Yu-Gi-Oh!: This is the real duel!

Near the cold, dark Orichalcos barrier, a story belonging to Baron and the city is slowly being revealed. Kyoko stands there quietly, listening in astonishment as each sentence is told…

Ten years ago.

Domino City.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, two young children sat at the entrance of a small supermarket, happily drinking their beverages.

"Jonouchi, why do you suddenly have so much pocket money?" a cute boy with fair skin and slightly reddish-brown hair asked happily.

However, young Jonouchi was not keen to answer the question.

His father was an alcoholic and gambling addict. He only gave him a few extra bills today because he was lucky enough to win money. Most of the time, Jōnei not only didn't have any pocket money, but he would also be beaten up for no reason.

His mother and sister suffered the same treatment. He had heard countless arguments between his parents and countless helpless cries from his sister...

"Never mind all that, Tiridford~" Jonouchi said with a carefree laugh, "Anyway, if I have anything good to eat or drink, I'll definitely share it with you~"

"Mmm!!" The boy called "Tireford" laughed happily and continued to gulp down his cola.

Just then, a group of slightly older children walked over with mischievous grins. The one in the lead walked up to Jonouchi, held out his palm, and said with a smile, "Hey, Jonouchi, you're buying snacks now?"

"Since you have money, why don't you lend us a few?"

"How about we share the coins we win from the arcade with you?"

The two children's expressions changed drastically.

The slightly more assertive Jonouchi gritted his teeth and retorted, "I won't fall for your tricks again! You never pay back the money you borrow!!"

"Then don't blame us for being impolite, hehe~" When Cheng Nei refused, the older kids went straight for it. The supermarket owner, who was used to this kind of scene, pretended not to know and just smoked and looked at the TV.

To protect his hard-earned pocket money, Jonouchi fought with the others like a madman. Tillyford was initially scared and wanted to run away, but when he saw Jonouchi being pinned to the ground by the older kids, he immediately raised his fists and ran back.

However, their combined strength was ultimately too weak.

Those mischievous kids took the pocket money that Jonouchi had worked so hard to earn and went into the arcade.

Meanwhile, the battered and bruised Jonouchi and Tillyford could only sit amidst the mess of snacks and drinks, their eyes red with tears, their faces filled with grievance and anger.

Chapter 235 The Castle and the Claws of Heinemus

"And so, in order to get back the money that was stolen, Jonouchi and I agreed to settle the score with those guys the next day," Baron continued, his eyes filled with hatred. "We swore that this time, no matter what, we would make those guys pay the price!!"

"But... that cowardly bastard Jonouchi ultimately betrayed our promise!!"

"He was like a coward, he didn't show up at all from beginning to end!!"

Upon hearing this, Kyoko asked, "But even so... couldn't you just run away? And just because of a childhood fight, are you going to use this terrifying barrier to kill Jonouchi?"

"You understand absolutely nothing!!" Suddenly, Baron roared angrily, "Everything I had, my destiny, was completely changed in that moment!!"

"I had arranged with Jonouchi to ambush those disgusting guys from both sides of the alley, but when I arrived, I was all alone!!"

"To keep my promise to Jonouchi, and to avoid Jonouchi having to fight alone when he arrives, I fought those guys with all my might and tried every possible way to buy time for him."

"But even after I was beaten to a pulp and those bullies who only knew how to use their power to bully others fled in disarray, they never appeared in the city!!"

"Although I was just an orphan without parents, I could still live a fairly good life in the orphanage. But because of that fight, I was targeted by an underground gang that happened to be passing by."

"They saw my fighting talent, so they kidnapped me and began inhumane special training!!"

"And when I turned thirteen, they dumped me on a deserted island used for a battle royale game!!"

"That island is full of desperate fighters like me, trained from childhood. Those rich people gamble with our lives and take pleasure in it!!"

"You have no idea how terrifying that hell is, and you have absolutely no idea what it feels like to crawl out over countless corpses!!"

"If it weren't for Lord Daz, I'd probably still be a tool for the rich to amuse themselves today!!"

"And the person who brought me all this pain, the person who led me down this path of no return, is that utter coward—Jounouchi!!!"

Upon hearing this, Kyoko covered her mouth in shock and looked toward the castle.

Upon learning of Baron's ordeal, Jonouchi's face contorted with agony. His expression turned deathly pale as he slowly uttered, "So that's how it is, Tiridford... So, this really happened that day... I thought..."

"Shut up!!" Baron, his face ashen, refused to listen any longer. He roared angrily, "Now there's only Baron, not Tiridford! Enter combat phase!! Attack directly!!!"

"boom----------------------"

A powerful punch was unleashed, the intense combat damage sending Jonouchi flying back against the light barrier of the Orichalcos barrier.

"cough!!!!"

A mouthful of blood spurted from Jonouchi's mouth, and, still reeling from the shock, he said guiltily:

“Tiri…no, Baron…”

"I never imagined things would turn out this way..."

"Sorry……"

"That day, I had planned to go with you as promised..."

"But when I got home from school, I discovered that my mother, who had divorced my father sometime earlier, was planning to leave with my younger sister..."

Tears welled up in his eyes, and Jonouchi, barely managing to stand up despite his aching body, continued speaking.

"That day, I chased after that strange man's car for a very, very long time..."

“I promise I will make my dad quit gambling and drinking. My mom and I in the car swear we will protect her and my sister and make sure they are never beaten again…”

"But... I couldn't catch up with that car..."

“I couldn’t convince my mother of what I said, and in the end, she resolutely left me and my father, taking my younger sister with her…”

"Baron, I really didn't mean to abandon you!"

“When I went back to find you that day, I ran into those guys. They ran away as soon as they saw me. Seeing their faces, I knew you must have won…”

"Although I don't know what method you used, it's obvious you succeeded..."

"But when I went to the orphanage to find you and wanted to apologize for breaking my promise, the director said that you had been adopted by a very wealthy family."

"All along, I thought that my best childhood friend named 'Tireford' was finally living a happy life. I always thought that all these years you had been enjoying the wonderful life that I, as a child, could never experience..."

"But……"

"But is this really how it is?"

The city slowly raised its head, looked at Balong, and said in a trembling voice:

"If I knew your true experience was like this..."

"If you had known that it was my failure to show up that day that caused you to become the 'Baron' you are today..."

"me……"

Halfway through his sentence, Jonouchi could no longer continue, letting tears stream down his face.

"You mean... you will definitely go to save Baron? Jonouchi..." Kyoko whispered.

However, Jonouchi shook his head, clenched his fists, and gritted his teeth, saying, "No... even if I say that, I definitely can't do it!"

"If I really went back to that crossroads and had to choose between Tireford and my sister, I simply couldn't choose..."

"Because during those extremely difficult days, Tireford and my sister gave me the hope to keep living..."

"To me at that time, Tiridford was just as important as my sister!!"

Before he finished speaking, a howling wind rose from the edge of the cliff.

Baron's long hair was instantly blown into a mess. Standing on the boulder, looking at the utterly chaotic city, he stared in astonishment as he listened to this reason he had never known before.

Just as he was lost in deep shock and confusion, the walkie-talkie in his arms suddenly rang. It was a message from the rest of the organization, who were located on the other side of the valley.

"Captain Baron, we have successfully intercepted a duelist who was trying to support the Pharaoh!"

"It was one of the Pharaoh's companions—Honda."

No other targets have been found so far.

A hissing noise came from the walkie-talkie, which seemed to be Honda trying to duel with the group of Doma assassins. Although Otogi Ryuji had a spare Duel Disk in his car, Honda's amateur skills were no match for those professional hunters!

At the same time, the sound of a motorcycle rang out, and Rebecca, her face covered in dust and her eyes red, rushed over.

"Jounouchi! Kyoko!!"

"The Doma Organization has discovered our hideout!!"

"Miss Mai and Mr. Otogi were captured while trying to save me..."

The news that came one after another caused Jonouchi and Kyoko's expressions to change drastically. They did not expect that the Doma Organization's actions would be so swift!

The rising sun, as seen from within the city, resembled the setting sun that day, and he felt as if he were standing at that crossroads once again.

Last time, he had to choose between his sister and his best friend.

And this time...

Standing within the eerie Orichalcos barrier, Jonouchi, who had been driven to the brink of defeat in the duel, sighed heavily and said to Kyoko and Rebecca, "Rebecca, Kyoko, Honda and the others are in your hands now..."

"What are you saying, Jonouchi?!" Kyoko shouted, thinking Jonouchi was about to give up. "I don't know how to duel at all! Rebecca is just a child! Are you really going to admit defeat today, someone who's always wanted to be a duelist like Yugi or Yuzuriha?!"

Jonouchi gave a wry smile and said, "Kyoko, even if I win this duel, I will have to choose between Honda and Mai. I can't save both of them at the same time."

"Besides... the person who was let down last time because of my choice is right here..."

"I need to give him an explanation for the suffering he endured..."

After hearing these words, Kyoko gritted her teeth. She knew very well that even if Jonouchi had the ability to turn the tide in the duel, by the time he defeated Baron, it would probably be too late to save anyone.

With time running out, Kyoko and Rebecca were forced to rescue Honda, Mai Kujaku, and Ryuji Otogi separately, but they knew very well that there was very little they could do with their abilities…

The roar of motorcycles filled the air as Rebecca and Anzu drove off separately.

Amidst the biting wind, Jonouchi slowly drew a card from the deck, forcing a smile:

“Whether you are Baron or Tiridford… I, the city dweller, have wronged you…”

"I can't imagine what you've been through, but... if defeating me here will lessen your pain, then do it..."

With that, Jonouchi was about to end his turn without making any moves.

But just then, Baron suddenly asked, "Within the city, is everything you just said true?"

Jonouchi was stunned.