Chapter Sixteen: The American Strike Team

When Hayato woke up again, he found himself lying in a hospital bed. Jōnouchi sat by the bedside, looking exhausted. His eyes kept trying to close, but he forced himself to stay awake, occasionally slapping his own face to stay alert.

“Jōnouchi...” Hayato’s voice was weak, but hearing his name, Jōnouchi immediately snapped to attention and stood up excitedly. “Hayato, you’re awake!”

Sitting up with support from the bed, Hayato felt sharp pains stabbing through his head and instinctively held his forehead. “What happened to me?”

“The doctor said something overstimulated your brain, causing it to become hyperactive. Then you got exhausted, and your body couldn’t keep up, so you fell into a coma,” Jōnouchi explained, handing him a cup of honeyed water. “But according to Yugi, it seems you were trying to block an attack from that Bakus, which caused this.”

“Curry~” The rainbow chestnut ball popped out from Hayato’s collar at just the right moment, looking at him with big, watery eyes filled with worry.

“Though my head hurt at first, I’m fine now. Thanks for worrying,” Hayato said, addressing both Jōnouchi and the rainbow chestnut ball. Then, the Mischief brothers also crawled out from his collar.

“Did you really say thank you~?” “A~ni~give~” “So touching!”

“Hey! You guys, get out here!” Hayato laughed, though he could tolerate the cute rainbow chestnut ball hiding in his clothes, the Mischief brothers were another matter entirely—especially when they wiped their tears and snot all over him while feeling emotional.

Jōnouchi, who couldn’t yet see the abilities of these card spirits, could only hear Hayato talking to himself and grew worried that his brain might have been overstimulated to the point of a nervous breakdown.

Suddenly, Hayato remembered something. Tossing the Mischief brothers aside, he looked at Jōnouchi. “By the way, where are Yugi and Sugoroku?”

“So, Hayato, you know about Jī’s situation...” Jōnouchi’s mood darkened at the mention of Mutō Sugoroku as he sat down and said, “After the duel ended that day, it seems Bakus used some kind of eye power to steal Jī’s soul and seal it inside that TV.”

“Looks like we failed after all.” Though he had suspected it before losing consciousness, Hayato couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Even as a time traveler, he still couldn’t change the original storyline. But then he asked, “That day? How long was I unconscious?”

“Don’t worry too much. It was just yesterday; you were out only for the morning.” Seeing Hayato’s spirits lift slightly, Jōnouchi stood again. “Rest a little more, Hayato. I’ll call Yugi and Kyoko to let them know you’re okay, so they won’t worry.”

————Mischief Brothers Apply Bandages————

Standing on the rooftop, looking through the wire fence at the sun sinking below the horizon, Yugi’s mind was full of swirling thoughts: about Hayato’s injury, Jī’s coma, and Bakus.

“An unprecedented card combination and mind-reading abilities... can I really defeat an opponent like that?”

“Another me...”

“Aibo, I’m okay. I’m just doubting whether I can avenge Hayato and Jī.”

As Yugi and the “other Yugi” residing within the millennium puzzle conversed silently, the rooftop door opened behind him.

“Watching the sunset alone? That’s quite an artistic choice,” a familiar voice said.

Turning around, Yugi saw Hayato, still with bandages wrapped around his head. Concerned, Yugi called out, “Hayato, your condition...”

“Ah, don’t worry. The doctor says I’m perfectly healthy. I can eat thirteen small loaves of bread at least. The bandage is from accidentally bumping into the door frame while leaving the hospital. Seriously, why are hospital door frames so low?” Hayato smiled, relaxed, hands in pockets, and joined Yugi as they gazed across the rooftop, feeling the evening breeze.

“So, what do you say? Heading to Duel Kingdom?”

Without hesitation, Yugi replied, “Yes, I’m going to Bakus to reclaim Jī’s soul and also to help you get revenge.”

“My grudge isn’t really against Bakus. After all, I went out of my way to provoke him. But what happened to Sugoroku can’t be forgiven.” Hayato pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Yugi, brushing off Mischief Yellow from his shoulder. “We’ll go together.”

“Huh?” Yugi took the envelope, unsure what Hayato meant.

“Actually, Bakus invited me to Duel Kingdom a month ago—as both a contestant and his guest. Take a look.”

Yugi opened the envelope to find several cards inside, each with distinct illustrations and purposes.

“An invitation to the Kingdom, proof you’ve been invited to Duel Kingdom, plus some cards that explain the rules,” Hayato said as he pulled out a similar stack of cards from his own pocket. Most looked like Yugi’s, except for a few that differed slightly.

“The ‘Ticket to the Kingdom’ grants passage to Duel Kingdom; the ‘Left Hand’ and ‘Right Hand’ cards are the ultimate rewards; the ‘Duelist’s Glove’ serves as proof of your duelist status.” Unlike Yugi’s last card, which read ‘Kingdom,’ Hayato’s final card said ‘Duel Monster.’ “Mine’s like a first-class ticket, even though Bakus invited both of us.”

“Other duelists can only board alone. I can bring more than one person,” Hayato said with a smile, turning to see several others who had also come to the rooftop.

“Like Jōnouchi, Kyoko, and Honda.”

“Everyone coming to Duel Kingdom too?”

“Of course! Yugi, you’re so timid. What if you get bullied there?” Kyoko said, hands on hips, confidently.

Honda crossed his arms. “We’re friends, right? We stick together through thick and thin.”

“This is Duel Kingdom, after all. I hate Bakus, but I can’t miss such a rare event in the Duel Monster world,” Jōnouchi patted his chest. “Besides, I’m going to avenge Hayato and Jī.”

But just as Jōnouchi finished, Honda shot him down without mercy.

“Vengeance? You’re just after the prize money, same as at the last national Duel Monster tournament,” Honda said, patting Jōnouchi’s shoulder. “And with your skills, don’t expect Hayato and Yugi to do your avenging for you.”

“You’re impossible, Honda!” Jōnouchi shot back.

Their bickering lifted the solitude that had filled the rooftop when Yugi was alone. Watching Honda and Jōnouchi wrestle playfully, everyone laughed joyfully.

Looking at his companions, Yugi silently vowed:

“Just you wait. I will reclaim Jī’s soul, Bakus!”