YGO PSL | ❝ because i now understand the meaning of the promise we exchanged. ❞

[inheritedpuzzle]

BEACH

🎵 ambient / mood music

( and now we just jump a whole bunch into the future. post-ceremonial duel by a year, but a year before dsod! probably will throw tie-ins with what's going on in kingsglaive, ho ho ho. )

[ Life moves forward.

Graduation came and went. Their adventures in the Memory World escalated to a resolution the soul of the Pharaoh had to reach. A duel to determine the fate of the Pharaoh... then the passing of his best friend. Their group went their separate ways and moved forward. They all keep in touch, just like Atem said they would. It's just not the same.

It feels like Yugi Muto is the only one that can't move on like the rest of them. He still lives with is Grandpa and his mother in the house attached to the game shop. He still helps out, knowing that his Grandpa won't be able to keep the shop open much longer. He is still in the same room, decorated the same. Except it's only him in the room and no ancient item strapped to his neck to give him company. He put away his cards and his deck until now. What is the point? There is nothing he really wanted out of tournaments -- he doesn't even want to be famous really.

Except, this is different. This tournament is Battle City V2. He feels obligated to participate in it. Not because he did in the first one, but, because he and his best friend earned the title of Duel King together. Yugi may not feel the need to duel in competitive spaces, but, it feels like it would be a disservice to what he and Atem achieved if he doesn't defend their title. Someone will eventually beat him and take that title; change is inevitable. He'll make it a fight though. Even if his heart isn't in the fight as much as it could be.

His eyes are tilted downwards as he looks over the messages on his phone. The group chat is filled with messages of well wishes and encouragement from his closest friends. They couldn't be there in person in Battle City V2. Joey has Serenity, Tristan has taken to touring Japan's northern islands, Anzu is in America, and Bakura is tied down working at the museum for his father. It still matters to him that they've all reached out to wish him on though. It's better than being alone entirely. His eyebrows lift at the notification that scrolls at the top.

I pray that you will find the outcome you look for in your tournament, Yugi-sama. Please, keep me informed of your time there. Best of wishes.

Yugi smiles faintly at the message. Lunafreya still lives in Japan, and still looks over him. She is the ones that sees him the most. He can tell she's changed since the Ceremonial Duel. They were the ones the most affected by the outcome of it, so maybe it makes sense they would be the ones to stay closet one another. Of course, she's still who she is, and she has to travel far away. He figures if she didn't have to then she would of come to Okinawa to support him.

Texts will have to do for now.

He's so preoccupied with his thoughts - even once he's put the phone away - that he isn't watching where he's going. It's all too late when he realizes he's bumped into someone by the second pair of shoes in his vision. Yugi takes a step back and raises his eyes to see who he has probably offended. ]

I'm-I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going.