"Hey! You hiding in the back over there!"
Joey suddenly pointed straight at the calmly seated Bandit Keith.
"From the start you've been hiding back there, barking orders! Who the hell are you?! Name yourself!"
Keith's lips curled in utter contempt.
"Me? Heh... I'm Keith."
"Keith..."
Yugi recalled what Kaiba had mentioned earlier.
"Bandit Keith?!"
"Oh?"
Keith arched a brow.
"Looks like someone still remembers my name. That's right—the undefeated in America, Bandit Keith!"
"Eh? But didn't you end up losing to Pegasus?"
Yuto delivered a question that could only be called a direct hit.
"Hmph!"
Keith ignored Yuto, instead pointing arrogantly at Joey.
"Since you know my name, you'd better get on your knees and beg right now, hand over those Star Chips, and get lost! Spare yourself from losing too ugly later!"
"Y-Yeah, that's right!"
The two flunkies who'd been knocked down earlier had somehow crawled back to Keith's feet, yapping with borrowed bravado.
"Mr. Keith is unbeatable! Who do you think you are, punk?!"
"Hmph!"
Keith basked in his lackeys' praise, his tone full of the arrogance of total control.
"Listen up, kid! I've already prepared the perfect strategy for that loser! You—don't have a single chance!"
"Guh..."
A fine sheen of sweat instantly formed on Joey's forehead as a crushing pressure weighed on his shoulders.
Now he finally understood what kind of opponent he faced!
So he'd been up against this kind of monster all along...
Across the arena, the skeletal figure of Bonz let out a sinister cackle, pointing his withered finger at Joey.
"Kehehehe... Hear that? This is your grave! My zombie army will gnaw you to the bone!"
"Graveyard... Field..."
Bonz's words flashed through Yugi's mind like a bolt of lightning. He murmured thoughtfully, eyes sharpening as he scanned the entire arena.
"Hmph! Enough chatter!"
Keith impatiently cut off Bonz's declaration.
"Your turn's over. It's your move, kid! Draw already!"
Joey took a deep breath, forcing down the storm inside. His fingers trembled ever so slightly as they reached for the top of his Deck.
He drew a card sharply and gave it a quick glance.
Then he set a Monster Card face-down on the field.
No good. I can't win.
Joey wanted to give up—but then his eyes fell on the photo of Serenity resting on the arena.
Yeah, someone was still waiting for his victory. He had a reason he had to win!
"I won't lose!"
Joey lifted his head, defiance blazing anew as he shouted at Keith and Bonz, as much to steel himself as to declare his resolve.
"Ha! Hahahaha!"
Keith laughed harshly, as if he'd heard the world's biggest joke.
"Big words, but all you can do is turtle up with a face-down monster to stall for time? What a joke!"
"Don't underestimate me!"
Joey shot back without flinching, his voice firm as steel.
"This is called 'holding the line with a sturdy shield, waiting for the counterattack that will shatter everything!'"
He locked eyes on the face-down monster, filled with the determination of one fighting with his back to the wall.
"Tch! Useless struggle! Finish him!"
At Keith's order, Bonz flicked his shriveled finger to command.
"[Pumpking the King of Ghosts], attack! Use your decaying breath to erase that face-down card completely!!"
On the field, the reeking, ominous [Pumpking the King of Ghosts] opened its rotting jaws and spewed a dark green, corpse-stinking miasma!
Its target—Joey's face-down Monster Card!
The card flipped!
The [Tiger Axe], with only 900 Defense, let out a defiant roar before disintegrating into ash under the deadly breath!
"Hmph! Turn end!"
Bonz declared smugly.
Joey stared hard at his opponent's field.
Three Zombie monsters glowed with eerie green light, as if they could rise from the Graveyard endlessly, forming an impenetrable wall of death!
And one floating monster that gave them power—[Pumpking the King of Ghosts].
There's still a chance... as long as there's the slightest hope!
Joey clenched his fist so tight his nails dug into his palm. He suddenly thrust his hand toward the top of his Deck—
Draw!!!
The moment his fingertips touched the card, a searing energy seemed to surge from his hand to his heart!
He focused—and the card's artwork shone with a dark crimson gleam!
It was [Red-Eyes Black Dragon]!
"Yes!!!"
Joey's eyes blazed with the joy of salvation!
"I summon [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] in Attack Position!
Black Flame Bullet! Smash that Pumpking!!"
ROOOOAR—!
With a mighty dragon's cry, [Red-Eyes Black Dragon] gathered a deep crimson inferno in its jaws and launched a massive fireball of destruction!
[Pumpking the King of Ghosts] barely had time to shriek before it was reduced to ash in the raging black flames!
"D-Damn it..."
Bonz's plan was thrown into chaos. He looked instinctively toward his leader.
"Idiot! Don't panic! Your zombie army's foundation is still intact! That [Dragon Zombie] with 2700 Attack is still there! Use it to crush that black lizard!"
"R-Right! Mr. Keith is right!"
Bonz clung to the lifeline, puffing up his bony chest again.
"My turn! [Dragon Zombie], attack! Use your strongest death breath to send that black dragon and its master straight to hell—Zombie Death Breath!!!"
BOOM!!!
An even thicker, fouler dark green sludge gushed forth like a flood!
[Red-Eyes Black Dragon] let out a cry of agony, its tough scales dissolving and peeling under the rotting power. Its massive body shattered in a desperate struggle, scattering into black motes!
[Joey, LP: 150]
The glaring number on the Life Points display shone like a death sentence!
Cold sweat drenched Joey's back. The air itself felt frozen.
His hand hovered above the Deck, fingertips trembling, too afraid to move.
'What to do... there's no way out... [Time Wizard] was already used earlier…'
At that suffocating moment of despair, Yuto caught the critical detail!
He stared at the deathly Zombie monsters on Bonz's field—every one of them had 0 Defense!
"Joey! Don't give up! Look up!"
Yuto's voice cracked like thunder, shattering the darkness clouding Joey's mind.
"You still have one card! A card that can turn the tables and snatch victory from defeat! It's waiting in your Deck!"
Joey looked at Yuto in confusion, eyes wide.
"Remember the card you traded for on the cruise!"
Yuto's gaze burned with unshakable trust in his partner.
"I believe it! As soon as you draw it, you'll know exactly what to do! This is the chance you fought for! Don't waste it! And don't betray Serenity's hopes or your own! Draw!!!"
The cruise... that card... Serenity...
Yuto's words poured into Joey's heart like a warm current, melting the ice of fear. Though he still didn't know exactly which card it was, his absolute trust in his partner and the heavy responsibility toward his sister ignited the final flame of defiance in his soul!
"For Serenity... I will not lose here!"
Joey's eyes blazed with unprecedented resolve!
He no longer hesitated, thrusting his fingers at the top of his Deck with all his might.
"My turn—Draw!!!"
He ripped the card free and held it high!
The instant the unique design of the card met his eyes, Yuto's words struck him like lightning!
"I see... so that's it! I understand completely! Yuto!!!"
Joey looked at his partner in exhilaration, joy and revelation shining on his face!
"The card I drew is—[Shield & Sword]!!!"
"W-What?!!"
...
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