On the next day, just as evening approached dinner time, the helicopter Youyu had arranged ahead of time landed on the helipad of the academy island. The legendary duelists Muto Yugi and Jonouchi Katsuya disembarked from the helicopter one after another, with Youyu already waiting there.
Jonouchi immediately greeted him with a warm bear hug, "Hey Youyu, long time no see!"
"It really has been a while."
Youyu hugged him back and then shook hands with Yugi who was following behind.
Speaking of which, it had been quite some time since Youyu last saw Yugi. Seeing him again today, oh boy, Yugi's height and facial features had changed as if he had undergone a genetic mutation.
Youyu remembered that the last time he met Yugi, he only reached up to his chin, but now, with his hairstyle, he was tall enough to reach his forehead. Moreover, he looked much leaner than before, his physique robust with clearly defined muscles on his exposed arms.
Simply put, he was increasingly resembling the shape of the King.
Youyu led the way at the front, guiding these two fellow card friends who had once fought life and death together to a private room in the island's restaurant that had been reserved in advance.
The head chef had already received instructions, and the dishes were prepared and ready before they even entered the door. A server pushed a gleaming silver cart into the room, placing the enticing array of dishes from the cart onto the dining table one by one.
Jonouchi, looking at the array of exquisite dishes he couldn't name, began drooling at this sight.
"The chef today is a world-class culinary expert, a personal friend of President Kaiba... and also my friend. I notified him specifically to fly over this morning to prepare tonight's dinner," Youyu said with a smile.
Jonouchi smacked his lips as he ate, "You even flew someone in a private jet and invited a world-class chef... Youyu, you're becoming more and more like Kaiba, hahaha..."
Youyu rolled his eyes.
Like Kaiba? You're the one like Kaiba!
You're blatantly slandering me out of thin air!
The three of them ate while casually chatting.
Starting from the early days of the first Duel City tournament, these past years they indeed had gone through a lot, giving them plenty of topics to talk about.
Yugi mentioned that he had met Marik just last week before coming back. Mr. Marik seemed to miss Youyu quite a bit, saying he owed escaping the darkness within and later rallying to the duelist's path again all to Youyu. He deliberately mentioned that he had obtained a few interesting new cards, wondering when Youyu could visit to duel again...
Up until the topic of 'a few interesting new cards', Youyu showed no interest, but when it came to this, he perked up.
It seemed Mr. Marik was itching for a lesson again. As long as the new cards were ready, Youyu didn't mind taking another trip to Egypt to play with him.
Yugi mentioned somewhat helplessly that as soon as he got off the plane, President Kaiba had sent over an invitation to duel. And judging by the tone and urgency, it seemed even more intense than before, he didn't know what might have provoked this...
Yugi wondered, saying recently he hadn't done anything to provoke Kaiba, so why did things suddenly feel like a life-and-death duel then?
Youyu's mind briefly flashed to the 'Gandora the Dragon of Destruction' he had put into Judai's card deck, but outwardly remained expressionless, only saying that President is really something hard to understand, completely at a loss...
Yugi also showed concern about Youyu's student, actively asking how Judai was doing at the academy.
Youyu shrugged helplessly.
How else would he be? Just a sunny boy, always laughing and incredibly happy.
Following this topic, Youyu soon mentioned the earlier academy selection tournament, also noting that Kaiba had taken on an apprentice, who was at Duel Academy.
Hearing this, Jonouchi immediately perked up.
"The damned Kaiba's student?" Jonouchi unzipped his backpack and began taking out a Duel Disc, "Who is it? What's the name?"
He looked impatient, as if saying, "Let me see if their card deck is strong."
Jonouchi's thought process was simple.
Haha, I can't beat Kaiba, but can't I beat his student?
Ever since they've known each other, Kaiba always calls Jonouchi a 'Normal Monster', as if meeting without insulting him a couple of times would be uncomfortable for him.
The most annoying thing was Jonouchi couldn't beat him, every time charging in with full force to challenge, only to return in defeat.
Now, you tell him, that damned Kaiba even has an apprentice?
Ha, if he catches him, wouldn't he give that kid a rough time?
"Um... if he's still at the academy, then he's just a kid..." Yugi said.
Jonouchi paused, halting the action of taking out the Duel Disc.
Wait... that's actually true.
After all, Jonouchi nowadays is also a legendary duelist, a prominent figure in the card community. Even if it's Kaiba's damned apprentice, bullying an underage kid seems... a bit too much?
Jonouchi was just deep in thought, when he saw Yugi over there already had his Duel Disc out with the card deck inserted.
"Seems interesting!" Yugi said enthusiastically, "So who is that kid? Which dorm is he in?"
Youyu: "..."
This is too much, really too much...
Fortunately, the two seniors were a bit more level-headed and didn't say they'd go catch Manjome for a duel right away.
But whether they were joking or actually meant it, Youyu couldn't quite tell right away.
He could only wish Manjome Jun good luck...
Continuing naturally, Youyu mentioned that there was a Duel King card deck exhibition happening on the island today.
"Yugi's card deck?"
Jonouchi looked at Yugi in surprise, finding the latter apparently unaware too.
"Replicas," Youyu said while dealing with a piece of fragrant foie gras, "and a very old version at that. It's a replica of the card deck Yugi registered when he won the first Duel City championship, it's quite dated."
"I see." Jonouchi nodded in understanding.
Yugi lowered his gaze slightly, a brief silence, "That... wasn't my card deck. It was 'his' card deck."
For a moment, none of the three of them spoke.
Youyu and Jonouchi both knew very clearly who Yugi referred to as 'he'.
Time smooths many things over, many things fade and are forgotten in the passage of time.
But some things, they never fade.
Whether it's ten years or twenty years later, it remains the same.
After a pause, Jonouchi leaned in a bit, patting Yugi's shoulder lightly.
"Hey Yugi, you don't need to force yourself to forget everything about him, right?" Jonouchi said.
"Yeah." Yugi smiled slightly.
After all these years, he had long accepted Atem's departure.
"It's just, he was my first friend." Yugi said softly, "Before completing that puzzle, I never had any friends.
He realized my dream, allowing me to gain so many friends... and even more than that. He made me into the person I am today."
Actually, Youyu wanted to ask, didn't you know why you had no friends?
How about we kick out all the traps in the card deck before speaking?
Youyu thought the classic line used to describe a killer fit perfectly on Yugi too:
"I am a duelist.
Emotionless, and without friends."
Perhaps the reason he later made friends was that since completing the puzzle, every time playing cards it was the king fighting on his behalf. And the king, straightforward and never playing shadowy cards, naturally just made friends...
After the feast, the three of them wiped their mouths, looking at the table now cleared of dishes, they all felt something was still missing...
"Actually Youyu, my visit this time isn't just about having a meal."
Jonouchi took the lead in breaking the silence, chuckling, and unzipped the bag to take out his Duel Disc.
"I heard your ability has grown stronger over the years, and we haven't dueled for so long..." Jonouchi chuckled.
"How about... we take this opportunity to give it a try?"
Youyu glanced at Jonouchi, then at the Duel Disc in his hand, not sure why, but the first thing that came to his mind was dice.
He couldn't help but sigh, rubbing his temples.
MD, my head hurts...