"W-What the hell is that?! Did Pegasus's eyeball fall into the soup?!"
Téa was horrified by the wet golden "eyeball" Joey held, shrieking as she dragged her chair away from him as if it were some plague.
"Hey!!!"
Joey stared at the disgusting thing in his fingers. Thinking about how he'd almost swallowed it made his stomach churn, and rage shot to the top of his head.
He shot to his feet, pointing furiously at the butler.
"You actually put something this gross in the soup?! What the hell's the meaning of this?!"
The butler's face stayed calm and unmoving, not even his eyebrows twitching under Joey's roar. He ignored him entirely, continuing in his flat, even tone:
"Duelists, please open the 'Millennium Eye' you found in your soup."
At that, Tristan stirred through his bowl carefully with his spoon.
"Huh? I don't see one in mine…"
Yuto, however, remained calm. He fished out the golden eyeball with his spoon, wiped the soup off with a napkin, then pressed thumb and finger against the cold metal sphere.
Crack!
With a light snap, the golden "eyeball" split cleanly in half like a puzzle box, revealing a tightly rolled slip of paper inside.
Yugi found his own as well, opened it the same way, and immediately read out the letter written on it.
"Mine says… A."
Mai unfolded hers, gazing at the letter thoughtfully.
"Mine is… B…"
Her eyes gleamed as if she'd already guessed the purpose.
Yuto stayed silent, glancing at his own slip marked with a "C," understanding instantly. This was Pegasus's way of theatrically deciding match order.
Joey scratched his head in confusion, staring at his paper's big "D."
"D? What's that supposed to mean?"
At that moment, the butler silently moved to the side of the dining hall and pressed a button.
A soft mechanical hum sounded, and a huge projection board descended slowly from the pristine wall behind him.
"Now."
He turned, sweeping his gaze across the duelists.
"I shall announce tomorrow's elimination matchups."
Light flickered on the board, revealing a simple, clear chart:
[Semifinals]
A vs B
C vs D
[Final]
Winner of A/B vs Winner of C/D
"C is…"
Joey's eyes widened as he looked between the letters and the duelists, finally locking onto Yuto. His voice shook with dread.
"Yuto?!"
Yuto met Joey's gaze with a faint, inscrutable smile.
That calm smile chilled Joey instantly, making the feast in his stomach feel like heavy stones.
Yuto… that guy's deck was outrageously strong! Half his cards were one-of-a-kind, overpowered rarities!
Facing him? That was practically the same as announcing Joey's elimination!
But… for Serenity, there was no turning back!
Thinking of his sister waiting for surgery in her hospital bed, the nearly extinguished flame in Joey's heart roared back stronger than ever!
Doubt turned to desperate courage. He lifted his head sharply, locking eyes with Yuto, and declared at full volume:
"Hey, Yuto! Don't get cocky! We won't know the winner until tomorrow on the field! Bring it on!"
Yuto returned his fiery gaze, not with scorn but with a touch of respect. He answered seriously:
"Good, Joey! I feel your fighting spirit! Tomorrow, I'll give my all for a duel worthy of the name Duelist!"
Meanwhile, Yugi turned to Mai beside him, speaking gently yet firmly.
"Then, Miss Mai, it seems tomorrow we'll be opponents."
Mai's lips curved into a confident, sultry smile as she tapped the table with her finger.
"Little game master, I'm strict, you know. I won't go easy on you just because you're you~"
Yugi smiled back warmly, yet with no hint of yielding.
"Of course. I'll give my all as well, and duel you as a true Duelist."
The butler, who had stood silently by, bowed once more.
"That concludes the announcements. Enjoy your meal, and rest well to prepare for tomorrow's battles."
With that, he slipped out of the hall like a shadow.
After finishing the feast, the group said their goodnights and returned to their assigned rooms.
Night deepened, and the castle fell into silence.
At his desk under the lamplight, Yuto swiftly and precisely tuned his Deck, focus unwavering.
Across from him, Téa rested her elbows on the desk, hands cupping her cheeks, eyes fixed softly on Yuto's intent profile.
"Mmm… almost done."
Slotting the final card, Yuto closed his Deck box with satisfaction and looked up at her.
"Time to rest…"
"Yeah…"
Téa nodded with a smile.
The next morning, Yuto and Téa emerged refreshed.
But, in the corridor, Yugi, Tristan, and Bakura all had dark circles they couldn't hide—only Joey looked energetic.
"Uh… what happened to you guys?"
Yuto raised an eyebrow, puzzled by their lack of rest.
"Didn't sleep well? Something happen?"
Tristan rubbed his sore eyes, forcing a reassuring smile.
"Eh… there was a bit of a… situation. Anyway, it's fine! Won't affect the duels! We'll head to the stands first to cheer you on!"
Bakura nodded repeatedly at his side.
"I'll go too."
Téa gave Yuto's wrist a light squeeze, a wordless encouragement, before following Tristan and Bakura toward the stands.
Yuto, Yugi, and Joey continued straight downstairs into the grand hall—the stage for today's finals.
Mai was already waiting at the entrance when they arrived. The duels were about to begin.
...
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