone. "Destroy all Spell and Trap cards on the field!"
A whirlwind of energy howled through the warehouse, threatening to tear the entire foundation apart.
The Rare Hunter flung out his arm. "I activate Judgment of Anubis! I negate your Spell and destroy one monster! I choose your Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning! And you take damage equal to its ATK!"
Connor's mouth opened in shock.
But Yugi stepped in. "I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit! I pay 1000 Life Points to negate Judgment of Anubis!"
[Team Yugi & Connor: 7100 → 6100 LP]
The trap shattered into fragments before it could activate.
Connor exhaled in relief. "Thanks, Yugi. Now... it's time."
"Black Luster Soldier, banish his face-down monster!"
A blade of golden energy tore through the shadows. The card flipped, revealing Millennium Shield (DEF 3000), only to be vaporized.
"Chaos Sorcerer, direct attack! Let's end this and free Joey!"
The sorcerer unleashed a spiraling barrage of light.
[Team Rare Hunter & Joey: 1500 → 0 LP]
The warehouse erupted into static as the Rare Hunter's duel disk sparked violently. Cards scattered around his feet as he dropped to his knees, clutching his head in agony.
Joey staggered, blinking rapidly. The glow over his eyes faded.
"Wh... what happened...?" he croaked.
Yugi ran to him, catching him just before he hit the ground.
"Joey! You're okay! We did it."
Connor watched silently, his shoulders finally relaxing. The heavy air seemed to lift. He let out a long, shaking breath and looked at his trembling hands.
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