Yu-Gi-Oh! Love Unconditionally (Version 1 - SEMI FINAL)

Chapter 1

Joey exclaimed on the rooftop, "No freaking way!! You mean to tell me that big schmuck Kaiba is throwing his own excuse for a Duel Monsters tournament and he didn't invite me?! Come on! I was the freaking runner-up at Duelist Kingdom! Where's the respect!?"

Tristan cut him off, "News flash, Joey: Kaiba doesn't like you!"

Joey shouted, "Oh, I'll give him something not to like--"

Yugi suggested, "Wait a second, maybe we can call Emiko and--"

Tristan interrupted, "You know, this is exactly how he wants you to react." Joey fell silent.

"Oh yeah," he said, "You got a good point there, Tristan. Maybe I don't need to enter Kaiba's snooty competition. What about you, Yuge?" Yugi nodded.

"I have to," he explained, "I just found out that entering Kaiba's Battle City tournament is the only way I can achieve my destiny." Joey cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Your destiny?"

Yugi chuckled, "It's kind of a long story."

Joey sighed, "I got nowhere to go." Yugi frowned.

"Alright," he said, "Some kind of evil force is coming back from the past and I'm destined to join this tournament and defeat it." Joey just blinked.

He smirked and said, "Then, it's my destiny to help! I got the perfect card, too!" He reached into his front pocket and pulled out a Duel Monsters card, holding it up to the sky in a very dramatic fashion, and shouted, "I'm talkin' about my trusty Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Yugi and Téa laughed under their breaths and Tristan sighed.

"So what you're saying is you've changed your mind again? Now, you are gonna enter Kaiba's tournament?"

Joey nodded and said, "Yeah!! That's what I'm sayin', alright!" He grinned and continued, "Yugi really inspired me just now and with my Red-Eyes in my deck, I've got this thing in the bag! I'll put Kaiba to shame!" Téa raised her finger at him, annoyed.

"Didn't you learn your lesson the last time you duelled Kaiba? He mopped the floor with you!"

Yugi sighed, "I hate to say it, but she's right. Your Red-Eyes is a very powerful card, but it doesn't guarantee that you'll beat Kaiba. You'll need to have a little patience. First, you should get used to his new, more advanced version of the Duel Disk. I'm sure Em can help you out with that."

Joey grumbled, "The old ones were too advanced for me. They cost me the duel!"

Yugi said, smiling, "Maybe, but you're a much better duelist now than you were then, Joey. Besides, like I said, I'm sure Emiko can help you figure the new system out. You'll just need to practice a bit before you throw yourself into a match with Kaiba again."

Joey said, pumping his fist in the air excitedly, "Alright, then! What are we waiting for?! Let's go! I gotta try and sign up for this thing!" He turned and ran to the door, leaving Yugi, Téa, and Tristan standing alone in stunned silence.

At the Kaiba Corporation building, Emiko, Seto, and Mokuba stood in Seto's office, gathered around his desk, all holding a stack of papers. Seto said, "Now that we've gotten the briefing out of the way, are you both clear on your role in this tournament?"

Mokuba nodded, but Emiko just frowned. She said, her voice low and cautious, "I understand, but..." her voice trailed off. Seto raised an eyebrow. She took a little breath in and said, "I was kinda hoping I could join your tournament, too."

"Why?" the eldest asked in a monotonous tone, "You never showed any interest before."

Emiko shifted between her feet and said, "Well, I...I-I had fun at Duelist Kingdom, despite the circumstances...so I started improving my deck and I'd hoped you'd let me join in as a contestant. I'll still be on the lookout! I just...." She sighed.