Black and purple mist filled the Duel Tower from floor to ceiling. Three monsters lined Zepharen's field. Ancient warriors with high attack power——《Messenger of the Underworld》《Guardian with Ra's Wings》《Dark Seal Soldier》——were deployed in perfect formation, looking down at him. Four magic and trap cards lay face-down on the board. It was a flawless formation that would crush any angle of attack. Yuugi's Life Points: 400 remaining. Hand: 1 card. "[cold]……Let us end this, vessel of the king." A low, calm voice dissolved into the mist. A smile of composure had returned to Zepharen's lips. Now that three monsters were deployed and his defense was complete——for the first time, there was an expression of victory. Yuugi was standing. Standing, or rather, his knees were trembling but somehow keeping him from collapsing. Through the Millennium Puzzle at his chest, he could feel the cracks advancing to the next stage. The golden crack pattern floating on his right wrist——a symptom of the Puzzle's collapse seeping into his body——burned with searing pain. Waves of pain came in succession, making his breathing ragged. (Damn……this is bad) A hoarse voice flew from outside the tower. "[serious]Yuugi……! Don't give up……!" It was Jonouchi. His voice was shaking. Whether from shouting too much and losing his voice, or from not being able to bear watching——probably both. (Jonouchi……) Yuugi bit his lip. He could sense Maria watching Zepharen beyond the mist. Her silver-long hair swayed faintly. In her eyes directed at her brother, something ineffable was seeping through. And then Yuugi——suddenly, in the haze of pain, saw an image at the edge of his consciousness. A desert temple. The flame of torches. Atem was standing before his friends. With a powerful voice, he said clearly——《Don't fight alone》. (Ah……) That image vanished in an instant. But the words remained in his chest. Yuugi had always been like that. Trying to fight alone to protect Atem, carrying it all by himself, locking the door. But——wasn't truly protecting someone about trusting everyone's strength? The door Jonouchi kicked down. The habit of his brother that Maria taught him. The feeling of "trust" he touched at the deepest part of the crumbling labyrinth. He'd received it all. (I'm not alone) Yuugi turned his trembling hand toward his deck. He pressed the top card with his fingertips. This was——an old card he'd received from Jonouchi. From the first time they dueled. It was faded, the print slightly dulled. But Yuugi had gripped it all night since that evening, and placed it at the top of his deck for this duel today. He'd decided to bet everything on this final draw. "[serious]I draw my final card. ——This is everything." Zepharen's eyebrow moved slightly. His face remained composed——but something ran through it. That card, at this timing. The smallest reaction to being shown a move he couldn't read for the first time. Jonouchi shouted from outside the tower. "[excited]That's it, Yuugi! Draw it!!" His voice cracked. Completely cracked, becoming a strange sound. Maria glanced briefly toward Jonouchi. Just for a second. Then immediately returned her gaze to the duel——but in that one second of her profile, there was a faint hint of something troubled. (……Not now) kind of air drifted just slightly through the mist. But in the next moment, no one was laughing. Yuugi drew his card. ——That was the moment. The Millennium Puzzle trembled. A faint golden light ran from the Puzzle through his wrist to his fingertips. Weak. So weak it seemed about to disappear. But it was definitely there——like the last embers of a fire. At the edge of Yuugi's consciousness——there was an overlapping sensation. Not complete. Not what could be called a fusion. But the temperature from when that person was there before returned for just a moment. Like dying embers flaring up one last time. (Atem……thank you) Yuugi combined the card he drew with the one card in his hand. His mind became clear for just an instant. Maria's words came back——"My brother has a habit of launching a quick attack when his opponent takes a defensive stance." He'd confirmed it in the previous duel too. Zepharen always pressed forward with a quick attack the moment Yuugi solidified his defense. He'd been waiting for that moment. "[serious]Magic Card activated——《Call of the Ancients》! Absorb all field magic and release the sealed monsters!" Zepharen moved. Immediately. He tried to open a face-down card—— "[serious]Trap Card chain——《Chains of Magic Power》! Chain in response to the magic card activation. Bind all your traps!" Zepharen's movement——stopped. One move. Just one move, his response was delayed. Because the sequence was completely different from last time. Appearing to attack while defending, appearing to defend while inducing an attack, then layering traps where induced. The result of Zepharen's habits read that night of complete defeat and Maria's information fitting together perfectly. "[serious]《Call of the Ancients》 effect——chain destruction engulfing all field monsters! Disappear, all of you!!" BOOOOOM!! The impact shook the entire tower. Zepharen's three monsters exploded in a chain reaction. Particles of light scattered through the mist. The remaining damage hit Zepharen's Life Points directly—— Zepharen's Life Points reached zero. The black and purple mist slowly faded. The tower's ceiling came into view again. The ancient letters' light on the floor quietly extinguished. Jonouchi was shouting something. It wasn't quite words, but probably "Yesssss!!" Zepharen——did not retreat. He simply closed his eyes quietly. The quiet face of accepting defeat. Almost no sign of agitation. But when he opened his eyes, something indescribable remained in the depths of those golden irises. Surprise——or rather, the subtle change in the moment this man felt "unexpected" for the first time. --- It was right after the Shadow Game ended. From Zepharen's deck, one card——floated up on its own. Atem's profile was faintly visible on its surface. A memory card——a fragment of emotion and memory born when Atem's consciousness shattered, taking the form of a card. That single card flowed toward Yuugi, dissolving into golden particles. The Millennium Puzzle trembled. The particles were absorbed into the Puzzle. The golden Puzzle with running cracks——trembled, and trembled——and one of the cracks, faintly, so very faintly, seemed to close. The Puzzle, which had been ice-cold until moments ago, regained warmth. A soft heat close to human body temperature. "[gentle]……Atem?" He called out. From deep within the Puzzle——a voice reached him. Not complete words. Like breath. Like an echo. But it definitely came from there—— 《……Partner……》 Yuugi's knees gave out. He collapsed right there. Holding the Puzzle in both hands, trembling, his voice came out. It was crying. Different from that night when he sat alone on the floor and cried——a way of crying where something warm overflowed from somewhere deep. The sound of the tower door opening came. Jonouchi burst in. His breathing was ragged. The face of someone who'd run through the door at full speed. "[scared]Yuugi! What happened! Did you lose!?" He saw Yuugi collapsed on the floor, crying. For a second, he stopped. Then, quietly, he knelt beside Yuugi. "[gentle]……I see" He said only that, and placed his hand on Yuugi's shoulder. He said nothing more. He didn't let go. Yuugi looked up. Still crying, he was smiling. Jonouchi, as if drawn in——his eyes were slightly red too. But he was desperately trying to maintain a "I'm not crying" expression, which only made it more obvious. --- Zepharen stood at the edge of the Duel Tower. In the thin darkness of the space where the mist had scattered. He turned to face Yuugi and opened his mouth quietly. "[cold]Don't be too pleased about recovering one card. There are still four remaining——and you still see nothing of Nebra Veil's true purpose." His voice was calm. Neither high nor low, his usual composed tone. But the fact that he'd managed to land a blow on Yuugi for the first time today was definitely etched in the depths of his eyes——transmitted as a subtle change. Zepharen turned on his heel. He walked into the darkness beyond the tower. At that moment. "[sad]……Big brother" Maria's voice reached him quietly. Zepharen's footsteps——stopped. For 0.5 seconds. He didn't turn around. But he definitely stopped——in that 0.5 seconds, Maria saw it. A fragment of her former brother. Zepharen disappeared into the darkness as it was. Maria didn't move. She took one deep breath of the cold night air. "[serious]I will definitely……bring my brother back" It was a small voice. But it didn't waver. It was a certain voice. Yuugi and Jonouchi watched her back. They said nothing. There was no need to. After a while, Jonouchi said to Maria. "[gentle]……You did well" It was a casual voice. Jonouchi's usual way of speaking——a bit rough but warm. Maria turned around. For a moment, she looked surprised. Then——with a softness that would never come from her usual expressionless face, she answered. "[gentle]……So did you all" Jonouchi made an "Huh?" face. Yuugi was also curious in his heart. But in that moment, neither of them said anything. --- When the three of them left the Duel Tower, the eastern sky was beginning to turn white. Night was breaking. They stood at the edge of Alcatraz's outer wall. Tokyo Bay spread out before them. The water's surface, receiving light coming from afar, was beginning to change color little by little. Orange, purple, and blue overlapped on the horizon. Yuugi held the Puzzle at his chest in both hands. The warmth was still faint. Atem's voice was no longer audible. But——the heat that was definitely there just now hadn't disappeared. Faint, but definitely there. "[serious]There are still four cards left. The journey starts from here." He murmured quietly. It was a voice like he was telling himself. Jonouchi asked. "[serious]Where next?" Maria paused for a moment. The morning wind swayed her hair. Then she answered. "[cold]Egypt……Near Luxor, there is a possibility of finding clues known by the Tomb Keepers——a bloodline that has guarded the Pharaoh's tomb and the Millennium Items. Ancient records about the method of recovering memory cards may remain there." Jonouchi's eyes went round. "[surprised]Egypt!? I don't even have a passport!?" "[cold]I can arrange it." It was an immediate answer. Jonouchi complained loudly. "[sarcastic]You've got way too many connections……" Yuugi laughed. For the first time, he felt like he could truly laugh. A laugh that came from his exhausted body after crossing through the bottom of that night, through the crumbling labyrinth, through tonight's duel——all of it. The morning light spread across the water's surface of Tokyo Bay. Three people stood at the edge of Alcatraz's outer wall, watching the sunrise together. Yuugi tightened his grip on the Puzzle slightly. Four cards remaining. Zepharen's words about "Nebra Veil's true purpose"——those words lingered in a corner of his mind. He'd been told he still couldn't see it. What that meant, he didn't know. But for now——only the faint warmth within the Puzzle mattered. The road to Luxor continued beyond the sunrise.