Yugi cheered “go Joey! Go Kaiba!” Serena smiled and said “don’t totally destroy them boys”

Ishizu waved to them and said “I’m excited to see this duel…”

The Duelists took to the Dueling Ring as the Announcer spoke again, "Alllriiight Duelists! It's Time to Duel!" All Four Duelists drew the cards as the screen showed 4000 LP for both sides, The Right side: Joey Wheeler, Seto Kaiba. The Left Side: Kyo Kirimura, Yuri Kurama. Right side: Heads, Left side: Tails. A coin flips on the screen in the middle of the Life points. It lands on tails.

Kyo goes first, playing a face-down card on the monster zone, and one face-down on the spell trap zone. He ends his turn. Joey goes next. drawing a card then playing Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode. He then goes for the attack, which reveals Giant Soldier of Stone which brings Joey and Kaiba's Life Points to 3800 LP. Joey saw it worth it to reveal the monster this way. He lays a face down in the Spell/Trap zone and ends his turn.

Yugi moved up to watch the duel closely, interested in how both duelists would change their behavior balanced with each other. Serena watched from her seat, sitting by Yami and holding his hand. She hadn’t seen Joey duel before or Seto apart from tv spots so she was learning a lot from this.

Cora too was watching closely. She thought it a unique combination for Joey and Mr. Kaiba to be dueling together. She was honestly invested, especially while the two would occasionly bicker throughout the Duel. To her they sounded like an old married couple and laughed.

Eight turns in with Team Joey: LP 2000, Team Kyo: 1900.

It was Kaiba's turn and team Kyo had a monster face-down, Spellbinding Circle which was binding Blue-eyes White Dragon. Joey and Seto and a card face-down set by Joey and Seto was calculating their next move when he had an idea. He looked to Wheeler who looked back and nodded.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon, removing the one card you have in your Spell/Trap zone, Spellbinding Circle. Then, I play the card Silver's Cry. Allowing me to select a Dragon type monster from my graveyard and special summon it onto the field. Allowing me to bring back my other Blue eyes White Dragon! Now I have one of my Blue eyes attack your Face-down monster!" Effectively destroying a monster with 2000 defense. "Now my other Blue eyes! Attack them directly! White Lightning!" Taking Team Kyo down to zero lifepoints.

"And with that Ladies and Gentlemen! Team Joey Wins and moves on to the next round!" The Announcer says with excitement. The Group cheers on their friends victory as does the crowd.

Seto and Joey come back to the group before sitting back down. "Congratulations!" Cora cheers. "That was awesome you two!" Tristen comments with Excitement. The two had oddly enough played in sync despite their usual bickering.

Yugi smiled and walked over saying “you guys did great! Like you two have been working together for years” mokuba was smirking and said “I told you brother…”

Serena smiled at Joey and looked at Yami “ever think you’d see that?”

Seto glanced to his brother before giving him a soft glare. He wasn't going to admit it out loud.

Yami shrugged to Serena's question. "Someday, however I didn't think it would be this soon." He figured.

Cora watched as they conversed. She seemed to be fine watching them all especially being new to everyone there.

The Announcer calls up the next two pairs of Duelists.

Mokuba laughed and moved to hug Seto, smiling widely.

Serena nodded and said “have you ever wondered if Joey was in the past somewhere?”

Yugi sat by Cora and asked “who’s up next? We have Istars and us and Yami with Serena waiting…”

Seto returned his brother's hug, a soft smile on his lips.

Yami thinks about it. "I don't think so. But anything is possible. He could have descended from anywhere from back then."

Cora had looked away from them before looking back to the Duel that had started. "Team Tsubaki, and Team Ryuki. From what I can see of the board, The Ishtar's are next after them. We are next. Then after there is a pair I don't recognize. Lastly is Yami and Serena." She explains.

Yugi looked up at the boards and said “that’s perfect. I’m excited for Istars, I haven’t seen them duel since Battle city. And we didn’t even get Mariks real deck”

Serena looked over at Joey and said “makes me wonder…”

Cora seemed confused as to what Yugi was talking about but shrugged it off and figured she would see soon enough.

The duel was a close call on both sides but it was a win for Team Ryuki. It was then the Ishtars, Ishizu and Marik against Team Zurabi.

"Ready sister?" Excited but slightly nervous since it had been sometime since he dueled.

Yugi looked at her and said “Marik is using a new deck now, the other wasn’t really his.”

Ishizu nodded and smiled, taking his hand to help up and followed him to the duel field. Odion said “good luck you two” Serena called “have fun too guys!”

It seemed to click for Cora when Yugi explained about his past and now current Deck. "I understand. It takes time to find a deck that resonates with you. Almost like a a soul mate of sorts. I can't wait to see it!" Almost goshing at the fact of someone using a deck that would be meant for them. Not knowing the past deck and what had happened between everyone and the Ishtars.

"Good luck to you." Yami says before they left the bleachers. "Go get'em!" Joey and Tristen cheers in unison.

"Duelists at the ready!" The Announcer says once the Duelists are at their spots. Screen posting their Life Points, and flipping a coin. It landed with the Ishtar's going first. Marik let's his sister going first.

Ishizu put two cards face down and face up the monster Keldo and then ended her turn. Then she looked to her brother and smiled.

Serena said “what kind of duelists are the Istars?”

Yugi looked at Cora and said “so what made you come today?”

It was Team Koruko's turn. Kuruko went next, drawing a card, he places a card face down in the monster zone, one card face down in Spell/Trap zone and ends his turn.

"Last time I remember Ishizu played cards that were Egyptian themed. Most of them are fairy type. However Marik's new deck is unknown to me, but he may go for something similar close to their culture." Yami explains to Serena.

Marik draws his card for the start of his turn. Examining his hand, he places a card in his field spell slot. "I play the field spell, Nercovalley! Also playing the monster Gravekeeper's Descendant (Atk:1500/Def:1200) with the power of my field spell, and Gravekeeper's gain five hundred attack and defence. Making my monsters attack now two-thousand." Marik explains. "With that I end my turn."

Cora pulls his attention to Yugi when asked what brought her here. She looks toward the duel thinking about it. "Honestly. I come here to have fun. I love seeing the bonds that are formed from dueling. I've come every weekend for the last year when I found out about its existence. Dueling is my passion." She explains to Yugi.

The other of Team Kuruko, Kainyn draws, placing another monster face down as well as a card in the Spell/Trap zone. Ending their turn.

Ishizu played her next cards and soon her and Marik had the other team on the run. Their styles played off each other perfectly.

Yugi listened to her and then asked “I see. Have you seen anything…strange here the last few weeks? People missing or acting strange?”

Serena looked around, standing a bit to see. She was getting a strange feeling around them.

Cora thought about it before shrugging. "I don't think so at least. People come and go. There's so many people that come to watch, participate, it's hard to keep track of them all. As for acting strange? I mean. I've seen some people be a little aggressive in their duels but I don't what what to exactly chalk it up to." She explains to him, looking at him a little confused.

Yami looked up to Serena wondering if she was okay. "Serena? Is everything okay?"

Yugi turned to her and asked “what do you mean aggressive? Like how did it stand out?”

Ishizu played her next moves by adding a magic card for another power boost to Mariks and her monsters then she laid a magic card Wall of Sands which hid their field from the other team and made the other teams face down cards show up without triggering.

Serena nodded and muttered “just…a feeling…”

"There were a few times I've seen act out but almost like one getting too competitive when we're all just here to have fun. There's the occasional one or two. Considering this is suppose to be considered a safe space for everyone no matter who or what you are and any background, anger to the point of verbal abuse of frowned upon here. That's all it ever escalates to." Cora explains in further detail. She seems a little nervous when mentioning about the verbal abuse. She though had shook her head to chase those thoughts away.

Team Ishizu: 3500 LP, Team Koruko: 2000

Marik was having so much fun that he has forgotten the last deck that had rubbed him the wrong way. Marik would pick off their monsters, take out out some spells and traps of theirs and take the bit of damage they manage to get this far.

Yami looked around from where he was before guiding Serena back to sitting down next to him. "If anything were to happen, we will take care of it." He assures.

Yugi frowned and said “Cora…are you okay?”

Ishizu smiled at him and said “I haven’t seen you have this much fun in a long time brother…” she played another card and then said “you ready to end it?”

Serena looked at him as he put his arm around her. “Yami…I’m supposed to protect you…”

Cora snaps out of her thought chasing as Yugi brings her back to reality. She gives him her full attention as she smiles brightly. "Yep! I'm okay. Just chasing some silly thoughts away while getting excited for our Duel."

"That is true. But you are also here to have fun." Yami reminds as he leans over. "I have been having the same feeling. Also for someone on alert, loved to suddenly tease me about my demeanor." He whispers into her ear.

Marik looked over to his sister with a confident smile. "Ready." Upon his turn he sets his sights to attack their opponents. Taking out their monsters and then their life Points, ending the Duel. Marik stood there stunned. "We did it....we did it!" Going from Shocked to then excitement.