The flickering lights of the warehouse had begun to settle, the electric tension from the fierce duel fading into the cold, lingering silence. Joey Wheeler was hunched on the concrete floor, beads of sweat sliding down his face as his body trembled. His duel disk hung loosely from his wrist, flickering as if unsure whether the battle was truly over.
Yugi was already kneeling beside him, arms gripping his friend's shoulders as he tried to support him. Joey's breath came in short, ragged bursts, his eyes glazed before they slowly focused on the familiar figure before him.
"Y-Yuge...?" Joey rasped, voice hoarse and fragile.
Yugi gave a relieved smile, tears of both exhaustion and joy welling in his crimson eyes. "You're back. You're okay."
Connor stood a short distance behind them, chest heaving, his small hands still clenched from the intensity of the last few turns. His face was blank, but his eyes told a different story—burning with the aftershock of the duel, with something deeper underneath: the cold memory of the real-world betrayal that had put him in this child's body.
"We did it," Connor whispered, his voice barely audible. He glanced down at his hand where he now held the infamous Exodia deck—the very weapon that had once nearly destroyed Yugi's dreams. His fingers tightened around it, knuckles paling.
Suddenly, a pulse of shadow crept into the air, and Connor instinctively stepped closer to Yugi. The Rare Hunter's body, still collapsed on the ground, began to twitch violently. His eyes snapped open—but they glowed now, bathed in an unnatural violet hue. His lips moved, but the voice that came out was not his own.
"Pharaoh."
Yugi stood slowly, helping Joey to his feet as he turned to face the trembling Hunter. "Who's speaking?"
The Rare Hunter's voice deepened, laced with venom and sorrow. "It's been a long time... Pharaoh. I'm sure you don't remember. You wouldn't. But I do."
Connor's eyes narrowed, watching the twitching, possessed figure with rising unease. That voice—it wasn't just anyone. It was him.
"Marik," Connor muttered, mouth tight.
The Rare Hunter's body stood like a puppet on strings, posture rigid, limbs jerking as the voice boomed louder. "You betrayed my father. He dedicated his life to serving you, to protecting the secrets of the tomb—and what did you do? You left him in the dark. You left all of us in the dark."
Yugi took a step back, his expression taut with confusion and disbelief. "Your father...? Betrayal? I don't understand—"
"Of course you don't!" Marik's voice howled. "You live your second life now, wrapped in warmth and light while others rot in your shadow. My father was loyal. He gave everything to the Pharaoh. But he was discarded. Killed. By your hand."
Connor's jaw tightened. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
"Wait..." he murmured, brows furrowed. "That's not right. Marik's father was cruel, brutal. He kept Marik underground—forced Odion and Ishizu to watch him suffer. This isn't how it was supposed to go."
He stared hard at the possessed Rare Hunter, heart pounding. A butterfly effect. Something had changed. Something big.
Marik continued, unaware of the boy's internal storm. "You slaughtered him in the tomb like a beast. I saw it with my own eyes. I was a child. And you looked me in the eyes and told me to train—told me I was too weak. You mocked him even in death."
Yugi's face twisted in disbelief. "That's not me! I never—"
The Rare Hunter's arms opened wide like a prophet at a pulpit. "And now, Pharaoh, I will bring you justice. I will expose your lies. I will make you kneel before the spirit you betrayed."
"Marik..." Yugi's voice softened, pleading. "You're being misled. Whoever told you this—whatever you saw—it wasn't me."
The Rare Hunter's body began to tremble violently again, before dropping limply to the floor. The glow vanished from his eyes. He lay unconscious once more.
Joey, who had stayed quiet through the confrontation, finally spoke up, his voice raw. "That was Marik? The guy controlling me..."
Yugi nodded slowly. "He's behind the Rare Hunters. And it sounds like he's trying to rewrite history to justify whatever pain he's carrying."
Connor knelt beside the Rare Hunter, searching the unconscious man's coat. From within the folds, he pulled out a Battle City location card.
"This must be his," Connor said, handing the card to Yugi. "We need six to get to the finals. You should hold onto it."
Yugi accepted it with a grateful nod. "Thanks."
Joey slumped against a crate, rubbing his forehead. "After I left to go home, I was ambushed. Barely had my duel disk for an hour before that creep showed up with his goons. Next thing I know... it's like I'm watching everything from underwater. I couldn't move. Couldn't speak."
"But we got you back," Yugi said firmly.
Joey smiled weakly. "Yeah. You and... the kid."
Connor blinked at him. "Connor."
Joey gave him a thumbs-up. "Thanks, squirt. You saved my hide."
Connor looked away, face unreadable.
Yugi turned to Connor. "You sure you want to hold onto that deck?"
Connor stared at the Exodia cards in his hand. He could feel their power—how easily they could tip the scales. But he also felt the weight of the souls they had crushed.
"Yeah," Connor said. "Better with me than someone like him."
Yugi gave him a look of trust. "Then let's make sure no one else ever uses them like that again."
Connor nodded slowly.
The silence stretched for a moment before Arthur, Rebecca, Tea, and Tristan rushed in through the side door.
"We heard the duel disks shut off! Is everything alright?" Arthur asked, scanning the room.
Yugi nodded. "We're fine now. Joey's back."
Rebecca rushed to Connor's side, placing a protective hand on his shoulder. He didn't flinch. Just stared at the Exodia deck again, face shadowed in thought. _____________________________________________________________________________________
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